Patti Smith
Knowledge of the Self
Into a blind darkness, go
Those dedicated to not knowing
Into deeper darkness go
Those content with knowing
Without joy is the name of these worlds
Enveloped in blind darkness
Those without knowledge or reason, go
At the outset to them
If he knew himself, if man could say "This is I"
By which desire, for which goal
Would his body be inflamed?
He who has found himself, go
And whom the being, buried in the depths
Of this depth, has awakened, go
He is all-active
He is the author of all, go
For him, the world, he is himself
The world, go
Into a blind darkness, go
Here as well, we must know this
If not, ignorance, the great predition
Those knowing this become immortal, go
The others in misfortune bury themselves
And one has once recognized the self
This god suddenly, this master of past and future
One turns way no more, go, go
That from which the yer unwinds, go
In rounds of days, go
The gods confess it, light of lights
And to mortal life, go
That foundation of five and five rings
That on which space reposes, go
It is that I think of as the self
I who know the sacred word
I without death, immortal, go, go
Breath of breath, go
Breath of breath, and sight of sight
Hearing of hearing, thought of thought
Those who know it have discerned the world
Ancient, original, go
It must be perceived by thought
Nothing here exists separately
He who sees things as separated
Goes from death to death
Into a blind darkness, go
Those dedicated not knowing
Into deeper darkness, go
Those content with knowing
Must be perceived in its unity, go
That, the immense that
The stable beyond friction
Traversing space, go
Go, the self without birth
The great, the stable, into the darkness, go
When the sage has recognized it
Let him obtain its knowledge, Brahman
Let him not be dispersed by numerous words
For that, is the weakening of the word
Go
Go
Go