هر چند پیر و خسته دل و ناتوان شدم هر گه که یاد روی تو کردم جوان شدم However old, incapable, And heart-sick I may be, The moment I recall your face My youtهر چند پیر و خسته دل و ناتوان شدم هر گه که یاد روی تو کردم جوان شدم However old, incapable, And heart-sick I may be, The moment I recall your face My youth’s restored to me;
شب تاریک و بیم موج کجا دانند حال ما و گردابی چنین هایل سبکباران ساحلها
On this dark night, amidst these waves The whirlpool’s fearsome roar What can they know of our distress Who watch us from the shore
خندهٔ جامِ می و زلفِ گرهگی� نگار ای بسا توبه که چون توبه حافظ بشکست
So take the laughing wine cup, raise it in your hand, Caress your lover’s curls, and say Hafez has spoken How many vows of abstinence the world has seen So fervently affirmed, and - like Hafez’s - broken
من ترک عشق شاهد و ساغر نمیکن� صد بار توبه کردم و دیگر نمیکن�
To give up wine, and human beauty? And to give up love? No, I won’t do it. A hundred times I said I would; what was I thinking of? No, I won’t do it.
شبِ صحبت غنیمت دان که بعد از روزگارِ ما بسی گردش کُنَد گردون، بسی لیل و نهار آرد
Talk with your friends, deep in the night, And see how life fares Since when we are gone the heavens Will bring others our cares
دوش وقت سحر از غصه نجاتم دادند واندر آن ظلمت شب آب حیاتم دادند بیخود از شعشعه پرتو ذاتم کردند باده از جام تجلی صفاتم دادند
Last night, at dawn, in my distress, salvation was given to me In darkness then, life’s water, libation was given to me
چو ذره گر چه حقیرم ببین به دولت عشق که در هوای رخت چون به مهر پیوستم
And even though I’m just a tiny mote In love’s great kingdom I’m one now with the sun, before your face In loving you
زاهد از کوچهٔ رندان به سلامت بگذر تا خرابت نکند صحبتِ بدنامی چند
Ah, puritan, pass by the street Of shame, don't let us interrupt you - Don't linger here with libertines
عیبِ مِی جمله چو گفتی، هنرش نیز بگو نفیِ حکمت مکن از بهرِ دلِ عامی چند
You've numbered all the faults of wine, So number all its virtues too; Don't throw out wisdom for the sake
مَبین حقیر، گدایانِ عشق را کاین قوم شَهانِ بی کمر و خسروانِ بی کُلَهند
But don't despise the beggars lost In hopeless love, don't put them down - They're kings, though this one has no scepter, Monarchs, though that one has no crown.
جنابِ عشق بلند است همّتی حافظ که عاشقان، رهِ بیهمّتا� به خود ندهند
Love is the nobler task - up then, Hafez, and seek it while you may, For lovers will not let the timid Amble beside them on love's way.
خوش عروسیست جهان از رهِ صورت لیکن هر که پیوست بدو، عمرِ خودش کاوین داد
The world displays herself to us as such a charming bride, But life's the dowry that men pay to lie at her sweet side.
یاد باد آن که چو یاقوتِ قدح خنده زدی در میانِ من و لعلِ تو حکایته� بود
May I remember always when Our goblet laughed with crimson wine - What tales passed back and forth between Your ruby lips, my dear, and mine!
حُسنِ بیپایا� او چندان که عاشق میکُش� زمرهٔ دیگر به عشق از غیب سر بَر میکنن�
His boundless beauty slays the lover, and even as he dies, Out of the darkness, seeking love, New multitudes arise.
به گِردابی چو میافتاد� از غم به تدبیرش امیدِ ساحلی بود
And if I tumbled in grief's whirlpool my heart was sure To give me hope that soon enough
حافظ این خرقه که داری تو ببینی فردا که چه زُنّار ز زیرش به دَغا بگشایند
Hafez, this Sufi cloak you wear, tomorrow it won't hide The heathen underneath, and all you've claimed will be belied
گفتم غمِ تو دارم گفتا غمت سر آید گفتم که ماهِ من شو گفتا اگر برآید گفتم ز مِهرورزان رسمِ وفا بیاموز گفتا ز خوبرویان این کار کمتر آید
I said, "The grief I feel is all for you"; She said, "Your grief will end"; I said, "Be as the moon to me"; she said "The moon might rise, my friend."
I said, "Learn faithfulness from those whose love is trustworthy and true"; She said, "That's something moon-like pretty girls are rarely know to do."
“And those who had not fallen as he had Called him “Majnun�, which means, “A man who’s mad,� While he with helpless cries gave witness to The fact that w“And those who had not fallen as he had Called him “Majnun�, which means, “A man who’s mad,� While he with helpless cries gave witness to The fact that what they said of him was true.�...more
Edward FitzGerald's classic and highly celebrated translation continues to move because like any brilliant translation it is a standalone work of liteEdward FitzGerald's classic and highly celebrated translation continues to move because like any brilliant translation it is a standalone work of literature in its own right. Omar Khayyam's apparent epicureanism, his resigned fatalism, his contempt for pursuers of power, pomp and glory, his deeply emotive descriptions of the transience of life, his prima facie skepticism about existence after death and the scope of human knowledge, and his satire on the grand scheme of things are beautifully captured in all the quatrains that Fitzgerald chose for translations.
There is of course a deeper metaphysics involved and we can see its tantalizing tendrils. At the same time, FitzGerald deliberately retained the Persian historical references as he wanted to imbue his verse with that flavor and authenticity, even if it meant lesser intelligibility to the western audience. That is what I believe makes his poems so poignant. The ancient Persian Kings as well as famous figures of lore like Jamshy'd, Kaikobad, Kaikhosru, Rustum, Hatim Tai, Sultan Mahmud, and Bahram often make an appearance and magically transport one to earlier ages, imbuing the verse with the charm of antiquity and timelessness. This is even as Khayyam is narrating ideas that he deems and presents as universal. It is this universality which flows through so clearly in the translation, even as it appears eastern and exotic to western ears, and familiar and relatable to eastern ones.
I grew up with a volume that contained wonderful illustrations - much fine art has been inspired by Khayyam's verse - and they have stayed with me. While almost all of it is so very good and memorable I particularly care for the following:
Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight: And Lo! The Hunter of the East has caught The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light
And look - a thousand Blossoms with the Day Woke - and a thousand scatter’d into Clay And this first Summer Month that brings the Rose Shall take Jamshyd and Kaikobad away
Iram indeed is gone with all its Rose, And Jamshyd’s Sev’n-ring’d Cup where no one knows; But still the Vine her ancient Ruby yields, And still a Garden by the Water blows
Ah Love! Could thou and I with Fate conspire To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire, Would not we shatter it to bits - and then Re-mould it nearer to the Heart’s Desire!
The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ, Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it
There was a Door to which I found no Key: There was a Veil past which I could not see: Some little Talk awhile of Me and Thee There seemed - and then no more of Thee and Me
Come, fill the Cup, and in the Fire of Spring The Winter Garment of Repentance fling: The Bird of Time has but a little way To fly - and Lo! the Bird is on the Wing.
They say the Lion and the Lizard Keep The Courts where Jamshyd gloried and drank deep And Bahram, that great Hunter - the Wild Ass Stamps o'er his Head, and he lies fast asleep
Think, in this batter'd Caravanserai Whose Doorways are alternate Night and Day, How Sultan after Sultan with his Pomp Abode his Hour or two, and went his way
The hallmark of this exquisite edition of the grand Shahnameh is its artwork, illustrations and design by Hamid Rahmanian - hundred upon hundreds of bThe hallmark of this exquisite edition of the grand Shahnameh is its artwork, illustrations and design by Hamid Rahmanian - hundred upon hundreds of beautiful traditional miniatures, folios and images with gem-like luminosity and exquisite detail, used as is and also creatively merged, combined, manipulated, reimagined and reconfigured to create new characters, scenes, sequences, patterns, repetition and backdrops. It must have been a process laborious and passionate - ten thousand hours of research and dedication is what the artist informs us is the time investment. This is the output of someone with the sensibility of an art connoisseur and the skills of a modern film editor and graphic artist. They artwork and panels really augment the reading experience and bring forth the best of what a masterfully produced illustrated book has to offer. There is much attention to detail as lovely little drawings of animals and birds, calligraphy, arabesques and floral patterns adorn separators, margins and title pages. The Shahnameh of course lends itself to such visual reinterpretation given the iconic nature of its stories and characters as well as the fact that the high art of Persian, Indian Mughal and Ottoman painting and miniature has so often been employed to commemorate, illustrate and celebrate such grand epic tales. This adds another glorious chapter to that cherished tradition.
The Book of Kings itself is of course arguably the fundamental literary text of the Persian speaking world and highly compelling a component of world literature, tracing the lives and rule of real and mythical pre-Islamic kings of Persia up till the time of Zarathustra, and their tales of love and valor, deceit and decline, redemption and loss, and so much more. Time and again, we are reminded of the transience of life and the importance of good deeds in order to leave a lasting impression. But even the best of men make fatal mistakes and fall victim to folly, avarice, indolence, lust, jealousy, ambition and cruelty. And there are always consequences. Fate plays a role and prophesies have a bearing on the course of events but men of destiny also mold and shape it. Valour and courage matter as do strength and skill in battle but what matters equally if not more is justice, wisdom, foresight and resourcefulness. Evil always lurks around the corner but prevails only when we let it; though often the evil of a few in power leads to the misery of thousands who are innocent. While telling tales historical and mythical the Shahnameh provides constant reminders of what are the nobler and more praiseworthy options in life and as a ruler in contrast to the ignoble and reprehensible ones. The Ahmad Sadri translation is clear and readable but I do intend to read now a celebrated verse translation in Urdu as well as in English order to be able to do full justice to the original Persian text's music and lyricism.
As to the sequence of the stories, we start with the Kings of yore Kayumars, Hushang, Tahmures, the mighty Jamshid, and the serpent king Zahhak and then move to the sons of Feraydun. Along the way we read the love story of the white-haired Zaul raised by the magical Simorgh and beautiful Rudabeh. Along comes that hero of heroes Rostam who is to play such a cardinal savior's role for the Persian empire during its various crises and battles with Turan and others. We are instructed then in what kinds of destruction a land and people can be plunged into due to the follies of kings such as Kay Kavous. Then arrives Sohrab and that greatest of tragedies of the fatal battle between him and his father Rostam which is the outcome of a series of highly unfortunate events and misunderstandings. We learn of the martyred prince Siavosh and the various bloody battles that are spawned in the wake of that event. Kay Khosrow and Forud figure prominently in subsequent events and there follow the great wars of nations with Iran besieged.
It is not just a world of royal and mighty men and to a certain extent women, but also that of demons such as Akvaun and the White Demon as well as others from the legendary land of demons Mazandaran. Moving on, Bizhan and Manizeh have a perilous adventure and King Afrasiyab finally falls after a lifetime of intrigue, turmoil and conflict. Then those like Esfandiar thirst for the crown and cause mayhem and events lead finally to the demise of the Knightly House and to the death of its leader Rostam. Interspersed between these larger events are multiple lesser ones as well as a huge cast of lesser kings, courtiers, queens, princesses, sages, villains, warriors and much more prominently other great champions and knights of Persia with their closely protected and much vaunted code of chivalry. We learn also of an ancient landscape, its regions and cities, the architecture of the times, court mannerisms and customs, the hunting expeditions as well as the equipment of war, and the larger normative framework. Kindness doesn't always lead to gratitude and geniality to submission. Like in life there is deceit, mischief, madness and mayhem. But regardless, there is also empathy, largesse, gallantry and wisdom. All must become dust. But the noble are remembered and adored while those who fall short are reviled and don't even get remembered without revulsion....more
It is widely held that Iqbal's greatest poetry is in Persian. The Mathnavi Asrar e Khudi (Secrets of the Self) is his first book of Persian poetry thaIt is widely held that Iqbal's greatest poetry is in Persian. The Mathnavi Asrar e Khudi (Secrets of the Self) is his first book of Persian poetry that was published in 1915. It is first glimpse we have of his distinctive style and diction and deep and profound engagement with themes metaphysical, spiritual, cosmological and social revivalist. We find about his nation of Khudi which doesn't lend itself to a simple or unidimensional definition but appears to subsume self-knowledge, self-sufficiency, appreciating one's own potential, and a linkage between the self and the divine/creative force.
First part. Genesis, creation, awakening, a new beginning are the themes introduced. The poet introduces his thought and poetry as subsumed with and informed by insights - through divine guidance - that transcend earthly limitations and those of time and space, the known and the unknown, the already happened and the yet to transpire. Wonderful imagery from nature is employed to illustrate the idea in multiple ways. Time and again he suggests that the time will come when his message will be recognized; that his poetry - which consumes him with its passion and power - is not like that of yore but carries a deeper purpose which will awaken and galvanize the discerning and embark them on a journey to seek greater wisdom, to unlocking the mysteries of creation and gaining eternal life. He says that Persian because of its beauty is well equipped for his message and that what matters is its content and not its form.
نغمہ من از جہانِ دیگر است ایں جرس را کاروانِ دیگر است
There is mention time and again to the spiritual debt he owes to Maulana Rum.
Part 2: The foundation of the cosmos is Khudi and the existence and continuity of creation are because of it. The sense in which Khudi used here is in that of creative force itself and its propensity to form, destroy and reform to achieve perfection; to remain in a state of flux and ever-exuberant; to create worlds upon worlds to achieve perfection. It refers here also at times to human potential and capacity and also its link with the divine creative force. There are frequent references to Quranic verses on God's power and creativity. It tells of the possibilities of when Khudi is strong and the failings when it is weak. Once again it abounds in references to heavenly bodies, nature and the cosmos.
چوں زمیں برہستیِ خود محکم است ماہ پابندِ طوافِ پیہم است
(Continuing)
Particularly interesting is Iqbal's critique of Plato whom he finds irretrievable lost in his world of ideas, thereby ignoring and undervaluing the actual, material world and the human potential therein. He is an escapist who is devoid of the verve and enrage to strive in the here and now. In that sense he is also critiquing the Sufis who insist that the true world only reveals itself after death. ...more
‘Mantiq-al-Tayr� or The Conference of the Birds - The foundational epic twelfth century Sufi poem - has immense doctrinal as well as literary value. T‘Mantiq-al-Tayr� or The Conference of the Birds - The foundational epic twelfth century Sufi poem - has immense doctrinal as well as literary value. The best way to read it is aloud, alone, at night, savoring every syllable and syntax, and absorbing every inflection and nuance. For this is after all a work of passion and an output of devotion. Not only has this outstanding work of spiritual introspection and sublime allegorical poetry influenced mystical thought in the centuries that followed but indeed it has left a lasting imprint as an allegory, due to its underlying quest and message and in terms of its symbolism on multiple cultures and literatures. This translation works quite well and while using this I intend to read the Persian original which because of what Urdu owes to it, become resonant and intelligible to fluent Urdu speakers and readers.
I must confess that I have always had trouble reading longer verse but The Conference of the Birds flows lyrically and is a wonderful exception. The initial part where the hoopoe is persuading the various birds to join in the pursuit for the mythical Simorgh in order to achieve true happiness is particularly delightful. The birds depict various facets and archetypes of human character and personality; this makes their doubts and reservations and their various ruses to evade the perilous journey appear so familiar and relatable. However, the hoopoe adroitly takes apart these excuses and explains that the ultimate truth and pursuit of the same is what really matters; that everything else is transient and ephemeral. The examples from Islamic beliefs, history and lore are frequent:
'Khezr sought companionship with one whose mind Was set on God alone. The man declined And said to Khezr: "We two could not be friends, For our existences have different ends. The waters of immortal life are yours, And you must always live; life is your cause And death is mine - you wish to live, whilst I Impatiently prepare myself to die; I leave you as quick birds avoid a snare, To soar up in the free, untrammeled air."
Allegorically explaining and elaborating upon sufism, its pursuit, its trials and tribulations, its various stages and their toll, and of course its ultimate rapture, the great mystical poem abounds in parables, tales, sayings, and episodes from the lives of famous Islamic mystics and sufis. It is, therefore, also a veritable Who is Who of illustrious spiritual figures who have followed the same path and Attar's additional works on their lives and quests reflect here as well. I read this pencil in hand as time and again the profundity and beauty of the lines captured me. A major preoccupation of course is the spiritual quest itself which is akin to all-consuming love, and arduous, often painful and rather esoteric in nature:
“You could not know The hidden ways by which we lovers go;�
And also:
"Love thrives on inextinguishable pain, Which tears the soul, then knits the threads again."
Attar is often passionate so that he breaks free of the confines of doctrine, dogma and ritual and exhorts for one to follow the message from the heart. It is unsurprising that there were objections to and consequences of some of his more irreverent lines:
"Begin the journey without fear; be calm; Forget what is and what is not Islam"
Another theme that emerges frequently is that of the importance of divine grace without which it is not possible to find the right course:
"The man on whom that quickening glance alights Is raised to heaven's unsuspected heights; Indeed this glance discovers you; Your life's a mystery without a clue"
And then there is the all-important need for a spiritual guide:
"You need a skillful guide; you cannot start This ocean voyage with blindness in your heart."
There are those whose pride will always be an impediment in their way and others who while seemingly mired in sin will be fortunate to be rescued; hence finding the right path and success appears not just an outcome of endeavor but also mercy.
"A sinner died, and, as his coffin passed, A man who practiced every prayer and fast Turned ostentatiously aside - how could He pray for one of whom he knew no good? He saw the sinner in his dreams that night, His face transfigured with celestial light. 'How did you enter heaven's gate," he said, "A sinner stained with faith from foot to head?" "God saw your merciless, disdainful pride, And spited my poor soul," the man replied.
Self-love brings one to a dead-end and overcoming the self is what allows one to transcend all obstacles:
"My study is to reach Truth's inmost shrine - And I am not my Self's ass, he is mine; Now since the beast I ride on rides on you. That I am your better is quite plainly true. You love the Self- it's lit in you a fire Of nagging lust, insatiable desire,"
Equally corrosive and harmful is greed and love for worldly goods. The famous female saint Rabia of Basra is quoted to say:
"...I fear the harm That follows from the clink of coin on coin, The sleepless nights when sums of money join."
Like all great sufic literature Attar sublime poem also drives home the ephemeral nature of human existence and its insignificance given the grand scheme of things:
"As you are reared to live, so from your birth You're also reared to one day leave this earth. Which sunset fills with blood from pole to pole - The sun seems then an executioner, Beheading thousands with his scimitar. If you are profligate, if you are pure, You are but water mixed with dirt, no more - A drop of trembling instability, And can a drop resist the surging sea? Though in the world you are a king, you must In sorrow and despair return to dust."
More on the same theme - no matter how mighty, they all come to nothingness:
"King Solomon, whose seal subdued all lands, I dust compounded with the desert sands, And tyrants whose decrees spelled bloody dooms Decay to nothing the narrow tomb:"
The hoopoe's persistent exhortation to all the birds is to not be bound by cold reason but to seek out the truth through love:
"Give up the intellect for love and see In one brief moment all eternity"
The lovingly referred to Simorgh who lives far away is steeped in mystique:
"We have a King; beyond Kaf's mountain peak The Simorgh lives, the sovereign whom you seek And He is always near to us, though we Live far from his transcendent majesty A hundred thousand veils of dark and light Withdrew his presence from our mortal sight And in both worlds no being shares the throne That marks the Simorgh's power and His alone - He reigns in undisturbed omnipotence Bathed in the light of His magnificence No mind, no intellect can penetrate The mystery of His unending state:"
The invitation is to explore an insight and a state of knowledge and existence that far exceeds the life and experience that the birds are reconciled to:
"The Truth we seek is like a shoreless sea, Of which your paradise is but a drop. This ocean can be yours; why should you stop Beguiled by dreams of evanescent dew? The secret of the sun are yours, but you Content yourselves with motes trapped in its beams"
The poem abounds in beautiful lines employing wonderful metaphors that draw a contrast between worldly existence and a much more elevated consciousness:
"The unseen world and that which we can see Are like a water-drop which instantly Is and is not. A water-drop was formed When time began, and on its surface swarmed The world's appearances. If they were made Of all-resting iron they would fade; Hard iron is mere water, after all - Dispersing like a dream, impalpable."
In an honest quest, in self-abnegation, in passionate contemplation, and in modesty lies the escape and the remedy:
"How many years I wandered far and wide Until I found the fortress that you seek - It is the knee, bend it, accept, be meek; I found no other way - this remedy, And only this, will cure your misery."
But once more, the right guidance is essential:
"Whoever will be guided finds relief From Fate's adversity, from inward grief; One hour of guidance benefits you more Than all your mortal life, however pure."
And indeed honest and steadfast intent:
"The heart that does not strive can never gain The endless kingdom's gates and lives in vain;"
And once the heart is maddened by ecstasy the one in love finds himself moving beyond the world of ordinary perceptions:
"As Egypt's noble maids swooned to see Dear Joseph's radiant face, so ecstasy Is mirrored in the sufi's maddened heart - Then he has lost himself and moves apart From all that we perceive - the world grows dim As all the world resolves to follow him."
Attar cautions that those in love or in spiritual ecstasy endure much in their journey and hence ought to be left alone, unmolested and unjudged. The drawing of parallels between true love for a person and love of God (Ishq-e-Majazi and Ishq-e-Haqeeqi) is common in eastern spiritual poetry in Persian, Urdu and other regional languages and contributes greatly to choice of common metaphors.
"Don't meddle with their conduct, don't reprove Those given up to madness and to love. You would excuse them - nothing is more sure - If you could share the darkness they endure."
It is the 'I' that has to be suppressed if one is to transcend to a higher plane of consciousness and spirituality and draw closer to the divine:
" If you put all your trust in "I" and "Me" You've chosen both worlds as your enemy - But if you kill the Self, the darkest night Will be illuminated with your light. If you would flee from evil and its pain Swear never to repeat this "I" again!"
Those who find fault with others are neglectful of their own state, which is what really ought to be what they should be focusing on. Also, one so sanctimonious and critical is incapable of loving. And if you cannot love fellow-humans how can you have the capacity to love the divine:
"He saw the other's state but not his own, And in his blindness he is not alone; You cannot love, and this is why you seek To find men vicious, or depraved, or weak - If you could search for love and persevere The sins of other men would disappear."
Attar's poem also offers philosophical questions about the very meaning of existence as well as the impermanence of everything:
"Where are the earth, the mountains and the sea? Where are the angels and humanity? Where are the bodies buried underground? Where are their minds so subtle and profound? Where is the pain of death? Where is the soul? Where are the sundered parts? Where is the whole? Sift through the universe, and it will seem An airy maze, an insubstantial dream."
The moth and the flame are ancient metaphors for the lover and the beloved as well as for the all-consuming and annihilating nature of love; for the quest on part of the true lover to become one with the beloved even if it means that he loses his own identity and existence. Attar carries on the tradition in his own glorious way:
"Another moth flew out - his dizzy flight Turned to an ardent wooing of the light; He dipped and soared, and in his frenzied trance Both Self and fire were mingled by his dance - The flame engulfed his wing-tips, body, head; His being glowed a fierce translucent red; And when the mentor saw that sudden blaze, The moth's form lost within the glowing rays, He said: "He knows, he knows the truth we seek, The hidden truth of which we cannot speak."
Quite apart from the quality of the verse the various parables, sayings, moral stories and shorter allegories are painstakingly weaved together and display great harmony. Amongst others we find mention of great sufis, mystics, philosophers, scholars and ascetics such as Bayazid Bastami, Mansoor Al-Hallaj, Ibrahim Ibn Adham, Ayaz Ibn Aymaq, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Junaid Baghdadi, Abul Qasim Nasrabadi, Abu al-Husain al-Nouri, Rabia Al-Basri, Abu Ali Roudbar, Abu Bakr Al-Shibli, Abu Abdullah Tirmazi, Abu Ali Tousi, Abu-Bakr Al-Wasiti, Yousef of Hamadan, Abul Faiz Zulnoon, and others, thus showing how The Conference of the Birds is an important link in an older spiritual tradition and one that then inspired the guided the likes of Rumi.
The beautiful hoopoe (In Urdu Hud Hud ہدُہدُُ) is of course a bird of mystical significance. A messenger of Prophet Solomon, the hoopoe is central to the poem as it acts as the motivator, guide & leader of the birds, who set off in pursuit of the celestial Simorgh. The way is arduous and the great Simorgh dwells far away beyond the mythical Mountain of Qaf and harsh and forbidding landscapes comprising of seven valleys - the Valleys of Quest, Love, Insight into Mystery, Detachment and Serenity, Unity, Awe, and finally, Poverty and Nothingness. The ultimate insight of what we seek actually existing within ourselves; of the Divine being present everywhere including us; and the answers to our questions lying in what we choose and who we become and want to be and how honestly and passionately we strive for them; are the essential and central insights of Sufism that also characterize this classic poem. The Simorgh here symbolizing not just the mythical and ethereal bird but also literally meaning thirty birds (which is the paltry number which exhausted and spent finally manages to complete the arduous journey from amongst the thousands that set off but failed). Time and again the perilousness nature of the spiritual pursuit is highlighted and the necessity of self-abnegation and bidding farewell to bonds and aspirations material and worldly. As Attar says:
"Your heart is not a mirror bright and clear If there the Simorgh's form does not appear; No one can bear His beauty face to face, And for this reason, of His perfect grace, He makes a mirror in our hearts - look there To see Him, search your hearts with anxious care."...more
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