A SIKH FAQIR
What are your gifts?
Your eyes are red with the wine that
Sparkles in the cup of the sky!
And your face is crimsoned with the
Unfading rose that no one yet has seen.
I cannot even write my name,
I am an unlettered farmer of the Punjab,
A poor Sikh who knows naught of your quest ions,
But do not be too familiar with me,
I am terrible when agitated;
I bite and none can be healed of my venom.
I take in my hand and tear the dynasties of
tyrants like pieces of rotten paper.
I found new dynasties who will be
kind to the poor children of man.
In my sigh are countless clouds that rain
upon the earth!
And in my tears are great rivers that
water a thousand generations of man.
I cannot even write my name,
I am an unlettered farmer of the Punjab,
A poor Sikh who knows naught of your questions!
But do not be too familiar with me,
I am terrible when agitated!
I bite and none can be healed of my venom.
But do not be afraid of. me,
I am as gentle as the mother with her ‘child,
and forgiving as the babe is to its mother,
As good as water to the unclean body,
I have that larger white love that is in the
heart of the sun,
And I love you as the sun loves the flowers of
this earth.
You have not seen me kissing you, but when
have you seen yourself?
I can not even write my name,
I am an unlettered farmer of the Punjab,
A poor Sikh who knows naught of your questions.
I have no language, nor have the stars for the sky,
Nor can I reply.
Come, I will show you what is hidden in me;
Behind the veils you and I are one,
Have you seen yourself? There in my heart
are you, there in my eyes are you.
But do not be afraid of me,
Come I will press your tired limbs,
I will cool you with the shades that are in my eyes.
Come, I’ will stroke your tresses and comfort
your weary soul.
I am unlettered farmer of the Punjab,
I cannot even write my name,
A poor Sikh who knows naught of your questions,
I have no language, nor has the cloud, nor
the river, nor the forest that dwells by the
mountain side,
Come, I will show you the fountains that have burst in me,
And take you to the loveliest solitudes,
where the green leaf and the white ray hold quiet converse.
Come, I will take you to a cave inside me where you shall see what will make you speechless in joy and wonder,
Where the whole starry sky is gathered in cave.
There where God dwells in beautiful crowds but is never seen by any mortal eye!