Seyh Ibrahim Efendi(1591 – 1651), English version by Jennifer Ferraro & Latif Bolat
They say the Sufi way is to give one’s life away. The Sufi way is to become a sultan on the throne of the soul. In the station of the Path, it is to destroy appearances. In the station of Reality, it is to become a guest in the innermost palace of the heart. They say it is to be pure of body, the light of the Beloved.
The Sufi way is to gradually take off the dress of earth and water. They say it is to burn up in Love’s fire—The Sufi way is to be utterly inflamed with the light of the Beloved.
They say it is to believe and follow the rules—The Sufi way is to discover the rules of the multitude of heavens. They say it is to become a medicine for every ailment—The Sufi way is to know and become all the secrets of creation. They say it is to destroy the illusion of bodies—The Sufi way is to open the secrets of the body with the key of the Divine Names.
O Sufi, to comprehend it, one must be it. The one who gets lost in words will never be their meaning. They say it is to become the secret of God within one’s innermost heart—The Sufi way is to read the outer signs and know the inner meanings. They say it is to be in wonder at the greatness of creation—The Sufi way is to be constantly amazed by the nature of Reality. They say it is to make each heart the throne of God—The Sufi way is to remove all else but God from the heart’s dwelling. They say it is to watch over all humanity—The Sufi way is to cover East and West with every breath.
They say it is to shine as brightly as the sun—The Sufi way is to perceive God in every minute thing. They say it is to be in harmony with every kind of person—The Sufi way is to appear in a hundred thousand forms daily. They say it is to be like Solomon to the whole universe; The Sufi way is to understand and speak in every language. They say it is to become an ocean from a single drop—The Sufi way is to make your heart a cellar to hold the wine of the Truth. They say it is to become a human being illuminated with the light of Being—The Sufi way is to destroy Being utterly in the light of Non-Being.
They say it is to become a life for each particle of life—The Sufi way is to die a thousand times and return to life each moment. They say it is to become a master of wisdom and eternal justice—The Sufi way is to become an eye looking out from every hair. They say it is to surrender your soul to the Beloved—The Sufi way is to become the soul of the Beloved. They say it is the proof of Muhammad’s message—The Sufi way, O Ibrahim, is to embody God as one’s own self.
-from Quarreling with God: Mystic Rebel Poems of the Dervishes of Turkey