Even from the darkest-feeling place, a hand is reaching to carry you across.
The Arc
A short shabad that is almost entirely a prayer of names. The heart calls the One by every loving name — world-keeper, cherisher, merciful Beloved; names the One the friend of the lost and the lifter of the poor's pain; asks the all-powerful-yet-near One to shower mercy like rain; and ends by asking simply to be carried out of the dark and into the light.
Key Vocabulary
gobind / gopaal / dayaal laal — the garland of loving names.
The garland of names is Ik Onkar seen from many sides: one reality, many windows. Naming the One the friend of the forsaken and the lifter of the poor foregrounds the tradition's honoring of exactly those society writes off. This shabad closes the long body of Guru Arjan's Malaar hymns on a note of pure, trusting appeal.
For Raag Malaar
Shower me with mercy is the raag's rain-prayer, and being carried from dark into light is the storm giving way to a washed, bright sky.
Translation Notes
andh koop (the deep dark pit or well) is rendered as a dark place where it is hard to see, keeping the plea for rescue while removing the frightening pit imagery for a child; the close is bent toward being lifted, hand in hand, into light.
Even from the darkest-feeling place, a hand is reaching to carry you across.
The Arc
A short shabad that is almost entirely a prayer of names. The heart calls the One by every loving name — world-keeper, cherisher, merciful Beloved; names the One the friend of the lost and the lifter of the poor's pain; asks the all-powerful-yet-near One to shower mercy like rain; and ends by asking simply to be carried out of the dark and into the light.
Key Vocabulary
Themes and Cross-Connections
The garland of names is Ik Onkar seen from many sides: one reality, many windows. Naming the One the friend of the forsaken and the lifter of the poor foregrounds the tradition's honoring of exactly those society writes off. This shabad closes the long body of Guru Arjan's Malaar hymns on a note of pure, trusting appeal.
For Raag Malaar
Shower me with mercy is the raag's rain-prayer, and being carried from dark into light is the storm giving way to a washed, bright sky.
Translation Notes
andh koop (the deep dark pit or well) is rendered as a dark place where it is hard to see, keeping the plea for rescue while removing the frightening pit imagery for a child; the close is bent toward being lifted, hand in hand, into light.