The following was one of Ibn ‘Arabi’s favorite verses of poetry, oft-quoted by Sufi authors ranging from al-Ghazzali to Fakhr ad-din ‘Iraqi to Emir ‘abd al-Qadir to explain the mysterious relationship between God and the heart. The glass was so clear, and so was the wine they became so similar, that it became…
Hafez on Ramadan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or3Jxc76wtA Translation: In the month of Sha’aban, do not neglect the glass of wine This sun will disappear untl the ‘Eid of Ramadan Original: ماه شعبان منه از دست قدح کاین خورشید از نظر تا شب عید رمضان خواهد شد Translation: Come…
Rumi: By love
Translation: By love, the bitter becomes sweet By love copper coins become gold By love, the dregs become clear By love, the pain becomes healing By love, the dead is made living By love, the king is made a slave And this love is the result of knowledge Who, in foolishness, ever sat on such…
Love beyond words…
Ibn al-Fāriḍ In the art of describing his beauty, time itself expires and yet still there remains in him, what has not been described وعـلى تَـفَنّنِ واصِـفيهِ بِحُسْنِهِ يَـفنى الـزّمانُ وفيه ما لم يُوصف Anon. A robe woven from the cloth of 29 letters would still fall short of…
The magic of music
What is music and why there is so much of the enchantment of love in it? Music is the secret of Love and Love is the secret of God Original: سرود چيست كه چندين فسون عشق داراوست سرود محرم عشق است و عشق محرم اوست Love plays its lute behind the…
Un sentiment français
Ne me quitte pas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za_6A0XnMyw Original: Ne me quitte pas Il faut oublier Tout peut s’oublier Qui s’enfuit déjà Oublier le temps Des malentendus Et le temps perdu A savoir comment Oublier ces heures Qui tuaient parfois A coups de pourquoi Le coeur du bonheur Ne me quitte pas Ne me…
Ibn ‘Arabi, Hallaj, and Carminho
When my Beloved appears, with what eye do I see Him? With His eye not with mine; for no one sees Him except Himself. -Ibn ‘Arabi Original: إذا تجلى حبيبي بأي عين تراه بعينه لا بعيني فما يراه سواه Hallaj: I saw my Lord with the eye of my Heart, I…
“In nearness, farness vanished is…”
I would, so overflowing is my love for Him Remember him perpetually, yet my remembrance— How wondrous— is vanished into ecstasy And still yet more wondrous, even ecstasy, With memory’s self, in nearness, farness vanished is -Abu’l Husayn an-Nuri أريد دوام الذكر من فرط حبّه فيا عجبا من…
Fado, wind and sea
06 Fim End Not birds, nor stars, nor sails Are as beautiful in my breast Daybreak falls silent in my eyes The night enveloped me so With this pain as if from a dagger With this cry of a love without end Love without end, love without time and measure Water drawn from the distance,…
Love’s Ocean Has No Shore…
Say: Were the ocean ink for the Words of my Lord (to be written out), sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the Words of my Lord, even if We added another ocean like it, for its aid. -Surah Kahf: 109 Sarmad: The ocean of his generosity has no shore. The tongue is…