The Caliph, the Craftsman and the Imam (an ancient tale just brought to light)
He was the pride,
sometimes the envy, of the village:
no wealth of jewels, but
a set of gleaming tools.
When asked, he would tell:
I go to the Caliph,
explain what I need and why:
I seek precious things
from the One who does not withhold…
and those around the Caliph
said to him, why are you so generous
to that humble craftsman of fine things?
And why do you listen for so long, to his talk of work?
The Caliph said,
I seek precious things
From the One who does not withhold…
And would you ask me
what the Imam said when asked?
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Related quotes
Lovers In The Back Seats At The Movies
Two young lovers in the back seats of the movie house
Beautiness cuddliness loveliness holding hands,
Youths pleasure, everyone quiet as a mouse
The flickering light shows a Caliph riding across the burning sands,
Riding hard to save a captive princess his love of many years,
The two, oblivious to everything except each other's touch
This caliph, has the princess in his arms certainly with no tears,
An' wow this hour they love each other oh so much.
A mighty sword flashes across the screen and downs the Devil thief,
The victor frees his love and lifts her on to his horse
Then rides off on to the horizon goodness his belief,
A movie we all love with a happy ending of course.
OMG our young lovers are still kissing
Wake up little Susie what a movie they've been missing,
A flashing torch makes them end their date
For he did say 'I promise we won't be late'
poem by Ken e Hall
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
In the spirit of Rumi - 45 - The Lily
In the gardens of the world
as the world and seasons turn,
in a thousand thousand gardens,
in a million fields and valleys,
the lilies grow.
the lilies of the field – proud
yet modest in the grass, proud
that Jesus spoke of them;
lilies of the valley – proud
yet modest as their scent
sings and calls, amongst all
the heady scents of nature,
the scent so close
to the wild cyclamen
in the hillside grass;
the regal lily, sharing with the rose
the Caliph’s and the Sultan’s gardens,
listening all their lives as lilies do
to the plashing fountain in the fragrant courtyard;
laughing quietly as the kohl-eyed beauties
round the Caliph in the evening garden
vie behind their silken veils
with perfumes mixed and strange..
each day, one lily in the bed
reaches its perfection, glows,
exults in its day of unique status,
as every lily has its day..
What honour then, can God bestow
upon his creatures, so magnificent,
so thunderous in their praise of Him
for those with ears to hear?
His most precious gift, which even men
rarely earn with all a lifetime serving Him –
a glimpse of His perfection..
And the regal lily, full of the humility
of the lily, Mary’s flower,
bows its slender neck
yields all its beauty, bowing low,
folds its curled petals, as Mary
submitting to the will of God;
and we, walking in the garden,
glance and say ‘Behold,
that lily which, but yesterday, was perfect,
is fading now already…’ and in our heart
passes, is discarded, the evening chill
of knowing ourselves to be that lily..
pride, humility, the gifted glimpse of God’s perfection,
barely acknowledged as they pass..
poem by Michael Shepherd
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
To God I Promise
My promise is to God for goodness
Is seen. It is muttered on the tongue,
Released by the heart, as it sways
To the bridge of eternity we cross.
I promise God to uphold the laws,
To guard the secrets best left on the heart,
For I need the kindness of a secret.
Let learning be strong for the adolescent,
Its filings are rough as pain, in the middle
Of twin figures we call religions.
Let learning be swift, the captor shall inherit
Peace, the fetter of heaven, the feet of a poem.
The caliph of learning has arrived,
With calculus, and music, and song.
For numbers force us into confusion,
And he uplifts his complexity from them.
Let him cry, let him madly love the strength
Of words, then convict him if he speaks from within
As a sinner, the very real reader of false books.
They are hydraulics of a soul, they are
Ready as plumage, and so appear beautiful,
But where is the beauty in that?
To intrude on the boudoir of fashion
Is to read volumes of work by the same author.
The caliph questions and resolves
According to taste, inside himself.
For the promise of better knowledge
Is upon him, that he consumes several beverages
Of the kind that make people happy,
And in love.
Never accept the man who loves knowledge
And asks for forgiveness from acquiring
Too much of it.
My promise is to God for goodness,
And the tongue shall speak all ills.
poem by Naveed Akram
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
The Pedlar
FLY, fly, my pretty pigeon, fly!
And see if you can find him;
He has blue eyes--you'll know him by,--
He wears a pack behind him.
He's gone away--ah! many a mile
Because he could not please me,
And, oh! 'twill be a weary while
Ere next he comes to tease me.
He carries wares of every kind,
Fine ribbons, silks, and laces,
Bargains to rhyme with every mind,
And hues to suit all faces.
He has gold rings and pretty things
That other maids will throng for,
Ah, pigeon! spread your pretty wings,
And fly to him I long for.
Tell him to turn and come again,
For once I sent him packing;
He offered me a bargain then,
But wit and price were lacking.
I have the price he asked of me,
The wit that will not weigh it;
Ah! bid him come again and see
How gladly I will pay it.
A heart of gold he offered me
As 'twere a penny fairing,
And only asked a worthless fee,
This heavy heart I'm wearing.
