Guest guest Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Here's your Week End Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --sent by Ivan Granger All things By Hadewijch(13th Century) English version by Jane Hirshfield All thingsare too smallto hold me,I am so vastIn the InfiniteI reachfor the UncreatedI havetouched it,it undoes mewider than wideEverything elseis too narrowYou know this well,you who are also there -- from Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield Amazon.com / Photo by nunui / ============ Thought for the Day: If love does not rule your heart, all activity is just the spinning of wheels. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Ugur Dogan Gam - I Azad Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -Hadewijch -- often called Hadewijch of Brabant or sometimes Hadewijch of Antwerp -- lived in the 13th century in what is now Belgium. She is rightly called one of the greatest names in medieval Flemish and Dutch literature.Little can be said for certain about the life of Hadewijch. Unlike many other women mystics of the time, no biography was written about her, so all we know is what scholars have been able to deduce from her writings themselves. Hadewijch was probably the head of a Beguine community. The Beguines were a sect of devout women in Belgium, Holland, Germany and northern France. Beguines did not take vows, but they gathered together to live in simplicity and service. Many Beguines were mystics and poets of the highest order.Hadewijch's poetry has a rich love mysticism. Like her contemporary, St. Francis of Assisi, Hadewijch was clearly inspired by the courtly love poetry of the Troubadours and Minnensingers. The fact that she was familiar with this courtly art form suggests that Hadewijch was probably born to a noble family.The writings of Hadewijch were gathered and studied by the Flemish Christian mystic John Ruusbroec in the 1300s, but later fell into obscurity until rediscovered in the 1800s by scholars.---This is the mystical recognition: the realization that in your Self of selves you are immense! All thingsare too smallto hold me,I am so vastJust read those lines again.Everything that can be called a "thing," each item of perception and thought is just a glimmering sliver of the whole Being we inherently are. No body, no name, no job, no history can truly contain what we are. A glass of water can suggest the lake, give us a taste of it, but not contain it.The middle section of this poem is almost erotic in its naked yielding to "the Uncreated," in the recognition of how that "touch" completely "undoes" us. That too is the mystical recognition. As we finally realize that we are not contained by the body or the social roles we play, where then is the boundary of identity? Where do you say, Here I stop and beyond is not-me? That point no longer exists. We are "In the Infinite;" our source is "the Uncreated." Those old, limited identities are undone, they fall away, and the inner core of the Self, the Heart, is spread "wider than wide."But why bother with explanations? You already "know this well, / you who are also there."Have a beautiful weekend!Ivan Donations to the Poetry ChaikhanaA sincere thank you to everyone who donated to the Poetry Chaikhana in the last week:- Beverly (VA)Thank you also to everyone who contributes monthly through a voluntary paid subscription. New rs:- Alexandra, MariaI am so grateful for each and every contribution. Your support makes a big difference in maintaining the Poetry Chaikhana.---A few reasons to consider making a donation of your own... People's interests naturally change and evolve over time. Individuals who donated regularly a couple years ago often move on. That's to be expected. For that reason, the Poetry Chaikhana needs new contributors. The daily poem email gives you something quiet and sacred to look forward to at the end of the day. The Poetry Chaikhana looks to the core that unifies all religions. Ivan maintains the Poetry Chaikhana in his free time, usually in the mornings before work. Your donation allows him to trim back his work hours and dedicate more time to the Poetry Chaikhana and your emails. 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. 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 | Facebook | Twitter www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306 Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 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. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.