the vision

During prayer I am accustomed to turn to God like this:

that's the meaning of the words of the Tradition,

'the delight felt in the ritual prayer.

'The window of my soul opens,

and from the purity of the Unseen World,

the Book of God comes to me straight.

The Book, the rain of Divine Grace,

and the Lightare falling into my house through a window

from my real and original source

.The house without a window is Hell:

to make a window is the foundation of true religion.

Don't thrust your axe upon every thicket

come, use your axe to cut open a window

.[III, 2401-5]

Translated by Camille and Kabir Helminski

the journey

Come, seek, for search is the foundation of fortune:

every success depends upon focusing the heart.

Unconcerned with the business of the world,

keep saying with all your soul, "Ku, ku," like the dove.

Consider this well, o you whom worldliness veils,

God has tied "invocation" to "I will answer."

When weakness is cleared from your heart,

your prayer will reach the glorious Lord.

[III, 2302-5]

Even though you're not equipped,

keep searching:equipment isn't necessary on the way to the Lord.

Whoever you see engaged in search,

become her friend and cast your head in front of her,

for choosing to be a neighbor of seekers,

you become one yourself;protected by conquerors,

you will yourself learn to conquer.

If an ant seeks the rank of Solomon,

don't smile contemptuously upon its quest.

Everything you possess of skill, and wealth and handicraft,wasn't it first merely a thought and a quest?

[III, 1445-49]

O God, You who know all that is hidden

You who speak with compassion,

don't hide from us the errors of our wrong pursuits;

nor reveal to us the lack within the good we try to do,

lest we become disgusted and lose the heart to journey on this Path.

[IV, 1348-54]

Translated by Camille and Kabir Helminski