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Muslim / Sufi
12th Century

About Farid ud-Din Attar

Timeline (1120? - 1220?)

 Farid ud-Din Attar, Farid ud-Din Attar poetry, Muslim / Sufi, Muslim / Sufi poetry, poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry, poetry

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English version by
Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis

Original Language
Persian/Farsi
Look -- I do nothing; He performs all deeds

Themes
  Heart
  Lover and Beloved
  Pain and Wounding
 
 

 

Recommended Books

The Conference of the Birds, Translated by Afkham Darbandi / Translated by Dick Davis
Conference of the Birds: A Seeker's Journey to God, Translated by Rustom Pestonji Masani
The Conference of the Birds: The Selected Sufi Poetry of Farid ud-Din Attar, Translated by Raficq Abdulla
The Drunken Universe: An Anthology of Persian Sufi Poetry, Translated by Peter Lamborn Wilson / Translated by Nasrollah Pourjavady
The Hand of Poetry: Five Mystic Poets of Persia, with Lectures by Inayat Khan, Translated by Coleman Barks

More >>

Look -- I do nothing; He performs all deeds
And He endures the pain when my heart bleeds.
When He draws near and grants you and audience
Should you hang back in tongue-tied diffidence?
When will your cautious heart consent to go
Beyond the homely boundaries you know?
O slave, if He should show His love to you,
Love which His deeds perpetually renew,
You will be nothing, you will disappear --
Leave all to Him who acts, and have no fear.
If there is any "you", if any wraith
Of self persists, you've strayed outside our faith.

 

 

-- from The Conference of the Birds, Translated by Afkham Darbandi / Translated by Dick Davis

Amazon.com

 

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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.