Sunlight

[Sunlight] 'This cutting away" -- Ghazal 1519

2012-01-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

come and see me
today i am away
out of this world

hidden away
from me and i

i grabbed a dagger
made slices of
me from myself
since i belong
not to me
not to anyone

i am so sorry
for not having done
this cutting away before
it was my soul's mind
and not mine

i have no idea
how my inner fire
is burning today
my tongue
is on a different flame

i see myself
with a hundred faces
and to each one
i swear it is me

surely i must have
a hundred faces
i confess none is mine
i have no face

-- Ghazal 1519
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, 1984

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[Sunlight] We are the healers of spirit -- Ghazal 174

2012-01-25T06:52:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are healers, wise men from the East!
We have cured many from sorrow and blindness,
we uproot the cause of all pain.
We bring the dead to life because
we have learned our skills from Christ,
ask those who have witnessed our signs.
We mix our medicine from plants of paradise
and need no instruments
for we run through the body like thought.
We are the healers of spirit and
do not look for reward.

But before we leave,
remember not to speak of us, guard your words
for this world is full of unfriendly ears.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1474
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The veils hiding the way of the lover

2012-01-24T07:23:00.001-08:00

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Love is a stranger to the two worlds:
in it are seventy-two madnesses.
It is hidden; only its bewilderment is manifest:
the soul of the spiritual sultan longs for it.
Love's religion is other than the seventy-two sects:
beside it the throne of kings is just a floorboard.
In the moments of sema* Love's bard strikes up the melody:
"Servitude is bondage and power is a headache."
Then what is Love? The Sea of Not-Being:
there the foot of the intellect is shattered and can no longer swim.
Servitude and sovereignty are known:
the way of the lover is hidden by these two veils.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bâ do `âlam `eshq-râ bigânegi
andaru haftâd o do divânegi
Sakht panhânast va paydâ hayratesh
jân-e soltânân-e jân dar hasratesh
Ghayr-e haftâd o do mellat kish-e u
takht-e shâhân takhteh-bandi pish-e u
Motreb-e `eshq in zanad vaqt-e samâ`
bandegi band va khodâvandi sodâ`
Pas cheh bâshad `eshq Daryâ-ye `Adam
dar shekasteh `aql-râ ânjâ qadam
Bandegi o saltanat ma`lum shod
zin do pardeh `âsheqi maktum shod

-- Mathnawi III: 4719-4724
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

*The occasion of listening to spiritual music.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Pain comes from seeing how arrogant you've been

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

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Pain

Pain comes from seeing how arrogant you've been, and
pain brings you out of this

conceit. A child cannot be born until the mother has pain.
You are pregnant with real

trust. The words of the prophets and saints are midwives
that help, but first you must feel

pain. To be without pain is to use the first person wrongly.
"I" am this. "I" am that.

"I" am God, like al-Hallaj, who waited till that was true to
say it. "I" at the wrong

time brings a curse. "I" at the right time gives a blessing.
If a rooster crows early,

when it's still dark, he must have his head cut off. What is
this beheading? As one might

extract a scorpion's sting to save it, or a snake's venom to
keep it from being stoned,

headlessness comes from your cleansing connection to
a teacher. Hold to

a true sheikh. Strength will come. Your strength is his
gathering you closer. Soul

of the soul of the soul, moment to moment, hope to draw breath
from that one. No matter

how long you've been apart. That presence has no separation
in it. Do you want to understand more about this friendship?
Read the sura called Daybreak.

-- Mathnawi II: 2817-43
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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[Sunlight] Nothing but a figure of clay

2012-01-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wealth has no permanence: it comes in the morning,
and at night it is scattered to the winds.
Physical beauty too has no importance,
for a rosy face is made pale by the scratch of a single thorn.
Noble birth also is of small account,
for many become fools of money and horses.
Many a nobleman's son has disgraced his father by his wicked deeds.
Don't court a person full of talent either,
even if he seems exquisite in that respect:
take warning from the example of Iblis.
Iblis had knowledge, but since his love was not pure,
he saw in Adam nothing but a figure of clay.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Goft khvâjeh mâl-râ na-bud sabât
ruz âyad shab ravad andar jehât
Hosn-e surat ham na-dârad e`tebâr
keh shavad rokh zard az yek zakhm-e khâr
Sahl bâshad niz mehtarzâdegi
keh bud gherreh beh-mâl o bâragi
Ay basâ mehtarbachcheh keh shur o sharr
shod ze fe`l-e zesht khvod nang-e pedar
Por honar-râ niz agar bâshad nafis
kam parast o `ebrati gir az Belis
`Elm budesh chon na-budesh `eshq din
u na-did az dam ellâ naqsh-e tin

-- Mathnawi VI: 255-260
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "A World with No Boundaries" -- Ghazal 363

2012-01-19T09:04:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A World with No Boundaries"

With every breath the sound
of love surrounds us,
and we are bound for the depths
of space, without distraction.

We've been in orbit before
and know the angels there.
Let's go there again, Master,
for that is our land.

Yet we are beyond all of that
and more than angels.
Out beyond duality,
we have a home, and it is Majesty.
That pure substance is
different from this dusty world.
What kind of place is this?
We once came down; soon we'll return.
A new happiness befriends us
as we work at offering our lives.

Muhammad, the jewel of the world,
is our caravan's chosen guide.
The sweetness we breathe on the wind
is from the scent of his hair,
and the radiance of our thought
is from the light of his day.

His face once caused
the moon to split in two.
She couldn't endure the sight of him.
Yet how lucky she was,
she who humbly received him.
Look into your heart and see
the splitting moon within each breath.
Having seen that vision,
how can you still dream?

When the wave of "Am I not?" struck,
it wrecked the body's ship;
when the ship wrecks again,
it will be the time of union.

The Human Being, like a bird of the sea,
emerged from the ocean of the soul.
Earth is not the final place of rest
for a bird born from the sea.

No, we are pearls of that ocean;
all of us live in it;
and if it weren't so, why would
wave upon wave arrive?

This is the time of union,
the time of eternal beauty.
It is the time of luck and kindness;
it is the ocean of purity.
The wave of bestowal has come.

The roar of the sea is here.
The morning of happiness has dawned.
No, it is the light of God.

Whose face is pictured here?
Who is this shah or prince?
Who is this ancient intelligence?
They are all masks . . .
and the only remedy is
this boiling ecstasy of the soul.

A fountain of refreshment
is in the head and the eyes -
not this bodily head
but another pure spiritual one.

Many a pure head has been spilled
in the dust. Know the one from the other!
Our original head is hidden,
while this other is visible.
Beyond this world is a world
that has no boundaries.

Put your water skin away, brother,
and draw some wine from our cask!
The clay jug of perception
has such a narrow spout.
The sun appeared from the direction of Tabriz,
and I said, "This light is at once joined
with all things, and yet apart from everything."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 363
Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger"
Threshold Books, 1993

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[Sunlight] To master myself would be enough -- Ghazal 1523

2012-01-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1523, from Rumi's "Diwan-e
Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in a poetic translation by Nader
Khalili, and in a translation by Azima Melita Kolin and Maryam Mafi:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i am no lion
to overpower my enemies
winning over myself
if i can
is enough

though i'm of lowly earth
since i nourish a seed
named love
i'll grow lilies of the field

when i'm pitch-black
lamenting separation
i know for sure
i will break through
spreading light on the dark night

i am on fire inside
but look grim outside
since i want to rise
like smoke through my cell

i am a child whose teacher is love.
surely my master won't let me grow
to be a fool

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, 1994

*Note: for more information on the architect Nader Khalili, please
see http://www.calearth.org/naderkha.htm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

I can't pretend to be a lion able to conquer the enemy
to master myself would be enough.
I am only the dust on my Lover's path and from dust
I will rise and turn into a flower.
Dark like the night I mourn and hold the pain
of love inside me.
But bright like the Moon I will rise from the darkness
for I have seen the source of light and being a child
whose tutor is love I will not grow up ignorant.
I will rise like a flame out of love's fire
and become infinite like love.
When I reach my end, play the music
that will lift me up to Spirit.

-- Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
"Rumi: Hidden Music"
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Take counsel with the company of the righteous

2012-01-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

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Take counsel with the company of the righteous:
note the Divine command given to the Prophet, "Consult them."*
The words their affair is a matter for consultation** are for this purpose;
through consultation mistakes and errors occur less often.
Human intellects are luminous like lamps:
twenty lamps are brighter than one.
There may happen to be among them
one lamp aflame with spiritual light,
for the jealousy of God sometimes lowers veils,
mingling the lofty with the low.
He has said, "Travel"***:
seek your fortune in the world and reap its benefits.
In all gatherings seek among minds
the kind of intellect found in the Prophet,
for the heritage of the Prophet is a consciousness
which perceives the unseen things before and after.
Amid the inward eyes, too, always be seeking that inner eye
which this Masnavi has not the power to describe.
Hence the majestic Prophet has forbidden monasticism
and going to the mountains to live as a hermit,
in order that this kind of contact with saints should not be lost;
for to be looked upon by them is a blessing,
an elixir of eternal life.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Mashvarat kon bâ goruh-e sâlehân
bar Payambar amr-e "Shâwirhum"* be-dân
Amruhum shûrâ** barâ-ye in bovad
kaz tashâvor sahv o kazh kamtar ravad
In kherad-hâ chon masâbih-e anvarast
bist mesbâh az yeki rawshantarast
Bu keh mesbâhi fotad andar miyân
moshta`el gashteh ze nur-e âsmân
Ghayrat-e Haqq pardeh-'i angikhtast
sofli o `olvi be-ham âmikhtast
Goft "Sîrû"*** mi talab andar jahân
bakht o ruzi-râ hami kon emtehân
Dar majâles mi talab andar `oqul
ânchonân `aqli keh bovad andar Rasul
Zankeh mirâs az Rasul ânast va bas
keh binad ghayb-hâ az pish o pas
Dar basar-hâ mi talab ham ân basar
keh na-tâbad sharh-e ân in mokhtasar
Bahr-e in kasrdast man` ân bâ shokuh
az tarahhob vaz shodan khalvat beh-kuh
Tâ na-gardad fawt in naw`-e elteqâ
k-ân nazar bakhtast o eksir-e baqâ

-- Mathnawi VI:2611-2621
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*l `Imrân, 159
**al-Shûrâ, 38
***al-`Ankabût, 20

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[Sunlight] "How long will this unconsciousness go on?" -- Ghazal 1022

2012-01-16T08:37:00.000-08:00

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal 1022, From Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams", in a poetic version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry upon which Professor Barks based his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday at dawn, my Friend said, How long
will this unconsciousness go on?

You fill yourself with the sharp pain of Love,
rather than its fulfuillment.

I said, "But I can't get to You!
You are the whole dark night,
and I am a single candle.

My life is upsidedown
because of You!"

The Friend replied, I am your deepest being.
Quit talking about wanting Me!

I said, "Then what is this
restlessness?

The Friend, Does a drop
stay still in the Ocean?

Move with the Entirety,
and with the tiniest particular.

Be the moisture in an oyster
that helps to form one pearl.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Like This,"
Maypop, 1990

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday at dawn passing by the Beloved said to me, "You
are distraught and unaware; how long will this go on?
My cheek is the envy of the rose; and have you filled your eye
with heart's blood in quest of the thorn?"
I said, "Before your stature the cypress is but a sapling!" I said,
"Before your cheek the heavens' candle is dark!"
I said, "Sky and earth are topsy-turvy on account of you; it is
no wonder therefore, if I have no access to you."
He said, "I am your soul and heart; why are you distracted?
Say no word, and remain weeping against my silvery bosom."
I said, You who have robbed my heart and soul of repose, I
have not the power to be still." He said at once,
"You are a drop of my sea; why do you utter still? Become
drowned, and fill the soul of the oyster shell with pearls."

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
Mystical Poems of Rumi 1
The University of Chicago Press 1968/1991

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[Sunlight] Recollection of God

2012-01-13T07:33:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If your thought is frozen, practice remembrance of God.
Recollection of God brings thought into movement:
make remembrance the sun for this congealed thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In qadar goftim bâqi fekr kon
fekr agar jâmed bovad raw zekr kon
Zekr ârad fekr-râ dar ehtezâz
zekr-râ khvorshid-e in afsordeh sâz

-- Mathnawi VI: 1475-1476
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "What are you doing?"

2012-01-12T06:51:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, you with unwashed face! What are you doing?
Whom are you fighting and envying?
You are playing with a lion's tail; you are charging
like a Turcoman, but at the angels!
Why do you call utter goodness "evil"? Beware!
Consider not your lowliness exaltation!
What is evil? The needy, despicable copper.
Who is the shaykh? The infinite elixir.
Even if the copper is not receptive to the elixir,
it will never be able to make the elixir into copper like
itself.
What is evil? A rebel that acts like fire. Who is the
shaykh? The very Sea of Eternity-without-beginning.
Fire always dreads water, but how should water
fear flames?
You find fault in the face of the moon, you pluck
thorns in paradise.
If you enter paradise looking for thorns, you will
find none there but yourself.

-- Mathnawi II, 3340-48
Translation by William C. Chittick
The Sufi Path of Love - The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi
State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Don't plant anything but love -- Ghazal 916

2012-01-11T08:41:00.000-08:00

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 916, from Rumi's "Diwan-e
Shams", in a recent translation by Kolin and Mafi, and in a version
by Coleman Barks:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you plant a tree
every leaf that grows will tell you,
what you sow will bear fruit.
So if you have any sense, my friend
don't plant anything but love,
you show your worth by what you seek.
Water flows to those who want purity
wash you hands of all desires and
come to the table of Love.

Do you want me to tell you a secret?
The flowers attract the most beautiful lover
with their sweet smile and scent.
If you let God weave the verse in your poem
people will read it forever.

-- Translation by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
"Rumi: Hidden Music"
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Every Tree

Every tree, every growing thing as it
grows, says this truth: You harvest

what you sow. With life a short as a half-
taken breath, don't plant anything but

love. The value of a human being can
be measured by what he or she most deeply

wants. Be free of possessing things.
Sit at an empty table. Be pleased with

water, the taste of being home. People
travel the world looking for the Friend,

but that one is always at home! Jesus
moves quickly to Mary. A donkey stops

to smell the urine of another donkey.
There are simple reasons for what happens:

you won't stay clear for long if you sit
with the one who pours wine. Someone

with a cup of honey in hand rarely has
a sour face. If someone says a eulogy,

there must be a funeral nearby. A rose
opens because she is the fragrance she

loves. We speak poems, and lovers down
the centuries will keep saying them.

The cloth God weaves doesn't wear out.

-- Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "Die before you die"

2012-01-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Messenger of good tidings said, speaking symbolically,
"Die before you die, generous ones,
even as I have died before death
and brought this reminder from Beyond."
Become the resurrection of the spirit,
so you may experience the resurrection:
this becoming is necessary for seeing and knowing
the real nature of anything.
Until you become it, you will not know it completely,
whether it be light or darkness.
If you become Reason, you will know Reason perfectly;
if you become Love, you will know Love's flaming wick.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bahr-e in goft Rasul-e khvosh payâm
ramz-e "Mûtû qabla mawt yâ kirâm
hamchonânkeh mordeh-'am min qabl mawt
z-ân taraf âvordeh-'am in sit o sawt"
Pas qiyâmat shaw qiyâmat-râ be-bin
didan-e har chiz-râ shartast in
Tâ na-gardi u na-dâni-'esh tamâm
khvâh ân anvâr bâshad yâ zolâm
`Aql gardi `Aql-râ dâni kamâl
`Eshq gardi `Eshq-râ dâni zobâl

-- Mathnawi VI: 754-758
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I am not satiated -- Ghazal 2244

2012-01-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

Sunlight presents Ode 2244 - in a poetic version by
Coleman Barks and in a literal translation by A.J. Arberry:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I never get enough of laughing with you,
that wild humor.

Thirsty and dry, I complain, but everything is made of
water!
Lonely, yet my head leans against your shirt!
My wounded hands, your hands.

Do something drastic.

You say, "Come and sit in the innermost room,
where you'll be safe from the love-thief."

I reply, "But I've tried to be the ringknocker
on your door, so you won't have to
always be letting me in and out."

You say, "No. You stand on the threshold waiting,
and you're here in the inner chamber too.
You're at home in both places."

I love the quietness of such an answer.
Come to this table of quietness.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I am not satiated, not satiated with your laughing
lips; a thousand blessing on your lips and teeth!
Has any man ever wearied, my son, of his soul? You
are my soul since my soul and yours are one and the same.
I am thirsty and suffering from dryness, my death and
life are from water; pass around the cup, for I am the slave
of your turning around.
You make dispensation, go offer me to yourself that my
head may raise itself up from your shirt.
Though my two hands are wounded, my hand belongs to
you; of what use are my hands without your breath and
incantation?
Your love said, "Sir, come into my private chamber,
that no thief may make designs on your inner chamber."
I said, "Blessed one, I have become the ring on this
door so that no thought of me may trouble your doorkeeper."
He said, "You are both standing at the door and in my
bosom, exterior and interior - both homelands are yours.
Silence, and recite no more; sufficient should be this
hospitality and table. For all eternity Rum and Turk shall eat
of your table.

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] A heart which wine cannot console -- Ghazal 2266

2012-01-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal 2266, in a version by Coleman
Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry, upon which Barks based
his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Circulate the cup and take me out of
who I am and what I've done,
my name and my shame.

You Who Pour the wine, keep after me.
Trick me! When I have none of Your joy,
I worry about everything. Lay your traps.

I should fast. Someone who fasts
visits the Friend at night.

But often I come in the front door,
and You fly through the roof!
Be more patient!

Muslims, what is there to do?
I'm burning up and yet unsatisfied.

There's no cure but the taste
of what the saints pass around.

The story of Lovers has no end,
so well be happy with this,
just this, Goodbye.

And the answer to Mutanabbi's riddle is,
"Someone whom no wine consoles."

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saqi of the moonface, circulate the cup, deliver me out of
shame and name.
Saqi, I am a prisoner in your snare, for you have laid at every step a snare.
Have done with sloth, seize me! Be not slothful, for the tribe has departed.
Is not sobriety the alighting-place of every care? Is not joy
banned in anxiety?
Fast, for fasting is great gain; the faster drinks the wine of the spirit.*
It is in tradition that whoever keeps the fast sees the moon of God in the evening time.*
It is not just that when I enter by the door, you should flee
from me by the roof:
You flee and I crying after you, "Be patient one moment, O
fleet of pace!"
Muslims, Muslims, what remedy is there? For I am consumed
with fire, and yet this business is unsettled.
There is no remedy but pure wine in cups which noble men
have circulated.
The tale of lovers has no end, so we will be satisfied with this, and so farewell!
The answer of Motanabbi's saying is this: "A heart which
wine cannot console.*"

-- "Mystical Poems of Rumi 2,"
A. J. Arberry
The University of Chicago Press, 1991

* "Fast, for fasting...." -- The reference might be to the hadith
which says: "Fasting in the winter is a gain in the cold." See Ebn Asir, al-Nahaya fi garib al-hadis wa al-asar, 3:390.
* "It is in tradition..." -- I could not find this particular tradition, but there are a number of hadiths which bear resemblance to this. Two of them are: "Fast when you see the moon and break your fast when you see it again," and "Then fast until you see the crescent of the moon." See A. J. Wensinck, "Concordance et indices de la tradition musulmane," Leiden, 1955, 3: 454.
* "The answer of Motanabbi's" -- See Motanabbi, "Divan," Beirut,
1964, 101.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] O Beloved, Be Like That to Me

2012-01-05T08:10:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

O Beloved, Be Like That to Me

The flames that dance with love -
O Beloved, be like that to me.
The burning heat within the fire -
O Beloved, be like that to me.

My candle burns with longing.
It cries with tears of wax.
Like the wick of a melting candle -
O Beloved, be like that to me.

Now that we've joined the path of love
we cannot sleep at night.
At the drunken tavern, the drummer beats the drum -
O Beloved, be like that to me.

The night is dark, the lovers are awake.
Don't bother them with thoughts of sleep.
They want only to be here with us -
O Beloved, be like that to me.

Union is a raging river running toward the sea.
Tonight the moon kisses the stars,
Majnun becomes Layla -
O Beloved, be like that to me.

God has become everything.
He has graced this poet with kindness.
Everything I touch and see becomes the fire of love -
O Beloved, be like that to me.

-- Ode E117 (from Nevit O. Ergin's "Divan-i Kebir",
Volume 2*)
Version by Jonathan Star
"Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved"
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997

*Sunlight notes:

--Molana Rumi's collection of "ghazals" (which word
is translated variously as "odes" or "songs", is known both as
the "Divan-e Shams" and as the "Divan-e Kebir".

-- Nevit O. Ergin, M.D., was born in Turkey in 1928, and resides in
California. He has worked with an organization called the Society
for Understanding Mevlana (the Turkish pronunciation of
"Molana"), as well as with the Turkish Ministry of Culture. Dr. Ergin
translates into English from the Turkish translations of Abdulbak
Golpinarli (1900-1982, Turkish), though he states that he compares
the Golpinarli translations with the original Persian when developing
his English translations. Erin's collection of ghazals is the largest available in English --by contrast, Arberry's two-volume set of ghazals provides only 400 of the3200-plus lyrical poems of the Diwan. (Note extracted from "Rumi Past and Present, East and West, by Franklin D. Lewis.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] When did water ever fear fire?

2012-01-04T08:01:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is evil?
The needy, base metal.
Who is the shaykh?
The infinite elixir.
Though the copper proves untransmutable,
still the elixir never becomes copper.
What is evil? A fiery rebel.
Who is the shaykh? The sea of eternity.
Fire is always afraid of water,
but when did water ever fear being set aflame?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bad cheh bâshad mes-e mohtâj-e mohân
shaykh keh bovad kimiyâ-ye bi karân
Mes agar az kimiyâ qâbel na-bod
kimiyâ az mes hargez mes na-shod
Bad cheh bâshad sarkashi âtesh `amal
shaykh keh bovad `ayn-e daryâ-ye azal
Dâyem âtesh-râ be-tarsânand ze âb
âb kay tarsid hargez ze eltehâb

-- Mathnawi II: 3343-3346
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Chickpea to Cook

2012-01-03T07:28:00.001-08:00

Today, Sunlight offer's Rumi's story of the chickpea, from the
Mathnawi, Book III, verses 4159 - 4211, in an interpretive version
by Coleman Barks, and in a contemporary literal translation by
Dr. Ibrahim Gamard:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chickpea to Cook

A chickpea leaps almost over the rim of the pot
where it's being boiled.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

The cook knocks him down with the ladle.

"Don't you try to jump out.
You think I'm torturing you.
I'm giving you flavor,
so you can mix with spices and rice
and be the lovely vitality of a human being.
Remember when you drank rain in the garden.
That was for this."

Grace first. Sexual pleasure,
then a boiling new life beings,
and the Friend has something good to eat.

Eventually the chickpea
will say to the cook,
"Boil me some more.
Hit me with the skimming spoon.
I can't do this by myself.

I'm like an elephant that dreams of gardens
back in Hindustan and doesn't pay attention
to his driver. You're my cook, my driver,
my way into existence. I love your cooking."

The cook says,
"I was once like you,
fresh from the ground. Then I boiled in time,
and boiled in the body, two fierce boilings.

My animal soul grew powerful.
I controlled it with practices,
and boiled some more, and boiled
once beyond that,
and became your teacher."

-- Mathnawi III, 4160-68, 4197-4208
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1997

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Pea Boiling In the Pot (part one)

Mathnawi III: 4159-4190

The comparison of the believer's (attempts) to run away
(from suffering) and his lack of patience during [Divinely sent]
trials and afflictions to the agitation and restlessness of
peas and other vegetables (while) in the boiling (water) of the pot,
and (their attempts) to spring up so that they might leap
(out).

