The Vagabond
Last night passing by my Beloved and praying
Said, “Who are you?”
We replied, “Impoverished beggars lost and wandering!”
Though we are poor in need of all things
Somehow astonishingly asking nothing of You
Nothing whatsoever! Except You
Our sole need in both worlds
Lost and wandering strangers we have become
Having no homeland except You
How much longer in this bewilderment
Afar and away from our home to endure
Gaze upon us the penniless, the miserable
But once powered by the force of Your glance [0]
Upon the meager copper of our poverty
You are the elixir of wealth and affluence
Come! Walk by us the lowly vagabonds
Awaiting impatiently Your noble steps
Because only You can unload the sorrow
From the burdened broken hearts of wayfarers
One thousand paths laid out
Passageways towards the tavern of love [1]
But the closest shortcut alas
The forlorn path of poverty and ruin
Jaami:
This path indeed unfitting for lighthearted
Therefore cleanse your attire from thy Self [2]
And step upon the path confident
End.
Do you think, you shall find
the Beloved of heavens and
earth the sublime beauty of cosmos the paragon of infiniteness within
the walls
of a building? The building you may call holy or church or synagogue or
some
called mosques.
Do you think the path towards
the ultimate bliss the meeting with the
Creator is via the bondage of your employment in dungeons of
corporations?
Exotic temples pilgrimage for worshiping the false-gods of high
finance?
Do you think the faster your
ABS powered all-wheel-drive SUV
the sooner you shall reach the regal court of your Lord?
Do you think the higher your
monthly mortgage and the
greener your lawn more likely for the Beloved to hold court within the
walls of
your home?
Do you think the more precise
the navigational systems of
your stellar weaponry better the chances of finding your God?
Beloved whom all hearts beat
for Its praise and enthusiasm,
has made nest within the ruins of the shattered heart of this forsaken
black
woman.
Your eyes can not see that
because you wear your Self, the
cloak of arrogance embroidered by ignorance, the mantle of false
short-lived
happiness upon the eyes of your heart, thus blinded to see where the
Beloved,
the object of all quests resides!?
Stand proud and confident by
her next to the forlorn doors
of NYSE and you shall soon behold the one who is the light of your
eyes, the
love of all hearts...
[0] The Creator’s glance upon a person
shall transform him
or her into the most fortunate human being. It is this glance of
Beloved (the
Creator) that a lover (us) yearns to revel in. Poet narrates that this
glance
is like an elixir turning the copper into gold.
[1] Tavern references to where the
Sufi falls into a drunken
ruin. The
reference to wine and drunkenness is discussed here please click to
read more…
[2] You are full of your Self, which brings you false
happiness and false sense of security. Let go of your Self and the
short-lived
happiness shall be replaced by the drunken travel on the path of love
towards
the Beloved.
Background:
Homeless woman begging on Wall
Street. I believe the door is either AMEX or NYSE. Photograph by Jacob
Holdt.
© 2003-2002, Dara Shayda
