At the Feet of Sai

AL‑ZAHIRO: THE MANIFEST
Red Rose of Persian bards;
Heart‑throb of Upanishadic seers
Who heard Your footsteps
In the recesses of their souls,
And saw the universe sustained
By the harmony of Your gentle breath.
What veils, My Lord, have you lifted from my mind! —

Is this the shadow of Your Orange Robe
That makes the evening so lovely,
The landscape quiet in its russet mood?
The dawn so enchantingly fresh?
The earth is sacred now for it bears
The prints of Your tiny Feet.
Your smile is in the flowers;
In the brilliance of dazzling sunlight;
In the crystal purity of water.
The vast stretches of space reflect
The silky depths of Your eyes­—

Half‑closed in Divine Ecstasy;
And the whole world is vibrant
With echoes of Your unspoken Love.

—Zeba Bashiruddin.

In Islamic mysticism God is remembered by His 99 attributes. Al‑Zahiro refers to the manifested aspect of God. To the Persian Sufis, Rose, especially red rose, was the symbol of God as the beloved, while the nightingale represented the human soul yearning for the Rose.

Source: Sanathana Sarathi, July 1982