Guest guest Posted February 19, 2010 Report Share Posted February 19, 2010 Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana -- The Dagger By Mirabai(1498 - 1565?) English version by Robert Bly The Dark One threw me a glance like a dagger today.Since that moment, I am insane; I can't find my body.The pain has gone through my arms and legs, and I can't find my mind.At least three of my friends are completely mad.I know the thrower of daggers well; he enjoys roving the woods.The partridge loves the moon; and the lamplight pulls in the moth.You know, for the fish, water is precious; without it, the fish dies.If he is gone, how shall I live? I can't live without him.Go and speak to the dagger-thrower: Say, Mira belongs to you. -- from Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems, Translated by Robert Bly Amazon.com / Photo by Kraetzsche Photography / ============ Thought for the Day: The final keyto the final dooris only found within yourself.This is the rule. ============ Here's your Daily Music selection -- Partha Sarathi Mukherjee The Tabla Series Listen - Purchase More Music Selections Hi Alan -The name Krishna can loosely be translated as "The Dark One." Mirabai's beloved here is Krishna -- God. God threw her a "glance like a dagger." Since then she has gone mad, overcome with a "pain" where she can't find her body. What does all this mean?The Dark One threw me a glance like a dagger today.I love that thrilling, illicit image... God as hunter, God hunting us... with looks of passion. It raises the question, If God is everywhere hunting us, lying in wait, continuously casting hot, cutting glances at us, why then are we not more often pierced? Why hasn't all the world, like Mirabai, gone insane with love?I suspect it is because too often we look around and see only the mask. We miss the smoldering eyes beneath.The pain has gone through my arms and legs...Many mystics experience a sense of pain or wounding as part of their union with the Divine, a sacred pain. For some, this can be physical and obvious to observers. This is perhaps most startlingly manifest in the great Catholic stigmatists, like St. Francis of Assisi.Other mystics speak of a wounding in a more metaphorical sense. The pain experienced is the perception of one's separation from God. But that pain itself is the doorway to reunion. By allowing oneself to become completely vulnerable to that pain, to surrender to it, the mystic finds the pain transformed into the blissful touch of the Beloved. Your most secret wound is the doorway.It is the pain of the pierced ego. For one with inner balance, where the protective but limiting shell of the ego is no longer necessary, that pain points the way to freedom.For this reason, mystics and saints describe the pain as being "sweet" or joyful or beautiful....and I can't find my mind.Think back to your school days, the painful crushes in the hallways. Then you see that beautiful someone turn your way and glance at you. In that instant, the whole world comes to a crashing halt. The echoes of teenaged taunts and laughter and gossip fade away. Your very thoughts fall silent. If someone were to ask you your own name, you'd be unable to answer.You've lost both body and mind.This is the state the true mystic knows.Go and speak to the dagger-thrower: Say, [i belong] to you.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: The Celestial Drink 6: The Tavern - But understood esoterically, the tavern is the place within oneself where the many disparate and scattered parts of the individual come together in a unified whole to become drunk on the free-flowing Celestial Drink. More The Celestial Drink 5: The Wine of the Sufis - Comments (1) While sacred wine imagery occurs all over the world, the theme is perhaps most fully developed by the great Sufi poets... More The Celestial Drink 4: Fermentation - Comments (2) When the still water is lit up by that initiating fire or fermentation, the heavenly night sky is reflected upon its calm face... More Donations to the Poetry ChaikhanaA big thank you to to this week's new monthly donation sign-up:- SidI 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... The Poetry Chaikhana is entirely free. You don't have to make a donation to receive the daily poem or explore the web site. Your contribution is always welcome, but you can enjoy the poetry anyway. 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. Even a small donation helps -- when many people contribute. When you donate I send a really cool thank you ecard. Make a donation and see for yourself! The Poetry Chaikhana encourages respect for the rich diversity of religion and cultures -- so needed in the world today. 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. Friday Only: If you want to receive only one poem email each week, reply to this email and change the Subject to "Friday Only". Canceling: 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.