On Research and Inclination towards the
Denudation’s
Universe
The true seeker is inclined towards
poverty and cessation of
being [1]
Since that which has ‘Not’ seeks not,
and that which has
‘Is’ content with
Sitting honorably on the denudation’s
throne [2]
The one whose greed and whims
altogether disrobed
Deep is the pain passed not through
the sieve, asked not
“From What”?
Tasted bitterness, lost not his
innocence, asked not “But
Why”? [3]
The Pen of Creation on this mortal
tablet filled with
designs
Many patterns both ugly and beautiful
have been drawn
The one talking about the beauty and
ugliness is blind [4]
Because the Creator of that beauty
and ugliness sees all
For lack of wisdom his fight with
wise men
For lack of knowledge his animosity
with learned men
You have no awareness of your own
beauty and ugliness
Why then desire to approve or reject
the creation ceaseless
Close your eyes to good and evil of
people, mind your own
Can’t you see where you came from and
your final abode?
Why the purified soul by denudation
and grace
Nailed by the elements’ affliction
and pain?
Had ears to listen to the Edict of
“Go Down” [5]
But deaf to the call “Come Back” his
heart
…
[1] “Seeker” is the one looking for
knowledge like a
researcher, student or soul-searcher. The Arabic word ‘Fanaa’ was
translated to
“Cessation of being”. This could mean bodily destruction and death or
it could
mean, for the most part, ceasing the desire of the life of this world.
Second
verse means that which he has i.e. the true seeker is content and that
which he has not seeks not.
[2] Arabic words ‘Tajrid’ was
translated to ‘denudation’
which means to disrobe coverings. Man is covered against his Beloved
the
Creator by many cloaks and veils and denudation means to uncover
himself and
pull away the shrouds. For more read Araqi’s “Seventy
Thousand Hijabs”. While there are many such veils Wesaal, from his
personal
experience, to speak precisely and not in general pin point two such
cloaks:
Greed and Lust. The poet’s life was plagued by a large household and
huge
expenses that he could not afford and had to write much calligraphy and
praises
for the rulers in order to obtain enough funds to manage his finances.
I like this aspect of Sufi
poets. They do not write general,
or they do not write about their emotions and events, they write about
that
which they find within themselves of good and bad. And they write
precisely
what they find, not philosophical ‘what if’.
[3] Not going through the sieve could
mean several different
meanings. It could be that like gold much suffering was endured and did
not
pass the sieve i.e. the pebbles and sand passed through but not the
gold
nuggets. Or his problems were so huge that nothing could let them pass
through.
The concept is: No matter what hardships... The seeker is not
complaining about the
causes, because the causes are only the construct of human imagination.
All
things are from the Creator. And no matter what sins committed and what
bitterness tasted by the seeker’s words and actions or others’,
innocence and truth
is not lost.
[4] How do you know your heart is
blind? When you can behold
the fault of others! Thank you Wesaal may Allah reward for teaching
this to us.
When is my heart full of vision to see? When you see no fault and
ugliness of
others, thus you are seeing the beauty only, the beauty of the gracious
Beloved. All people and all things happening around you are poised like
a
mirror to your face, when you look upon this mirror you see yourself
and not
others. When you see other people’s fault, it is your reflection. Bad
things
they did and said are what you did and said to others or you have the
potential
to commit. Therefore, as Wesaal teaches later on, you cannot even see
your own
beauty and ugliness, then you should leave the people alone. What wrong
your
eyes see in them, and what falsehood you hear in their words, are the
reflection of your own ugliness. Be aware lovers!
[5] “Go Down” is the Arabic/Koranic
word “Ahbetoo” which
means exactly to go down, Koran [2:36]:
And again “Come Back” is the
Arabic/Koranic word “Erja-ee”,
Koran [89:28]:
The poet, in such beautiful
and graceful manner, asks, how
come when you were told to go down to earth (from Paradise) you obeyed!
But
when you ordered to come back you disobey? Now you should understand
that is a
sarcastic comment since Farsi as a language and Persian as a culture is
quite
sarcastic in general.
Backgound: Tut's throne.
©
2003-2002,
Dara Shayda
