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.
Aching and aching with longing, I twist my hands.
I have gone half-wild, searching for my Beloved.
My Beloved, it feels as if You are upset with me.
But the distance is on my side, never on Yours.
This verse is about missing someone so much that it aches, and then seeing where the distance really lies.
These words are by Shaykh Farid, a much-loved Muslim Sufi saint. Sufis are Muslims who seek God through love. The Gurus honored his songs by placing them in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Tap tap luhi luhi haath marora-o: the old words picture burning and twisting in pain, wringing the hands. Their meaning is the deep ache of longing. Baaval ho-ee so saho lora-o: I have gone half-wild, searching for my Beloved. Think of a child who has lost sight of a parent in a crowded store, looking everywhere at once.
Tai seh man meh kee-aa ros: it seems You are upset with me. Mujh avgan sah naahee dos: the fault is mine, not the Beloved's. This is honest and tender, not harsh. The Beloved never turned away. The gap is only on our side, and that means we can always close it by turning back with love.
When you feel distant from someone you love, what is one small way to turn back toward them?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI