The Poet of Mirrors: Bee'del of Delhi

By Hohm Press

Mirza Abdolqader Azimabadi penname “Bee'del” (one who has lost or surrendered his heart) was born in Putna, India in 1644 CE and died in Delhi in 1721. He spoke Bengali, wrote poetry in Persian (Farsi), and was familiar with Arabic, Urdu, Bengali and Sanskrit. One of the most prolific and regarded poets of his day, his style is considered the glory of Persian poetry of Central Asian/Indian origin. Among many ethnic groups outside the present borders of Iran, whose culture/mysticism and literature is influenced by the Iranian culture and language, Bee'del is classified alongside Ha'fezan honor conferred on very few.
Bee'del composed his first poems at age 10. As he became familiar with the teachings of the Sufis, he continued to frequent their gatherings throughout life. Their literature influenced both his work and his growing involvement in things of the spirit. Traveling widely in India, Bee'del became familiar with the ages-old Vedic teachings, which are strongly reflected in his work. As a mystic and dedicated practitioner of the Way, Bee'del refused to compose poems in praise of royalty or the rich and powerful, which was common practice at the time.
Although Bee'del was and still is a favorite to many, the available material about and from him is rare, especially as his mystical understanding often required skillful editing to make it available to the average Farsi reader. Still, Bee'del's relevance to our times is obvious his message is informed by a universal regard for the inner life and potential of humans, regardless of geography, ethnicity or religion which is a basic tenet in all genuine spiritual teachings, including Sufism. As a Sufi poet, Bee'del urges us to attend to our most important task experiencing, as opposed to reading/hearing about, one’s inner Origin/Essence and thus realize the true purpose of our existence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hohm Press
• Release date: Aug 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781942493761

Book preview

THE POET

OF

MIRRORS

Bee’del Of Delhi

OTHER RENDITIONS BY VRAJE ABRAMIAN FOR HOHM PRESS

NOBODY SON OF NOBODY

Poems of Shaikh Abu-Saeed Abil-Kheir

THIS HEAVENLY WINE

Poems from the Divan-e Jami

SWEET SORROWS

Selected Poems of Sheikh Farideddin Attar Neyshaboori

THE SOUL AND A LOAF OF BREAD

The Teachings of Sheikh Abol-Hasan of Kharaqan

WINDS OF GRACE

Poetry, Stories and Teachings of Sufi Mystics and Saints

SWEET LUNACY

Divine Intoxication in Sufi Lore

titlepage

© 2022 by Vraje Abramian

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of quotes used in critical articles and reviews.

Cover Design: Hohm Press

Interior Design and Layout: Becky Fulker, Kubera Book Design,

Prescott, Arizona kuberabookdesign.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022938985

ISBN: 978-1-942493-75-4

Ebook: 978-1-942493-76-1

Hohm Press

P.O. Box 4410

Chino Valley, AZ 86323

800-381-2700

http://www.hohmpress.com

This book was printed in the U.S.A. on recycled, acid-free paper using soy ink.

The Beauty

that infused every particle

with a hundred thousand suns

and called forth the mirror

that is this world of phenomena

remained invisible with all Its glory

behind the veil of the unseen

and not until the human bloomed

did It behold Itself!

rubai 27

To Huzur of

beloved memory

And to the present Master,

Baba Ji

Any heart wounded by You

carries in its bosom at dawn

a hundred basketfuls of roses

all perfumed by Grace

rubai 26

imga

I am a slave

to the Ancient One* in the tavern of ruin

whose blessed charisma

gathers a world full of hearts

and deposits them as crushed grapes

into a Wine cask

If one’s heart be centered and collect

let the world be confused and distressed

The pearl sitting at the bottom of the sea is carefree

though on the surface hurricanes may rage

qhazal n. 134

---

*The Ancient One, Pir-e Kharabat , (Persian), The Perfect Master, The Perfect Human, who in the tavern of ruin, Kharabat , serves the seeker the Wine that ruins one, i.e., erases the identity one has to acquire as an actor on the stage of existence, so one may experience Unconditioned Consciousness, and release from the mind’s incessant drive for becoming, Be.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Elizabeth Ruth-Abramian for her patience and invaluable help with the manuscript, and Regina Sara Ryan for her constructive input. Without them, this book would not have been possible.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Mohammad Reza Shafiee Kadkani for his monumental contribution to the Persian literature in general, and to the Sufi material in particular.

CONTENTS

Preface

Introduction

Poems

Qhazals

Rubais

Appendix

Bibliography

About the Author/Translator

PREFACE

As members of post-World War II generations, we have enjoyed more and more material abundance. At the same time, however, anything not fitting with our fast, distracted existence—an inner life for instance—is assigned a less and less important place in our lives. Frighteningly little is thus left on the individual’s inner horizon to invite and to energize one to continue with the inherent ups and downs of our passage through this realm.

To state the obvious, our post-modern world is fast polarizing into two camps where some are suffering from meaninglessness amidst plenty, in their brave new world, becoming embarrassments to the species in the process, while others try to exist amidst spiraling poverty, slums, refugee and homeless camps next to obscene opulence; in the process finding less and less meaning in their subsistence.

This trend can only sow discord within the individual, among individuals and among nations. And while some would declare that it is always the case that one’s gain is another’s pain, others, Bee’del amongst them, propose that perhaps being one’s brother’s keeper was not so much meant to usher us into heaven, or to sainthood, but to caution us to avoid creating circumstances where we turn human existence into a hellish affair and ultimately bring about a world in which the living may envy the dead.

As a Sufi poet, Bee’del, like so many others, urges humans to dare create their own personal mythology, in which each embarks on a personal epic journey through that dark cave where