Sufis

"The ice that remains in the shade is frozen It saw not the brilliance of my glowing sun. All ice that has seen the smile of the sun’s face Grows itself again, and says ‘I am the water of life.’"

"The angel grew with knowledge, the beast with ignorance, Man remained in dispute between them. Sometimes knowledge draws him to the seventh heaven, Sometimes ignorance drags him down, so that (he says) 'Come what will!'"

"Thought is an arrow shot by God into the air How can it stay in the air? It returns to God."

"Alas for this life so light, beware of this slumber so heavy, O soul seek the Beloved, O friend seek the Friend O watchman be wakeful; it behoves not a watchman to sleep."

"The philosopher denies the existence of the Devil At the same time he is the Devil’s laughing-stock. If thou hast not seen the Devil, look at thyself, Without demon’s aid how came that blue turban on thy brow."

"Thee to thy goal wit-sharpening will not bring, Only the broken-hearted find the favour of the king."

"O chosen cup-bearer, O apple of mine eyes, the like of thee, Ne’er appeared in Persia, nor in Arabia have I found it; Pour out wine till I become a wanderer from myself, For in self-hood and existence I have felt only fatigue."

"O Thou, Who art exempt from ‘us’ and ‘we’ Who pervadest the spirits of all men and women; When man and woman become one, thou art that one. When their union is dissolved, lo Thou abidest. Thou hast made these ‘us’ and ‘we’ for that purpose To wit, to play chess with them by thyself."

"O Thou, who art my soul’s comfort in the season of sorrow, O Thou, who art my spirit’s treasure in the bitterness of dearth, That which the imagination has not conceived, that which the understanding has not seen, Visiteth my soul from thee; hence in worship I turn towards Thee."

"Lo! a besotted fool like thee to scorn, The votaries of love! God’s wine has drowned Thy wits and bidden thee wrestle with thy Lord, As when a bird his airy flight resumes Exultingly, nor dreads the distant lure, Fate to his bosom speeds the shaft of woe."

"How blessed are the eyes that smart with sorrow’s brine, How blessed is the heart inflamed with love divine! Contrition’s tears are ever hallowed by heaven’s smile, The latter end of all things man should scan awhile."

"Whence did this breath come to thee, O my soul; Whence this throbbing, O my heart? O bird, speak the language of birds I can understand thy hidden meaning. The soul answered ‘I was in the divine factory While the house of water-and-clay was a-baking I was flying away from the material workshop While the workshop was being created When I could resist no more, they dragged me To mould me into shape like a ball.’"

"O indestructible Love! O divine minstrel Thou art both stay and refuge; a name equal to thee I have not found."

"Thou who dost blame injustice in mankind 'Tis but the image of thine own dark mind; In them reflected all thy nature is With all its angles and obliquities; Around thyself thyself the noose hast thrown And dost a self-inflicted wound bemoan; ‘Back to each other we reflections throw’ So spoke the holy Prophet long ago: And he who gazes through a glass that’s dim What wonder if the world look dark to him?"

"Ah! many are the conditions which at first are hard, But are afterwards relieved and lose their harshness Oftentimes hope succeeds to hopelessness Many times does sunlight succeed to darkness."

"O Brother, you are essentially thought, All the rest of you is bone and sinew, If your thoughts are rose-like, you are a rose-garden If they are thorn-like, you are fuel for the furnace."

"O the many pure heads scattered beneath the clay, That thou mayest know the head depends on that other head; That original head hidden, and this derived head manifest, Forasmuch as behind this world lies the infinite universe."

"O lovers, O lovers, it is time to abandon the world, The drum of departure reaches my spiritual ear from heaven Behold, the driver has risen and made ready the files of camels And begged us to acquit him of blame; why, O travellers are you asleep? These sounds before and behind are the din of departure and of the camel-bells; With each moment a soul and a spirit is setting off into the void."

"Makers of base coin hate the daylight Coins of pure gold love the daylight, Because daylight is the mirror that reflects them So that they see their own perfect beauty. God has named the resurrection ‘that day,’ Day shows off the beauty of red and yellow."

"This world which is only a dream Seems to the sleeper as a thing enduring for ever But when the morn of the last day shall dawn, The sleeper will escape from the cloud of illusion."

"It behoves not, son, to beat a drum under a quilt, Plant like brave men, thy banner in the midst of the desert."

"Yesterday the Master with a lantern was roaming about the city, Crying ‘I am tired of devil and beast, I desire a man.’"

"The spirit ever leads to haunts of holy men, The flesh would cast thee in the pit of sin again. Beware! Feed thou thy soul with love from holy ground; Make haste! seek means of grace from one who grace hath found."

"O heart, why art thou a captive in the earth that is passing away? Fly forth from this enclosure, since thou art a bird of the spiritual world; Thou art a darling bosom-friend, thou art always behind the secret veil; Why dost thou make thy dwelling-place in this perishable abode?"

