In solitude, where Being signless dwelt

In solitude, where Being signless dwelt,

And all the Universe still dormant lay

Concealed in selflessness, One Being was

Exempt from 'I-' or 'Thou-' ness, and apart

From all duality; Beauty Supreme,

Unmanifest, except unto Itself

By Its own light, yet fraught with power to charm

The souls of all; concealed in the Unseen,

An Essence pure, unstained by aught of ill.

No mirror to reflect Its loveliness,

Nor comb to touch Its locks; the morning breeze

Ne'er stirred Its tresses; no collyrium

Lent lustre to Its eyes: no rosy cheeks

O'ershadowed by dark curls like hyacinth,

Nor peach-like down were there; no dusky mole

Adorned Its face; no eye had yet beheld

Its image. To Itself it sang of love

In wordless measures. By Itself it cast

The die of love.

But Beauty cannot brook

Concealment and the veil, nor patient rest

Unseen and unadmired: 'twill burst all bonds,

And from Its prison-casement to the world

Reveal Itself. See where the tulip grows

In upland meadows, how in balmy spring

It decks itself; and how amidst its thorns

The wild rose rends its garment, and reveals

Its loveliness. Thou, too, when some rare thought,

Or beauteous image, or deep mystery

Flashes across thy soul, canst not endure

To let it pass, but hold'st it, that perchance

In speech or writing thou may'st send it forth

To charm the world.

Wherever Beauty dwells

Such is its nature, and its heritage

From Everlasting Beauty, which emerged

From realms of purity to shine upon

The worlds, and all the souls which dwell therein.

One gleam fell from It on the Universe,

And on the angels, and this single ray

Dazzled the angels, till their senses whirled

Like the revolving sky. In divers forms

Each mirror showed It forth, and everywhere

Its praise was chanted in new harmonies.

Each speck of matter did He constitute

A mirror, causing each one to reflect

The beauty of His visage. From the rose

Flashed forth His beauty, and the nightingale

Beholding it, loved madly. From that Light

The candle drew the lustre which beguiles

The moth to immolation. On the sun

His Beauty shone, and straightway from the wave

The lotus reared its head. Each shining lock

Of Leylā's hair attracted Majnūn's heart

Because some ray divine reflected shone

In her fair face. 'Twas He to Shīrīn's lips

Who lent that sweetness which had power to steal

The heart from Parvīz, and from Ferhād life.

His Beauty everywhere doth show itself,

And through the forms of earthly beauties shines

Obscured as through a veil. He did reveal

His face through Joseph's coat, and so destroyed

Zuleykhā's peace. Where'er thou seest a veil,

Beneath that veil He hides. Whatever heart

Doth yield to love, He charms it. In His love

The heart hath life. Longing for Him, the soul

Hath victory. That heart which seems to love

The fair ones of this world, loves Him alone.

Beware! say not, 'He is All-Beautiful,

And we His lovers.' Thou art but the glass,

And He the Face confronting it, which casts

Its image on the mirror. He alone

Is manifest, and thou in truth art hid.

Pure Love, like Beauty, coming but from Him,

Reveals itself in thee. If steadfastly

Thou canst regard, thou wilt at length perceive

He is the mirror also — He alike

The Treasure and the Casket. 'I,' and 'Thou'

Have here no place, and are but phantasies

Vain and unreal. Silence! for this tale

Is endless, and no eloquence hath power

To speak of Him. 'Tis best for us to love,

And suffer silently, being as naught.