deepundergroundpoetry.com
A Persian Warrior
- A Persian Warrior -
In a time known to history, but forgotten by man,
The mighty Persian army brought low old Babylon.
Great was Babylon, that empire across the sand…
But the power of old Persia had that lost war won,
Leaving blood and desolation, both far and near.
I was there when the Ishtar Gate fell into splinters!
I was there when the proud kings knew utter fear.
My axe held high, the steel in the sun ever glitters,
But that light is soon covered in the blood of men,
And you keep being told to take a life yet again…
King Cyrus did liberate the Hebrews on that day,
And became to their people, a hero in every way.
You don’t become a hero by doing as told…
You become a hero by being both kind and bold.
But no king was I, just a man who saw too much,
Of battle, and bloodshed, that few could watch…
My axe slew scores of the army of Marduk proud,
My ears heard the sounds of trumpets calling loud.
Amidst the screams of men both dying and dead…
I walked in utter madness of both wrath and dread.
We were there to liberate a people long suffering…
We were there to bring glory to country and king.
But it is hard to think of glory, when life is spent…
And from a dozen wounds your body is soon rent.
In the end, you are told you are a hero renowned,
But you no longer care by then, for king or crown.
You don’t become a hero by doing as told…
You become a hero by being both kind and bold.
The smoke of Babylon, was black in the hot sun…
The desert was cruel, but crueler things were done.
Idols were cast down and palaces were laid low…
We believed God had told us, that all had to be so.
But I saw a hurt child, lying bloody in the streets…
Wounded by a man I once called comrade, friend!
God never did command such evil for His needs…
I slew my old comrade to save the child in the end.
When the war was over, I kept the child I saved…
She became my daughter, as the banners waved.
For her I never again took up the axe in any cause,
To her, I was hero enough to earn men’s applause.
You don’t become a hero by doing as told…
You become a hero by being both kind and bold.
In a time known to history, but forgotten by man,
The mighty Persian army brought low old Babylon.
Great was Babylon, that empire across the sand…
But the power of old Persia had that lost war won,
Leaving blood and desolation, both far and near.
I was there when the Ishtar Gate fell into splinters!
I was there when the proud kings knew utter fear.
My axe held high, the steel in the sun ever glitters,
But that light is soon covered in the blood of men,
And you keep being told to take a life yet again…
King Cyrus did liberate the Hebrews on that day,
And became to their people, a hero in every way.
You don’t become a hero by doing as told…
You become a hero by being both kind and bold.
But no king was I, just a man who saw too much,
Of battle, and bloodshed, that few could watch…
My axe slew scores of the army of Marduk proud,
My ears heard the sounds of trumpets calling loud.
Amidst the screams of men both dying and dead…
I walked in utter madness of both wrath and dread.
We were there to liberate a people long suffering…
We were there to bring glory to country and king.
But it is hard to think of glory, when life is spent…
And from a dozen wounds your body is soon rent.
In the end, you are told you are a hero renowned,
But you no longer care by then, for king or crown.
You don’t become a hero by doing as told…
You become a hero by being both kind and bold.
The smoke of Babylon, was black in the hot sun…
The desert was cruel, but crueler things were done.
Idols were cast down and palaces were laid low…
We believed God had told us, that all had to be so.
But I saw a hurt child, lying bloody in the streets…
Wounded by a man I once called comrade, friend!
God never did command such evil for His needs…
I slew my old comrade to save the child in the end.
When the war was over, I kept the child I saved…
She became my daughter, as the banners waved.
For her I never again took up the axe in any cause,
To her, I was hero enough to earn men’s applause.
You don’t become a hero by doing as told…
You become a hero by being both kind and bold.
Published 8th Apr 2024
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8th Apr 2024 8:56am
Dear kara,
Its great to see one of your scribes again. As I know that I will be in for a journey rather than a tale. I have always had a connection to the Persian worlds. Especially the persian gardens. Have you ever read anything about the Gathas?
There is very little to be found about these. You always will be a true mystic at heart. I really enjoyed this piece!
many bright blessings
Rianne
Its great to see one of your scribes again. As I know that I will be in for a journey rather than a tale. I have always had a connection to the Persian worlds. Especially the persian gardens. Have you ever read anything about the Gathas?
There is very little to be found about these. You always will be a true mystic at heart. I really enjoyed this piece!
many bright blessings
Rianne
Wonderful to hear from you once again, dear Rianne!