Look at a pea in the pot, how it is leaping upward since
becoming helpless from the fire.
(At) the time of boiling, the pea rises up to the top of the pot
every moment, bringing forth a hundred laments,
Saying, "Why are you killing me with fire? Since you bought
(me),* why are you throwing me upside-down?"
The lady of the house* keeps stirring with the ladle, saying,
"No! Boil willingly, and don't jump (away) from the fire maker!
"I'm not boiling (you) because you are hated by me, but so that
you may obtain (a delicious) taste and savor,
"(And) so that you may become food and (then) combine with
the vital spirit.* This (difficult) trial isn't because of contempt toward
you.
"You were green and fresh, drinking water in the garden. That
sipping of water* was for the sake of this fire."*
(The reason) for that (is) because His Mercy has preceded
(His) Severity,* so that, by means of Mercy, (the pea) may become
worthy of being tried.*
His Mercy has (always) had precedence over (His) Severity so
that the assets of existence may be gained.*
Because flesh doesn't grow without delicious savor,* (and) if it
doesn't grow, what can love for the Beloved melt (away)?*
(And) if, because of that urgency, (your flesh) finds (such)
severities so that you (have to) make a sacrifice of those assets
(of existence),*
Again, the Grace (of God) will come in order to apologize for
(Severity), saying, "(Now) you have washed [yourself clean of the
body]* and have jumped out of the river (of suffering)."
(The lady) says, "O pea, you grazed in the springtime. (And
now) suffering has become your guest, (so) keep him well--
"So that (your) guest may go back (home) expressing gratitude
and may talk about your preferential (hospitality) in the presence of
the King.
"(And) so that, instead of blessings, the Giver of Blessings
may come to you-- (and then) all blessings will bear envy toward you.
"I am (like) Abraham, and you are (like my) son in front of the
knife: lay (down your) head. 'Truly, I see (in a vision) that I should
sacrifice you.'*
"Lay (your) head in the presence of (my) severity, (with your)
heart firm and tranquil, so that I may cut your throat like (that of)
Ishmael.
"I will (then) cut (off your) head, but this head is a head which
is free* from becoming cut or killed.
"But your submission is the intended goal of the Eternal. O
Muslim, seeking surrender* (is what) is needed from you.
"O pea, keep boiling during (this) trial, so that neither existence
nor self may remain* to you.
"Although you were laughing in that (worldly) garden, you are
(actually) the rose of the garden of the spirit (and its) eye.*
"If you became separated from the garden of water and clay
(and) you have become a morsel (of food), you have entered into (the
bodies of) the living ones.*
"Become food, (bodily) strength, and thoughts! (Before) you
were milky sap;* (now) become a lion (hunting) in the thickets!
"By God, at first you grew from His Attributes;* (now) go back
into His Attributes (with) quick agility!
"You came from clouds, the sun, and the heavens (and) then
you became Attributes* and you went (back) up into the heavens.
"You came in the form of rain and sunlight. You will go (back)
into the Attributes of the All-Good.
"You were part of the sun, clouds, and stars. (Now) you will
have become soul, actions, words, and thoughts."
The existence of animals is due to the death of plants.
(Therefore), it was right (to say), "Kill me, my trustworthy companions!"*
Because so much is won by us after the checkmate.
(Therefore), it was right (to say), "Truly, in my being killed is (my real) life."
(Your) acts, speech, and sincerity became the food of the
angel, so that by (means of) these he ascended* toward the heavens,
In the same way, (when) that meal became the food for man, it
went upward from being a plant and became animate.
As for these words, an ample explanation will be spoken
(about) in another place.*

Part 2: Mathnawi III: 4191-4211

(The lady continued),* "The caravan (of spirits) is constantly
arriving from the heavens, so that it may do business (on earth
and then) go back.
"So, go sweetly and agreeably with deliberate choice -- not
with bitterness and hatred, like a thief.
"I keep telling you these bitter sayings so that I may wash (all)
bitternesses from you.
"The frozen grape escapes* by means of cold water (and then)
puts away coldness and iciness.
"When, because of the bitterness (of suffering), (your) heart
(is) filled with blood,* then you will go beyond all bitternesses."

The example of the believer's becoming patient when he
becomes aware of the good and evil* (consequences) of
[Divinely sent] trials and afflictions.

(The lady continued), "The dog (which) is not (trained) for
hunting has no collar.* (And) raw and unboiled (food) is without taste."
The pea replied, "Since it is such (as you say), O my lady, I will
boil willingly-- (but) really, give me help!
"You are like my architect* in this boiling: stir me (with) the
ladle, since you stir very pleasantly.
"I am like an elephant: strike blows and (make) scars upon my
head, so that I may not dream of India* and (its) gardens,
"So that I may give myself to the boiling, (and) so that I may find
release in that embrace.*
"Because, (when possessed of) wealth and independence,
man becomes rebellious (and) becomes hostile, like the dreaming
elephant.
"(For) when the elephant sees India in a dream, it won't listen
to the elephant-driver (and) becomes vicious."

How the lady of the house apologized to the pea and
(explained) the wisdom in keeping the pea in (a state of) boiling.

The lady says to it,* "Before this, I was part of the earth, like
you.
"When I drank the fiery (cup of) spiritual struggle,* I then
became accepted and worthy.*
"For a while, I was boiling in Time,* then for another period in
the pot of the body.*
"By means of these two boilings, I became strength for the
senses.* I became (animal) spirit* (and) then became your
master and teacher.
"In the mineral state, I used to say (to myself), 'You're running
(forward) so you may become knowledge and abstract
qualities.'*
"Since I have become (animal) spirit, 'Then you should boil
again, (I said to myself), another time and pass beyond animality!'"
Keep asking (help) from God, so that you don't stumble over
these subtle sayings* and (so that) you may reach the end (of
the journey).
Because many have wandered astray because of the Qur'an,*
(and) because a (whole) people have gone (and fallen) into the well
because of (holding) that rope.
O stubborn one! The rope is not at fault. (It is) because you
lacked passionate desire for ascending to the top.

-- From "The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî" [Rhymed Couplets of
Deep Spiritual Meaning] of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard (with
gratitude for R.A. Nicholson's 1930 British translation
and for William Chittick's 1983 American translation)
(c) Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, &
transliteration)

*Since you bought (me): Nicholson translated, "Since you
bought (and approved) me..." Chittick translated, " Since your showed
yourappreciation for us by buying us..."
*lady of the house: "The 'housewife' represents the murshid [==
the spiritual guide and master], the 'chickpea' the murîd [== the
spiritual seeker and disciple], and the 'fire' the riyádat [== austerity, strict
training, spiritual hardship] of the Súfî Path." (Nicholson,
Commentary)
*vital spirit [jân]: means the "animal soul." Rumi teaches the
descent and re-ascent of the spirit back to Heaven (but this is different
from theories of transmigration of souls or reincarnation). First, it
manifests physically in mineral form and is eventually absorbed
into plants and becomes a "plant soul." The plant form is eventually eaten
by animals or humans and becomes an "animal soul," enabling physical
movement. The spirit goes on to become a completed human,
an angelic form, and beyond. It is for this reason that Rumi often
mentions that bread becomes mind and spirit (as in I: 3167).
"The corn-seed sown in the earth becomes bread, which, when
eaten, assimilated, and converted into sperm, produces the man
endowed with spirit (vegetable, animal, and intellectual). The soul, as a
mode of Divine Being, undergoes a similar evolution: in order that its
inherent potentialities may be developed and exhibited, it
descends into the world of matter, where from the lowest phases of
soul-life it gradually rises to the highest and, having traversed the whole
circle of existence and thus attained to the utmost perfection of which it is
capable, gives itself up to God and realises its essential unity
with Him." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*that sipping of water: means the drawing of nutritious
mineral-laden water which caused the plant to grow into something edible for humans.
*for the sake of this fire: "i.e. the object of our earthly life is
purification by Divine Love." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*His Mercy surpasses (His) Anger: The Mercy of God is a central
theme of the Islamic revelation, pervading the Qur'an ("Enter us
into Your Mercy, for You are the Most Merciful of the merciful"-- 7:151).
And according to a (non-Qur'anic) Divine Saying [Hadîthu
'l-qudsî], God said: "Truly My Mercy prevails over My Wrath"-- and, in
another form, "My Mercy precedes My Wrath."
*worthy of being tried: Nicholson translated, "to the end that by
(God's) mercy he (the afflicted person) may suffer affliction."
Chittick translated, "so that Mercy may make the creatures worthy
for tribulation." The meaning is that it is the Mercy of God that the
'pea' (meaning the spiritual disciple) has been chosen to be severely
tried--which will transform it into something much better.
*so that the assets of existence may be gained: "God first
showed mercy by bringing us into existence and manifesting His
attributes in us. His wrath is mercy in disguise." "God is absolute mercy: His wrath is really mercy in disguise. All pain and punishment that
He inflicts upon us is for our good." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*without delicious savor: Nicholson and Chittick translated,
"without pleasure." The meaning is that flesh and skin do not grow
unless delicious food is eaten. "Bodily life and growth and sensual
appetite are necessary for the full development of the powers of the soul.
Hence the superiority of the Perfect Man to the angels, who have
no 'flesh' to be overcome and transmuted into spirit." (Nicholson,
Commentary)
*what can love for the Beloved melt (away): refers to the image
of the lover who is so in love with the beloved [== God] that he
becomes thin and pale from longing melancholy. "I.e. how can Divine Love manifest itself except through the mortification of the carnal
nature?" (Nicholson, footnote)
*make a sacrifice of those assets (of existence): means to die.
*washed [yourself clean of the body]: a reference to ritual
washing of the whole body [ghusl] done before prayer and done to a
corpse before burial. Here Rumi uses this term to mean the separation
of the soul from the body, so that it becomes "washed" and "cleaned"
from contact with the body.
*the King: means God.
*I should sacrifice you: From Qur'an 37:102, slightly altered for
metrical purposes-- "He said, 'O my son! I see (in a vision) that I
should sacrifice you. (Now) consider what is your own view.' (The
son) said, 'O my father! Do what you are commanded. You will
find me, God willing, among those who endure (suffering) patiently.'"
Then, after Abraham laid his son on the alter for sacrifice, God
told him to stop, because he had already fulfilled the vision (to that
very point), and rewarded him for his obedience during this difficult
trial.
*a head which is free: for this line, Nicholson (Commentary)
quoted a line from Hafiz: "`ajab ráhí-st ráh-i `ishq, k-án-já/ kasí sar bar
kunad k-ash sar na-báshad." [== The way of Love is an amazing
path: for there, someone takes off (his) head, yet he has no head!]
*O Muslim, seeking surrender: a word play, since the word
"muSLiM" means "one who surrenders" (to the Will of God) and
the word "taSLîM" means "surrender" (to the Will of God). The word
"SaLaM" means peace and security. Therefore, surrender (of
self-will) leads to peace and safety in harmony with the Divine
Will.
*neither existence nor self may remain: since the pea
symbolizes the sufi disciple, this means to surrender the illusory self, or ego, bymeans of spiritual annihilation [fanâ].
*(its) eye: in Persian literature, flowers are depicted as "laughing
with joy" when they open their petals. And the centers of flowers
are depicted as "eyes"-- so that the word "narcissus" became an
idiom meaning beautiful eyes. On a mystical level, Nicholson said (in
commenting on I: 1406, which he translated, "Man is eye, and
(all) the rest is (worthless) skin: the sight of that (eye) is (consists in)
seeing the Beloved"), "That alone is the real eye which is the
Beloved's eye (instrument of vision'; i.e. only the Perfect Man, in
whose cosmic consciousness God sees Himself objectified,
can truly be said 'to see'." (Commentary)
*the living ones: "I.e. in the course of Man's spiritual evolution
hisearthly nature becomes endued with the qualities of the rational
soul (nafs-i nátiqah)." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*milky sap: literally, "milk." Nicholson translated, "(Formerly)
thou wert milk (sap)..." There is a pun here, since the word for "milk"
[shîr] is written the same as the word for "lion" [shêr], but
pronounced differently. Nicholson commented on the meaning
of "milk (sap)": "...referring to the vegetative soul (nafs-i nabátí)."
And on the meaning of "lion," he wrote: "i.e. 'advance to the highest
capacity of the human spirit (rúh-i insání): become a Perfect
Man'." (Commentary)
*you grew from His Attributes: means that everything in creation
has its origins in the (infinite) Names of God.
*you became Attributes: "The mystic ascending to God is
invested with the Divine attributes whence the world of Nature ultimately
derives its being." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*my trustworthy companions: this quote, and the one in the next
line, is a slight modification of verses composed by Mansur
al-Hallaj (executed in 922, for allegedly proclaiming, "I am the Truth/God"):
"Kill me, my trustworthy companions! Truly, in my killing is my
(true) living, and my death is in my life and my life is in my death."
[uqtulúní yá thiqátí inna fí qatlí hayátí/ wa-mamátí fí hayátí
wa-hayátí fí mamátí-- the Arabic quoted in Nicholson's Commentary)
*he ascended [mi`râj shod]: means that the angel had the
energy to rise to the heavens by "eating" the virtuous thoughts, words, and
actions of human beings.
*in another place: "This may refer to Book V, v. 31 sqq., here the
topic of self-mortification is treated at great length." (Nicholson,
Commentary)
*The frozen grape escapes: Nicholson translated, "is thawed,"
and explained, "Literally, 'is freed,' i.e. its juice is made to flow."
(footnote)

Notes, part 2:

*The lady continued: This is the continuation of the story of the
pea boiling in the pot, how it became agitated and demanded to
know why it was being tortured. The lady of the house explained that it
was not a punishment, but to make the pea sweet, and so that it
could attain a higher level of existence by becoming part of a human
body. According to the commentaries reviewed by Nicholson, the lady
of the house represents the spiritual guide and master [murshid],
the pea represents the spiritual seeker and disciple [murîd], and the fire
represents strict training, austerity, and spiritual hardship
[riyâzat].
*(your) heart (is) filled with blood: means, filled with the misery
of having suffered cruelly. Nicholson translated, "When, from
(having endured) bitterness (self-mortification), thy heart is filled with
blood (like the grape)..."
*the good and evil: means when the believer (in God) realizes
that the difficult trial is sent by God and that patient acceptance will
lead to blessings and greater nearness to God, and that impatient
rejection of the trial may lead to rejection and distance from God.
Nicholson did not accept the reading in the earliest manuscript
("the good and evil of trials") and noted that all other manuscripts
had "sirr ú manfa`at-i balá," which he translated as, "when he
understands the inward meaning and the beneficial nature of
tribulation."
*has no collar: a metaphor of lacking spiritual training. In Islam,
ownership of dogs trained for hunting is allowed; all other dogs
are considered to be useless and filthy. "The dog's collar shows that
he is prized and well cared for: similarly God lays the burden of
spiritual tribulation on none but His elect." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*like my architect: means, "You are not destroying me, but
designing me to be built as something better."
*not dream of India: means not to desire to go back to an earlier
stage, in this case a vegetative one. "Here the proverb píl yád-i
Hindústán kardah-ast [== The elephant is remembering India] is
applied to the muríd [== the spiritual seeker and disciple] who
would indulge in worldly thoughts and fall into temptation unless he
were subjected to severe discipline by his murshid" [== spiritual guide
and master]. (Nicholson, Commentary)
*in that embrace: Nicholson read the line differently and
translated,"to the end that I may find a way [rahê] to that embrace
(of the Beloved)." Chittick translated, "and be delivered to the embrace
of the Beloved."
*tells it [mê-gôy-ad wa-râ]: the oldest manuscript has the
archaic form of the singular pronoun, usually spelled alif waw; it is
similar to the archaic "wây," or "way."
*spiritual struggle [jihâd]: this word is often mistranslated as
"Holy War" (a Christian term). The word means "struggle," and in
Islam means various kinds of struggle for the sake of God and the
community of Muslims, only one of which is defensive warfare.
The sufis emphasize the Tradition in which the Prophet Muhammad
returned from a battle (with the Arab polytheists) and said, "We
have returned from the Lesser Combat [jihâd al-aSghar] to the Greater
Combat [jihâd al-akbar]." He defined the latter as "the struggle
against the ego [nafs]" and also said, "The warrior [mujâhid] is
the one who struggles against his ego for the sake of God."
Nicholson translated, "After I had drunk a (cup of) fiery self-mortification..."
Chittick translated, "When I tasted the fire of spiritual warfare..."
*I then became accepted and worthy: means accepted by God
and worthy of rising to the next level on the arc of ascent-- the return
journey to God.
*in Time: means the spirit's descending journey from the
heavens, prior to its ascent back, starting in physical form on the mineral
level.
*the pot of the body: Means within a physical form. "This verse
alludes to the 'mineral' (elemental) and 'vegetive' stages in the
life-history of Man." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*knowledge and abstract qualities: means that the spirit, which
was in mineral, plant, and animal form is rushing ahead to acquire
the qualities of intellect, reason, and wisdom. Nicholson translated,
"Thou art running (to and fro in agitation) to the end that thou
mayst become (endued with) knowledge and spiritual qualities."
*so that you don't stumble over these subtle sayings: "No doubt
the poet's caveat [== warning] has a special reference to the heresy of
tanásukh [== the doctrine of transmigration of souls from human
bodies to animals, and vice verse], which he repudiates in
common with all authoritative Súfí teachers. It is incorrect to describe the
ideas set forth in the preceding passage as 'a kind of doctrine of
transmigration.'." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*wandered astray because of the Qur'an: refers to those who
approach the Holy Qur'an with the wrong attitudes and motives.
"According to Qur. III 98 (wa-'tasimú bi-habli 'lláhi jamí-an),
interpreted by a well-known Hadíth (al-Qur'ánu hablu 'lláhi
'l-matínu), the Qur'án is a rope to which every true believer must
cling for safety; yet God lets it be the means of casting him into
error and destruction perverse interpreters of the truth contained in it
(Qur. II 24)." (Nicholson, Commentary)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] A short vacation for Sunlight

2011-12-23T09:23:00.001-08:00

Dear Sunlight Subscribers,

The Sunlight list is taking a short end-of-year vacation. The posts will resume on January 3rd.

Thanks for your continued interest in receiving these messages. It's a pleasure to share Rumi's wisdom with you.

We wish you all peace for the holidays and the coming new year.

The Sunlight Moderators

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[Sunlight] "Does happiness reflect in your face?"

2011-12-23T09:21:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does happiness reflect in your face
from the wine of the true religion?
Where is your generous hand
if you've beheld the Ocean of Abundance?
The one who sees the River doesn't grudge water to the thirsty,
especially the one who has beheld that Sea and those mighty Clouds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dar rokhet ku az may-e din farrokhi
gar be-didi Bahr ku kaff-e sakhi
Ânkeh Ju did âb-râ na-konad darigh
khâsseh ân ku did ân Daryâ o Migh

-- Mathnawi VI: 804-805
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "Loving one's shaykh"

2011-12-22T07:03:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh mouthpiece of God! Oh eye of the Realities!
Oh thou who deliverest the creatures from this ocean full of
fire!
Thou art a very ancient shaykh, a king
unparalleled! Take the spirit by the hand and free it from the
affliction of its attachments!
In the way of self-sacrifice, thou huntest for
spirits. Alas, which of these spirits are worthy to be thy prey?
Who indeed is the creature to brag of love for
thee? Oh, the light of the Creator's Majesty is in love with thy
beauty.
You say, "What am I to do, for I am the prey of
his love? I am distressed and lovesick"-- oh, thou art a skillful
physician!
Thy gentleness says, "Come forward!" Thy
severity says, "Go back!" Let me know at once, which of them
speaks the truth?
Oh sun of the spirits! Oh Shams of Tabriz, sun
of God! Every ray of thy sunbeams is a subtle and eloquent
spirit!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1310
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "For I am born of the sun" -- Ghazal 1621

2011-12-21T09:05:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I only speak of the Sun
because the Sun is my Master
I worship even the dust at His feet.
I am not a night-lover and do not praise sleep
I am the messenger of the Sun!
Secretly I will ask Him and pass the answers to you.
Like the Sun I shine on those who are forsaken
I may look drunk and disheveled but I speak the Truth.
Tear off the mask, your face is glorious,
your heart may be cold as stone but
I will warm it with my raging fire.
No longer will I speak of sunsets or rising Moons,
I will bring you love's wine
for I am born of the Sun
I am a King!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1621
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Practice remembrance

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If your thought is frozen, practice remembrance of God.
Recollection of God brings thought into movement:
make remembrance the sun for this congealed thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

In qadar goftim bâqi fekr kon
fekr agar jâmed bovad raw zekr kon
Zekr ârad fekr-râ dar ehtezâz
zekr-râ khvorshid-e in afsordeh sâz

-- Mathnawi VI: 1475-1476
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Joy returning in another form -- Ghazal 1937

2011-12-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1937, from Rumi's Diwan-e Shams, in versions by Jonathan Star and Coleman Barks, and in the A.J. Arberry translation, upon which Barks based his interpretive version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FROM BOX TO BOX

Don't weep.
The joy that has gone
will come `round again in another form ï¿½
Have no doubt about this!

A child's first joy
comes from its mother's milk;
After the child is weaned
his joy comes from drinking sweet wine.

This supreme joy has no resting place -
It enters one form then another,
from box to box ï¿½ an eternal movement
between heaven and earth.

Here it comes, pouring down from the sky,
seeping into the earth,
and rising up again as a bed of roses.

Now it is water, now a plate of rice,
Now the swaying trees, now a horse and rider.
It lies within these forms for awhile
then bursts forth to become something new.

Isn't this like our dreams? ï¿½
The body sleeps
while the soul moves on
to take other forms.
You say,
I dreamt I was a cypress, a bed of tulips,
the blossoms of roses and jasmines.

Then the soul returns, and you wake up ï¿½
the cypress is gone, the roses are gone.

I tell you truly,
everything you now see
will vanish like a dream.

I do not mean to trouble you, O friend,
with words so bold as these.
Perhaps you will only listen to God.
He speaks more gently than I.

But how will you ever hear Him with
All that blathering going on? ï¿½
Everyone is speaking about golden bread
yet no one has ever tasted it!

O my soul, where can I find rest
but in the shimmering love of his heart?
Where can I see the pure light of the Sun
but in the eyes of my own Shams-e Tabriz?

-- Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

UNMARKED BOXES

Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round
in another form. The child weaned from mother's milk
now drinks wine and honey mixed.

God's joy moves from unmarked box to unmarked box,
from cell to cell. As rainwater, down into flowerbed.
As rose, up from the ground.
Now it looks like a plate of rice and fish,
now a cliff covered with vines,
now a horse being saddled.
It hides within these,
till one day it cracks them open.

Part of the self leaves the body when we sleep
and changes shape. You might say, "Last night
I was a cypress tree, a small bed of tulips,
a field of grapevines." Then the phantasm goes away.
You're back in the room.
I don't want to make any one fearful.
Hear what's behind what I say.

Tatatumtum tatum tatadum.
There's the light gold of wheat in the sun
and the gold of bread made from that wheat.
I have neither. I'm only talking about them,

as a town in the desert looks up
at stars on a clear night.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Open Secret"
Threshold Books, 1984

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do not grieve over any joy that has gone forever, for it will
return to you in another form, know that for sure.
Did not the child find joy in its nursing and in milk? When the
child was weaned from milk, the joy came from wine and honey.
This joy is an unqualified thing which enters various forms,
moves from box to box between water and clay;
It suddenly displays its grace in the water of the rain, again
enters into the rosebed, and lifts its head from the earth.
Now it comes by water, now by way of bread and meat, now
by way of beauty, now by way of horse and saddle.
From behind these veils suddenly one day it peeps and shat-
ters all the idols, that which is neither that nor this.*
The soul in sleep leaves the body and appears in a phantasm;
the body is deposed and idle -- in another form it is manifest.*
You might say, "In a dream I saw myself like a cypress, my
face as a bed of tulips, my body as roses and jasmine.*
That phantasm of the cypress vanished, the soul returned to
its house; verily in this and that is a warning to all beings.
I fear stirring up trouble, though I would have spoken what
may be spoken, God speaks fairer than I - do not let go of the
saddlestraps of the faith.
Fa'ilatun fa'ilatun fa'ilatun fa'iltat, if you have not gold-wheat bread, yet speak the golden words.
At last, Tabriz of the soul, look upon the stars of the heart,
that you may see this mundane sun to be a reflection of Shams-e
Din.

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1991

*Any object which keeps one from being absorbed in divine love
is an idol.
*See Nicholson's commentary of I: 400-1.
*"Kiyal (fantasy or phantasm) is the same as the World of Similitude (`alam-e mesal), of which everything in the sensible world (`alam-e sahada) is a reflection. The World of Similitude is a purgatory stage between the worlds of souls and things." Sajjadi Farhang-e `erfani, 204.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "From this world, Rumi moved on"

2011-12-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

In commemoration of the Urs, the wedding with the Beloved, of
Jalalu'ddin Rumi (the Urs is known in Persian as "vesal", "reunion
[with the Beloved]"), Sunlight offers a poem by Rumi's son, Sultan Valad*, recording the occasion of the passing of Rumi on December 17, 1273:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From this foul, fulsome world, Rumi moved on
After ten sweet years with Hosam al-Din*
On a December's day, the seventeenth*
came to pass that proud monarch's moving on
Of years six hundred seventy and two
since the Hijra of the Prophet* had gone by
The eye of mankind wept so sore that day
its lightning struck and burned away the souls
A quaking overtook the earth that moment
in the heavens rose a wail of mourning
The people of the town, both young and old
wailed and wept and sighed in lamentation
The villagers nearby, both Greeks and Turks
in pain upon his loss rent wide their collars
all paid the corpse their last loving respects
Folks from every faith proved faithful to him --
in love with him the people of all nations

-- SVE 121
From Sultan Valad's "Valad nameh" (Persian, "The
Book of Valad), also known as "Ebteda nameh"
Translation by Professor Franklin D. Lewis
"Rumi, Past and Present, East and West"
Oneworld Publications, Oxford, 2000
(This poem edited (c) 12/12/00)

Sunlight notes:

* Sultan Valad -- Rumi's son, his biographer, and his spiritual
successor. Formally founded in the Mevlevi Order of Sufis, following
his father's teachings. Author of five books, four of poetry
("Ebtedâ-nâme," "Rabâb-nâme," "Entehâ-nâme," "Dîvân-e Soltân
Valad") and one of prose ("Ma`âref")."

http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/sufi/sultan/
http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/V/ValadSultan/index.htm

* Hosam al-Din -- a sufi shaykh in his own right, Hosam al-Din acted
as Rumi's scribe, editor, and inspiration during the writing of the
Mathnawi. It's interesting to learn that the composition of the
Mathnawi was suspended when Hosam al-Din's wife died and he was
withdrawn in mourning. He also acted as an administrator of Rumi's
school in Konya.
* "December 17th" -- the Christian calendar equivalent of the fifth
day of Jumadi II. "Jumadi II" is the sixth month of the Arabic lunar
calendar.
* Seventy two and six hundred years since the Hijra of the Prophet --
"Hijra" (Arabic), the flight of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca (in
Sept., 622 A.D. per the Christian calendar) to Medina. The Muslim
calendar dates from the first day of the hijra.

