Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
The earth and sky, the deep places, the moon and the sun — all of it will one day pass.
Emperors and bankers, rulers and leaders will go, and their houses will fall.
The poor and the rich, the humble and the proud, will all move on.
The Qazis and Shaykhs and preachers will rise and go. The teachers, prophets and their students — none will stay forever.
Fasts, calls to prayer, and holy books fade too, when held without understanding.
All the countless kinds of creatures keep coming and going.
But the One True Oneness stays forever, and so does anyone rooted in it.
Everything we can see will one day pass. Only the One stays, along with the heart that rests in the One.
The verse goes through the whole world, one piece at a time. The earth, the sky, the moon and the sun will pass. Kings, bankers and rulers will go, and their houses will fall. Poor and rich alike will move on.
Then it names religious teachers from Islam. Qazis are judges of religious law. Shaykhs are respected elders and guides. Next come peer, spiritual teachers, and prophets. None of them stay forever. Fasts, calls to prayer and holy books fade too, if they are held without understanding. The next verse names Hindu holy places and teachers in the same way. No one is singled out.
Think of a sandcastle on the beach. It can be grand, with towers and flags. But the tide always comes in. That is not scary. It helps us see what lasts. Nihchal sach khudaa-ay ayk — the One True God stays, unchanging. And the one who serves the One stays too.
If almost everything eventually passes, what is worth holding onto?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI