Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Seeking wisdom? Imitate the wise

who know how to make things easy for themselves:

their conversation, their economy is geared

to those same laws which the elements obey today,

the elements of the Cosmos, harmonised

with spheres and stars, and by their powers

moulded into to living things. The stars are fingers

which the artisan spheres use to animate

the unborn earth - hands of Heaven

which as willing slaves run errands

for galactic lords - eyes of the universe

who cast a glance at earth and spark to life

delicate corals and pearls. Behold the Throne,

the bearers of the Throne, and how they turn

rotating constantly; your Throne is Earth

and round it in celestial minuet

the stars in orbit dance. King of beasts

and green things are you and to your order

all life in obedience revolves,

genuflecting, prostrating to their lord.

Study their ways and do likewise. Contemplate

the creaturely signs of Truth and learn

the meaning of their allusions to the Divine.

Habituate yourself to benevolence

towards those beneath you, that in time

superior forces will treat well of you.

All moral creatures are as if intoxicated

with the wine of ignorance; you who are sober

take heed and follow a different path.

Meat is hung in salt to keep it fresh

but when the salt itself goes bad, what can be done?

Speak not to fools of holy truths

or the Household of the Prophet, for fools

are like sterile rain, like owls who flee

the City of Knowledge for their ruined haunts.

From pulpit-steps they sermonise the rabble

whetting appetites with talk of paradise

and its mountains of food. Go if you dare,

speak eloquently to such as these of Ali

if you do not fear my fate, to be enchained

in the mountains of Yamgan. Of course they crey

and clamour in hope of heavenly victuals! When

you mention barely, do not the asses bray?

Take care not to tell them their paradise

is no place of banquets and coition, lest in rage

they slay you with arrows of their eyes.

Take refuge in the Citadel of the Household

that its inhabitants may scatter on your head

pearls from the treasury of their holy sire.

Proofs of the Hands of Mercy, Imams of the Time,

when they desire Qu ranic hermeneutics

stretch their hands to Saturn. They weigh

in their scales your science and religion

for only the undiscerning do the work of faith

without the BALANCE. True religion is Man,

its spirit gnosis, its body right action -

this is the founding stone on which is raised

the roof of Sages. Do not disdain to act

simply because the philosophers have called

work the punishment of the weak. No,

the multitude are in error - do not follow

their path, lest you fall in the same way.

Drunkards are many; be silent and let them pass.

When have you ever seen a horde of sots

obey a sober man?