Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
All through a life, a clock keeps striking — tick, chime, hour after hour, day after day. The sound seems like it will go on forever.
But the one ringing the gong eventually sets down the mallet and walks on. And then the gong does not sound again.
Every life is like music that plays for a while, so play it well now.
A clock strikes the hours, minutes, and seconds, day and night. That is the passing days of a life. Bajaavanhaaro ooth sidhaari-o — then the gong player gets up and leaves. After that, the gong does not sound again. That is the end of a life.
Guru Arjan speaks of it gently. The end is not something to be terrified of. It is the natural close of the music.
Think of a school concert. The songs will not go on forever, and that is exactly why you play your part with your whole heart. The lesson is to care now, without fear: the song does not last forever, so sing it truly today.
If your days are a song, what sound do you most want to fill them with?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI