Sarmad : I do not drown

The following verse is by the ecstatic dervish Sufi Sarmad, also known as Sarmad Kashani (ca. 1590-1661 CE). For more about Sarmad, see this earlier post.

The ocean of his generosity has no shore.
The tongue is powerless to thank,
the heart too bewildered to understand.
Though my sins are many
his compassion is greater still–
I swim in the sea of disobedience
but I do not drown.

Translation Isaac. A. Ezekiel

4 Replies to “Sarmad : I do not drown”

  1. Kadir

    Beautiful, thank you very much, Nawab. Much to contemplate upon.
    I like also this saying of Sarmad:
    “A true lover of God is misled, both by religion and the lack thereof.
    A moth does not choose between the burning candle, whether in mosque or temple.”

    Reply
  2. Sakina Angeli

    Dear Murshid Nawab, thank you for sending us poetry. What is meant by ‘sea of obedience’ ? Obedience toward whom? The world? The beloved?

    Reply
    • Nawab Pasnak Post author

      Dear Sakina, thank you for writing. The line is actually ‘sea of disobedience’ and I think perhaps he means his disobedience toward the One.

      Reply

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