Artavazdah

“أُقْتُلُوني يا ثقاتـــي إنّ في قتـْلي حياتــــي
و مماتـي في حياتـي و حياتي في مماتـي
أنّ عنـدي محْو ذاتـي من أجّل المكرمـات
و بقائـي في صفاتـي من قبيح السّيّئــات
سَئِمَتْ نفسـي حياتـي في الرسوم الباليـات
فاقتلونـي واحرقونـي بعظامـي الفانيــات
ثم مـرّوا برفاتـــي في القبور الدارسـات
تجدوا سـرّ حبيبــي في طوايا الباقيــات
إننـي شيـخ كبيــر في علوّ الدارجــات
ثم إنـّي صرتُ طفـلا في حجور المرضعات
ساكنـاً في لحد قبــر في أراضٍ سبَخــات
وَلدَتْ أُمّــي أباهـا أنَّ ذا من عجبـاتـي
فبناتـــي بَعْـدَ أنْ كـ ـن بناتـي أخواتــــي
ليس من فعل زمــان لا و لا فعل الزنــات
فاجمعوا الأجزاء جمعاً من جسـورٍ نيــرات
من هـواء ثم نــار ثم من ماء فـــرات
فازْرعوا الكلّ بأرض ٍ تـُرْبُها تـرب مـوات
وتعاهـدها بســقي من كـؤوس دائـرات
من جـوار ٍساقيـات و سـواق ٍجاريــات
فإذا أتممت سبعـــا أنبتـَتْ خير نبــات”
― الحلاج

“We humans do not understand compassion. In each moment of our lives, we betray it. Aye, we know of its worth, yet in knowing we then attach to it a value, we guard the giving of it, believing it must be earned, T’lan Imass. Compassion is priceless in the truest sense of the word. It must be given freely. In abundance.”
― Steven Erikson, Memories of Ice

“The more civilized a nation, the more conformed its population, until that civilization's last age arrives, when multiplicity wages war with conformity. The former grows ever wilder, ever more dysfunctional in its extremities; whilst the latter seeks to increase its measure of control, until such efforts acquire diabolical tyranny.'
- Traveller”
― Steven Erikson

“Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"
Then Merry heard in all sounds of the hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel.
"But no living man am I! You are looking upon a woman. Eowyn am I, Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."
The winged creature screamed at her, but then the Ringwraith was silent, as if in sudden doubt. Very amazement for a moment conquered Merry's fear. He opened his eyes and the blackness was lifted from them. There some paces from him sat the great beast, and all seemed dark about it, and above it loomed the Nazgul Lord like a shadow of despair. A little to the left facing them stood whom he had called Dernhelm. But the helm of her secrecy had fallen from her, and and her bright hair, released from its bonds, gleamed with pale gold upon her shoulders. Her eyes grey as the sea were hard and fell, and yet tears gleamed in them. A sword was in her hand, and she raised her shield against the horror of her enemy's eyes.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King