I would not then--now long and drear
The white way winds behind him;
Ah! seek him, seek him, Pigeon dear,
But you will never find him!
poem by Edith Nesbit
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Illahi Nama (Book of God)
In the Book of God (Ilahi-nama) 'Attar framed his mystical teachings in various stories that a caliph tells his six sons, who are kings themselves and seek worldly pleasures and power.
The first son is captivated by a virgin princess, and his father tells him the adventures of a beautiful and virtuous woman who attracts several men but miraculously survives their abuse and then forgives them. They acknowledge that carnal desire is necessary to propagate the race but also recognize that passionate love can lead to spiritual love, which can annihilate the soul in the beloved.
Other stories indicate the importance of respecting the lives of other creatures such as ants or dogs. One only thinks oneself better than a dog because of one's dog-like nature.
The second son tells his father that his heart craves magic; but his father warns him against the work of the Devil. A monk tells a shaikh that he has chosen the job of locking up a savage dog inside himself, and he advises the shaikh to lock up anger lest he be changed into a dog. The father suggests that this son ask for something more worthy and tells an anecdote in which Jesus teaches a man the greatest name of God. The man uses it to make bones come alive into a lion, which devours him, leaving his bones. Jesus then says that when a person asks for something unworthy, God does not grant it. Birds and beasts flee from people, because people eat them. God tells Moses to watch his heart when he is alone, to be kind and watch his tongue when he is with people, the road in front when he is walking, and his gullet when he is dining. A saint tells a shaikh that love is never denied to humans, for only the lover knows the true value of the beloved. Another saint warns that unless you pray for protection from negativity (the Devil), you shall not enter the court of God.
The third son of the caliph asks for a cup that could display the whole world. 'Attar concluded a story by saying that Sufism is to rest in patience and forsake all desire for the world, and trust in God means bridling one's tongue and wishing for better things for others than for oneself. This son asks why his father seems to disparage the love of honor and the love of wealth which all seem to possess. The caliph replies that in the crazy prison of the world one can achieve greatness only by devotion. Since one speaks to God through the heart and soul, it is difficult to speak with God of worldly things. The third son asks if he can be allowed to seek power in moderation; but the father still warns that this will place screens between him and God. Each screen created by seeking power will create more screens. One must see both the good and the bad inside and outside oneself to understand how they are connected together. Saints who reach their goal see nothingness in all things, making sugar seem like poison and a rose like thorns. Ayaz advises the conquering sultan Mahmud to leave his self behind since he is better being entirely We. In the last story for his third son, the father says that thousands of arts, mysteries, definitions, commands, prohibitions, orders, and injunctions are founded on the intellect. What cup could be more revealing than this?
The fourth son seeks the water of life, and his father warns him against desire. A wise man considers Alexander the Great the slave of his slave, because the Greek conqueror has submitted to greed and desire, which this wise man controls. If the son cannot have the water of life, he asks for the knowledge that will illuminate his heart. In one story 'Attar concluded that if you are not faithful in love, you are in love only with yourself. The fifth son asks for the ring of Solomon that enables one to communicate with birds and other animals. The Way is summarized as seeing the true road, traveling light, and doing no harm. The father tells this son that he has chosen an earthly kingdom, because he has not heard of the kingdom of the next world. He advises this king that since his sovereignty will not endure not to load the whole world on his shoulders. Why take on the burden of all creation? The caliph suggests that his son practice contentment, which is an eternal kingdom that overshadows even the Sun. When Joseph was thrown into a pit, the angel Gabriel counseled him that it is better to notice a single blemish in yourself than to see a hundred lights of the Unseen.
The sixth son desires to practice alchemy, but his father perceives that he is caught in the snare of greed. Gold is held more tightly by a miser than the rock grips the ore. The son observes that excessive poverty often leads to losing faith, and so he asks God for both the philosopher's stone and for gold; but his father replies that one cannot promote both faith and the world at the same time. In the epilog the poet commented that since he receives his daily bread from the Unseen, he does not have to be the slave of wretched men, and 'Attar concluded this work with the satisfaction that he has perfumed the name of God with his poetry.
poem by Farid ud-Din Attar Abu Hamid bin Abu Bakr Ibrahim
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Little Boxes
Every time we move,
we pack our little things in boxes,
and some inside our mind.
These are the special things;
we do no want to leave behind.
The special things we have,
that spell out love there.
The precious things we own,
that hold so many memories there,
whether they be large or small.
The little boxes we pack,
we make them all secure,
and mark them handle with care.
For nothing can replace,
the precious things we have there.
(20 June 2007)
poem by David Harris
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Precious
(orbison)
You are not just another sweet human
Youre precious, precious to me
You are not just my love for the moment
Youre precious, precious to me
Are you some kind of angel
Who lost your way to a star?
Wonder why, why me?
Dont you even see how wonderful you are?
You are not just someone I can talk with
Youre precious, precious to me
You are not just someone I can talk with
Youre precious, precious to me
song performed by by Roy Orbison
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Great Pyramid at Giza
First, I can only think
Of the work, the strain, the backs, the bricks;
But the Egyptians had good medicine,
And it kept the workers going.
