Guest guest Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 --- On Thu, 28/8/08, Alan Jacobs <alanadamsjacobs wrote: Here is anothe Poem that Ivan Granger has given permission for me to post from his site. For those who want to understand the meaning of the Poem, the notes at the bottom, written by Ivan are excellent. Alan --- On Wed, 27/8/08, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote: Poetry Chaikhana <ivan[Poetry Chaikhana] Rahman Baba - Soul TrainalanadamsjacobsDate: Wednesday, 27 August, 2008, 5:16 PM Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- Soul Train By Rahman Baba(1653 - 1711) English version by Robert Sampson and Momin Khan My soul is restless in search of the beautiful;As the breeze yearns for the scent of flowers.Your beauty is like the sun drying up the dew;Dawn breaks, and turns my tears to laughter.When I contemplate your beautyMy heart marvels at your sight.The image of your faceMakes my soul sing like a bird.Within this frail body my soulLies visible, like pure wine in the glass.Once my search discovered your radiant beautyMy spirit moved – spinning day and night like the sun.In search of your cheeks I became a nomad;My soul wanders as far as India and Khorasan.-- from The Poetry of Rahman Baba: Poet of the Pashtuns, translated by Robert Sampson and Momin Khan (available from http://rahmanbaba-poetry.com/ ) / Photo by Ivan Zuber / ============ Thought for the Day: No one gets to heavenby following the rules-- or breaking them.Heaven must burst forth from your breast. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Hariprasad Chaurasia Power and Grace 1 Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -Abdul Rahman (respectfully referred to as Rahman Baba) is considered by many to be the greatest Pashtun poet.Rahman Baba was born in the early seventeenth century in the hilly Mohmand region of Afghanistan, outside of Peshwar. This was a time when Afghanistan was under invasion by the Persians to the west and the Mongols to the east, a period of great struggle and hardship.Yet, in the midst of this turmoil, the young Abdul Rahman showed himself to be an excellent student with a natural gift for poetry. But as he grew older he became disillusioned, questioning the real value of such pursuits. He withdrew from the world, becoming a hermit, dedicating himself to prayer and devotion. In his solitary worship, he began to write poetry again.Despite his reclusive life, Rahman Baba's poetry quickly spread and gained fame. Religious figures used his poetry to inspire the devout. Political leaders used his poems to inspire the independence movement. Rahman Baba's poetry became an important part of the nation's voice.---Like much of the sacred poetry of Islam, this poem can be read on different levels. A surface reading might convince you that this is a love poem, a poem of yearning for someone with a beautiful face. My soul is restless in search of the beautiful;As the breeze yearns for the scent of flowers.But it is normally understood that the true Beloved being sought is God, the Divine, Truth. Coming face-to-face with that fundamental state of being is to be overcome with beauty. It can seem terrifying, so expansive and all-encompassing that the limited mind recoils. And, in incorporating all things, it integrates the terrible as well as the serene. Yet, seen as a whole, it shines, like the breaking of dawn. In this vision, the heart is flooded with joy, and it marvels. The total vision is undeniably one of -- Beauty.The image of your faceMakes my soul sing like a bird.You come to know your own nature...Within this frail body my soulLies visible, like pure wine in the glass.Having seen this truth, what soul can become a fixed, defined, limited thing again? The soul can accept no home but the wide open Mystery. It becomes a nomad, seeking to be ever closer to that Beauty.Ivan Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary... New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include: Book: Hymns of Divine Love - Comments (1) St. Symeon the New Theologian's discourses are readily available in English, but as far as I can tell this is the only English translation of his complete hymns... More Poetry Chaikhana is Back Up - The Poetry Chaikhana web site — including the forum and blog — were down for much of Friday, Aug. 15. More Video: silent lotus peace poetry - silent lotus is a regular contributor to he Poetry Chaikhana Forum. His is a voice of wisdom, heart, and stillness. More Support the Poetry Chaikhana Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you! Click here You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you! Click here A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo. Click here Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo. Poetry Chaikhana HomeNew | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | ContactPoets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | CommentaryBlog | Forum | Video Channel www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers. ============ Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. 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