Lote Tree Sufi Poetry

31/03/2025

15/03/2025

For the sown fields of the soul
whose kernels are concealed
the cloud of mercy
is full of the water of Kawthar

زرع جان را كش جواهر مضمر است
ابر رحمت پر ز آب كوثر است

zar’-e jān rā kesh javāher muzmar ast
abr-e rahmat pur ze āb-e kawsar ast

sown fields of . zar’-e . زرع
the soul . jān . جان
‎را . rā . for
whose . kesh . كش
kernels/ essences . javāher . جواهر
concealed . muzmar . مضمر
are . ast. است
the cloud of . abr-e . ابر
mercy . rahmat . رحمت
full . pur . پر
of . ze . ز
water of . āb-e . آب
Kawthar . kawsar . كوثر
is. ast . است

13/03/2025

Wash your hands
Because the table and divine banquet from the heavens has arrived
Wash your hands and mouth
Do not eat or speak
Find those words and mouthfuls
which have arrived for the silent

‎دست بشو کز فلک مایده و خوان رسید
‎دست و دهان را بشو نه بخور و نه بگو
‎آن سخن و لقمه جو کان به خموشان رسید

dast beshu kaz falak māyede va khān rasīd
dast u dahān rā beshū nah bekhūr u nah begū
ān sukhan u lugma jū kān beh khamūshān rasīd

hand . dast . دست
wash . beshu . بشو
because . kaz . کز
the heavens . falak . فلک
heavenly banquet . māyede . مایده
and . va . و
table . khān . خوان
arrived . rasīd . رسید
hand . dast . دست
mouth . dahān . دهان
[direct object marker] rā . را
do not . nah . نه
eat . bekhūr . بخور
speak . begū . بگو
that . ān . آن
word/speech . sukhan . سخن
mouthful . lugma . لقمه
find/seek jū . جو
has . kān . کان
for . beh . به
the silent ones. khamūshān . خموشان
arrived . rasīd . رسید

12/03/2025

When the self is in need
the soul ascends on a journey to heaven
When the gate of the prison is broken
the soul reaches the land of the Beloved

‎نفس چو محتاج شد روح به معراج شد
‎چون در زندان شکست جان بر جانان رسید

nafs chu mohtāj shod rūh beh mi’rāj shod
chun dar-e zendān shekast jān bar-e jānān rasīd

the ego/self . nafs . نفس
when . chu . چو
in need . mohtāj . محتاج
is . shod . شد
soul/ spirit . rūh . روح
on . beh . به
ascension/ journey to heaven . mi’rāj . معراج
goes. shod . شد
when . chun . چون
the gate of . dar-e . در
the prison . zendān . زندان
is broken . shekast . شکست
the soul . jān . جان
the land of . bar-e . بر
the Beloved . jānān . جانان
arrives at/ reaches . rasīd . رسید

09/03/2025

Patience is like a gentle cloud,
wisdom raining down from it
Thus it was in such a month of patience
that the Qur’an came down

‎صبر چو ابریست خوش حکمت بارد از او
‎زانک چنین ماه صبر بود که قرآن رسید

sabr chu abrīst khosh hikmat bārad az u
zānke chonīn māh-e sabr būd ke qurān rasīd

patience . sabr . صبر
like . chu . چو
is a cloud . abrīst . ابریست
good/gentle . khosh . خوش
wisdom . hikmat . حکمت
rains . bārad . بارد
from . az . از
it . u . او
thus . zānke . زانک
such . chonīn . چنین
a month of . māh-e . ماه
patience . sabr . صبر
it was . būd . بود
that . keh . که
the Quran . qurān . قرآن
came/arrived . rasīd . رسید

08/03/2025

Don’t strike the drum for sahur too much, that is to say, speak little and fall silent
They will come to understand fasting
from fasting itself

سحوری کم زن ای نطق و خمش کن
ز روزه خود شوند آگاه روزه

‏sahūrī kam zan ay nutq u khamush kon
ze rūze khod shavand āgāh-e rūze 

سحوری . sahūrī .
‏sahur drum (to wake people up)
کم . little . kam
زن . strike . zan
ای . meaning / that is . ay
نطق . speaking . nutq
و . and . u
خمش کن . be silent . khamush kon
ز . from . ze
روزه . fasting . rūze
خود . itself . khod
شوند . they will become . shavand
آگاه . aware of . āgāh-e
روزه . fasting . rūze

07/03/2025

Like Yusuf,
the one who endures patiently
in the well of fasting
attains the kingdom of the Egypt of love

‎چو یوسف ملک مصر عشق گیرد
‎کسی کو صبر کرد در چاه روزه

chū yūsuf mulk-e misr-e`ishq gīrad 
kasī kū sabr kard dar chāh-e rūze

like . chū . چو
Joseph . yūsuf . یوسف
kingdom of . mulk-e . ملک
Egypt of . misr-e . مصر
‘ishq . love . عشق
attains . gīrad . گیرد
the one . kasī . کسی
who . kū . کو
patience . sabr . صبر
practices . kard . کرد
in . dar . در
the well of . chāh-e . چاه
fasting . rūze - روزه

06/03/2025

Gazing up (to see the moon) my hat fell from my head
Intoxicated as my head was by the Sovereign of fasting

‎نظر کردم کلاه از سر بیفتاد
‎سرم را مست کرد آن شاه روزه

nazar kardam, kolāh az sar beyoftād
saram ra mast kard ān shāh-e rūze

I gazed . nazar kardam . نظر کردم
hat . kolāh . کلاه
from . az . از
head . sar . سر
fell . beyoftād . بیفتاد
my head . saram . سرم
direct object marker . rā. را
intoxicated . mast kard . مست کرد
that . ān . آن
Sovereign of . shāh-e . شاه
fasting . rūze - روزه

05/03/2025

How wonderful the felicity,
good fortune and splendour of fasting is!

زهی اقبال و بخت و جاه روزه

‏
zehī iqbāl o bakht o jāh-e rūze


how excellent/wonderful is . zehī . زهی
the felicity . iqbāl. اقبال
and . o . و
good fortune . bakht . بخت
splendour/rank of . jāh-e . جاه
fasting . rūze . روزه

04/03/2025

If the countenance like satin
pales (from fasting)
The gilded robe of honour
of the Fast is donned

‎رخ چون اطلسش گر زرد گردد
‎بپوشد خلعت از دیباه روزه

rukh-e chun atlasash gar zard gardad 
bepūshad khil`at az dībāh-e rūze

the face/ cheek . rukh . رخ
like . chun . چون
satin . atlas-ash . اطلسش
if . gar . گر
pale . zard. زرد
turns . gardad . گردد
put on/wear . bepūshad . بپوشد
robe of honour . khil’at . خلعت
from . az . از
the golden cloth of . dībāh-e . دیباه
the Fast . rūze . روزه

03/03/2025

Prayers are answered in this month,
the sigh of the Fast piercing the heavens

‎دعاها اندر این مه مستجاب است
‎فلک‌ها را بدرد آه روزه

‏
duāhā andar īn mah mustajāb ast 
falak-hā rā bedarrad āh-e rūze 

prayers . duāhā . دعاها
in . andar . اندر
this . īn . این
month . mah . مه
answered . mustajāb . مستجاب
are . ast . است
the heavens . falak-hā . فلک‌ها
[direct object marker] rā . را
piercing . bedarrad . بدرد
the sigh of . āh-e . آه
the Fast . rūze . روزه

02/03/2025

The month of fasting has come
The waist-wrap of the Sultan has arrived
Withhold your hand from food –
the soul’s banquet has arrived

‎آمد شهر صیام سنجق سلطان رسید
‎دست بدار از طعام مایده جان رسید

āmad shahr-e ṣiyām sanjag-e sulṭān rasīd
dast bedār az ṭaʿām māyedey-e jān rasīd

has come . āmad . آمد
the month of . shahr-e . شهر
fasting . ṣiyām . صیام
the waist-wrap/ banner of . sanjag-e . سنجق
the sultan . sulṭān . سلطان
has arrived. rasīd . رسید
hand . dast . دست
withhold from . bedār az . بدار از
food . ṭaʿām . طعام
the banquet of . māyedey-e . مایده
the soul . jān . جان
has arrived . rasīd . رسید

01/03/2025

I went onto the roof
so I might see the moon
because in my soul
I was longing to fast

‎شدم بر بام تا مه را ببینم
‎که بودم من به جان دلخواه روزه

‏
shodam bar bām tā mah rā bebīnam 
ke būdam man be jān delkhah-e rūze

I went . shodam . شدم
onto . bar . بر
the roof . bām . بام
so . tā . تا
the moon . mah . مه
[direct object marker] . rā . را
I might see . bebīnam . ببینم
because/ since . keh . که
I was . būdam . بودم
I . man . من
in . beh . به
soul . jān . جان
longing . delkhāh . دلخواه
fasting . rūze . روزه

28/02/2025

Blessed may the arrival
of the month of fasting be
Sweet may your path be
fellow wayfarer of the Fast
- Rumi

مبارک باد آمد ماه روزه
رهت خوش باد ای همراه روزه

‏mubārak bād āmad māh-e ruze 
rahat khush bād, ay ham-rāh-e ruze

مبارک . blessed . mubārak
باد . may it be . bād
آمد . arrival . āmad
ماه . moon of/ month of māh-e
روزه . fasting . ruze

رهت . your path . rahat
خوش . sweet/good/delightful . khush
باد . may it be . bād
ای . O . ay
همراه . fellow wayfarer of . hamrāh-e
روزه . fasting . ruze

23/02/2025

Our poetry membership has now closed down, but you can access our course “Poetic Traditions of the Muslim World” for a one time payment of £99, including any future updates to the course.

