Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O soul-bride, dress yourself up only after you have first won your Beloved's heart.
Otherwise your Beloved may not come to you, and all your dressing up goes to waste.
O soul-bride, your jewelry is beautiful only when your Beloved's heart is pleased.
Your dressing up counts only when your Beloved loves you.
So let reverence be your jewelry, joy the sweet you savor, and love your daily food.
Nanak says: give your body and mind to your Beloved, and then the Beloved delights in you.
pahilaan kant manaa-ay = first win or please the Beloved, then adorn. seegaar = adornment reframed as inner virtue. bhau (reverence) as ornament, bhaa-o (love) as food. tan man sa-upay = offering body and mind, the self-surrender that opens union. The bride is every soul, and the Beloved is the One.
Why does a gift mean more when the friendship behind it is real?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI