I desired to praise the Chosen One and was hindered
By my own inability to grasp the extent of his glory.
How can one such as I measure an ocean, when the ocean is vast?
And how can one such as I count the stones and the stars?
If all of my limbs were to become tongues, even then –
Even then I could not begin to praise him as I desired.
And if all of creation gathered together in an attempt
To praise him, even then they would stint in his due.
I have altogether ceased trying – awestruck, clinging to courtesy,
Tempered by timidity, glorifying his most exalted rank.
Indeed, sometimes silence holds within it the essence of eloquence,
And often speech merely fodder for the faultfinder.
— Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi
I envy the sand that met his feet
I’m jealous of honey he tasted sweet.
The Garden
Walking within they do not know it,
Planted at their feet, the buried memories;
They only see a garden, bushes, trees
Not the secrets so delicately knit.
The flowers are silent to them, silent;
They do not say a word, but quietly
They are looked at, and admired quietly,
They whisper nothing and nothing relent.
Yet for me all the flowers keep you near,
The orchids and the heliconia,
Bromeliad and bougainvillea;
The plants you love that I in turn hold dear.
It is a living temple wherein
I come to find you; you smell of jasmine.
— Rafael Alejandro Jara.
How I swoon! pale as the light of the moon
Remembering the fragrance of a rose!
— Sīdi Aḥmad al ‘Arūsi.
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
— Max Erhmann.
Through him all is redeemed
And harmony restored.
He is the gate between
Mankind and the Lord.
In heaven he is praised,
On earth he is adored.
He is a mercy sent
By the Merciful One.
No one has equaled him
Since the world was begun;
No one will equal him
Should the world be undone.
His beauty makes silence
Burst into endless song.
His majesty mutes all
Makes love speechless and withdrawn.
His alchemy makes gold,
Transmutes virtue from wrong.
May his name be hallowed
In every place with every breath
May he and his nation
Like Abraham be blessed
And to his truthfulness
May all creation attest.
May the words of Rafi‘
To Muhammad ascend,
He is altogether lovely
My beloved, my friend;
And better praise than this
Be upon him without end.
— Rafael Alejandro Jara.
As the Arab racer needs not the whip,
So you will not need to fear
When on your journey you have started.
When purified are your soul and body,
You will not fear the fires of hell.
Throw pure gold into the fire;
If it contains no alloy, what is there to burn?
“For thy sweet love remembered such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.”
— William Shakespeare.
You disobey the Divine, yet claim love for Him
This is impossible, illogical reasoning.
If your love were true, you would certainly obey
For the lover to the Beloved is ever obedient.
He attained exaltation by his perfection,
He dispelled darkness by his beauty,
Beauteous are all his qualities,
Benediction be on him and on his family.
يا نسيم الريح قولي للرشا لم يزدني الوِرد إلا عطشا
لي حبيب حبه وسط الحشا إن يشأ يمشي على خدي مشى
روحه روحي وروحي روحه إن يشأ شئت وإن شئت يشأ
“O You whose mighty kingdom never becomes less,
We hope to take asylum in divine largesse.”
