The Secret Rose Garden · 18 of 18

Epilogue

THIS bouquet of scented blossoms I have plucked from that garden, And have called it "The Secret Rose Garden." In it are blooming Roses of the mysteries of the heart Untold before; In it the tongues of the lilies are all singing, And the eyes of the narcissus behold all, far and near. Gaze on each one of these with your heart's eyes Till your doubts melt away. You will see tradition, earthly and mystical truths, All arranged clearly in knowledge of detail. Do not seek with cold eyes to find blemishes, Or the roses will turn to thorns as you gaze. Ingratitude is a sign of ignorance, For those who know the truth are thankful. When you remember me, breathe "Mercy be upon him." I am ending with my own name, "O Allah, grant me a 'Lauded' end." 1

Insight

Shabistarī ends the poem with a request: 'When you remember me, breathe Mercy be upon him.' The Arabic formula is raḥimahu Allāh, the standard blessing for a deceased Muslim. He is asking the reader to pray for him after his death — a poignant grace-note from a poet who, at the time of writing in 1311, did not know how widely the poem would travel or how long it would be read. Seven hundred years later the request is still being met by readers who breathe the prayer over a man they never met, in languages he never spoke, in places he could not imagine. The 'Lauded end' (maḥmūd in Arabic) puns on his own name, Maḥmūd. He is asking to die the way his name says: praiseworthy.Standard Islamic raḥimahu Allāh formula; the maḥmūd/Maḥmūd pun is unmistakable in the Persian original.

Epilogue

You’ve read The Secret Rose Garden.