These poems were copied from A.J. Sayyáh's informative and discerning blog, available here.
By Amatu'l-Baha, Ruhiyyih Khanum
Behold a candle
how it gives its light
it weeps it's life away
drop by drop to give it's flame
You must die to the world
and so be born again
and enter to the kingdom of heaven
Look at me, follow me,
be as I am, 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
Abdu'l-Bahá
You are the angels
if your feet be firm,
be steadfast as a rock
that no earthly storm can move
And as you have faith
so shall your powers be
and know that 'till the end
I'm always with you
Look at me.....
Love mankind.....
And how I long
to travel the world
in utmost poverty
and cry out "Ya Bahá"
God willing you may do this for me
Teach mankind....
Serve the cause....
Look at me..
The Candle
The Candle
By John Wiegley
The candle is a master at love.
He stands tall, and presents himself
before his lover.
He kindles a divine spark in the heart
and sets the core of his being
ablaze with devotion.
The temperature rises:
it burns him with sweet fire.
He begins to melt away
in thought of her;
he sighs in hot wisps
that rise on the air.
As he thinks of his beloved
he weeps away precious tears,
for he soon comes to realize
one of love's mysteries:
that truly to love,
the lover must disappear.
Thus, his hardened self yields to liquid,
then to fire, then to light.
He brightens her face by his feeble flame --
and she calls it romantic;
he grants her a moment's peace
in fighting off the shadows of the night.
And though he burns his life away,
what he is now, is his lover's delight --
for he has found the immortal Way:
her happiness is his happiness.
Ref: http://www.upliftingwords.org/poetry/Candle.htm
By John Wiegley
The candle is a master at love.
He stands tall, and presents himself
before his lover.
He kindles a divine spark in the heart
and sets the core of his being
ablaze with devotion.
The temperature rises:
it burns him with sweet fire.
He begins to melt away
in thought of her;
he sighs in hot wisps
that rise on the air.
As he thinks of his beloved
he weeps away precious tears,
for he soon comes to realize
one of love's mysteries:
that truly to love,
the lover must disappear.
Thus, his hardened self yields to liquid,
then to fire, then to light.
He brightens her face by his feeble flame --
and she calls it romantic;
he grants her a moment's peace
in fighting off the shadows of the night.
And though he burns his life away,
what he is now, is his lover's delight --
for he has found the immortal Way:
her happiness is his happiness.
Ref: http://www.upliftingwords.org/poetry/Candle.htm
2008-07-17
This is faith
This is faith
To walk where there is no path,
To breathe where there is no air,
To see where there is no light,
This is faith.
To cry out in the silence,
The silence of the night,
And bearing no echo, believe,
And believe again and again,
This is faith.
To hold pebbles and see jewels,
To raise sticks and see forests,
To smile with weeping eyes,
This is faith.
To say "God, I believe." when others deny,
"I hear." when there is no answer,
"I see." though naught is seen,
This is faith.
And the fierce love in the heart,
The savage love that cries,
Hidden Thou art, yet there,
Veil Thy face and mute Thy tongue.
Yet I see and hear Thee, love
Beat me down to bare earth
Yet I rise and love Thee, love
This is faith.
To walk where there is no path,
To breathe where there is no air,
To see where there is no light,
This is faith.
To cry out in the silence,
The silence of the night,
And bearing no echo, believe,
And believe again and again,
This is faith.
To hold pebbles and see jewels,
To raise sticks and see forests,
To smile with weeping eyes,
This is faith.
To say "God, I believe." when others deny,
"I hear." when there is no answer,
"I see." though naught is seen,
This is faith.
And the fierce love in the heart,
The savage love that cries,
Hidden Thou art, yet there,
Veil Thy face and mute Thy tongue.
Yet I see and hear Thee, love
Beat me down to bare earth
Yet I rise and love Thee, love
This is faith.
2008-07-13
Tahirih
TAHIRIH
Tahirih the pure one
Consolation of the eyes
What I would give to meet you now
While my life is new
You had the strength I pray for
The courage that life calls for
The Master that I too adore
Revealed Himself to you
In a dream He stood perfection
Your life it changed direction
You knew it then, your life would end
To glorify His name
Tahirih my sister
What right have I to call you so?
