Embraced
by TigerLily Wednesday, Oct 21 2009, 6:28am
international / poetry / post

(for Ng)

A Jewish bard once wrote:

“I once loved a woman, a child I am told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul” -- Bob Dylan

'Anonyme' (USA) -- artwork, simon lovelace

I thought to myself at the time, what an utter tragedy that this man had never known selfless love! How many have sacrificed their hearts and souls and ascended the lofty heights on the wings of Love? If every star in the night sky were a lover then the count would have only just begun! Yet the bard reflected an age which has not yet passed; an age that fears love but embraces hate, division and war.

What purpose a heart if not for giving/loving and a soul if not for sacrificing/loving? Caged or guarded hearts become tombs and loveless souls poison the being.

Following are words of truth and wisdom from Rumi’s teacher, Farid al-Din ‘Attar; from “Seven Valleys of Love,” translated by C.S Nott.

“The next valley is the Valley of Love. To enter it one must be a flaming fire--what shall I say? A man must himself be fire. The face of the lover must be enflamed, burning and impetuous as fire. True love knows no after-thoughts; with love, good and evil cease to exist.

In this valley, love is represented by fire, and reason by smoke. When love comes reason disappears. Reason cannot live with the folly of love; love has nothing to do with human reason. If you possessed inner sight, the atoms of the visible world would be manifested to you. But if you look at things with the eye of ordinary reason you will never understand how necessary it is to love. Only a man who has been tested and is free can feel this. He who undertakes this journey should have a thousand hearts so that he can sacrifice one at every moment.”