"Let others grow pale from fear of misfortune, Do thou smile like the rose at loss and gain. For the rose, though its petals be torn asunder Still smiles on, and it is never cast down. It says ‘Why should I fall into grief in disgrace? I gather beauty even from the thorn of disgrace.’ What is Sufism? ’Tis to find joy in the heart Whensoever distress and care assail it."

"One must have king-recognising eyes To recognise the king in each disguise."

"David said ‘O Lord, since Thou hast no need of us, Say then, what wisdom was there in creating the two worlds?’ God said to him ‘O temporal man, I was a hidden treasure; I sought that that treasure of loving kindness and bounty should be revealed.’"

"There is a tradition ‘The heart is like a feather In the desert, which is borne captive by the winds; The wind drives it everywhere at random, Now to right and now to left in opposite directions.’"

"Pass over names and look to qualities So that qualities may lead thee to essence; The differences of sects arise from His names When they pierce to His essence, they find His peace."

"The seed of the spirit sown beneath this water and clay (the body) Becomes not a tree until it reach Thy spring."

"O brave friend, grasp His skirt, Who is removed alike from the world above and below; Who will abide with thee in the house and abroad When thou lackest house and home He will bring forth peace out of perturbations And when thou art afflicted, will keep His promise."

"Thou wilt never more endure without the flame, when thou hast known the rapture of burning. If the water of life should come to thee, it would not stir thee from the flame."

"As the arrow speeds from the bow, like the bird of your imagination Know that the Absolute will certainly flee from the imaginary; His name will flee when it sees an attempt at speech; He will flee from you so that if you limn his picture The picture will fly from the tablet, the impression will flee from the soul."

"When the drop departed from its native home and returned It found a shell and became a pearl. Did not Joseph go on a journey from his father weeping? Did he not in the journey come to fortune and kingdom and victory?"

"When, O spiritual one, thou hast become thy own fortune Then, being thyself thy fortune, thou wilt never lose it How, O fortunate one, cans't thou ever lose thyself When thy real self is thy treasure and thy kingdom."

"Traditional knowledge when inspiration is available Is like making ablutions with sand when water is near Make yourself ignorant, be submissive, and then You will obtain release from your ignorance."

"When the discourse touched on the matter of love, Pen was broken and paper torn; None but the sun can display the sun. If you would see it displayed, turn not away from it."

"Should envy fill thy breast ’gainst one that envies not Foul stains ensue; thy heart’s impure; all good’s forgot Prostrate thyself then at the feet of holy men, Cast dust upon thy head, God’s pardon to obtain."

"When thou endurest not the pains of abstinence, And fulfillest not the terms, thou gainest no reward; How easy those terms! how abundant that reward! A reward that enchants the heart and charms the soul."

"When the preacher himself has no light or life, How can his words yield leaves and fruit? He impudently preaches to others to walk aright, While himself he is unsteady as a reed shaken by wind. Thus though his preaching is very eloquent, It hides within it unsteadiness in the faith."

"Since all things are dependent on probability, Religion is so first of all, for thereby you find release. In this world no knocking at the door is possible Save hope, and God knows what is best."

"When God decides to humble any sinner proud A demon stirs this last to insult some man of God And he whom God elects to cloak where 'tis he halts Has grace bestowed on him to cover others' faults."

"Having chosen thy Director, be not weak of heart Nor yet sluggish and lax like water and mud; But if thou takest umbrage at every rub How wilt thou become a polished mirror?"

"Since you are properly a clod you will not rise into the air; You will rise into the air if you break and become dust, If you break not, He who moulded you will break you."

"Since the latter of your states were better than the former, Seek annihilation and adore change of state; You have already seen hundreds of resurrections Occur every moment from your origin till now; One from the inorganic state to the vegetive state, From the vegetive state to the animal state of trial; Thence again to rationality and good discernment, Again you will rise from this world of sense and form."

"As there are many demons with men’s faces, It is wrong to join hands with every one."

"Our wakefulness fetters our spirits, Then our souls are a prey to various whims, Thoughts of loss and gain and fears of misery. They retain not purity nor dignity nor lustre, Nor aspiration to soar heavenwards. That one is really sleeping who hankers after each whim And holds parley with each fancy."

"When you have seen the millstone turning round, Then, prithee, go and see the stream that turns it. When you have seen the dust rising up into the air, Go and mark the air in the midst of the dust. You see the kettles of thought boiling over, Look with intelligence at the fire beneath them. God said to Job "Out of my clemency I have given a grain of patience to every hair of thine" Look not then, so much at your own patience, After seeing patience, look to the giver of patience."

"Whereas the springhead is undying, its branch gives water continually; Since neither can cease, why are you lamenting? Conceive the Soul as a fountain and these created things as rivers; While the fountain flows, the rivers run from it Put grief out of your head, and keep quaffing this river water, Do not think of the water failing; for this water is without end."

"Such grace and beauty and loveliness and bestowal of life, O misery and error, if anyone dispense with Him! Fly, fly O bird, to thy native home, For thou hast escaped from the cage, and thy pinions are outspread. Travel away from the bitter stream towards the water of life, Return from the vestibule to the high seat of the soul."