Unworthy of the dust beneath your feet
I am I know
With eloquence you stirred them
Your boldness it perturbed them
Your vision reached beyond their ken
To worlds your eyes behold
And your deed would be the trumpet blast
To shake foundations of the past
And lay the groundwork that would last
For centuries to come
You were all a woman
Could hope to attain
On this earthly plane
And my chosen path
Is the shadow you cast
In the brilliance of
His boundless love
Tahirih the letter
No friendly eye could bear your fate
No mortal tongue can thus relate
The evil done to you
You stood before your enemy
And held yourself with dignity
No man could match your bravery
Your final words were sure
And unknowing of your station
The point of adoration
Your crime they'd say with life you'd paid
Was a fearless love of truth.
Tahirih the pure one
Consolation of the eyes
What I would give to meet you now
While my life is new
You had the strength I pray for
The courage that life calls for
The Master that I too adore
Revealed Himself to you
In a dream He stood perfection
Your life it changed direction
You knew it then, your life would end
To glorify His name
Tahirih my sister
What right have I to call you so?
Unworthy of the dust beneath your feet
I am I know
With eloquence you stirred them
Your boldness it perturbed them
Your vision reached beyond their ken
To worlds your eyes behold
And your deed would be the trumpet blast
To shake foundations of the past
And lay the groundwork that would last
For centuries to come
You were all a woman
Could hope to attain
On this earthly plane
And my chosen path
Is the shadow you cast
In the brilliance of
His boundless love
Tahirih the letter
No friendly eye could bear your fate
No mortal tongue can thus relate
The evil done to you
You stood before your enemy
And held yourself with dignity
No man could match your bravery
Your final words were sure
And unknowing of your station
The point of adoration
Your crime they'd say with life you'd paid
Was a fearless love of truth.
2008-07-12
O Baha'u'llah!
O BAHÁ'U'LLÁH
O Bahá'u'lláh,
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
What hast Thou done?
O Bahá'u'lláh,
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
What hast Thou done?
May my life be sacrificed!
May my life be sacrificed!
May my life be sacrificed for Thee
May my soul be offered up!
May my soul be offered up!
May my soul be offered up
for Thy sake
O Bahá'u'lláh,
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
What hast Thou done?
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
How full were Thy days,
how full were Thy days
With trials and tribulations!
How severe the ordeals,
how severe the ordeals
How severe the ordeals Thou didst endure!
O Bahá'u'lláh!
How solid the foundation
Thou hast laid
O Bahá'u'lláh!
How glorious the banner
Thou didst hoist
Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'u'lláh
The glorious banner Thou didst hoist!
O Bahá'u'lláh
O what hast Thou done?
O Bahá'u'lláh!
O Bahá'u'lláh,
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
What hast Thou done?
O Bahá'u'lláh,
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
What hast Thou done?
May my life be sacrificed!
May my life be sacrificed!
May my life be sacrificed for Thee
May my soul be offered up!
May my soul be offered up!
May my soul be offered up
for Thy sake
O Bahá'u'lláh,
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
What hast Thou done?
O Bahá'u'lláh, O Bahá'u'lláh
How full were Thy days,
how full were Thy days
With trials and tribulations!
How severe the ordeals,
how severe the ordeals
How severe the ordeals Thou didst endure!
O Bahá'u'lláh!
How solid the foundation
Thou hast laid
O Bahá'u'lláh!
How glorious the banner
Thou didst hoist
Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'u'lláh
The glorious banner Thou didst hoist!
O Bahá'u'lláh
O what hast Thou done?
O Bahá'u'lláh!
Behold a Candle
Behold a CandleBehold a candle
how it gives its light
it weeps it's life away
drop by drop to give it's flame
You must die to the world
and so be born again
and enter to the kingdom of heaven
Look at me, follow me,
be as I am, 'Abdu'l-Bahá,
Abdu'l-Bahá
You are the angels
if your feet be firm,
be steadfast as a rock
that no earthly storm can move
And as you have faith
so shall your powers be
and know that 'till the end
I'm always with you
Look at me.....
Love mankind.....
And how I long
to travel the world
in utmost poverty
and cry out "Ya Bahá"
God willing you may do this for me
Teach mankind....
Serve the cause....
Look at me..
An all-day Interfaith prayer vigil has been held in Edinburgh in support of the seven Bahá'í leaders being detained in Iran.
