In this world there are many kinds of wonder,
Plain is the not-knowing of many who claim to know. Forever glimpsing the truth all of a sudden,
Poetry: Wisdom
Poems by Akrom Malik, newest first. Pick one for your mood.
All is peaceful, all is serene,
There is no strife, no corruption seen. But once the crowd of the ignorant comes,
You have entered a blessed court,
May your step be blessed! You have come to know its worth —
The green fruit has its dwelling on the branch,
The seed's abode is down beneath the earth. Who leaves his place in hope of fame and glory
Much is the praise and description of a friend,
A friend is like a glowing ember in your heart. But let no frost settle upon your thinking —
If everything that's found is bound to be lost,
What aim, what gain, what profit is there in finding?! Find that which is not lost, O heart,
When I imagine the great ones,
Their awe makes my heart tremble. Seeing the ruins in the world,
A young man sat there, full of sorrow,
When suddenly his master called him: “Come.” Before the grief could bring the disciple to ruin,
The words that leave my tongue are dressed in finery,
If you speak them, they seem to break into a dance. But heavy, heavy worries weigh me down,
Rather than see the faults of others, O God,
I would be content, content, even to be blind. As long as the tongue speaks of others’ flaws,
You rushed across the earth, you ran without end,
All four directions your qibla — no road in sight. Only veils had covered over your eyes,
Work in silence, never strive
To know what people hold within and without. When with dignity you have fulfilled your duty,
As long as you are a captive in the hands of ignorance,
As long as advice has no effect on you, Searching like the blind for flaws and errors,
If someone becomes a stranger to you, never quarrel,
Set yourself free from the chain of hatred. Leave the world and say only “God,”
When people say “Bravo!” and “Well done!”
Do not be fooled like a child sucking a candy rooster. The more you hear praises, puffed up with pride,
If to some broken-hearted stranger, O servant,
You should happen to show the slightest kindness, That kindness of yours will wait on your path like a flower,
The human being is himself a great battlefield,
The battle with the ego goes on without mercy. In this war the heart sheds blood,
There are all kinds of people in the world, after all,
To know each one is hard, so very hard. For one puts on a mask, while full of filth within,
Each one does the deeds that suit his nature,
This justice of eternity will never break: To love the book is the way of kings,
A young man followed an old, white-bearded man
And called out, “I have a question for you!” The sage looked up, raising his head:
Once a teacher was asked this question:
“Tell us, who in this world is happy?” The teacher answered: “It is clear as day —
Do not take offense at people, you too are human,
At times you are wise, at times a fool. Looking at your flaws and virtues, you are often bewildered,
Not the cloud itself, but the water it brings is sweet,
You drink its water and forget the cloud itself. We too are like the cloud, for all our surging and roaring —
There are two things in the world, O friend,
That take away your mind and senses and make you drunk. Making every deed seem right to your nafs,