Mother's Paradise byG. Rauf Roashan 3 Love This 0 Needs Work Average rating:11 reviewsWrite your review
Mother's Paradise



The night was neither cold nor freezing

It was neither dark nor light and brilliant

They had filtered the air from dust

And had driven gold nails into the lapis dome of the night

On the wings of thought traveled I from this oasis

On a long road beyond thought

On the other side of the earth's borders

Beyond the limits of planets

Amidst galaxies

Galaxies of milk

Galaxies of light

Far away in distant climates

Traveling I was, I was pushing ahead to find the heaven

That is under the feet of mothers1

I was going to search in that heaven

For my mother whose abode is in paradise

To ask her questions

For the answers of which my mind was thirsty

To ask her about mother and motherhood

About love and purity

I was heading on and on

There I saw and angel on my path

There were two loads on her two wings

One of joy and one of sorrow

She said I am taking these for mankind

One for when they become mother, father

One for the time when they lose their mother

I asked her to show me the way to the heaven-my destination

She said this is it, only a little further

I arrived at a gate of pure gold

A bright and pure light was shining from within

A pleasant guardsman

Halted me with great tact

And said: "Where are you heading?

With such fervor, such excitement

I said, "I am searching for the land

That is under the feet of mothers"

Laughed he:

" You are searching for paradise."

Here where you have arrived is only the beginning."

This is the area for hardworking

God-fearing worshippers

Pass by a few other gates and you would

Reach where mothers are inside

At another gate another gatekeeper said

This is the region for lovers

It is the heaven of mystics

Another guardsman said

Just before reaching the Apostles

On your right

There is a gate of diamond

Its knocker is from pure ruby

You want to proceed there

The ruby of the knocker was the color of my

Heart's blood

Its echo like the sound of my heavenly mother

Who was reciting the Koran

They opened the gate

Looked me all over

And said:" You are not a mother

What business do you have at Mothers' Heaven?

You do not deserve to be here

Return to you earthly chores of

Eating, sleeping and lusting

Return to your lowly earth"

Ashamed and shivering said I:

I do not have any document of residency here

I have come to visit my mother

My mother's brilliant features showed from the door

She opened her arms

And took my wishful head in her two hands

And threw a long glance at my eyes

She said: "My son, the light of my eyes

What is it you want to ask me?"

Said I: "Mother, what was in the cr�me of your being

By which you raised me

What magic was therein?

Mother, all that love,

That you weaved into the matrix of my being

All that faith and purity

That you taught me through your pure milk

You called me to humanity

Taught me to be true

You sowed the seeds of patriotism in me

You wished me comfort and prosperity

All that love, all that kindness

Where did you get them all?"

Said I: "Mother, your state

Next to that of God is worth prostration

From whom did you learn that throughout life

When you were alive and when you had passed away

Whenever pain I felt whenever pain I feel

By calling your name and that of God

You gave me solace, you give me solace

The pains you took

The cities you built2

Who had taught you?"

She said, my beloved don't you know

That I too had a mother?

A flood of tears washed our eyes

And a flood of light shrouded us

And when I opened my eyes

There was nothing

Only the voice of my mother who was saying;

"I too had a mother.

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1. A popular saying in Dari language.

2. In south-central Asian cultures it is said that raising a child is like building a city.