Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
When my heart is glad and close to the One, that is when the song rises in me. And then singing itself carries its own reward.
The gift of the song comes... only when the One gives it. It was never really mine to force in the first place.
Guru Nanak says that singing the One's praise is a gift, not a chore.
Jaa tis bhaavaa tad hee gaavaa: when I am pleasing to the One, that is when I sing. The song rises when the heart is already close.
And the reward? Gaavay kaa fal ho-ee: the fruit of singing comes. But only jaa aapay dayvai so-ee: when the One gives it. Even the wish to sing is a gift we receive. It is never a trophy we win.
Think of laughing with your best friend. You don't plan it or force it. It bubbles up because you are close. And the laughing is its own reward. Nobody asks what prize they get for it.
This shabad opens with its own Ik Onkar, "One Creator of all," at the top, the way a new song begins a new page.
When does a song or a feeling of gladness rise up in you all on its own?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI