Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE DIVAN, SELECTION, by NASIR-I KHUSRAU


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE DIVAN, SELECTION, by                    
First Line: God's gracious word in truth is an ocean of speech
Last Line: Strive to hide.
Subject(s): Religion; Theology


Who have a book
Hath friends at hand,
And gold and gear
At his command;
And rich estates,
If he but look,
Are held by him
Who hath a book.

Who hath a book
Hath but to read
And he may be
A king, indeed.
His kingdom is
His inglenook-
All this is his
Who hath a book

Rock of Offense?
A handful of salt-stained clay hath the Diver
offered to thee
Because in thine heart he beheld but envy and enmity.
Strive from the outward Form to the Inward Sense to win
Like a man, not rest content like an ass with a
senseless din.

Be ever fearful of trouble when all seems fair and clear,
For the easy is soon made grievous by the swift-
transforming sphere.
Forth will it drive, remorseless, when it deemeth the
time at hand,
The King from his Court and Castle, the lord from his
house and land.
Ne'er was exemption granted, since the Spheres
began to run
From the shadow of dark eclipses to the radiant Moon
and Sun.
Whate'er seems cheap and humble and low of the
things of earth
Reckon it dear and precious, for Time shall lend it worth.
Seek for the mean in all things, nor strive to fulfil
your gain,
For the Moon when the full it reacheth is already
about to wane..

Though the heady wine of success should all men drug
and deceive,
Pass thou by and leave them, as the sober the
drunkards leave.
For the sake of the gaudy plumage which the flying
peacocks wear,
See how their death is compassed by many a spring
and snare!

Thy body to thee is a fetter, and the world a prison-cell:
To reckon as home this prison and chains do you
deem it well?
Thy soul is weak in wisdom, and naked of works beside:
Seek for the strength of wisdom; they nakedness
strive to hide.






Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!


Other Poems of Interest...
Home: PoetryExplorer.net