Veeryani

While still a teenager, Fakhru’d-Din Ibrahim of Hamadan joined a group of qalandars and became the disciple of a spiritual guide in 13th century Multan, Hindostan. In his first forty-days’ retreat, he annoyed the other novices by bursting into song instead of meditating in silence. Although his song was about SPIRITUAL wine, it became a hit with local wine drinkers. They sang it, accompanied by musical instruments, in the wine-houses! Fakhru’d-Din used the poetic name ‘Iraqi. And wrote unforgettably of union with the Eternal :

“From head to feet thou art gracious, pleasant and sweet, O Love!
Thee to prefer to life ‘twere right and meet, O Love!
To thee doth aspire the heart’s desire of all, O Love!
A hunter of hearts art thou to hold us in thrall, O Love!
To mine eyes appear thy features fair and dear, O Love!
Awake or asleep like a crystal stream so clear, O Love!
Though Beauty’s wine doth incarnadine thy cheek, O Love!
Bear with thy comrades, nor causeless quarrels seek, O Love!
They melt in air, hope’s promises false and fair, O Love!
Excuses, I ween, you’ll find enough and to spare, O Love!
Kisses sip from thine own fair lip, and behold, O Love!
The Water of Life with its savour so sweet and so cold, O Love!
In the dust hard by thy path I die at thy door, O Love!
That a draught of wine on this dust of mine thou mayst pour, O Love!
Jewels of speech on all and each thou dost hurl, O Love!
So that every soul in its ear may wear a pearl, O Love!
None do I see in grace like thee, and I’m sure, O Love!
Thou art soul incarnate and spirit essential and pure, O Love!
In mine eyes and heart thou hast thy part and share, O Love!
Thou dost hide or appear, now dark and dim, now clear, O Love!
Never a moment on earth from North to South, O Love!
May ‘Iraqi aspire to have his desire of thy mouth, O Love!”

“Save love of thee a soul in me I cannot see, I cannot see;
An object for my love save thee I cannot see, I cannot see.
Repose or patience in my mind I cannot find, I cannot find,
While gracious glance or friendship free I cannot see, I cannot see.
Show in thy face some sign of grace, since for the pain wherewith I’m slain
Except thy face a remedy I cannot see, I cannot see.
If thou wouldst see me, speed thy feet, for parted from thy presence sweet,
Continued life on earth for me I cannot see, I cannot see.
O friend, stretch out a hand to save, for I am fallen in a wave
Of which the crest, if crest there be, I cannot see, I cannot see.
With gracious care and kindly air come hither and my state repair;
A better state, apart from thee, I cannot see, I cannot see.
Some pathway to ‘Iraqi teach whereby thy gateway he may reach,
For vagrant so bemused as he I cannot see, I cannot see.”

Reference

1. Edward Granville Browne, “A history of Persian literature under Tartar dominion (1265-1502AD)”, 1920.

The name Ono-No-Komachi personifies beauty and mystery in Japan. From 834-880AD she was Poetess at the imperial court—“above the clouds”— where poetry competitions were judged by the Emperor. When she disappeared from court life, priests claimed that she supported herself as a beggar. Artists, sculptors and dramatists made her story immortal. And her celebrated beauty still breathes through her poems.

“Oh, only in name is the autumn night long,
For when we two meet, ere we speak, ere we know,
It is dawn.”

“Aki no yo mo
Na no mi narikeri
Au to ieba
Kotozo tomo naku
Akenuru mono wo.”

“One day while longing for my love, I fell asleep, and lo, there he was in a dream,
since then my certain hope is placed on fleeting dreams.”

“Utatane* ni
Koishiki toki wa
Nubatamano
Yumecho mono wa
Tanomi someteki.”
[* Utatane is to nap or doze. It is a word never used to describe regular sleep at night.]

“The flowers fade, ‘tis true, yet by the changing of their colors foretell their end,
but love, the flower of the human heart—in life—that may be withered ere it gives a sign.”

“Iro miyede
Utsuro mono wa
Yo no naka no
Hito no kokoro no
Hana ni zo arikeru.”

“Overwhelmed with loneliness and disappointment,
I am now as a drifting weed on the face of the waters.
Why should I not float away with the current of the stream that invites?”

“Wabi nureba
Mi wo ukikusa no
Ne wo tayete
Sasau midzu araba
Inan to zo omou.”

Reference

1. Mme. Yukio Ozaki, “Ono-No-Komachi”, 1910.

“The Earth Embracing” is so compassionate and all-loving that lotus flowers spring up wherever he goes. Sakyamuni chose him

to remove suffering and guide souls to righteousness. So he searches through our planet, going deep into its fiery heart. In Japan he is Jizo-san, special guardian of children. He beats off danger with his rod—“Shakujo”—and jingles its two rings to awaken us to his mercy. From the sacred jewel— “Nyoi-hoju”—in his hand, he showers wisdom and joy on those in despair. Sometimes seen as a monk, he brings food to the hungry and cool water to the thirsty.

Reference

1. Masaharu Anesaki, “Buddhist Art”, 1913.

2. The Kokka volume 17#194, “Portrait of Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva”, 1906.