A Welcome Message to My Beloved

Flowers at the Ismaili Centre gardens, Lisbon. Photo: Nurin Merchant

I am weaving together the flowers Shah Karim,
I am making a carpet of flowers,
So give them bloom and give them scent,
By treading my carpet of flowers!

These are the choicest flowers I have gathered for you —
But they bloom only in Spring!
But when is Spring, O our King?
They say — “We bloom at your coming!”

And this is the tune of nature and heaven,
And to this tune, they bloom!
So everything works in synchrony —
Your coming and the advent of Spring!

And as they bloom and as birds sing,
And as the earth turns green —
The wintry grey sky now turns to blue,
As nature dons every colour and hue,
And sings “Welcome” to you!

Just as Spring welcomes life,
Just as life welcomes hope,
Just as night welcomes day,
Welcome to our hearts — will you stay?

And the carpet of flowers,
Which are deep feelings of ours,
Will you tread and satisfy?
Will you touch and sanctify?
And let them bloom and beautify?
If I err, then rectify,
With your Grace, promise to dignify —
This soul to reach where you are nigh,
Where there’s no pain and no sigh,
Where nothing more can mystify,
Where I see you clearly, with my inner eye —
So my prayer now, is only this —
That in the Spring,
When nature sings,
And with your advent,
When my ear rings —
That my eyes, visualize that Face —
Whose trace I’ll see within —
Day by day — demystified!

What is this joy?
What my desire?
Do you know O friends,
For what I aspire?
Just a vision of His Radiant Face —
That by it, is eliminated —
The darkness of this “Night” (Laila) —
Yes every trace!
And what remains is only that Night —
Like the Night of Power, Lailatul-Qadr —
A night, which when spent in prayer,
Brings Light — all by Your Grace!

So welcome King, welcome my Beloved,
Welcome to my heart and reign —
For if you don’t, I fear the rain —
Of my emotions, will pour forth in vain!

So now my heart,
See all these signs —
Of flowers and colours —
Of birds and songs —
Of tunes and hues —
Of Night and Light —
Of when it’s bright —
And when it rains —
Are beauteous signs,
That all proclaim —
The changing of the season — a new beginning —
A new becoming — at my Imam’s coming!

______________

Please visit Laila Lokhandwalla: Reflections on the Golden Jubilee for the poet’s profile and poem, Golden Jubilee Reflections.

Also please read: Sayyid Shamsi’s Devotional Ginan “Eji Navroz na Din Sohamna”