For centuries poetry was the primary form of literary expression in the Muslim world. In this course we discover some of the treasures of this rich poetic heritage. Explore the poetic traditions of the Islamic world with us from a faith-based perspective, with on-demand video lessons, from the poetry of the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, through the mystical verses of Sufi poets from South Asia to West Africa, to the history of Palestinian resistance poetry.

Poetry Writing Prompts

The course includes poetry writing prompts inspired by the poetic traditions of the Muslim world to help spark your own creativity.

Community Online Space

You will also gain access to our online poetry community space where you can post your own poetry and discuss all things poetry with other members.

Link in bio .

05/01/2025

Sufi Poets of West Africa

Many Sufi poets of West Africa were charismatic, multilingual, multidisciplinary scholars, warriors and mystics who composed poetry in Arabic alongside local West African languages. Many were leaders in the fight against colonialism, and were also considered saints in their own time, renewers of the faith (mujaddids) and spiritual poles (qutbs) of their epoch.

Being able to write well in verse was seen as the sign of a scholar and it was used for everything from making teaching materials more memorable to writing letters, recording events and elegising those who had passed away.

Arabic poetry in West Africa was influenced by the poetic traditions of classical Arabic poetry from the Arabian peninsula and Andalusian poetry forms. It also drew from local oral African poetic and singing traditions, which were themselves in turn influenced by the Arabic poetry being recited and composed in the region.

Poetic virtuosity is highly regarded in the West African traditions of writing verse, with challenging forms and rhyme schemes being adopted to display the poet’s skill, such as acrostic poems, internal rhyme schemes, and the mono-rhyme of the traditional qasidah ode. Much poetry also has a devotional aspect and includes prayers, quotes from the Quran and sunnah and stories from the Prophet’s lifetime, and is composed to be recited out loud rather than to just be read.

In the on-demand video on Sufi Poets of West Africa in our poetry membership, we delve into poetry by West African Sufi poets Uthman Dan Fodio, Nana Asma’u, Amadou Bamba and Ibrahim Niasse, also exploring the influence of West African devotional and poetic traditions on the development of the Blues and Gospel singing.

You can join the poetry membership for £5.99/month. Link in bio

05/01/2025

Uthman dan Fodio opens one of his most famous and widely recited poems, Al-Dāliyya, written in 1772 (1188AH) when he was just twenty years old, by expressing his longing to visit the Prophet’s tomb in Medina. It is said that he wrote the poem when he was not allowed to accompany those going on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina.

This month our focus is on West Africa in our poetry membership, delving into poetry by West African Sufi poets Uthman Dan Fodio, Nana Asma’u, Amadou Bamba and Ibrahim Niasse, and also exploring the influence of West African devotional and poetic traditions on the development of the Blues and Gospel singing.

You can join us in the poetry membership for £5.99/month. Link in bio .

20/10/2024

Sarāʾir al-Aʿyān 
Inner Secrets of Essences 
A Muwashshah poem by Ibn Arabi
Translated by R.S. Spiker

Inner secrets of essences      shine in existence     for those observing
The lover incandescent    in ecstasy in consequence     starts wailing
 
By longing emaciated, by insomnia disoriented, says he:
“I no longer comprehend who had things altered when distance approached me”
Servants are bewildered when they are elected by the One and Only
Between proclamation and silence, concealment and divulgence to every being
“Justice I dispense, your avarice intense, idol-worshipping”.
 
All longing is hard for one who suffers the abasement of the veil
He with a heart who in youth prefers that piety prevail 
His Lord will reward; while he who errs must repent and quail
Call on His beneficence, His mercy and munificence: “I am grieving,
Consumed by His absence, without a loved one’s presence, no one aiding.”
 
 
I disappeared in Allah from what is apparent to the eye of His creation
In the place of splendour “Where is where?” I cried between His station
“Inattentive you are,” he said - “have you ever spied within His essence a location?
Learn from events, from Qays’ and Ghaylan’s experience, and lives passing
longing in its magnificence -  annihilation is its recompense when it encompasses a human being
 
 
How many times did they cry: “the one whom I love is I! Who am I?”
No state do I spy nor complaint justify except in love to die
I am not of those who fly from the apple of my eye once come by
Forgetfulness and negligence can find no defence among the knowing 
They are not senseless to the Most Merciful’s presence - they are not unthinking
 
To His bower thence I entered the tree grove of companionship and closeness  
 Marvelling whence before me the myrtle arose in robes to impress
I bring the incense for the lover’s abode to the gathering in progress 
 
Kharja
Hey Gardener, patience!     From the garden’s fragrance    start jasmine gathering
But by His benevolence     Leave the myrtle’s scents    for the lovers’ savouring