Niyazi Misri : I was seeking a cure

Niyazi Misri (1616 – 1694 CE) was a Turkish Sufi, the son of a Naqshbandi sheikh, who later later became a disciple of the Helveti poet and saint Ummi Sinan. He led a lodge of Sufis in Istanbul, but he attracted opposition and was exiled several times. Ultimately, it is said, he was poisoned by his enemies, but his poems are still sung and celebrated to this day.

I was seeking a cure for my trouble;
My trouble became my cure.
I was seeking a proof of my origin;
My origin became my proof.

I was looking to the right and the left
So that I could see the face of the Beloved.
I was searching outside,
But the Soul was within that very soul.

Translation Walter Feldman

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