Before the quill of Love was set in motion,
Our lives were spent in paperwork.
Page after page turned black,
Like separation’s somber night, from time’s events,
And still the Book of Love did not reach its end,
Though a hundred thousand pages were covered.
Measured by the Lover’s worth, paper’s value
Seemed insignificant, like so many leaves in the wind.
When love made clear
The quill’s weakness,
In jealousy it washed away
Whatever had been written.
- by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, from The Truths of Love: Sufi Poetry
Ya Haqq!
Rejoice, O Pen! If you cannot but break
when you write the word Love,
Then a thousand times will you break
at this tale.
But what sorrow is this?
Love is worth breaking for.
- Irving Karchmar, 2007
Brother Irving, you are so lucky to have known Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh! Mashallah what a beautiful poet!
“Rejoice, O Pen! If you cannot but break
when you write the word Love,
Then a thousand times will you break
at this tale.
But what sorrow is this?
Love is worth breaking for.”
Beautiful!
Thank you dear Sister Suroor :) Though Dr. Nurbakhsh’s poetry loses a lot in the translation from Farsi, I am told, it still speaks to the heart. I wrote the short poem in the comment as a tribute to him and his poetry and writings on the Sufi path. Alhamdulillah! What a blessing it is to have such a heart of loving-kindness as a Master.
Ya Haqq!
Assalamu alaikum dear Irving Darvish,
Oh to know the Truths of Love as they glide from these words.
May all blessings be upon you and your teacher, Ameen.
“Let sorrowful longing dwell in your heart,
never give up, never losing hope.
The Beloved says, “The broken ones are My darlings.”
Crush your heart, be broken.”
Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir – “Nobody, Son of Nobody”
Wassalamu alaikum
what I just don’t understand is that people say sufi’s commit shrik in their poetry weres the shrik ?!
Salaam Dear Sisters:
Thank you, dear Sister Almiskeenah, the words of Abu Said fill the heart to overflowing :)
And dear Sister Confused, I have no idea which people say that Sufi poetry is shirk, or why. Maybe they are confused :)
Ya Haqq!