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Poetry
Chaikhana
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Commentary on the commentary --
My observations on these poems should not be read as the single, absolute meaning. A poem, like a dream, has layers of meaning -- and that meaning can shift over time and from differing perspectives. My commentary is offered in order to suggest a starting point for you to begin your own exploration into the poem's meaning. Even if my explanation feels right on the mark, please don't stop there. We must discover each poem's meaning for ourselves; otherwise the poem and its explanation remain largely trapped in the intellect. Sacred poetry is transformative poetry. Until we feel a poem working its alchemy on our own awareness, we haven't discovered its heart... -- Ivan
| Herbert, George The Altar |
| Hildegard of Bingen Ave generosa / Hymn to the Virgin |
| Hildegard of Bingen Laus Trinitati / Antiphon for the Trinity |
| Hildegard of Bingen O Euchari in leta via / Sequence for Saint Eucharius |
| Hildegard of Bingen O ignis Spiritus Paracliti / Sequence for the Holy Spirit |
| Hildegard of Bingen O nobilissima viriditas / Responsory for Virgins |
| Hildegard of Bingen O virga mediatrix / Alleluia-verse for the Virgin |
| Hirshfield, Jane Tree |
| Ibn 'Arabi, Muhyiddin My heart has become capable of every form |
| Ibn 'Arabi, Muhyiddin When my Beloved appears, |
| Ibn 'Arabi, Muhyiddin While the sun's eye rules my sight, |
| Ibn al-Farid, Umar I sought her from myself, (from The Poem of the Sufi Way) |
| Ibn al-Farid, Umar Resist the calls of wrangling talk, (from The Poem of the Sufi Way) |
| ibn Gabirol, Solomon "Rise and open the door that is shut, |
| ibn Gabirol, Solomon Thou art One |
| ibn Gabirol, Solomon Thou Livest |
| Iraqi, Fakhruddin As sunlight is attributed to the moon, so is the Beloved's form ascribed to the lover; but in truth |
| Iraqi, Fakhruddin Love plays its lute behind the screen -- |
| Iraqi, Fakhruddin The world but seems to be |
| Iraqi, Fakhruddin These perfumes: |
| Issa, Kobayashi Autumn wind -- |
| Issa, Kobayashi From burweed, |
| Issa, Kobayashi In my house |
| Issa, Kobayashi In the cherry blossom's shade |
| Issa, Kobayashi Reflected |
| Issa, Kobayashi Where there are humans |
| Jacopone da Todi (Benedetti, Jacopone) Love, where did You enter the heart unseen? (from In Praise of Divine Love) |
| Jacopone da Todi (Benedetti, Jacopone) Now, a new creature |
| Janabai You leave your greatness behind you |
| Jnanadev Knowledge and Ignorance (from Amritanubhav) |
| Jnanadev The Union of Shiva and Shakti (from Amritanubhav) |
| John of the Cross Dark Night |
| John of the Cross I Came Into the Unknown |
| John of the Cross On the Communion of the Three Persons (from Romance on the Gospel) |
| John of the Cross The Fountain |
| John of the Cross The Sum of Perfection |
| Kabir (8) Within this earthen vessel |
| Kabir My body is flooded |
| Kabir The Drop and the Sea |
| Kamalakanta Ever-blissful Kali, |
| Kamalakanta Is my black Mother Syama really black? |
| Kamalakanta O Kali, my Mother full of Bliss! |
| Kamalakanta The black bee of my mind is drawn in sheer delight |
| Khayyam, Omar [10] With me along the strip of Herbage strown |
| Khayyam, Omar [2] Dreaming when Dawn's Left Hand was in the Sky |
| Khayyam, Omar [32] There was a Door to which I found no Key: |
| Khayyam, Omar [4] Now the New Year reviving old Desires, |
| Khayyam, Omar [41 - later edition] Perplext no more with Human or Divine Perplext no more with Human or Divine, |
| Khayyam, Omar [42 - later edition] Waste not your Hour, nor in the vain pursuit Waste not your Hour, nor in the vain pursuit |
| Khayyam, Omar [45] But leave the Wise to wrangle, and with me |
| Khayyam, Omar [6] And David's Lips are lock't; but in divine |
| Khayyam, Omar [71] And much as Wine has play'd the Infidel, |
| Khayyam, Omar [74] Ah, Moon of my Delight who know'st no wane, |
| Kuhi of Shiraz, Baba In the market, in the cloister--only God I saw. |
| Lalla (Ded, Lal) Coursing in emptiness, |
| Lalla (Ded, Lal) I searched for my Self |
| Lawrence, D. H. I Am Like a Rose |
| Levertov, Denise Beginners |
| Levertov, Denise Scraps of moon |
| Luria, Isaac A Poem for the Small Face |
| Machado, Antonio Hope says |
| Machado, Antonio I dreamt you took me |
| Machado, Antonio Last night, as I was sleeping, |
| Machado, Antonio Lord, You Tore from Me |
| Machado, Antonio Songs |
| Machado, Antonio The Waterwheel |
| Mahadevi, Akka Through Thee have I forgotten Thee! |
| Mahadevi, Akka You are the forest |
| Mahadevi, Akka You can confiscate |
| Maharshi, Ramana The Song of the Poppadum |
| Masahide Barn's burnt down -- |
| Mechthild of Magdeburg Then shall I leap into love |
| Mei, Yuan P'u-t'o Temple |
| Merton, Thomas A Practical Program for Monks |
| Merton, Thomas Follow my ways and I will lead you |
| Merton, Thomas Night-Flowering Cactus |
| Merton, Thomas The Fall |
| Milarepa The Profound Definitive Meaning |
| Milarepa The Song of Food and Dwelling |
| Milarepa The Song of Perfect Assurance (to the Demons) |
| Milarepa The Song on Reaching the Mountain Peak |
| Milosz, Czeslaw Late Ripeness |
| Milosz, Czeslaw On Angels |
| Mirabai I am true to my Lord, |
| Mirabai No one knows my invisible life. |
| Mirabai O I saw witchcraft tonight |
| Muktabai Where darkness is gone I live, |
| Muktananda, Swami That which was not, came. |
| Nachmanides (Nachman, Moses ben) The Soul Speaks (from Hymn on the Fate of the Soul) |
| Namdev The drum with no drumhead beats; |
| Nammalvar O Lord, infinite in Thy glory, |
| Nasimi, Imadeddin Both worlds within my compass come, but this world cannot compass me. |
| Nawaz, Gharib The Second Jesus |
| Nematollah Vali, Shah I beheld my essence. What I saw |
| Nevins, Shawn The rooster crows in mid-morning, |
| Nirmala why fear this moment |
| Novalis Uplifted is the stone -- |
| O'Donohue, John Beannacht / Blessing |
| Oliver, Colin Here I see no-one |
| Oliver, Mary In Blackwater Woods |
| Oliver, Mary The Ponds |
| Oliver, Mary Wild Geese |
| Pampattic Cittar Dance o snake |
| Pampattic Cittar One must delve deep |
| Pawnee (Anonymous) Let Us See |
| Po, Li Self-Abandonment |
| Po, Li The birds have vanished into the sky, |
| Po, Li The Cold Clear Spring at Nanyang |
| Po, Li Yellow Crane Terrace |
| Porete, Marguerite Beguines say I err... |
| Porete, Marguerite Humility |
| Porete, Marguerite Peace of charity in the annihilated life |
| Rabia (Al-'Adawiyya, Rabi'a) I have two ways of loving You: |
| Rabia (Al-'Adawiyya, Rabi'a) My joy -- |
| Rabia (Al-'Adawiyya, Rabi'a) O God, Another Night is passing away, |
| Rabia (Al-'Adawiyya, Rabi'a) O my Lord, if I worship you |
| Rabjampa, Longchen An Adamantine Song on the Ever-Present |
| Ram Tzu (Liquorman, Wayne) Every time |
| Ram Tzu (Liquorman, Wayne) You think of the Path |
| Ramprasad (Sen, Ramprasad) I drink no ordinary wine, |
| Ramprasad (Sen, Ramprasad) Meditate on Kali! Why be anxious? |
| Ramprasad (Sen, Ramprasad) Mother, am I Thine eight-months child? |
| Ramprasad (Sen, Ramprasad) Once for all, this time, |
| Ramprasad (Sen, Ramprasad) So I say: Mind, don't you sleep |
| Ramprasad (Sen, Ramprasad) This time I shall devour Thee utterly, Mother Kali! |
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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.
