I am born...

I am born in the world as a new sun,

I have not learned the ways and fashions of the sky:

Not yet have the stars  fled before my splendor,

Not yet is my quicksilver astir;

Untouched is the sea by my dancing rays,

Untouched are the mountains by my crimson hue.

The eye of existence is not familiar with me;

I rise trembling, afraid to show myself.

~ Allama Iqbal (from Secrets of the Self)

"Thou art a sleeping force: awake!"

Please allow me to share with you this bit of poetry (below) from Mawlana Rumi.  When I read it, it struck me as speaking to what I'm beginning to learn from Iqbal about humankind paying attention to itself (its self) and to the awakening of its gift. 

Iqbal writes a poem in "Secrets of the Self" (which I very much like) in which a young man goes to see the venerable saint, Data Ganj Bakhsh.  In it he writes: "Thou art a sleeping force: awake!"

The entire poem is here: http://disna.us/files/SECRETS_OF_THE_SELF.pdf

I was thinking of this poem by Iqbal while reading Rumi's poem below.

Sana'i ! If you don't find a friend, be your own
friend! In this world of every kind of man and every kind of
task, be a man for your own task!
Each member of this caravan is stealing his own
baggage - place your own self behind and sit before your
baggage!
People sell ephemeral beauty and buy
ephemeral love - pass beyond those two dry riverbeds and be
your own river!
These friends of yours keep on pulling you by
the hand toward nonexistence - steal back your hand and be
your own helper!
These beauties painted on canvas veil the
beauties of the heart - lift up the veil and enter: Be with your
own Beloved!
Be with your own Beloved and be a well-thinking,
good man! Be more than two worlds - dwell in your own
domain!
Go, do not become drunk with the wine that increases
arrogance - behold the brightness of that Face and be
soberly aware of your own Self!

~ Ghazal (Ode) 1244