Khufu's memory was completely
Looted. Strabo himself called
Attention to it,
Prior to the Arab caliph's arrival.
Where is that gold now?
On your finger,
In your teeth?
And is gold always defiled, like it seems?
The curse of the mummies
Follows us as shadows,
For nations are also built with gold;
And the dust of gold with nations.
poem by Stan Petrovich
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
When you seek advice, do not withhold any facts from the person whose advice you seek.
I Asked God
“When I Asked God for Strength
He Gave Me Difficult Situations to Face
When I Asked God for Brain & Brown
He Gave Me Puzzles in Life to Solve
When I Asked God for Happiness
He Showed Me Some Unhappy People
When I Asked God for Wealth
He Showed Me How to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Favors
He Showed Me Opportunities to Work Hard
When I Asked God for Peace
He Showed Me How to Help Others
God Gave Me Nothing I Wanted
He Gave Me Everything I Needed.”
poem by Shivani Nalkar
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
A Friend From Above
I prayed for you before we met
Not knowing who you'd be
I asked the Lord to send me a friend
One chosen just for me.
I asked that they'd be Godly
With wisdom of His ways
A friend to help and guide me
In the trouble of these days.
So often in life we need someone
To listen while we talk
Someone who will not condemn or judge
But encourage us as we walk.
The narrow road we choose to follow
May sometimes make us stumble
But to have a friend to catch our fall
Teaches us to be humble.
When I asked the Lord to send a friend
Though many came and went
He gave me much more than I ever asked
For instead of just one, two He sent.
poem by Tiana Webb
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Friendship IXX
And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
poem by Khalil Gibran
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
Those who give have all things; those who withhold have nothing.
Precious Thing
When all the star gazes bloom
And throw their stars around the room
I was waiting for the day
For you to love me
When all the elements conspire
With shiny things that catch the eye
I was waiting for the day
For you to love me
Precious precious thing
You are the thought that makes me sing
Wanna leave all my possessions
It's a rare and precious precious thing
When all the elements conspire
With shiny things that catch the eye
I was waiting for the day
For you to love me
Precious precious thing
You are the thought that makes me sing
Wanna leave all my possessions
It's a rare and precious precious thing
And I know all I need
Is to get on the phone
Is to get on the phone
And call you
Call you
As clear as rain on a street
It shines like bright coloured stone
These things no one can own
They are for you
This is for you
This is for you
This is for you
song performed by by Bic Runga from Beautiful Collision
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Happiness is understanding that friendship is more precious than mere things, more precious than getting your own way, more precious than being in situations where true principles are not at stake.
quote by J. Donald Walters
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Response
Beside that milestone where the level sun,
Nigh unto setting, sheds his last, low rays
On word and work irrevocably done,
Life's blending threads of good and ill outspun,
I hear, O friends! your words of cheer and praise,
Half doubtful if myself or otherwise.
Like him who, in the old Arabian joke,
A beggar slept and crowned Caliph woke.
Thanks not the less. With not unglad surprise
I see my life-work through your partial eyes;
Assured, in giving to my home-taught songs
A higher value than of right belongs,
You do but read between the written lines
The finer grace of unfulfilled designs.
poem by John Greenleaf Whittier
Submitted by Poetry Lover
Vote! | Copy!
They who give have all things; they who withhold have nothing.
You Asked Me To
(words & music by jennings - shaver)
Long ago and far away
In my old common labor shoes
I turned the world all which-a-way
Just because you asked me to
Likened to no other feel
Summer love is simple true
Theres no end to what Id do
Just because you asked me to
Let the world call me a fool
Let it; things are right with me and you
Thats all that matters and Ill do
Anything you ask me to
Knowin how much I love you
After all Ive been through
Id turn and walk away from you
Just because you asked me to
Let the world call me a fool
Let it; things are right with me and you
Thats all that matters and Ill do
Anything you ask me to
song performed by by Elvis Presley
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!
Things Are Getting Better
Well I worked for a week and I got no pay.
(things getting better.)
Well my babys coming back home to stay
(things getting better.)
Well shes coming back home, but I havent got a dime
(things getting better.)
But Ive got my love to keep me fine[? ].
(things getting better.)
Oh-oh
Things getting better.
Things getting better.
Well since my babys been away,
(things getting better.)
Well things got worse from day to day.
(things getting better.)
Well now my babys come back to me.
(things getting better.)
Yeah, itll get better, wait and see.
(things getting better.)
Oh-oh
Things getting better.
Things getting better.
Oh-oh
Things getting better.
Things getting better.
Well I pawned my watch and I sold my car.
(things getting better.)
The money Ive got wouldnt get me far.
(things getting better.)
But I dont mind now that youve packed.
(things getting better.)
Its a fact, that
Things getting better.
Things getting better.
Oh-oh
Things getting better.
Things getting better.
song performed by by Kinks
Submitted by Lucian Velea
Vote! | Copy!