Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
O Beloved, You know my love for You just as it truly is, nothing hidden.
So now, what will You possibly do about a love like this?
This pause line is a smiling challenge: You know how much I love You, so what will You do now?
This is the rahaa-o line, the "pause" line, the center of the shabad. MaaDhvay jaanat hahu jaisee taisee — "O Lord, You know my love, just as it is." MaaDhvay is a loving name for the One.
Ab kahaa karhugay aisee — "now what will You do about a love like this?" Ravidas has tied the Beloved with love. Now he asks, half-playful, what the One could do except stay. This is bhakti, loving devotion, at its closest. It is like a friendship so trusting that you can joke with each other. Only a very close friend can tease you and make you smile at the same time.
Who do you love enough to be playful and totally honest with?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI