Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa
Creator, You are the honor of anyone who feels they have none. When I felt small and overlooked, You became my dignity.
In my lap now is the greatest wealth there is — the wealth of the Name — and I dissolve into the true, endless song.
You are complete; next to You I feel unfinished. You run deep; I feel light as a feather. Yet my heart is dyed in You, morning, noon, and night — my tongue keeps Your Name, my mind rests on You.
This is the Rahao, the "pause" line and the center of the shabad: kartaa too mai maan nimaanay. Creator, You are the honor of those who have none.
It is a tender promise. The people the world overlooks get their dignity from the One. This runs deep in Sikhi, which sets aside ranking people by caste or status. Think of the kid who always gets picked last for teams. The One picks that kid first.
Then come some contrasts. Too pooraa ham ooray — You are whole, and I'm unfinished. Too ga-uraa ham ha-uray — You are deep and weighty, and I'm light. This isn't putting yourself down. It's how anyone feels, standing small beside the ocean.
And right away it turns warm: tujh hee man raatay, my heart is dyed in Your color. Ahinis parbhaatay — night, day and dawn. Every hour of the day belongs to love.
When have you felt small or left out — and what helped you remember your own worth?
Translation by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa·How we use AI