ਕਰਤਾ ਰਾਖੈ ਕੀਤਾ ਕਉਨੁ ॥
kartaa raakhai keetaa ka-un.
He is protected by the Creator Lord; what harm can anyone do to him?
ਕੀਰੀ ਜੀਤੋ ਸਗਲਾ ਭਵਨੁ ॥
keeree jeeto saglaa bhavan.
Even an ant can conquer the whole world.
ਬੇਅੰਤ ਮਹਿਮਾ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਕੇਤਕ ਬਰਨ ॥
bay-ant mahimaa taa kee kaytak baran.
His glory is endless; how can I describe it?
ਬਲਿ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਈਐ ਤਾ ਕੇ ਚਰਨ ॥੨॥
bal bal jaa-ee-ai taa kay charan. ||2||
I am a sacrifice, a devoted sacrifice, to His feet. ||2||
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When the Creator is guarding you, who could harm you?
With that help, even something as tiny as an ant can win the whole world.
The greatness of the One is endless. How could I ever put it into words?
Again and again, I give myself at the One's feet.
The smallest one, well-supported, can do the greatest thing.
Keeree jeeto saglaa bhavan — the ant conquering all worlds — is Gurbani's favorite reversal of size: strength is not in bigness but in what stands behind you. Bal bal jaa-ee-ai is the language of glad self-offering.
A Question to Sit With
When has something small turned out to be stronger than it looked?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI
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