Guest guest Posted June 12, 2009 Report Share Posted June 12, 2009 A good poem from dear Ivan sent to us Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- If They Only Knew By Hallaj (Mansur al-Hallaj) (9th Century) English version by Michael A. Sells What earth is this so in want of you they rise up on high to seek you in heaven? Look at them staring at you right before their eyes, unseeing, unseeing, blind. .. . . I was patient, but can the heart be patient of its heart? My spirit and yours blend together whether we are near one another or far away. I am you, you, my being, end of my desire. The most intimate of secret thoughts enveloped and fixed along the horizon in folds of light. How? The "how" is known along the outside, while the interior of beyond to and for the heart of being. Creatures perish in the darkened blind of quest, knowing intimations. Guessing and dreaming they pursue the real, faces turned toward the sky whispering secrets to the heavens. While the lord remains among them in every turn of time abiding in their every condition every instant. Never without him, they, not for the blink of an eye -- if only they knew! nor he for a moment without them. -- from Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Quran, Miraj, Poetic and Theological Writings (Classics of Western Spirituality), by Michael A. Sells Amazon.com / Photo by millicent bystander / ============ Thought for the Day: Through you the world learns to recognize itself -- as heaven. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Kailash Sincerity Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan - Mansur al-Hallaj is one of the more controversial figures of Sufism. Considered by many to be a great poet-saint, he was executed for blasphemy and sorcery. The name al-Hallaj means "wool carder," probably a reference to his family's traditional occupation. Al-Hallaj was born in the province of Fars, Persia (Iran). He later moved to what is now Iraq, where he took up religious studies, particularly the Sufi way. Orthodox religious authorities took offense at his poetry and teachings, particularly the line in one of his great poems "Ana 'l-Haqq," which translates as "I am the Real," but can also be translated as "I am the Truth" or "I am God" -- acknowledging the mystical realization of unity with the Eternal. He was condemned by a council of theologians, imprisoned for nine years, and eventually put to death. He is revered today as a martyr for truth by many Sufis and mystics. -- In this poem al-Hallaj reminds us that, wherever we look, we are always staring at the face of God, "right before [our] eyes." Everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, is always searching for the Eternal, but too easily we become lost in our search. The idea of a search is already to be lost -- "a blind quest." We imagine that the Goal will be found elsewhere, somewhere that we are not, and so we rush about looking, looking. "Guessing and dreaming," looking for God in some distant heaven instead of beneath our feet and between the span of our arms, we blindly have our "faces turned toward the sky." But doing that, we never recognize that "the lord remains among [us]" in our "every condition / every instant." We are never without the Divine Presence, "not for the blink of an eye!" Hallaj says it very simply, speaking to God as the Beloved who is everywhere and, at the same time, the heart of the heart: My spirit and yours blend together whether we are near one another or far away. I am you, you, my being, end of my desire. Have a beautiful weekend! Ivan Thank You I don't say it often enough, so I want to take a moment now to sincerely thank everyone who has ever made a donation to the Poetry Chaikhana. You make the day-to-day running of the Poetry Chaikhana possible. I don't have the proper words to express how moved I am by your enthusiasm, your encouragement, and your support.. Your contributions are doubly meaningful since they are for a service that is offered for free. Several of you are contributing quietly each month.. Whether you've contributed small amounts or large, regularly or one time, I hope you know how much your support is appreciated! Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana - No new donations this week --- A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... The Poetry Chaikhana has visitors from more than 200 countries! Your support helps to quietly carry a message of unity, respect, and spiritual exploration to all parts of the world. Email list cleanup. Two-thirds of the email signups each day are really spam. Ivan spends a considerable amount of time each week sifting through the false signups. The brief 'Thought for the Day' says just the right thing some days. Donating feels good! A monthly donation with PayPal is easy -- just set it up once and then the work is done for you. 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 Home New | Books | Music | Teahouse | About | Contact Poets by: Name| Tradition | Timeline Poetry by: Theme | Commentary Blog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry Chaikhana P.O. Box 2320 Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger. 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