The mind is a road block on the journey, O son.
The road is wide open; untie this bond, tear it, O son.
The mind is bondage; the heart a trick, a deceit; the soul, the cover and curtain.
This road is hidden from all three of these, O son.
If you give up the mind, soul and heart, you will reach the Truth.
This is expected of you, O son.
The man who hasn’t surpassed himself is not a man.
Love without suffering is nothing but a story, a story, O son.
Make your chest the target of the Beloved.
Look: His bow, His arrow are ready, O son.
There are hundreds of traces, marks on the forehead of the one
Whose heart is wounded by His arrow.
Love is not for weak and fragile people.
Love is for the strong ones, O son.
The one who is a slave, a servant to lovers,
He is the sultan of sultans, O son.
Don’t ask for love from others; ask for Love from Love.
It is a cloud that rains pearls, O son.
Love doesn’t need my translation.
Love is His own translator, O son.
If you want to ascend to the seven levels of heaven,
Love is a beautiful ladder, O son.
Wherever you see a caravan on the road,
Make sure that the kible of that caravan is Love, O son.
If this world doesn’t keep you from Love, doesn’t cheat you,
This world will slip away from your eyes, O son.
Come to your senses. Be silent. Close your mouth like a shell,
Because that tongue of yours is the enemy of your soul, O son.
Shems of Tebriz has arrived.
The soul is in joy, because he has become a companion to him, O son.
Divan-i Kebir, Volume 9, Gazel 50, page 81
This is arguably my favorite gazel. You have to be willing to give up everything in your world. Mind, body, and soul. Be willing unconditionally to let yourself to completely go. The epitome of any spiritual path to me is to let yourself not exist in any way. When you get over yourself, then you can see some of the truth. Be the sacrifice. So beautiful.