Happiness Without Death

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draliPublished by Threshold Books

An excerpt from Happiness Without Death

So, to Renew:
Music by Mentioning You


I, the Desert,
approach You extolling and sanctifying;
and ask Your permission to attend the new lessons.
Your schools spread through all of time, everywhere.
The sun is a university
                              through which You edify night and day;
You roll up each of them upon the other
                              as if it were its own ball.
Night is a ball concealing
                              the troubles of the day,
and day is a ball embracing
                              the secrets of night.
Night and day are teachers
giving lessons of activity and leisure;
by them stars and mountains glow.
I addressed the morning star and she told me
                              tidings of the luminous
I addressed Al-Judi Mount*,
                              which told me stories of the past
and I stopped beasts and birds,
camels and horses.
I asked seas and graves
out of which waves of confession rose;
as if they were one song
sung on multitudinous musical instruments.
The spirit of the song goes forth
                              and back to You saturated with
Be glorified, O Teacher of all;
how well You’ve accomplished Your favor!
Teach me and furnish me with more knowledge;
please extend my power’s lifetime
so that my knowledge may be completed
                              with Your Love.
Grant me intellectual wit
                              and physical activity;
grant me a long, innovating life
the lessons of Your schools and universities
                              have no end;
the languages of your favors
                              are innumerable.
The taste of knowledge attracts me;
the work of taste makes me long for You.
I’ll never be satisfied just tasting Your loves;
I’ll never be content but in
                              taking Your path;
chanting Your Name all my life.
So please, grant me an eternal life,
so as to renew music and the arts by mentioning You;
grant me the sun’s capacity for renewal,
so as to cover the world
                              with the rain of my songs and prayers for You
Be glorified,
all universes are secure at the feet
                              of Your Magnitude;
accept me and my prayer.

*Al-Judi Mount: The mountain where Noah’s ark landed.