Fakhruddin Iraqi - Love plays its lute behind the screen --

[Guest guest]

A thought provoking poem semt by kind permission of Ivan-read his notes too. AJ--- On Mon, 16/2/09, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote:

Poetry Chaikhana <ivan[Poetry Chaikhana] Fakhruddin Iraqi - Love plays its lute behind the screen --alanadamsjacobsDate: Monday, 16 February, 2009, 4:45 PM

 

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love plays its lute behind the screen --

By Fakhruddin Iraqi(? - 1289)

English version by William Chittick and Peter Lamborn Wilson

Love plays its lute behind the screen --where is a lover to listen to its tune?With every breath a new song,each split second a new string plucked.The world has spilled Love's secret --when could music ever hold its tongue?Every atom babbles the mystery --Listen yourself, for I'm no tattletale!

 

 

 

 

 

 

-- from Fakhruddin Iraqi: Divine Flashes (Classics of Western Spirituality) , by William Chittick / Nasr Seyyed Hossein

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Hi Alan -Valentine's Day may have past, but the season of Love has just begun. We'll resume the Lover & Beloved series soon. For today a sweet taste.--I like the double meaning of this poem's first couplet:Love plays its lute behind the screen --where is a lover to listen to its tune?On the one hand, Iraqi is chiding the world for not producing enough lovers of God. Love is eternally calling to us with its soft music "behind the screen" of reality, but few are actually listening; lovers can't be found.On a deeper level, it is understood that the true lover has no substance, because he or she is utterly merged into the Beloved, God. So, even where there are lovers, there are no lovers found.Whoever thinks Divine Love is just hypothetical, isn't really listening. "The world has spilled Love's secret --Every atom babbles the

mystery --"Listen yourself, for I'm no tattletale!---Fakhruddin Ibrahim 'Iraqi was a fascinating figure who bridged several Sufi traditions and traveled through much of the Muslim world.Fakhruddin 'Iraqi was born near Hamadan, in what is today Iran. (The name 'Iraqi does not refer to the modern country of Iraq, but to the local region around Hamadan.) While still a young boy, 'Iraqi gained local fame for having memorized the entire Koran and reciting it aloud. He went on to acquire an impressive education in his teens.This properly devout young man surprised everyone when he abandoned his community and joined a group of traveling Kalandar dervishes. Kalandar Sufis had a bohemian, some would even say heretical, lifestyle and expression of the Muslim faith.The young 'Iraqi eventually ended up in Multan in what is modern day Pakistan. There he received formal initiation into the Sufi way under

Shaykh Baha'uddin, the head of the Suhrawardiyya Sufi Order, one of the most influential Sufi groups in the Indian subcontinent. 'Iraqi lived in Multan for 25 years as one of the Suhrawardis, composing poetry. As Shaykh Baha'uddin was dying, he named Fakhruddin 'Iraqi to be his successor.When it became known that 'Iraqi had been named head of the Suhrawardi Order, some in the order became jealous and denounced him to the local sultan who sought to have 'Iraqi arrested. 'Iraqi fled the area with a few close companions, and they eventually made their way to Mecca and Medina. Later they moved north to Konya in Turkey. This was Konya at the time of Rumi. 'Iraqi often listened to Rumi teach and recite poetry, and later attended Rumi's funeral.Although 'Iraqi was nominally the head (in exile) of a large and respected Sufi order, he humbly became the disciple of another Sufi master -- Sadruddin Qunawi, who also lived in Konya at the

time. Qunawi was the son-in-law of the recently deceased Sufi philosoper Ibn 'Arabi. Although less known in the West today, Qunawi was perhaps the preeminent Sufi teacher in Konya at the time, even better known than his neighbor Rumi. When Fakhruddin 'Iraqi died he was buried near Ibn 'Arabi's tomb.Ivan

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[Guest guest]

Alan Jacobs wrote:

 

 

 

 

 

 

A thought provoking poem semt by kind permission of

Ivan-read his notes too. AJ

 

--- On Mon, 16/2/09, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan (AT) poetry-chaikhana (DOT) com>

wrote:

 

Poetry Chaikhana <ivan (AT) poetry-chaikhana (DOT) com>

[Poetry Chaikhana] Fakhruddin Iraqi - Love plays its lute

behind the screen --

alanadamsjacobs (AT) (DOT) co.uk

Monday, 16 February, 2009, 4:45 PM

 

 

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love plays its lute

behind the screen --

By Fakhruddin Iraqi

(? - 1289)

English

version by William Chittick and Peter Lamborn Wilson

 

Love plays its

lute behind the screen --

where is a lover to listen to its tune?

 

With every breath a new song,

each split second a new string plucked.

 

The world has spilled Love's secret --

when could music ever hold its tongue?

 

Every atom babbles the mystery --

Listen yourself, for I'm no tattletale!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

oh yeah!

in

this great symphony

jamming endlessly

i play

the

ear

 

 

_()_

yosy