A valuable Rumi link:

http://www.khamush.com/bio.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The Color of Purity

2011-12-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal N-XXVI (numbered according to
Nicholson's numbering system, rather than the Furuzanfur system)
- a poetic version by Kabir Helminski and the literal translation by
R. A. Nicholson upon which Helminski based his interpretation:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Color of Purity"

Inside myself I breathe
the fragrance of the Friend.

In the garden last night
an urge ran through my head;
a sun shone out of my eyes;
an inner river began to flow.

Lips became laughing roses
without the thorns of existence,
safe from the sword of decay.

The trees and plants in the meadow,
which to normal eyes looked fixed and still,
seemed to dance.
When our tall Cypress appeared,
the garden lost itself entirely,
and the plane tree clapped its hands.

A face of fire, a burning wine,
a blazing love, all happy together,
and the self, overwhelmed, screaming,
"Let me out of here."

In the world of Unity
there's no room for number.
But out of necessity number exists
in the worlds of five and four.

You can count a hundred thousand
sweet apples in your hands.
If you wish to make them one,
crush them all together!

Without thinking of the letters,
listen to the language of the heart.
The color of purity
belongs to the creative Source.
Where the sun of Tabriz sits,
my verses line up like willing slaves.

-- Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger"
Threshold Books, 1993

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

XXVI.

From the bosom of Self* I catch continually a scent of
the Beloved:
How should I not, every night, take Self to my bosom?
Yestereve I was in Love's garden*: this desire came into
my head:
His sun peeped forth from mine eye*: the river (of tears)
began to flow.*
Each laughing rose* that springs from his laughing lip
Had escaped the thorn of being,* had avoided Dhu'lfiqar.*
Every tree and blade of grass was dancing in the meadow,
But in the view of the vulgar they were bound and at
rest.
Suddenly on one side our Cypress* appeared,
So that the garden became senseless and the plane clapped
its hands.*
A face like fire, wine like fire, Love afire--all three
delectable;
The soul, by reason of the mingled fires, was wailing
'Where shall I flee?'
In the world of Divine Unity is no room* for Number,*
But Number necessarily exists in the world of Five and
Four.*
You may count a hundred thousand sweet apples in
your hand:*
If you wish to make One, crush them all together.*
Behold, without regarding the letters,* what is this
language in the heart;*
Pureness of colour* is a quality derived from the Source
of Action.*
Shamsi Tabriz is seated in royal state, and before him
My rhymes are ranked like willing servants.

-- L.97.10 (Lachnau Edition of the Divani Shamsi Tabriz)
"Selected Poems from the Divani Shamsi Tabriz"
Edited and translated by Reynold A. Nicholson
Cambridge, At the University Press, 1898, 1952

Nicholson's Notes:
* "From the bosom of the self" -- 'self' refers here, not,
as it commonly does, to Man's phenomenal individuality,
the cheating mask which prevents him from seeing things
as they are, but to the divine spark or spirit which dwells
within him and cannot die. This is the true 'Self.' Cf.
Kor. L. 15: We (God) are nearer to him than the jugular vein.
"His sun peeped forth from mine eye" -- these words may
mean: "in whom I have hope."
"the river of tears began to flow." - i.e. I wept for joy.
Cf. Hafez, I. 64. 3:
"I wept so much that whomever passed by
upon seeing my soul in my tears asked
'what does he seek?'"
* "laughing rose"-- full-blown.
* "the thorn of being" - the celestial Rose and Wine,
unlike their counterfeits on earth, are wholly free from
defect: which is Not-being. "Being" signifies here
Contingent or Phenomenal Being.
* "Dhu'lfiqar" -- the famous sword given by Mohammed
to 'Ali, here used figuratively = death, corruption.
* "our Cypress" -- the Beloved.
* "clapped its hands" - in ecstasy. They words may also
be translated 'rustled its leaves'.
* "Number" - referring to 'mingled fires' in the last verse.
* "Five and Four" - -the five senses and the four elements.
* "hundred thousand sweet apples in your hand" -- plurality
is a phantom (i.e., the rays of the sun). This illustration recurs
in the Mathnavi (21.5):
"If you count one hundred apples and one hundred waters
What appears as a hundred shall become One
if you crush them all together."
* "without regarding the letters" -- never mind the parts: look
at the whole. Cf.
With men of form the word is: Synthesis by analysis;
With men of spirit the word is: Analysis by synthesis.
(T.116.4a).
*"what is this language in the heart" -- the language of the heart
is silence. So, end a large number of these poems. Speech is only
the prelude to silence: true worshippers are 'breathless with
adoration' (cf. Whinfield's Masnavi, pp. 5, 261, 326).
* "Pureness of colour" --
'Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass,
Stains the white radiance of eternity.'
(Shelley).
The same thought is found in Schiller's epigram, entitled
"Licht und Farbe":
Wohne, du ewiglich Eines, dort bei dem ewiglich Einen!
Farbe, du wechselnde, komm freundlich zum Menschen
herab!
Cf. with this passage the following lines (T. 332. 10a):
Deem the soul a unit and the body a hundred thousand
numbers,
Even as almonds in the form of oil.
How many words are there in the world! Yet all are
essentially one;
Water becomes one when you break the jars.
The soul sends intelligence to every person of insight
When by acknowledging Unity you pluck away your
heart from speech.
"the Source of Action" -- God is the only real agent. Cf.
Whinfield's Masnavi, pp. 15, 78, 91, 242.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] What do you really possess?

2011-12-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you really possess,
and what have you gained?
What pearls have you brought up
from the depth of the sea?
On the day of death,
bodily senses will vanish:
do you have the spiritual light
to accompany your heart?
When dust fills these eyes in the grave,
will your grave shine bright?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To cheh dâri va cheh hâsel kardeh-'i
az tag-e daryâ cheh dorr âvordeh-'i
Ruz-e marg in hess-e to bâtel shavad
nur-e jân dâri keh yâr-e del shavad
Dar lahd kin chashm-râ khâk âganad
hastet ânche gur-râ rawshan konad

-- Mathnawi II:939-941
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Daylight
Threshold Books, 1994
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Greed and Generosity -- Ghazal 1101

2011-12-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Greed and Generosity

Look at her face.
Open your eyes into her eyes.
When she laughs, everyone falls in love.
Life your head up off the table. See,
there are no edges to this garden.
Sweet fruits, every kind you can think of,
branches green and always
slightly moving.

How long should you look at earth's face?
Come back and look again.
Now you see the nervous greed
deep inside plants and animals. Now you see them
constantly giving themselves away.

Greed and generosity are evidence of love.
If you can't see love itself,
see the results.
If you can't find love-colors in anything,
look for the pale, tired face of a lover.

Take this town with its stores and everyone
rushing around, some with a lot of money,
some without any.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1101
Version by Coleman Barks
Open Secret
Threshold Books, 1984

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] If your meaning is pure

2011-12-09T07:56:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The smell of pride and greed and lust
will betray you when you speak
as much as the onions you have eaten.
Many prayers are rejected because of their smell;
the corrupt heart reveals itself in the tongue.
But if your meaning is pure,
God will welcome even your clumsy expression.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bu-ye kebr o bu-ye hers o bu-ye âz
dar sokhan goftan biyâyad chon piyâz
Bas do`â-hâ radd shavad az bu-ye ân
ân del kazh mi namâyad dar zabân
Gar hadiset kazh bovad ma`nayet râst
ân kazhi lafz maqbul-e Khodâst

-- Mathnawi III: 166;169;171
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Become nothing but vision -- Ghazal 1169

2011-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is there no one with a pure worthy vision
with which to gaze upward?
If there no one purified of his water and clay
so that he may gaze upon the Ocean?
So that he may place his foot upon Mount Qaf
and look upon the wing of the Phoenix?
So that the Sun may make his vision drunk and
headless and footless?
Is there no one who receives replenishment
from Love's light so that his vision may fall totally Yonder?
Water becomes purified with water -- the man
who can see gains vision from Vision.
Become nothing but vision, for in God's Court,
nothing finds access but vision!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1169
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I will never leave this house of light

2011-12-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I will never leave this house of light,
I will never leave this blessed town
for here I have found my love
and here I will stay for the rest of my life.
If this world turns into a sea of trouble
I will brave the waves and steer my mind's ship
to the safe shore of love.

If you are a seeker looking for profit go on
and may God be with you,
but I am not willing to exchange my truth,
I have found the heart and will never leave
this house of light.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1653
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] This infinite Word is everlasting

2011-12-06T07:20:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No one has shown the beginning or end of the Infinite.
God said, "If the sea were to become ink . . ."*
Still God's word could not be written out.
Though all the orchards and forests were pens,
still we would be no closer to defining it.
Ink and pens pass away,
yet this infinite Word is everlasting.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Avval o âkher neshânesh kas na-dâd
goft "Law kâna lahu al-bahr midâd"*
Haft daryâ gar shavad kolli medâd
nist mar pâyân shodan-râ hich omid
Bâgh o bisheh gar shavad yeksar qalam
zin sokhan hargez na-gardad hich kam
Ân hameh hebr o qalam fâni shavad
vin hadis-e bi-`adad bâqi bovad

-- Mathnawi II:3543-3546
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Kahf, 109

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Word Fog -- Ghazal 921

2011-12-05T08:22:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Word Fog"

Words, even if they come from
the soul, hide the soul, as fog

rising off the sea covers the sea,
the coast, the fish, the pearls.

It's noble work to build coherent
philosophical discourses, but

they block out the sun of truth.
See God's qualities as an ocean,

this world as foam on the purity
of that. Brush away and look

through the alphabet to essence,
as you do the hair covering your

beloved's eyes. Here's the mystery:
this intricate, astonishing world

is proof of God's presence even as
it covers the beauty. One flake

from the wall of a gold mine does
not give much idea what it's like

when the sun shines in and turns
the air and the workers golden.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 921
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] By love, the bitter becomes sweet

2011-12-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers the verses from Molana Rumi's epic, "The
Mathnawi", Book II, lines 1529-30, in two translations -- one from
Schimmel, and one from Helminski, with a Persian transcription:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through love all that is bitter will be
sweet.
Through Love all that is copper will be
gold.
Through Love all dregs will turn to purest
wine.
Through Love all pain will turn to
medicine.
Through Love the dead will all become
alive.
Through Love the king will turn into a
slave!

-- Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
"Look! This is Love - Poems of Rumi"
Shambhala, 1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By love, the bitter becomes sweet;
by love, copper becomes gold;
by love, dregs become clear;
by love, pains become healing;
by love the dead become living;
by love, the king becomes a slave.
From knowledge, love grows.
Has stupidity ever placed anyone on such a throne?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Az mohabbat talkh-hâ shirin shavad
az mohabbat mes-hâ zarrin shavad
Az mohabbat dord-hâ sâfi shavad
az mohabbat dard-hâ shâfi shavad
Az mohabbat mordeh zendeh mi konand
az mohabbat shâh bandeh mi konand
in mohabbat ham natijeh-ye dânesh ast
ki gazâfeh bar chonin takhti neshast

-- Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I have escaped -- Ghazal 1472

2011-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Molana Rumi's Ghazal 1472, in three
presentations: a translation by Khalili, a version from Barks, and
the translation from Arberry upon which Barks based his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
once again
i broke free of the chains
of the wicked traps
of this world

once again
by your youthful love
i was saved from
this fraud-filled wizard
we call life
non-stop
running day and night
i finally had to cut myself off
from this deadly routine
leaping free as an arrow
from the grip of the cosmic bow

now i have no more fear
of grief and anxiety
i've learned to compete
with death itself

i lived through my wits
for forty years
now at sixty-two
finally hunted down
i am free from struggle

bread becomes blood
blood transforms to milk
and now
that I have my wisdom teeth
i am in no need for more milk

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire",
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have broken out again,
escaped from the tricky,
wiry shamans of ecstasy.

Running night and day to escape night and day.
Why fear grief
when Death walks so close beside?

Don't fear the General
if you're good friends with the Prince.

For forty years I made plans and worried about them.
Now sixty-two, I've escaped reasonableness.

By definition, human beings do not see or hear.
I broke loose from definition.

Skin outside, seeds inside,
a fig lives caught between, and like that fig,
I wiggle free.

Hesitation, deadly. Hurrying, worse.
Escape both delay and haste.

Fed first with blood in the womb,
then milk from the breast,
my clever teeth came in,
and I escaped even those.

Off balance, I grope for bread, a loaf or two,
until God gives the next food,
and I'm gone.

No more garlicky detail, no more meanings.
Only clean-breathed,
silent escaping.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"These Branching Moments"
Copper Beech Press, 1988

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again, once again I have escaped from my chains, I have
burst out of these bonds and this trap which seizes the infirm.
Heaven, the bent old man full of wizardry and deceit--by
virtue of your youthful fortune I have escaped from this old man.
Night and day I ran, I broke away from night and day; ask of
this sphere how like an arrow I sped.
Why should I fear sorrow? For I am the comrade of death.
Why should I fear the general? For I have escaped from the
prince.
Reason bore me down with anxiety for forty years; sixty-two*
has made me quarry, and I have escaped from devising.
All creatures have been made deaf or blind by predestination;
I have escaped from the deaf and blind of predestination, and
from predestination.
Outwardly skin, inwardly stone, the fruit is a prisoner; like a
fig, I have escaped from that skin and that stone.
Delay causes mischief, and haste is of the devil; my heart has
escaped from haste, and I have escaped from delay.
In the first place blood was the food,* in the end blood became
milk; when the teeth of reason sprouted, I escaped from that
milk;
I ran after bread, a loaf or two, by imposture; God gave me a
food, so that I escaped from imposture.
Be silent, be silent, speak no more in detail; I will speak of the interpretation, I have escaped from the stench of garlic.*

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press, 1968

Arberry's notes:
* This poem was composed when Rumi was sixty-two.
* "Blood was the food" -- in the womb.
* A play on "tafsir" (interpretation), and "taf-i sir" ("stench of garlic," -- eaten by unbelieving Jews).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Back to being -- Ghazal 853

2011-11-30T09:16:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to Being

The ocean can do without fish. My soul,
let me tell you a secret: it's rare to

meet a fish like the ocean! Seawater is
the nursing mother. Fish, the crying

babies. But sometimes the ocean comes
looking for a particular fish to hear

what it wants. The ocean will not act
before it knows. That fish is an

emperor then; the ocean is its minister.
But don't call such a fish a fish! How

long will I keep talking in riddles?
Shams is the master who turns the earth

fragrant. When plants feel him near
they open out. I would not have a soul,

if after tasting the taste of Shams,
I could go back to being who I was.

-- Ode (Ghazal) 853
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The body resembles a garment

2011-11-29T08:59:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When a man is busy in earnest,
he is unconscious of his pain.
I mention this insensibility to pain
so you may know how much the body resembles a garment.
Go, seek the one who wears it;
don't kiss a piece of cloth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Khvod be-binad dast rafteh dar zarar
khvod azu besyâr rafteh bi khabar
Tâ be-dâni keh tan âmad chon lebâs
raw be-ju lâbes lebâsi ma-lis

-- Mathnawi III: 1610
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Too Vast for Partnership -- Ghazal 941

2011-11-28T08:51:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Too Vast for Partnership

Will it be better for us when we
dissolve into the ground, or worse?

Let's learn now what will happen.
This is lovers' work, to break through

and become this earth, to die before
we die. Don't think of pairing up

somehow with God! That claim is a
religious self-indulgence. You know

it by the smell: smoke coming off
dried dung is different from that of

aloe wood! The presence that one
second is soil, then water, fire,

smoke, woof, warp, a friend, a shame,
a modesty, is too vast and intimate

for partnership! Observers watch as
presence takes thousands of forms.

But inside your eyes the presence
doesn't brighten or dim; it just

lives there. A saint or a prophet,
one like Muhammad can see the trees

of heaven, the fruit hanging so close
he could reach and pick one for his

friend. But it's not time for that.
They melt and flow away from sight.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 941
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Dumfounded by love

2011-11-25T06:57:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear soul, Love alone cuts arguments short,
for it alone comes to the rescue when you cry for help against disputes.
Eloquence is dumbfounded by Love: it dares not wrangle;
for the lover fears that, if he answers back,
the pearl of inner experience might fall out of his mouth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

`Eshq borad bahs-râ ay jân o bas
ku ze goft o gu shavad feryâd ras
Hayrati âyad ze `eshq ân notq-râ
zahreh na-bovad keh konad u mâ-jarâ
Keh be-tarsad gar javâbi vâ dehad
gawhari az lonj-e u birun fotad

-- Mathnawi V: 3240-3241
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] All praise be to God and thanksgiving! -- Ghazal 123

2011-11-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 123, in a translation by
William Chittick, and in a version by Jonathan Star:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I saw that good and beautiful King, that Eye
and Lamp of the breast,
That Intimate and Comforter of the heart, that
spirit-increasing Spirit and World.
I saw Him who gives intellect to the intellect
and purity to purity,
That Object of adoration for the moon and the
heavens, that Kiblah of the spirits of the saints.
Each one of my particles called out with its
own voice, "All praise be to God and thanksgiving!"
When Moses suddenly saw that Light from the
bush,
He said, "I have been delivered from seeking!
For I have been given this gift."
God said, "Oh Moses, leave aside traveling!
Throw down thy staff! (XXVII 10)"
At once Moses cast out from his heart friends,
fellows, and kin.
This is the significance of Put off thy two shoes!
(XX 12): "Cut off thy love from the two worlds!"
The house of the heart has no room for any but
God-- the heart knows the jealousy of the prophets.
God said, "Oh Moses, what is that in thy hand?"
He replied, "That is my staff for the road" (XX 17-18).
He said, "Cast it down (XX 19) and see the
marvels of heaven!"
He threw it down and it became a serpent;
when he saw the serpent he fled (XX 20-21).
God said, "Take it and I will make it your staff
once more" (XX 21):
"I will make your enemy your assistant, your
adversary your support.
Then you will know that faithful and gentle
friends derive only from My Bounty.
When We give pain to your hands and feet,
they become serpents in your eyes.
Oh hand, seize naught but Us! Oh foot, seek
naught but the Goal!
Flee not from the suffering We inflict, for
wherever you find suffering, there also you find a way to the
remedy."
No one has ever fled from suffering without
finding something worse in return.
Flee from the bait-- that is where fear lies.
Leave fear of places for the intellect.
Shams of Tabriz has shown his gentleness, but
when he went away, he took it with him.

-- Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Throw Down Your Staff"

I saw that good and beautiful King,
That Witness of the heart's light,
That comforter and friend of the soul,
That spirit of all the world.

I saw the One who gives
wisdom to the wise,
purity to the pure;
The one adorned by the Moon and stars,
The one toward whom all saints bow.

Every cell of my body called out,
Praise God! Glory to God!

When Moses saw the radiant fire of the bush, he said:
"After finding this gift I need nothing more."

God said, "O Moses, your wandering is over.
Throw down your staff."
In that moment Moses cast from his heart
all friends, relatives, and kinsmen.

This is the meaning of "Take off both your shoes" -
Remove from your heart the desire of both worlds.
The abode of the heart has room for God alone.
You will know this through the grace of the prophets.

God said, "O Moses, what do you hold in your hand?"
Moses replied, "This is my rod for the journey."

God said,
"Throw it down and behold the marvels within yourself!"
Moses tossed his rod to the ground
and it became a serpent.
When Moses saw the serpent he ran in fear.

God said,
"Pick it up and I will turn it
into a staff once again.
Through my grace your foes will grant you blessings,
Your enemies will reach out in friendship.
When We bring suffering to your hands and feet
like the burning pain of snake-bites - carry on."

O hand, keep reaching for Us.
O feet, keep walking toward the Goal!
Do not run from the hardship We give you,
For wherever you find hardship
you will also find the means to its end.

No one has ever escaped from hardship
without something worse happening in return.

Don't take the bait! -
It will only lead to disaster.
Don't give in to your doubts! -
It will shake you from your ground.

Now Shams has shown us his mercy -
He went away
and left us with nothing but ourselves.

-- Version by Jonathan Star
"Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved "
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I will take you to the depths of spirit -- Ghazal 1518

2011-11-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am the Spirit Moon
with no place.
You do not see me for I am hidden
inside the soul.
Others want you for themselves but I call you
back to yourself.
You give me many names but I am
beyond all names.
Sometimes you say I am deceitful
but as long as you are
I will be too.
Until you remain blind and deaf
I will be invisible.
I am the garden of all gardens
I speak as the King of all flowers
I am the spring of all waters.
My words are like a ship and the sea
is their meaning.
Come to me and I will take you
to the depths of spirit.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1518
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Generation upon generation

2011-11-22T13:49:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This world and that world are forever giving birth:
every cause is a mother; the effect is born as a child.
When the effect was born, it too became a cause,
so that it might give birth to wondrous effects.
These causes follow generation upon generation,
but it takes a very well-illuminated eye
to see all the links in the chain.

~ ~ ~

in jahân va ân jahân zâyad abad
har sabab mâdar asar zâyad valad
Chon asar zâyid ân ham shod sabab
tâ be-zâyid u asar-hâ-ye `ajab
in sabab-hâ nasl bar naslast layk
dideh-'i bâyad monavvar nik nik

-- Mathnawi II: 1000-1002
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Union with you is the source of happiness -- Ghazal 2756

2011-11-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2756, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams",
in a version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J.
Arberry, upon which Barks based his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only union with you gives joy.
The rest is tearing down one building
to put up another.
But don't break
with forms!

Boats cannot move without water.
We are misquoted texts
made right when you say us.

We are sheep in a tightening wolf-circle:
You come like a shepherd and ask,
"So how are you?"
I start crying.

This means something to anyone in a body,
but what means something to you?

You can't be spoken, though you listen
to all sound. You can't be written,
but you read everything.

You don't sleep, yet you're the source of dream-vision.

Your ship glides over nothing,
deep silence, praise for the ONE,
who told Moses on Sinai,

You Shall Not See Me

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Union with you is the source of happiness, for those are
but forms and this is reality.
Break not for a moment from your servant, for a ship
cannot sail without water.
I am a faulty Qur'an but am made correct when you recite.
A Joseph alone, and a hundred wolves, yet he escapes
when you are shepherd.
Every time you ask me, "How are you?" I am with tears
and pale cheeks.
For the vulgar these two are tokens; what are signs to
you who are without signs?
Unspoken you hear the discourse, unwritten you read the
deed.
Without sleep you show visions, without water you
drive on the ships.
Silence, have done with praises and petition, for from
the unseen has come "thou shall not see me".*

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1979/1991

*When Moses asked to see God on the Mount, the answer was, "You will
never see me." Qur'an 7:143.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Beware the trap

2011-11-18T07:19:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fowler scatters grain incessantly:
the grain is visible,
but the deceit is hidden.
Wherever you see the grain, beware,
lest the trap confine your wings.
The bird that gives up that grain
eats from Reality's spacious field.
With that it is content and escapes;
no trap confines its feathers.
Many times have you fallen into the snare of greed
and given your throat up to be cut;
but again the One that disposes hearts to repentance
has set you free, accepted your repentance,
and made you rejoice.
O moth, don't be forgetful and dubious;
just look at your burnt wing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dâyeman sayyâd rizad dâne-hâ
dâneh paydâ bâshad va penhân daghâ
Har kojâ dâneh be-didi al-hazar
tâ na-bandad dâm bar to bâl o par
Zânkeh morghi ku be-tark-e dâneh kard
dâneh az sahrâ-ye Bi Tazvir khvord
Ham bod ân qâne` shod vaz dâm jast
hich dâmi par o bâlesh-râ na-bast
Bâr-hâ dar dâm-e hers oftâdeh-'i
halq-e khvod-râ dar boridan dâdeh-'i
Bâzet ân Tavvâb-e lotf âzâd kard
tawbeh pezroft va shomâ-râ shâd kard
Kam kon ay parvâneh nesyân o shakki
dar par-e suzideh be-negar to yeki

-- Mathnawi III:2858-2861; 2870-2871; 2879
Translation by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The Still-Point of Ecstasy -- Ghazal 1529

2011-11-17T08:13:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Still-Point of Ecstasy"

On the Night of Creation I was awake,
Busy at work while everyone slept.
I was there to see the first wink
and hear the first tale told.
I was the first one caught
in the hair of the Great Imposter.

Whirling around the still-point of esctasy
I spun like the wheel of heaven.

How can I describe this to you?
you were born later.

I was a companion of that Ancient Lover;
Like a bowl with a broken rim
I endured his tyranny.
Why shouldn't I be as lustrous as the King's cup?
I have lived in the room of treasures.
Why shouldn't this bubble become the sea?
I am the secret that lies at its bottom . . .

Sh . . . no more words
Hear only the voice within.
Remember, the first thing He said was:
"We are beyond words."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1529
Interpretive version by Jonathan Star
(in cooperation with the translator Shahram Shiva)
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Reveal your face, as I long for orchard and rose-garden

2011-11-16T09:15:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 441, in a poetic translation
by Nader Khalili, a version by Coleman Barks, and a translation by
A.J. Arberry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
show me your face
i crave
flowers and gardens
open your lips
i crave
the taste of honey
come out from
behind the clouds
i desire a sunny face
your voice echoed
saying "leave me alone"
i wish to hear your voice
again saying "leave me alone"
i swear this city without you
is a prison
i am dying to get out
to roam in deserts and mountains
i am tired of
flimsy friends and
submissive companions
i die to walk with the brave
am blue hearing
nagging voices and meek cries
i desire loud music
drunken parties and
wild dance
one hand holding
a cup of wine
one hand caressing your hair
then dancing in orbital circle
that is what i yearn for
i can sing better than any nightingale
but because of
this city's freaks
i seal my lips
while my heart weeps
yesterday the wisest man
holding a lit lantern
in daylight
was searching around town saying
i am tired of
all these beasts and brutes
i seek
a true human
we have all looked
for one but
no one could be found
they said
yes he replied
but my search is
for the one
who cannot be found

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, 1994.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I want is to see your face
in a tree, in the sun coming out, in the air.

What I want is to hear the falcon-drum,
and light again on your forearm.

You say, "Tell him I'm not here." The
sound of that brusque dismissal becomes
what I want.

To see in every palm your elegant silver coin-shavings,
to turn with the wheel of the rain,
to fall with the falling bread of every experience,

to swim like a huge fish in ocean water,
to be Jacob recognizing Joseph.
To be a desert mountain instead of a city.

I'm tired of cowards.
I want to live with lions.
With Moses.

Not whining, teary people.
I want the ranting of drunkards.
I want to sing like birds sing, not worrying
who hears, or what they think.

Last night, a great teacher went
from door to door with a lamp.
"He who is not to be found is the one
I'm looking for."

Beyond wanting, beyond place, inside form,
That One. A flute says, I have no hope
for finding that.

But Love plays and is the music played.
Let that musician finish this poem.

Shams, I am a waterbird flying into the sun.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Show your face, for the orchard and rosegarden are my desire;
open your lips, for abundant sugar is my desire.
Sun of beauty, come forth one moment out of the cloud, for
that glittering, glowing countenance is my desire.
Out of your air I heard the sound of the falcon-drum; I
returned, for the sultan's forearm is my desire.
You said capriciously, "Trouble me no more; be gone!" That
saying of yours, "Trouble me no more," is my desire.
And your repulse, "Be gone, the king is not at home," and
those mighty airs and brusqueness of the doorkeeper, are my
desire.
In the hand of every one who exists there are filings of beauty;
that quarry of elegance and that mine are my desire.
This bread and water of heavens wheel are like a treacherous
torrent; I am a fish, a leviathan, Oman* is my desire.
Like Jacob I am crying alas, alas*; the fair visage of Joseph of
Canaan is my desire.
By Allah, without you the city is a prison for me; I wander
abroad, mountain and desert are my desire.
My heart is weary of these weak-spirited fellow-travellers; the
Lion of God* and Rustam-i Dastan are my desire.
My soul is sick of Pharaoh and his tyranny; that light of the
countenance of Moses son of Imran is my desire.
I am aweary of these tearful people so full of complaining;
that ranting and roaring of the drunkards is my desire.
I am more eloquent than the nightingale, but because of
vulgar envy a seal is on my tongue, and lamentation is my desire.
Last night the shaikh went all about the city, lamp in hand,
crying, "I am weary of beast and devil, a man is my desire."
They said, "He is not to be found, we too have searched." He
answered, "He who is not to be found is my desire."
Though I am penniless, I will not accept a small carnelian, for
that rare, precious carnelian is my desire.
Hidden from every eye, and all things seen are from Him --
that hidden One manifest in works is my desire.
My state has gone beyond every desire and yearning; from
mine and place to the elements is my desire.
My ear heard the tale of faith and became drunk; where is the
portion of sight? The form of faith is my desire.
In one hand the winecup, in the other the Beloved's curl -- to
dance so in the midst of the arena is my desire."
That rebeck says, "I am dead of expectation; the hand and
bosom and plectrum of Uthman* are my desire."
I am at once Love's rebeck, and Love is my rebeck-player;
those favours of the plucking of the All-merciful are my desire.
Cunning minstrel, number the rest of this ode after this fashion,
for it is after this fashion I desire.
Show your face from the east, Sun of the Pride of Tabriz; I am
the hoopoe, the presence of Solomon is my desire.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press, 1968

* Oman, the southern part of the Persian Gulf, symbolizes
the Divine Ocean.
* "Like Jacob, etc." -- Koran 12:84
* The "Lion of God" was Ali, Muhammad's cousin and fourth
caliph. Rustam was the famous Iranian champion.
* Uthman: Sharaf al-Din-i Qavval the minstrel, see Aflaki 222, etc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Increase this search

2011-11-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If continually you keep your hope
quivering like the willow in longing for Heaven,
spiritual water and fire will continually arrive
and increase your subsistence.
And if your longing carries you there, it will be no wonder.
Don't pay attention to your weakness,
but to the intensity of your longing.
For this search is God's pledge within you,
because every seeker deserves to find something of which she seeks.
Increase this search,
that your heart may escape from this bodily prison.
If your spirit shall not live without the body,
for whom is the blessing promised in the words:
in Heaven is your provision?*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dam be-dam bar âsmân mi dâr omid
dar havâ-ye âsmân raqsân cho bid
Dam be-dam az âsmân mi âyadet
âb o âtesh rezq mi afzâyadet
Gar torâ ânjâ barad na-bud `ajab
ma-negar andar `ajz va be-negar dar talab
Kin talab dar to gerawgân-e Khodâst
zânkeh har tâleb be-matlubi sazâst
Jahd kon tâ in talab afzun shavad
tâ delet zin châh-e tan birun shavad
Gar na-khvâhad bi badan jân-e to zist
fî al-samâ'i rizqukum* ruzi kist

*al-Dhâriyât, 22

-- Mathnawi V:1731-1735; 1742
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Shadow and light together

2011-11-14T06:14:00.000-08:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2155, from Rumi's Diwan-e
Shams, in a version by Coleman Barks, and in translation by A.J.
Arberry:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How does a part of the world leave the world?
How can wetness leave water?

Don't try to put out a fire
by throwing on more fire!
Don't wash a wound with blood!

No matter how fast you run,
your shadow more than keeps up.
Sometimes, it's in front!

Only full, overhead sun
diminishes your shadow.

But that shadow has been serving you!
What hurts you, blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest.

I can explain this, but it would break
the glass cover on your heart,
and there's no fixing that.

You must have shadow and light source both.
Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe.

When from that tree, feathers and wings sprout
on you, be quieter than a dove.
Don't open your mouth for even a cooooooo.

When a frog slips into the water, the snake
cannot get it. Then the frog climbs back out
and croaks, and the snake moves toward him again.

Even if the frog learned to hiss, still the snake
would hear through the hiss the information
he needed, the frog voice underneath.

But if the frog could be completely silent,
then the snake would go back to sleeping,
and the frog could reach the barley.

The soul lives there in the silent breath.

And that grain of barley is such that,
when you put it in the ground,
it grows.
Are these enough words,
or shall I squeeze more juice from this?
Who am I, my friend?

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1997

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Say, how shall a part of the world depart from the world? How
shall moisture escape from water, one leap from two?
No fire dies from another fire, my son; O my heart bleeding of
love, wash not my blood in blood.
However much I fled, my shadow did not leave me; shadow
must be in charge of me, even though I become as the thread of
a hair.
Only the sun has the power to drive away shadows, the sun
increases and diminishes them; seek this from the sun.
Though for two thousands years you are running in the back of
the shadow, in the end you will see that you are behind and the
shadow before.
Your sin has become your service, your pain your blessing,
your candle your darkness, your bounds seeking and questing.
I would explain this, only it would break the back of your
heart; when you break the glass of the heart, repairs are of no
avail.
You must have both shadow and light together; listen to me,
lay your head down and prostrate yourself before the tree of the
fear of God.*
When from the tree of His grace wings and feathers sprout
for you, be silent as a dove, do not open your mouth for cooing.
When a frog enters water, the snake cannot reach it; the frog
croaks and gives information so that the snake knows where
he is.
Even though the cunning frog should hiss like a snake, the
feeble frog-sound of his betrays the true voice.
If the frog were silent, the snake would be his prey: when it
retires into its corner, the barleycorn and grain become a treasure.
When the golden barleycorn has become a treasure, it does
not diminish in the earth; the barleycorn of the soul becomes a
treasure when it attains the treasure of Hu.
Shall I finish these words, or shall I squeeze them again?
Yours is the decree; what am I, O gracious king?

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2155, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams"
Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979

* I.e. "O you who believe! Fear God as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." Qur'an 3: 102.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The Invisible Hand

2011-11-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See how the hand is invisible while the pen is writing;
the horse careening, yet the rider unseen;
the arrow flying, but the bow is out of sight;
individual souls existing,
while the Soul of souls is hidden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dast panhân va qalam bin khatt-gozâr
asb dar jawlân va nâ-paydâ savâr
Tir parân bin va nâ-paydâ kamân
jân-hâ paydâ va panhân Jân-e jân

-- Mathnawi II:1303-1304
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "In silence" -- Quatrain 337

2011-11-09T05:37:00.001-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There is a channel between voice and presence,
a way where information flows.

In disciplined silence the channel opens.
With wandering talk, it closes.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
Unseen Rain
Threshold Books, 1986

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There is a thread from the heart to the lips
where the secret of life is woven.
Words tear the thread
but in silence
the secrets
speak.

-- Translation by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Root, River, Fire, Sea

2011-11-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Root, River, Fire, Sea

A man was wandering the marketplace at noon
with a candle in his hand, totally ecstatic.

"Hey," called a shopkeeper. "Is this a joke?
Who are you looking for?" "Someone breathing Huuuuuu,

the divine breath." "Well, there are plenty
to choose from." "But I want one who can be

in anger and desire and still a true human being
in the same moment." "A rare thing! But maybe

you're searching among the branches for what appears
only in the roots." There's a river that turns

these millstones. Human will is an illusion. Those
that are proud of deciding things and carrying out

decisions are the rawest of the raw! Watch the thought-
kettles boiling and then look down at the fire.

God said to Job, "You value your patience well.
Consider now that I gave you that patience."

Don't be absorbed with the waterwheel's motion.
Turn your head and gaze at the river. You say,

"But I'm looking there already." There are several signs
in eyes that see all the way to the ocean. Bewilderment

is one. Those who study foam and flotsam near the edge
have purposes, and they'll explain them at length!

Those who look out to sea become the sea,
and they can't speak about that. On the beach

there's desire-singing and rage-ranting,
the elaborate language-dance of personality,

but in the waves and underneath there's no volition,
no hypocrisy, just love forming and unfolding.

-- Mathnawi V, 2887-2911
Version by Coleman Barks
"Say I Am You"
Maypop, 1994

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] "Turning Toward Kindness"

2011-11-04T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers an excerpt from the Mathnawi story, in
versions by Barks and Helminski, along with a Persian
transliteration, and in the translation by Nicholson from which
the versions were developed:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Turning Toward Kindness"

Anyone who genuinely and constantly with both hands
looks for something, will find it.

Though you are lame and bent over, keep moving
toward the Friend. With speech, with silence,
with sniffing about, stay on track.

Whenever some kindness comes to you, turn
that way, toward the source of kindness.

Love-things originate in the ocean.
Restlessness leads to rest.

-- Mathnawi III: 978-981, 987-992
Version by Coleman Barks
"One-Handed Basket Weaving"
Maypop, 1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whether one moves slowly or with speed,
the one who is a seeker will be a finder.
Always seek with your whole self,
for the search is an excellent guide on the way.
Though you are lame and limping,
though your figure is bent and clumsy,
always creep toward the One. Make that One your quest.
By speech and by silence and by fragrance,
catch the scent of the King everywhere.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gar gerân o gar shetâbandeh bovad
ânke juyandeh-st yâbandeh bovad
Dar talab zan dâyeman to har do dast
kay talab dar râh niku rahbarast
Lang o luk o khofteh-shakl o bi adab
su-ye U mi ghizh va U-râ mi talab
Gah be-goft va gah be-khâmushi va gah
bui kardan gir har su bu-ye Shah

-- Mathnawi III: 978-981
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Whether one be slow or speedy (in movement), he that is
a seeker will be a finder.
Always apply yourself with both hands (with all your
might) to seeking, for search is an excellent guide on the way.
(Though you be) lame and limping and bent in figure and
unmannerly, ever creep towards Him and be in quest of Him.
Now by speech and now by silence and now by smelling,
catch in every quarter the scent of the King."

-- Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
Mathnawi II, verses 978-982
"The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi"
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Show me the ladder, that I may mount up to heaven

2011-11-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers two renditions of Ghazal (Ode) 19 -- a
version by Coleman Barks, and the translation by A.J. Arberry,
upon which Barks based his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any Chance Meeting

In every gathering, in any chance meeting
on the street, there is a shine,
an elegance rising up.

Today, I recognized that that jewel-like beauty
is the presence, our loving confusion,
the glow in which watery clay
gets brighter than fire,

the one we call the Friend.
I begged, "Is there a way into you,
a ladder?"
"Your head is the ladder.
Bring it down under your feet."

