A well-learnt Aref has found no description of You [1]
Except You are above and beyond all descriptions for sure

Admiration of You, some narrated from the infinite’s rim of all visions
Like telling a blind praises about the luster of Sun sincere

Beauty comes not from lovely eyes, hair or a mole [2]
Even without any pretty face, You have our heart stolen

Traceless since You are so close but feels afar
No word from You, madly thinking about You after all

Truth is: all good and bad bounces from us to ourselves
Otherwise, befriending You for sure keeps all away [3]

Only You can admire and adore Your own Self
Otherwise Wesaal dares not to praise You, Never! [4]


[1] Aref is an Alem a knowledgeable person who has been given knowledge as a gift from Allah without learning from books or others. Wesaal narrates that even the highest of all Arefs can tell us only one fact, “There is no description of Allah”. Any thought, imagination, words, sounds, pictures or technologies rendering nothing close to reality of the Creator. And if you came across such a paramount feat, then you have heard about something other than Allah. Mankind thrives at this contradiction. Mankind is able deep within conceive something beyond words, time or description or without any volition of his or her own, similar to migratory birds flying south for winter, which likens the redolence of fragrance in all directions. One can smell the fabulous scent but no clue to what the smell is or where it originates. Somehow this unusual experience translates itself to our proximity to the Creator.

[2] In Persian culture mole on women’s face especially close to the lips is considered a privilege of beauty and exoticness. Beauty is from Allah. And beauty needs no material to beautify in our heart. Allah is beautiful, we sense and feel this beauty each and every second. However Allah needs no physical face for us to observe the beauty.

[3] I am tired of my own affairs. I am tired of people’s affairs. I am tired of follies I call human affairs. Wesaal narrates: “Befriend the Creator then you will be pushed far away from all human affairs whether good or bad and all affairs become clearly to be under the command of Allah”. When you open the papers in the morning and read about the atrocities and massive pain and you feel tired and exhausted of yourself and people that is an edict from Allah to befriend the Creator to be saved from getting mixed with the affairs of people. Befriend the Creator and you are mixed only with Its affairs. Whether the affairs brings you joy or sorrow, hardship or ease, matters not! It is Allah’s affairs and that is the moment of GHALBEN SALIM or true/sound human heart. (Koran Ash-shoara The Poets [26:89])

[4] Such arrogance I find within myself thinking that I am able to praise my Creator. Wesaal says in the beginning of the poem and later concludes, “Hey! You can not even describe It what makes you think you can praise It!?” How I have deceived myself for over 40 years that I am and I can praise my Lord! What arrogance. Wesaal says Never! He narrates it is Allah who praises Allah and only by It Self by Its own volition alone, and if my tongue and heart and pen is subjected to Its will at the time, then I am the subject busy in Its praise! Else it is another form of arrogance. Let Allah praise Allah and be in between so you praised Allah.



Nothing in my heart other than the dawn of my love
In these ruins, what else to expect other than the rays of Sun [1]

Unfound amongst the pages of books the secrets of love
Knowledge of seeking the Lord and the books afar [2]

Tricking this life closing my eyes to see my love in dreams [3]
But there is no way, not even a moment, lovers can fall asleep

Wesaal is given life by love and seeks the true love
Like fish in the sea, I rush around but where do the waters run?


[1] This is an example of superb clarity in Wesaal’s work. He asks, “What do you find amongst the ruins in some place where all things are destroyed and messed?”. Amongst the ruins each dawn you see the rise of the Sun and nothing else of value. Similarly he narrates that worldly life and his personal desires have demolished his heart to the point that it is just a ruin! And what does he expect ever to see amongst these ruins? Dawn of the Sun, the face of the Beloved the Creator. Who & what else? Let this life ruin you by all means be it money, companions, family, war and health… see yourself as the ruins and await in a few hours shall rise the Face of the Beloved like a sun to set you alight.

[2] The secrets of seeking Allah are only in one place, deep within your heart. However as with your face, you are not able to view yourself without an external aid e.g. mirror or camera… similarly you cannot behold your heart without an external help. That mirror is your life history and incidents. What people did and say to you and vice-a-versa. If you seek pages to read to seek Allah, then read the pages of your past life. You wont find anything in books at schools.

[3] Close your eyes pretend you are asleep, better pretend you are dead. Trick this life into ignoring you may be then even for a small moment of time a flash of Beloved can be seen.




You have not exited yourself so how can you seek the Lord
How can you seek the heal of the medicine when not in pain [1]

You are drunken entire life worshipping your self abound
You know nothing of your self, how can you teach about Allah

You did not break the idols with the rock of repentance [2]
How could you stop our worship of self, guiding to the right way

Even if you bring me to the knees, it is not fair
To complain about my Beloved to strangers [3]

If Your Majesty passed by Your flock, glance upon us [4]
Since its only fair for Sultan to look over the beggars


[1] Wesaal has heard from Koran the descent of healing to mankind amogst its verses (Koran Al-Isra [17:82]). But how can this be a medicine for a heart that is no aching? Like taking painkillers for a body that is not in pain. Analgesic living of today’s life, when we feel no pain because it was numbed by material wealth and pleasures, is the exact target of this poem.

[2] Not stopping one from evil doings and speech is equal to worship of idols. Because then you are worship your self.

[3] No matter what a lover does to you, you never complain to strangers, then why is it that always we complain about the Creator? Answer is evident, we do not love the Beloved.

[4] Word HESHMAT has been use which means Majesty but if change the sounds to HASHMAT means the flock or subjects. This is common in Farsi poetry to extend multiple meanings of the words for a verse. Actually it was a way to boast about one’s poetic prowess.


Background: Ottoman antique gold leaf calligraphy reading: "Allah is One"

© 2003-2002,  Dara Shayda