How Are You? (5/29/16)

How Are You? 5/29/16
How Are You? 5/29/16

How are you?  How do you do?

“How” and “what” won’t help anyone understand you.

Except for the Sultan who is beyond “how” and “what,”

Nobody will understand you.

 

O my beauty, the universe is illuminated by you, filled with light.

But, the sky and earth aren’t able to appreciate you.

 

There is a wind which moves this blue curtain,

But this is not the air blowing in and out;

It is a wind that only God knows.

 

Do you know who knits that mantle of joy, that mantle of grief?

Why does that mantle think he is different

Than the one who knits him?

 

Do you know what image shines in the heart of the mirror?

The only one who knows is the One whose heart is clean and pure.

 

This universe, which resembles a flag, moves all the time.

Your heart sees only the flag; your soul thinks air is moving it.

 

But, the One who knows that air is a helpless creature

Accepts that everything is nothing but God.

 

O God’s Shams of Tabriz, God has so many tricks!

Without your dice,

How could the soul get into this difficult backgammon game?

Divan-i Kebir, Meter 3, Gazel 64, Verses 595-602, Pages 114-115

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *