SeySorciere
Seychelles
1140 Posts
Posted - Aug 24 2018 : 07:42:43 AM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Topic Reply with Quote View user's IP address Get a Link to this Message Delete Topic
The Book of Mirdad by Mikha'il Na'ima. I stumbled across this book. It is a beautiful book and I am so enjoying it - the language, the message, awesome.
Highly recommended
Sey
SeySorciere
Seychelles
1140 Posts
Posted - Aug 26 2018 : 02:14:28 AM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Get a Link to this Reply Delete Reply
From the Book of Mirdad
THE COLLOQUY BETWEEN TWO ARCHANGELS, AND THE COLLOQUY BETWEEN TWO ARCHDEMONS AT THE TIMELESS BIRTH OF MAN
MIRDAD: At the timeless birth of Man two archangels at the upper pole of the Universe held the following colloquy:
Said the first archangel:
A wondrous child has been born unto Earth; and Earth is ablaze with light
Said the second archangel:
A glorious king has been born unto Heaven; and Heaven is athrob with joy.
1st: He is the fruit of the union ?twixt Heaven and Earth.
2nd: He is the union eternal ? the father, the mother and the child.
1st: In him is Earth exalted.
2nd: In him is Heaven justified.
1st: Day is asleep in his eyes.
2nd: Night is awake in his heart.
1st: His breast is a nest of gales.
2nd: His throat is a scale of song.
1st: His arms, embrace the mountains.
2nd: His fingers pluck the stars
1st: Seas are roaring in his bones
2nd: Suns are coursing in his veins.
1st: A forge and a mould is his mouth.
2nd: A hammer and an anvil his tongue.
1st: Round his feet are the chains of To-morrow.
2nd: In his heart is the key to the chains.
1st: Yet cradled in dust is the babe.
2nd: But swaddled in aeons is he.
1st: Like God does he hold of numbers every secret. Like God does he know the mystery of words.
2nd: All numbers does he know but the Sacred One, which is the first and last. All words does he ken, save the Creative Word, which is the first and last.
1st: Yet shall he know the Number and the Word.
2nd: Not till he walks away his feet away from the trackless wastes of Space; nor till he looks his eyes away upon the dismal vaults of Time.
1st: O wondrous, too wondrous is this child of Earth.
2nd: O glorious, too glorious is this king of Heaven.
1st: The Nameless called him Man
2nd: And he called the Nameless God.
1st: Man is the word of God.
2nd: God is the word of Man.
1st: Glory to him Whose word is Man
2nd: Glory to him whose word is God.
1st: Now and forever.
2nd: Here and everywhere.
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1140 Posts
Posted - Aug 26 2018 : 02:15:43 AM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Get a Link to this Reply Delete Reply
So spoke two archangels at the upper pole of the Universe at the timeless birth of Man.
At the same time two archdemons at the nether pole of the Universe were holding the following colloquy;
Said the first archdemon:
A whining and a sniveling coward, rather say. And treason is encamped on his brow. Yet terrible is he in his cowardice and treason.
1st: fearless and Wild is his eye.
2nd: Tearful and tame is his heart. Yet fearful is he in his tameness and tears.
1st: Keen and persistent is his mind.
2nd: Slothful and dull is his ear. Yet dangerous is he in his sloth and his dullness.
1st: Swift and precise is his hand
2nd: Hesitant and sluggish is his foot. Yet dreadful is his sluggishness, and alarming is his hesitance.
1st: Our bread shall he steel to his nerves. Our wine shall he fire to his blood.
2nd: Our bread-bins he shall stone us with. Our wine-jars he shall break upon our heads.
1st: His lust for our bread and his thirst for our wine shall be his chariot in battle.
2nd: With hunger unappeasable, and thirst unquenchable he shall be made unconquerable and raise rebellion in our camp.
1st: But death shall be the charioteer.
2nd: With Death as his charioteer, he shall become immortal.
1st: Shall death lead him to aught but Death?
2nd: Aye, so wearied shall be Death of his constant whining that he shall drive him in the end into the camp of Life.
1st: Shall Death be a traitor to Death?
2nd: Nay, Life shall be faithful to Life.
1st: His palate we shall tease with rare and delectable fruits.
2nd: Yet shall he long for fruit not grown upon this pole.
1st: His eyes and nose we shall entice with bright and fragrant flowers.
2nd: Yet shall his eye seek other flowers, and his nose another fragrance.
1st: And we shall haunt his ears with sweet but distant melodies.
2nd: Yet shall his ear be towards another choir.
1st: Fear shall enslave him to us
2nd: Hope shall protect him from fear
1st: Pain shall subdue him to us.
2nd: Faith shall deliver him of pain
1st: We shall empall his sleep with puzzling dreams, and stew his wakefulness with enigmatic shadows.
2nd: His fancy shall undo the puzzles and melt away the shadows.
1st: Withal we can count him as one of us.
2nd: Count him with us, if you wish; but count him as against us also.
1st: Can he at the same be with us and against us?
2nd: He is a lonely warrior in the field. His only adversary is his shadow. As shifts the shadow, so the battle shifts. He is with us when his shadow is in front. He is against us when his shadow is behind.
1st: Shall we not keep him, then, with his back forever to the Sun?
2nd: But who shall keep the Sun forever at his back? 1st: A riddle is this warrior.
2nd: A riddle is this shadow.
1st: Hail to the lonely knight.
2nd: Hail to the lonely shadow. 1st: Hail to him when with us. 2nd: Hail to him when against us. 1st: Now and forever.
2nd: Here and everywhere.
So spoke two archdemons at the nether pole of the Universe at the timeless birth of Man.
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1140 Posts
Posted - Aug 26 2018 : 08:27:47 AM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Get a Link to this Reply Delete Reply
So spoke two archangels at the upper pole of the Universe at the timeless birth of Man.
At the same time two archdemons at the nether pole of the Universe were holding the following colloquy;
Said the first archdemon:
A whining and a sniveling coward, rather say. And treason is encamped on his brow. Yet terrible is he in his cowardice and treason.
1st: fearless and Wild is his eye.
2nd: Tearful and tame is his heart. Yet fearful is he in his tameness and tears.
1st: Keen and persistent is his mind.
2nd: Slothful and dull is his ear. Yet dangerous is he in his sloth and his dullness.
1st: Swift and precise is his hand
2nd: Hesitant and sluggish is his foot. Yet dreadful is his sluggishness, and alarming is his hesitance.
1st: Our bread shall he steel to his nerves. Our wine shall he fire to his blood.
2nd: Our bread-bins he shall stone us with. Our wine-jars he shall break upon our heads.
1st: His lust for our bread and his thirst for our wine shall be his chariot in battle.
2nd: With hunger unappeasable, and thirst unquenchable he shall be made unconquerable and raise rebellion in our camp.
1st: But death shall be the charioteer.
2nd: With Death as his charioteer, he shall become immortal.
1st: Shall death lead him to aught but Death?
2nd: Aye, so wearied shall be Death of his constant whining that he shall drive him in the end into the camp of Life.
1st: Shall Death be a traitor to Death?
2nd: Nay, Life shall be faithful to Life.
1st: His palate we shall tease with rare and delectable fruits.
2nd: Yet shall he long for fruit not grown upon this pole.
1st: His eyes and nose we shall entice with bright and fragrant flowers.
2nd: Yet shall his eye seek other flowers, and his nose another fragrance.
1st: And we shall haunt his ears with sweet but distant melodies.
2nd: Yet shall his ear be towards another choir.
1st: Fear shall enslave him to us
2nd: Hope shall protect him from fear
1st: Pain shall subdue him to us.
2nd: Faith shall deliver him of pain
1st: We shall empall his sleep with puzzling dreams, and stew his wakefulness with enigmatic shadows.
2nd: His fancy shall undo the puzzles and melt away the shadows.
1st: Withal we can count him as one of us.
2nd: Count him with us, if you wish; but count him as against us also.
1st: Can he at the same be with us and against us?
2nd: He is a lonely warrior in the field. His only adversary is his shadow. As shifts the shadow, so the battle shifts. He is with us when his shadow is in front. He is against us when his shadow is behind.
1st: Shall we not keep him, then, with his back forever to the Sun?
2nd: But who shall keep the Sun forever at his back? 1st: A riddle is this warrior.
2nd: A riddle is this shadow.
1st: Hail to the lonely knight.
2nd: Hail to the lonely shadow. 1st: Hail to him when with us. 2nd: Hail to him when against us. 1st: Now and forever.
2nd: Here and everywhere.
So spoke two archdemons at the nether pole of the Universe at the timeless birth of Man.
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1140 Posts
Posted - Sep 10 2018 : 07:00:16 AM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Get a Link to this Reply Delete Reply
@Sunyata - If you have not yet looked up this recommendation... please, please check out the book. You will love it. Best thing I have read in ages.
Sey
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sunyata
USA
1388 Posts
Posted - Sep 10 2018 : 09:05:57 AM Show Profile Email Poster Edit Reply Reply with Quote View user's IP address Get a Link to this Reply Delete Reply
Will do, Sey.
