Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
There is only One. And the One is found by the True Guru's grace — a gift that is always here, waiting for an open heart.
The chakvi bird does not want sleep in her eyes; without her beloved, sleep will not come.
When the sun rises, she sees her beloved with her own eyes, and she bows low, again and again, at his feet.
A heart that loves the One cannot rest while it feels apart, but it knows the morning will come.
Guru Nanak begins this longer song with a bird. The chakvee is a kind of duck, and the old story says she is apart from her mate all night. Chakvee nain — the chakvee's eyes do not want sleep. Bin pir — without her beloved, sleep will not come. That is the soul, unable to rest while it feels far from the One.
Pari-o daykhai nainee — when the sun rises, she sees her beloved. Niv niv laagai paa-ee — she bows low and touches his feet. It is a thankful, loving homecoming.
Think of staying up late for a parent coming home from a night shift. You wait and wait. Her longing is not despair. It is a kind of promise: dawn always comes.
Have you ever waited all night for something you couldn't wait to see in the morning?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI