Prayer at Sunrise
O mighty, powerful, dark-dispelling sun,
Now thou art risen, and thy day begun.
How shrink the shrouding mists before thy face,
As up thou spring'st to thy diurnal race!
How darkness chases darkness to the west,
As shades of light on light rise radiant from thy crest!
For thee, great source of strength, emblem of might,
In hours of darkest gloom there is no night.
Thou shinest on though clouds hide thee from sight,
And through each break thou sendest down thy light.
O greater Maker of this Thy great sun,
Give me the strength this one day's race to run,
Fill me with light, fill me with sun-like strength,
Fill me with joy to rob the day its length.
Light from within, light that will outward shine,
Strength to make strong some weaker heart than mine,
Joy to make glad each soul that feels its touch;
Great Father of the sun, I ask this much.
Written by James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938)
Where there is much light, the shadows are deepest. (Goethe)
Invoke the aid of three witnesses to verify thy ‘Station’.
The first witness is thine own consciousness:
See thyself, then, with thine own light.
The second witness is the consciousness of another ego:
See thyself, then, with the light of an ego other than thee.
The third witness is God’s consciousness:
See thyself, then, with God’s light. (Iqbal)
Our hands imbibe like roots, so I place them on what is beautiful in this world. I fold them in prayer, and they draw from the heavens light. (Francis of Assisi)
Ending "Note" here
Photo & Painting credit: The Three Candles: Cathy Mallo; Fosco Maraini, Vallombroso: Cathedral Of The Pines (1928); Albert Blakelock's “Moonlight Landscape”
Yes one can spread light by either becoming a candle or as pure and transparent as to reflect all inner and outer beauty. There is always such a character in all prayers like one quoted by you that they strengthen something deep down in consciousness and make an extremely powerful impact on withering emotions, dormant sentiments, weak beliefs and sad outlook. Prayers make us pleasant , joyous, humble, animated and feeling beautiful. Lastly it was a treat listening to the ending note, Thanks for this gift.
ReplyDeleteA succinct, exquisite capsule of this post and Prayer as light, dear friend.
ReplyDeleteFor visitors:
See more from Akhtar Wasim Dar Sahib's own pen, heart and particular yet universal spirituality here:
http://mypageonweb.blogspot.com/p/love-mirror-to-see-god.html
http://mypageonweb.blogspot.com/2010/12/ambiance-of-love.html
A new Mary Oliver poem of rich significance for reflecting Light:
ReplyDeleteEvery year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends
into a rich mash, in order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out
to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing, as we must,
how the vivacity of what was is married
to the vitality of what will be?
I don’t say
it’s easy, but
what else will do
if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?
So let us go on
though the sun be swinging east,
and the ponds be cold and black,
and the sweets of the year be doomed.
I don't know when/if I'll be able to return for a Light Part II - yet I want to mention several more insights which compel me to keep learning and reflecting on light:
ReplyDeleteI heard a scientist speak of what he has found to be provable fact: That LIGHT can actually HOLD up other objects - implying even heavier substances than itself.
2nd Insight: I've recently also heard that what BEES see via their lenses is light in a much more elaborate design as it mingles with color and compels them to flowers! Thus they are able to produce honey...via such light thru their little tiny eyes.
How remarkable that so much we call and understand as mere beauty, like flowers and LIGHT as rather non-substantive is able to do and so much more besides.
Yet we are also allowed the joys of beauty and given LIGHT'S SUPPORT during many challenging moments in our lives and the lives of our families, societies, nations and the world we share together as One family via our One Creator.