Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
I have been tied up by the ropes of clinging attachment. So I will tie You, Beloved, with the gentle ropes of love.
Go ahead and try to slip away. I have already slipped free myself, simply by loving and remembering You.
Ravidas says that if the world's ties hold him, then he will hold the One even tighter, with love.
Ja-o ham baaDhay moh faas — "if I am caught in the snare of moh." Moh means clinging attachment, holding too tight to things and people. Ham paraym baDhan tum baaDhay — "then I have tied You with the bond of love, paraym."
He is playing here, almost teasing the One, the way you tease your closest friend. One kind of tie traps you. The other kind you choose, and it sets you free.
Apnay chhootan ko jatan karahu — "go ahead, try to get loose!" Ham chhootay tum aaraaDhay — "I have already slipped free, by loving and remembering You." Think of a hug from someone you love. You are held tight, yet you feel freer and lighter than before.
What is a bond in your life that makes you feel more free, not less?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI