Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Moment after moment, the rain-bird cries and calls.
Without seeing her Beloved, she cannot sleep at all.
Being apart is more than she can bear.
When she meets the True Guru, she meets her Beloved, easily and naturally.
The rain-bird misses the rain the way we miss someone we love. That longing is love on its way home.
The baabeehaa is the rain-bird, also called the chaatrik. It is the favorite picture of Raag Malaar, the music of the rainy season. People say it drinks only one special raindrop, the swaati drop. So it calls out khin khin, moment after moment, waiting.
Without seeing her Beloved, she cannot sleep. This ache of being apart is called viraha. It is not despair. Think of a child at the window, waiting for a parent to come home. The waiting hurts, but it is full of love and hope.
Satgur milai taa milai subhaa-ay: when the True Guru brings them together, the meeting comes naturally, all on its own.
What is something you long for that makes the waiting feel meaningful?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI