Poem: “Guadalquivir”

A mighty river runs through Andalusia

“Guadalquivir”, say they who live now in Spain

Is the name of the grand river called so from 

“The Big River” in Arabic, “Wadi Al Kabeer”.

This big river has seen history as it flows

Just as life and time flow, it is a voyeur 

Of humans mingling, flowers blossoming like the orange trees

The Naranja and Azahar scents in the air: intoxicating, thrilling and exhilarating.

Along with the senses, the spiritual soul too is treated with the remembrance of the Divine

For every tree, every bird, every drop of Guadalquivir chants the name of Beloved God.

Every wall and door of the Alcazar and the Alhambra: la ghalliba illa Allah,[1]

la ghalliba illa Allah (only Allah is victor). Every person in Spanish: Hola, Hola, Hola.

Deny, dehumanize, villainize, persecute the Moor, & call them “Moros”

But the 500 years of history in Sevilla and 800 years in Granada are not just “theirs”,

but all of “our” rich collective human history.

True, the Muslim rulers, along with their Christian and Jewish friends, left our world stunning architecture: only seeing can confirm its sophisticated beauty:

Arabesque, calligraphy, geometric patterns, symmetry: Science and religion combined.

Philosophy and anthropology, Maths and biology.

Such good stuff that led to the Western renaissance, to enlightenment in Europe, the Americas, and the world. To the light and path that the beam of knowledge lit in a dark age. 

Inspired by the word of the Beloved, the holy books, Kalaam Allah

The Quran, revealed through mighty angel Gibrail to Habib Allah, the beloved of Allah

Date palms, old in history, talk to us through age

Align the gardens of the Alcazar and the Guadalquivir

Reminds the humble believer of  

Madina; and of that yearning of Abdurrahman. 

The famed minaret of Seville holds up the weight of steel bells and an imposed tower

The mosque’s other remnant it’s entrance overshadowed by the largest-ever gothic tower.

When God is looking from above 

Seeing the flow of His majestic Guadalquivir,  

He may wonder when He created woman and man He weighed His love equally and kindly

Then why these battles of the human egos? Why these inelegant crude macho displays? 

Why forcibly impose one structure on a delicate other? Why destroy buildings of worship? 

Why can’t our human family celebrate diversity? Embrace all of humanity? 

Differences, diversity, variety; cultures, religions, perspectives, make for richness.

Why can’t we learn from each other? Why can’t we feel empowered by “others” in our human family?

Muslim-ruled Spain was diverse, sophisticated, rich. Yet remains denied and unacknowledged. 

But its reminders remain in every pattern of the hasht bahisht: from the Beloved to the Beloved.

Time to mature, time to think sophisticatedly.

Time for empathy. Time for understanding.

Time for reaching out. Time for learning.

Time for reflection. Time for adulthood.

Time to acknowledge. Time to allow.

Time to accept. Time for peace.

Time to see the river flow as time goes by.

Time to see the flow of the same history in a new light.

Let the pain that history caused go.

Let the wounds that others inflicted heal.

What happened was only because of the ignorance and hate of humankind. 

What was, was because of love and light. Because of knowledge and faith.

What drove those who sought knowledge, 

Was the light and love of the Beloved. 

Though humans argue, divide and hate,

A Most Loving and Merciful God loves Christians, Muslims, Jews, and all alike. 

Each and every one of us: the believer, the pagan, the oppressed, even the oppressor. 

Yet, every act has been noted in a clear record and all accounts will be taken. 

So let’s race with one another to strive toward good, towards creativity,

Towards siblinghood, towards peace.

For blessed are the peacemakers. 

For blessed are the ones who love.

Amineh sits on a bench on the bridge above that mighty river and breathes in the spring wind, 

Sees the birds soaring, takes in the vision of the palm trees and the Golden Tower.

Civilizations came one by one: the Romans, Muslims, Christians, and modern-day secular Spaniards who may see each other clashing. Yet, she realized, that Spain’s gain is in its enrichment of diversity.

All along, this grand river flowed in silence

And watched and watched as a witness. 

It watched the ebb and flow of history

Of Roman warriors and Muslim scholars.

Christopher Columbus sailed from here to discover “The New World” much to Spanish pride.

Though the Native Americans cherished that very land they called their motherland.  

Grand Guadalquivir you have seen much: A lot of joy, a lot of suffering, 

You have seen the display of human arrogance, and the swagger of many so-called victors. 

For humility and grounding of believers, the masterful geometric buildings of the Moors of Spain were made intentionally to reflect in rippling water to remind even the king of this ephemeral life.

As Shakespeare said “all the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players”

So let us play a while till we breathe. Let us dress, let us eat, let us be merry. 

Till the time of death approaches, then we have to meet our Lord, the Beloved

Though our human time on earth, for each of us, is short and we are limited by our egos,

Grand Guadalquivir will continue to flow, like a stream that becomes a river. Through cities, Through time, through history, like the river of beloved Muhammad (SAW) that Goethe described.

Guadalquivir is our grand wise ancestor through time teaching the human family 

How to love, how to flow, how to just be.

Through life’s flow, I am forever connected to you oh mighty Guadalquivir!

My spirit flows in you and you in me: I am Rumi’s drop in an ocean and the ocean in a drop

With every wave, in every vein: Allahu, Allahu, Allahu

Haq

---

[1] In Arabic “The God” is Allah. In many Arabic-speaking countries, people of all faiths call God Allah, including Muslims and Christians.