Gates of Tabriz
فإن البيوت لا تؤتى إلاَّ من أبوابها،
والملوك لا يدخل عليها إلا بإذن حجّابها
Only through doors thou can enter the estates,
Only by leave of keeper of the gate
The lords can enter it.
Ibn 'Arabi
Clouds thaw, deform, in moment swell
As donjons heavy, then
Disperse as dreams of doze
In ochre sky, from side of North they flow,
In moment vanish and appear
In counter part of sky; nor near,
Neither far - a mirage - vision blear -
Wan smoke, or fog, deceit in air,
Or deceit of eyes... Uprise the hills
And mounts orange, red, then sink
As changing mood of wayward wind;
This gleam... From where? Methinks, from nowhere,
But everything here seems transparent...
Sounds of gold, vermeil and brass
Have interlaced and play romance...
Hills charm, allure, spread the shades,
The shadows whisper, melt as haze...
The gate of eld I see, the voice I hear,
"But comest here, closer here..."
On drawing nearer, the gates did triplicate
In blaze attired, flashed and spake
In Farsi, "I am the Gates
Of Heaven, ask gate-keeper then..."
By thunder peal words fell, abashed
The sense, and then
Dispersed the vision; ancient gate and nearby
A dervish young sitting with a smile.
After the greeting yet I said,
"Is it delusion, or a dream, or spell
Of desert winds?"
Dervish:
But nay, the state of silence, solitude it be;
The hills of contemplation, dreams...
This gate is bourne between
The earth and sky... Desire brought you here,
The voice you hear...
Me: Why are the hills here painted with
The tints of rainbow, autumn leaves?
Dervish: They are poetic hills, a place
Of poesy... A summit, highest state,
Degree of spirit; vision symbolic...
Me: But what beyond, tell me...
Dervish:
Dort ist nicht Abend mehr, nicht Dunkelheit,
Der Herr ist dort und Ewigkeit!
Friedrich Schiller
Me: Reply and say, how to pass through gate,
And enter heavenly demesne...
Dervish:
وذو الأجنحة في الإنسان من غلبت عليه الروحانية
والتحق بتطهير نفسيه بالرتبة الملكية
The winged ones are those,
Whom overcome the spirit, they
On having purified the soul,
The rank angelic gained.
Ibn 'Arabi
Only the birds soar 'mid the clouds,
Only with pinions thou
Can enter city of Tabriz;
For this, call Gate by name... But if,
Perchance, you came here unaware,
Do not despair,
You'll see according to thy ability to see.
Beneath enchanted mantle city keep
The Shrine of Poets, heavenly
Arcanums... Clouds vision steal -
A real, or dream, or yonder realm,
On clock the numbers crumbled, fell...
Upon the trees the leaves are light
Gleaming unsteady, flash each time
At gust of wind; within
A heart some secrets did
Appear, unspoken and unclear...
Like honey fragrant... Awe or fear?
Be not afraid; The rays o'whelm
The vessel-heart, - 'tis break of day...
Crystal amphora on yellow sand -
Strophes pure, lucid sense,
The reflex of rosy clouds
On the watery sandy ground...
A delusion vague, or maybe
Incantation did affect me...
Heaven wan of roseate tint
Spilled on sand and slowly stream;
Bark inclining slightly in the far
'Mid the hills - an apparition some...
Maybe 'tis a keel of angels,
Maybe token boding changes...
Yet serenity and song
Sounds, spouts in the soul...
May 2018
Ibn 'Arabi, The Book of Anqā of the West
كتاب عنقاء مغرب في ختم الأولياء وشمس المغرب
Translation from Arabic
by Denis Bezmelnitsin
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