ਬਸੁ ਜਲ ਨਿਤ ਨ ਵਸਤ ਅਲੀਅਲ ਮੇਰ ਚਚਾ ਗੁਨ ਰੇ ॥
bas jal nit na vasat alee-al mayr chachaa gun ray.
You dwell continually in the water; the bumble bee does not dwell there, but it is intoxicated with its fragrance from afar.
ਚੰਦ ਕੁਮੁਦਨੀ ਦੂਰਹੁ ਨਿਵਸਸਿ ਅਨਭਉ ਕਾਰਨਿ ਰੇ ॥੨॥
chand kumudanee Dhoorahu nivsas anbha-o kaaran ray. ||2||
Intuitively sensing the moon in the distance, the lotus bows its head. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
A bee does not even live in the pond, yet it catches the flower's scent from far away and comes.
And the lotus, sensing the moon high above, gently bows its head toward it.
Love reaches across any distance; you can feel what you love before you can touch it.
Loving something draws you close to it, no matter how far away it seems.
Two images of longing across distance: the bhramar (bee) drawn by fragrance, the lotus turning to the far chand (moon). The frog, though nearest of all, feels nothing. Nearness in space is not nearness of heart; longing and love bridge any gap.
A Question to Sit With
What do you feel drawn toward, even from a distance?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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