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The angels have bowed down to you and drowned by Farid ud-Din Attar (1120? - 1220?) Timeline English version by Afkham Darbandi and Dick Davis Original Language Persian/Farsi Muslim / Sufi 12th Century The angels have bowed down to you and drowned Your soul in Being, past all plummet's sound -- Do not despise yourself, for there is none Who could with you sustain comparison; Do not torment yourself -- your soul is All, Your body but a fleeting particle. This All will clarify, and in its light Each particle will shine, distinctly bright -- As flesh remains an agent of the soul, You soul's an agent of the sacred Whole. But "part" and "whole" must disappear at last; The Way is one, and number is surpassed. A hundred thousand clouds above you press; Their rain is pure, unending happiness; And when the desert blooms with flowers, their scent And beauty minister to your content; The prayers of all the angels, all they do, All their obedience, God bestows on you.     -- from The Conference of the Birds, Translated by Afkham Darbandi / Translated by Dick Davis Amazon.com	Themes   Garden   Light   Lotus   Perfume   Rose 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 >>
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

Isn't that a striking opening couplet?

The angels have bowed down to you and drowned
Your soul in Being, past all plummet's sound --

We are drowned, but in Being, in the Real. We are past sound, in a place of soundlessness. And we find ourselves dropping through great depths, measuring like a plummet weight. Perhaps we are even going beyond our ability to measure.

When we are finally confronted with the vision of Being, when the soul is "drowned" so that the Eternal utterly surrounds and fills us, we are brought to a place of utter stillness and silence. This is not so much an absence of sound as it is a pristine quietness of the awareness. You may still be conscious and coherent, but there is no vibration in the mind. It is as if the entire audience of a concert hall has fully settled down, no whispers, no coughs, no shuffling in the seats, complete silence and attention, finally ready to hear the symphony in all its subtlety and beauty.

But "part" and "whole" must disappear at last;
The Way is one, and number is surpassed.

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2011 by Ivan M. Granger.
All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.