I have a tremendous fondness for ancient Persian and Arabian tales, stories, legends and history. The gardens of ancient Persia were quite magnificent indeed, as were the gardens of Baghdad during the height of its' golden age. Even going as far back as ancient Babylon, beautiful and splendid gardens were always a strong part of the culture of those parts of the world. The spiritual component of them was that they could be seen as a taste of Paradise on Earth, which makes such things even more splendidly beautiful still.
From what I know of the subject, the Gathas were sacred hymns of the Zoroastrian faith that were addressed to the supreme god Ahura Mazda who was the embodiment of light, mercy, and justice. They were spiritual poems, in essence, that could also be sung... much as recitations of the Quran to this day may be sung and most often are... and the Gathas had a lot of beautiful themes to them with such titles as "Having Happiness", "Bounteous Spirit", "Good Dominion", and "Best Beloved". Before the rise of Islam, Zoroastrianism was the most influential religion in the whole of Persia and many countries and lands beyond its' borders. To this day, it is a religion that is still practiced in many parts of the world including some parts of India. Although, like Gnosticism, there are of course some texts and aspects of the belief system that have been sadly lost to the ages.
The Gathas, for their part, were counted among the most sacred texts of ancient Persian religion, with the greater body of religious texts known as the Avesta being THE most important. The Gathas, in some ways, might be seen as being a supplement to the Avesta. Much like how in Islam you have the Quran, the Hadith, and the Sira. With the Hadith and the Sira supplementing the Quran, which itself is the most important text. In most faiths, supplemental texts aid in the understanding of certain finer points of the overall religion, and in that respect the Gathas are no exception. In total, there are five parts to the Gathas, with each part being divided into several chapters except for the final two. The first, has seven chapters. The second, has four. The third, has four. Both and the fourth and the fifth have but one chapter for each part. That makes for seventeen in total, as far as chapters go. And these are a part of a greater body of work known as the Yasna, which is probably one of the oldest of all the Zoroastrian scriptures to be handed down through the ages. Each verse of the Gathas is somewhat short, and it reads very similar to the style of Islamic religious and spiritual works. Basically, anyone who is familiar with the Quran will feel quite at home reading the Gathas. Zoroaster was a great prophet to the people of ancient Persia, just as Muhammed was a great prophet to the peoples of first Arabia and then other nations the world over. So, the thing to bear in mind about the Zoroastrian texts is that they were the work of a religious prophet who was in touch with the divine as it was understood during the age in which Zoroaster lived.
A lot of the most profound truths of Zoroastrianism can be said to have even been a strong influence upon the creation of Gnosticism... with the varied themes of cosmic duality and endless cycles of time that come full circle only to begin anew in a different way than before being among the most obvious and the most evident. And Gnosticism can be equated in Islam with Sufism to a strong extent, although Sufism differs from the western notions of Gnosticism very, very strongly. The biggest thing common in both, which is also an important belief in Islam, is that the universe all around us including the stars, the galaxies, all of it... even including the existence of a multiverse of infinite parallel worlds connected to it... is but the first heaven of seven such. There are seven heavens, or universes, in total and each has an infinite multiverse connected to it. Beyond those, is the sacred domain that in Gnosticism is called the Pleroma but which in Islam and Sufism is understood to be the domain of Allah. In all of my writings, when I speak of the Divine Force, the life-force of all that exists, I am speaking of merely the aspect of Allah that is easiest for people to comprehend and understand in terms agreeable with human intelligence. But as the Gnostic texts state, the Divine Force is unknowable in full, and at best we can only envision a small part of its' greater glory. Of Allah's greater glory. For instance... there is the matter of size. You can imagine the size of our universe! Now imagine the size of seven of them. Then, picture the massiveness of the divine realm beyond in which each of the seven universes are sitting but like unto a pebble in the middle of a vast desert. Then, imagine the divine realm as a pebble in a second desert. That second desert... the place beyond even the divine realm's borders... is the dwelling place of Allah, the heart of the Divine Force which is the source of all that is, was, and ever shall be. It is beyond time and space as we understand it, and each time a universe comes to its' end... it is by the power of the Great Source that the end heralds the beginning of a new creation, a new universe, to replace the one that ended. And so, it is that there will always be seven heavens... seven universes. This full accounts for the Big Bang and allows for a true understand of the nature of time being endless. And all of this, the ancient Zoroastrians also had a deep understanding of. When people, especially of the Christian faith, oft say: "I want to go to Heaven when I die." Most incorrectly envision merely the minor paradise that exists connected to the first heaven, which is a part of the domains of the Seven Archons who govern it and the other six heavens, or universes. Each of the seven heavens has a minor paradise connected to it, and each is the dwelling place of the presiding Archon who governs it. But that is not the true Heaven, not the true Paradise. The true Paradise is of course the Pleroma, which in Islam is called Jannah, because it is the place from which the Great Source can be felt most strongly in all of existence. In Buddhism, it is the same as attaining the state of Nirvana which is not nothingness but transcendence to the highest state of being imaginable. That of eternal divine bliss, and everlasting happiness and pleasure. So sadly, most people are selling themselves short spiritually and they never even realize it. So, the essence of Gnosticism and Sufi Islam is to reach beyond what we can imagine to first perceive and ultimately to enter into, the true Paradise that is Jannah. But Jannah is not a place of clouds and people in white robes playing harps... it is a place of beautiful gardens full of every imaginable delight, where everything we find lovely in physical life is there to be enjoyed and savored in what lies beyond. The light that causes its' daylight is not from the sun, like it is upon Earth, but the light of Allah emanating from the dwelling place of the Great Source of all. And that is why the equivalent of Allah to the ancient Zoroastrians, that being Ahura Mazda, was known as the God of Light. So, this idea of beautiful, splendid gardens equated with heavenly bliss, although not exclusive to Zoroastrianism, Islam, Sufism and Gnosticism, can be best understood by the way this idea is expressed in those spiritual, religious paths. I've even met a few Christians over the years who, upon learning of these things, came to a better understanding of the actual Heaven that Christ intended for them to reach, as opposed to the one they at first thought was all they could attain to. Every religion has a mystical side to it, and it has been my pleasant experience to have discovered that these mystical aspects are what leads to the greatest and most profound truths of existence.
We have only to open our minds and hearts, to reach full understanding. And, with an open mind and heart... love and compassion can become as second nature, which can lead to unending bliss in this world as well. Thus, the ultimate theme of this poem of mine was a profound lesson of love and compassion drawn from events during a time long ago. *Smiles* :)
I have a tremendous fondness for ancient Persian and Arabian tales, stories, legends and history. The gardens of ancient Persia were quite magnificent indeed, as were the gardens of Baghdad during the height of its' golden age. Even going as far back as ancient Babylon, beautiful and splendid gardens were always a strong part of the culture of those parts of the world. The spiritual component of them was that they could be seen as a taste of Paradise on Earth, which makes such things even more splendidly beautiful still.
From what I know of the subject, the Gathas were sacred hymns of the Zoroastrian faith that were addressed to the supreme god Ahura Mazda who was the embodiment of light, mercy, and justice. They were spiritual poems, in essence, that could also be sung... much as recitations of the Quran to this day may be sung and most often are... and the Gathas had a lot of beautiful themes to them with such titles as "Having Happiness", "Bounteous Spirit", "Good Dominion", and "Best Beloved". Before the rise of Islam, Zoroastrianism was the most influential religion in the whole of Persia and many countries and lands beyond its' borders. To this day, it is a religion that is still practiced in many parts of the world including some parts of India. Although, like Gnosticism, there are of course some texts and aspects of the belief system that have been sadly lost to the ages.
The Gathas, for their part, were counted among the most sacred texts of ancient Persian religion, with the greater body of religious texts known as the Avesta being THE most important. The Gathas, in some ways, might be seen as being a supplement to the Avesta. Much like how in Islam you have the Quran, the Hadith, and the Sira. With the Hadith and the Sira supplementing the Quran, which itself is the most important text. In most faiths, supplemental texts aid in the understanding of certain finer points of the overall religion, and in that respect the Gathas are no exception. In total, there are five parts to the Gathas, with each part being divided into several chapters except for the final two. The first, has seven chapters. The second, has four. The third, has four. Both and the fourth and the fifth have but one chapter for each part. That makes for seventeen in total, as far as chapters go. And these are a part of a greater body of work known as the Yasna, which is probably one of the oldest of all the Zoroastrian scriptures to be handed down through the ages. Each verse of the Gathas is somewhat short, and it reads very similar to the style of Islamic religious and spiritual works. Basically, anyone who is familiar with the Quran will feel quite at home reading the Gathas. Zoroaster was a great prophet to the people of ancient Persia, just as Muhammed was a great prophet to the peoples of first Arabia and then other nations the world over. So, the thing to bear in mind about the Zoroastrian texts is that they were the work of a religious prophet who was in touch with the divine as it was understood during the age in which Zoroaster lived.
A lot of the most profound truths of Zoroastrianism can be said to have even been a strong influence upon the creation of Gnosticism... with the varied themes of cosmic duality and endless cycles of time that come full circle only to begin anew in a different way than before being among the most obvious and the most evident. And Gnosticism can be equated in Islam with Sufism to a strong extent, although Sufism differs from the western notions of Gnosticism very, very strongly. The biggest thing common in both, which is also an important belief in Islam, is that the universe all around us including the stars, the galaxies, all of it... even including the existence of a multiverse of infinite parallel worlds connected to it... is but the first heaven of seven such. There are seven heavens, or universes, in total and each has an infinite multiverse connected to it. Beyond those, is the sacred domain that in Gnosticism is called the Pleroma but which in Islam and Sufism is understood to be the domain of Allah. In all of my writings, when I speak of the Divine Force, the life-force of all that exists, I am speaking of merely the aspect of Allah that is easiest for people to comprehend and understand in terms agreeable with human intelligence. But as the Gnostic texts state, the Divine Force is unknowable in full, and at best we can only envision a small part of its' greater glory. Of Allah's greater glory. For instance... there is the matter of size. You can imagine the size of our universe! Now imagine the size of seven of them. Then, picture the massiveness of the divine realm beyond in which each of the seven universes are sitting but like unto a pebble in the middle of a vast desert. Then, imagine the divine realm as a pebble in a second desert. That second desert... the place beyond even the divine realm's borders... is the dwelling place of Allah, the heart of the Divine Force which is the source of all that is, was, and ever shall be. It is beyond time and space as we understand it, and each time a universe comes to its' end... it is by the power of the Great Source that the end heralds the beginning of a new creation, a new universe, to replace the one that ended. And so, it is that there will always be seven heavens... seven universes. This full accounts for the Big Bang and allows for a true understand of the nature of time being endless. And all of this, the ancient Zoroastrians also had a deep understanding of. When people, especially of the Christian faith, oft say: "I want to go to Heaven when I die." Most incorrectly envision merely the minor paradise that exists connected to the first heaven, which is a part of the domains of the Seven Archons who govern it and the other six heavens, or universes. Each of the seven heavens has a minor paradise connected to it, and each is the dwelling place of the presiding Archon who governs it. But that is not the true Heaven, not the true Paradise. The true Paradise is of course the Pleroma, which in Islam is called Jannah, because it is the place from which the Great Source can be felt most strongly in all of existence. In Buddhism, it is the same as attaining the state of Nirvana which is not nothingness but transcendence to the highest state of being imaginable. That of eternal divine bliss, and everlasting happiness and pleasure. So sadly, most people are selling themselves short spiritually and they never even realize it. So, the essence of Gnosticism and Sufi Islam is to reach beyond what we can imagine to first perceive and ultimately to enter into, the true Paradise that is Jannah. But Jannah is not a place of clouds and people in white robes playing harps... it is a place of beautiful gardens full of every imaginable delight, where everything we find lovely in physical life is there to be enjoyed and savored in what lies beyond. The light that causes its' daylight is not from the sun, like it is upon Earth, but the light of Allah emanating from the dwelling place of the Great Source of all. And that is why the equivalent of Allah to the ancient Zoroastrians, that being Ahura Mazda, was known as the God of Light. So, this idea of beautiful, splendid gardens equated with heavenly bliss, although not exclusive to Zoroastrianism, Islam, Sufism and Gnosticism, can be best understood by the way this idea is expressed in those spiritual, religious paths. I've even met a few Christians over the years who, upon learning of these things, came to a better understanding of the actual Heaven that Christ intended for them to reach, as opposed to the one they at first thought was all they could attain to. Every religion has a mystical side to it, and it has been my pleasant experience to have discovered that these mystical aspects are what leads to the greatest and most profound truths of existence.
We have only to open our minds and hearts, to reach full understanding. And, with an open mind and heart... love and compassion can become as second nature, which can lead to unending bliss in this world as well. Thus, the ultimate theme of this poem of mine was a profound lesson of love and compassion drawn from events during a time long ago. *Smiles* :)