The mind, this globe of awareness,
is a starry universe that when
you push off from it with your foot,

a thousand new roads come clear, as you yourself
do at dawn, sailing through the light.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Say I am You"
Maypop, 1994

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today I beheld the beloved, that ornament of every affair;
he went off departing to heaven like the spirit of Mustafa.
The sun is put to shame by his countenance, heaven's sphere is
as confused as the heart; through his glow, water and clay are
more resplendent than fire.
I said, "Show me the ladder, that I may mount up to heaven."
He said, "Your head is the ladder; bring your head down under
your feet."
When you place your feet on your head, you will place your
feet on the head of the stairs; when you cleave through the air, set
your foot on the air, so, and come!
A hundred ways to heaven's air become manifest to you; you
go flying up to heaven every dawning like a prayer.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
University of Chicago Press, 1991

Arberry's notes:

1. "Like the spirit of Mustafa": a reference to the famous mi'raj (Ascension) of Muhammad. The orthodox view was that his ascension was bodily, but Rumi is attracted by the double meaning of "ravan" ("departing" and "spirit").
2. "Confused": literally, "latticed"
3. "Your head is the ladder; bring your head down under your feet."
-- prostration in prayer, the subjection of reason to spirit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Before I was seduced by love -- Ghazal 1517

2011-11-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

you ask me
who are you and
with such a shaky
existence how can you
fall in love

how do i know
who am i or where i am
how could a simple wave
locate itself
in an ocean

you ask me
what am i seeking
above and beyond
the pure light
that i once was

and why am i
imprisoned in this cage
named body and
yet i claim to be
a free bird.

how do i know
how i lost my way
i know for sure
i was all straight
before i was
seduced by love.

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Cal-Earth Press, 1995

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] You Are Not a Single You

2011-10-31T09:05:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You Are Not a Single YOU

You're a common rhyme-word now,
dependent on some other for your emotional force,
but real life will come.

As when a baby stops nursing and grows interested
in solid food. As when seeds break open in the ground
and act differently.

There is a hidden love-center
in human beings that you will discover and savor
and nourish yourself with. That will be your food.

There's a way of going that's like the stars.
No,
even freer than they are, completely unconditioned,
unlocated, unpathed. A journey without a sky!

You came from Non-existence into being.
How did that happen? Tell me about it!
You were a little drunk when you arrived,
so you can't remember exactly?

I'll give you
some secret hints. Let your mind go, and be mindful.
Close your ears, and listen.

But maybe I shouldn't tell,
if you're not ripe. You're still in early Spring.
July hasn't happened yet in you.
This world is a tree,
and we are green, half-ripe fruit on it.
We hold tight to the limbs, because we know
we're not ready to be taken into the palace.

When we mature and sweeten,
we'll feel ashamed
at having clung so clingingly.
To hold fast
is a sure sign of unripeness.
To drink and enjoy
blood is fine for an embryo.

More needs to be said on this, but the Holy Spirit
will tell it to you when I'm not here.

*You'll* tell it
to *yourself*. Not I, or some other "I," You
who are Me!
As when you fall asleep and go
from the presence of your self to the Presence
of your Self. You hear That One and you think,
"Someone must have communicated telepathically
in my sleep."
You are not a single You,
good Friend, you are a Sky and an Ocean,
a tremendous YHUUUUUU, a nine hundred times huge
drowning place for all your hundreds of you's.

What are these terms *wakefulness* and *sleep*?
Don't answer. Let God answer.
Don't speak, so the Speakers can.
Not a word, so Sun-Light can say
what has never been in a book, or said.
Don't try to put it into words,
and the Spirit will do that through you,
in spite of you,
beside you,
among you.
Stop swimming so hard,
and climb in the boat with Noah.

-- Mathnawi, III, 1283-1307
Version by Coleman Barks and John Moyne
"This Longing"
Shambhala, Boston & London, 2000

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Reading from the page of his heart

2011-10-28T09:17:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Adam became the theater of Divine inspiration and love,
his rational soul revealed to him the knowledge of the Names.*
His tongue, reading from the page of his heart,
recited the name of everything that is.
Through his inward vision his tongue divulged the qualities of each;
for each it bestowed an appropriate name.
Nine hundred Noah walked in the straight way,
and everyday he preached a new sermon.
His ruby lip drew its eloquence from the precious jewel
that is within the hearts of prophets:
he had not read Qushayrî's Risâlah or the Qût al-Qulûb of Abû Tâlib.
He had not learned to preach from pouring over commentaries;
no, he learned from the fountain of revelations and the spirit--
from the wine that is so potent that when it is quaffed
the water of speech gushes from the mouth of the dumb,
and the new-born child becomes an eloquent divine
and, like the Messiah, recites words of ripened wisdom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chon shod dam maz'har-e vahy o vedâd
nâteqeh-ye u `allama al-asmâ'* goshâd
Nâm-e har chizi chonânkeh hast ân
az sahifeh-ye del ruy gashtesh zabân
Fâsh mi gofti zabân az ro'yatesh
jomleh-râ khâsiyat o mâhiyatesh
nchonân nâmi keh ashyâ-râ sazad
nah chonânkeh chiz-râ khvânad asad
Nuh nohsad sâl dar râh-e savi
bud har ruzish tazkir-e navi
La`l-e u guyâ ze yâqut al-qolub
nah Risâlah khvândeh nah Qût al-Qulûb
Va`z-râ na-âmukhteh hich az shoruh
balkeh yanbu`-e koshuf o sharh-e ruh
Z-ân mayi k-ân may cho nushideh shavad
âb-e notq az gong jushideh shavad
Tefl-e nawzâdeh shavad habr-e fasih
hekmat-e bâlegh be-khvânad chon Masih

-- Mathnawi VI:2648-2656
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Baqarah, 29

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Show Thy Face to us -- Ghazal 1160

2011-10-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Show Thy Face to us! Conceal it not, oh Thou
who like the moon art famous throughout the seven heavens!
We are a group of lovers whom desire has
brought from a distant place on a journey--
Oh Thou who hast within Thine own Spirit
hundreds of thousands of paradises and houris and palaces!
Look down from the roof and behold with
kindliness this congregation of afflicted lovers!
Oh Saki of the Sufis! Give us a wine that does
not come from vat or grapes!
Give that wine whose ferment's fragrance pulls
the dead out of their graves!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1160
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Let go of all distractions -- Ghazal 563

2011-10-26T08:34:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunlight offers two translations of Ghazal (Ode) 563,
from Rumi's "Divan-e Shams" ("The Collection of Shams") -- one by Kolin and Mafi, and one by Professor Arberry:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My heart, sit only with those
who know and understand you.
Sit only under a tree
that is full of blossoms.
In the bazaar of herbs and potions
don't wander aimlessly
find the shop with a potion that is sweet
If you don't have a measure
people will rob you in no time.
You will take counterfeit coins
thinking they are real.
Don't fill your bowl with food from
every boiling pot you see.
Not every joke is humorous, so don't search
for meaning where there isn't one.
Not every eye can see,
not every sea is full of pearls.
My heart, sing the song of longing
like nightingale.
The sound of your voice casts a spell
on every stone, on every thorn.
First, lay down your head
then one by one
let go of all distractions.
Embrace the light and let it guide you
beyond the winds of desire.
There you will find a spring and
nourished by its sweet waters
like a tree you will bear fruit forever.

--Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
"Rumi: Hidden Music"
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My heart, be seated near that person who has experience of
the heart, go under that tree which bears fresh blossoms.
Go not in every direction as do idlers in this druggists'
market; sit in the shop of someone who has sugar in his shop.
If you have no balance, then every one waylays you; one
man adorns a counterfeit coin, and you imagine that he has
gold;
Cheatingly he sets you by the door, saying, "I am coming"
- do not sit expectant at the door, for that house has two doors.
Do not bring your cup to every pot that seethes, and do not
sit there, for every seething pot has within in something else.
Not every reed holds sugar; not every under has an over;
not every eye has sight; not every sea holds pearls.
Lament, singing nightingale, because the drunkard's lament
has some effect, some effect even on rocks and stones.
Put aside your head if you have no room, for if the thread is
not contained in the eye of the needle that is because it has a head.
This wakeful heart is a lantern; hold it under your skirt; pass
away from this wind and air, for the air puts it into commotion.
When you have passed away from the wind you have become a
dweller in a fountain, you have become companion to a confederate
who pours cooling water on the heart.
When you have water on your heart, you are like a green
tree which constantly yields new fruit, and journeys within the Heart.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press 1968/1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The idol of your self

2011-10-25T09:06:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The idol of your self is the mother of all idols.
The material idol is only a snake;
while this inner idol is a dragon.
It is easy to break an idol,
but to regard the self as easy to subdue is a mistake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mâdar-e bot-hâ bot-e nafs-e shomâst
zânke ân bot mâr va in bot azhdahâst
Bot shekastan sahl bâshad nik sahl
sahl didan nafs-râ jahlast jahl

-- Mathnawi I: 772-778
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] God willing

2011-10-24T10:14:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some people work and become wealthy.
Others do the same and remain poor.

Marriage fills one with energy.
Another it drains.

Don't trust ways. They change.
A means flails about like a donkey's tail.

Always add the gratitude clause
to any sentence, if God wills,
then go.

You may be leading a donkey, no,
a goat, no, who can tell?

We sit in a dark pit and think we're home.
We pass around delicacies.
Poisoned bait.

You think this is preachy doubletalk?

Those who do not breathe the God willing phrase
live in a collective blindness.

Rubbing their eyes, they ask the dark,
"Who's there?"

-- Mathnawi VI: 3685-3698
Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Trust in our sustainer

2011-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trust in God is the best livelihood.
Everyone needs to trust in God
and ask, "O God, bring this work of mine to success."
Prayer involves trust in God, and trust in God
is the only means of livelihood that is independent of all others.
In these two worlds I don't know of any means of livelihood
better than trust in our Sustainer.
I know nothing better than gratitude
which brings in its wake the daily bread and its increase.

-- Mathnawi V: 2425-2426
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The Breaking Wave of Love -- Ghazal 881

2011-10-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Breaking Wave of Love

Ah, once more he put a fire in me,
And once more this crazy heart
is craving the open plains.
This ocean of love breaks into another wave
And blood pours from my heart
in all directions.

Ah, one spark flew
and burned the house of my heart.
Smoke filled the sky.
The flames grew fierce in the wind.

The fire of the heart is not easily lit.
So don't cry out: "O Lord, rescue me
from the burning flames!
Spare me from the army of thoughts
that is marching through my mind!"

O Heart of Pure Consciousness,
You are the ruler of all hearts.
After countless ages
you brought my soul
all it ever wished for.

The eyes of all people happy and sad,
are closed to the truth.
May their eyes be opened!
May they look upon God
and get drunk on His beauty.

May their hands reach toward the Truth.
May their ears hear the voice of the Beloved.
May the shadow of a Master
fall upon everyone who has devotion.

All the world praises you,
But where did this "you" come from?
All the universe is born of Love –
But where did this Love come from?

O Shams,
you are the owner of the land of life –
the light of every heart;
Even the King of Love
knows no love
that is not yours.

-- Ode 881
Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] To Know the Moon and the Sea -- Ghazal N-XIX

2011-10-19T08:03:00.001-07:00

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal N-XIX (numbered according
to Nicholson's numbering system, rather than the Furuzanfur
system), in a version by Kabir Helminski:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"To Know the Moon and the Sea"

At the break of dawn a single moon appeared,
descended from the sky, and gazed at me.

Like a falcon swooping in for the catch,
it snatched me up and soared across the sky.
When I looked at myself, I saw myself no more,
because by grace my body had become fine.

I made a journey of the soul accompanied by the moon,
until the secret of time was totally revealed.
Heaven's nine spheres were in that moon.
The vessel of my being had vanished in that sea.

Waves rose on the ocean. Intelligence ascended
and sounded its call. So it happened; so it was.
The sea began to foam and every bit of froth
took shape and was bodied forth.

Then each spindrift body kissed by that sea
immediately melted into spirit.
Without the power of a Shams, the Truth of Tabriz,
one could neither behold the moon nor become the sea.

-- Ghazal (Ode) N-XIX
Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger"
Threshold Books, 1993

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The water of life

2011-10-18T07:49:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Though your life has almost passed, this present moment is its root:
if it lacks moisture, water it with repentance.
Give the Living Water to the root of your life,
so that the tree of your life may flourish.
By this Water past mistakes are redeemed.
By this Water last year's poison is made sweet.

`Omr agar be-gozasht bikhesh in damast
âb-e tawbeh-sh deh agar u bi namast
Bikh-e `omret-râ be-deh b-e Hayât
tâ derakht-e `omr gardad bâ nabât
Jomleh-ye mâzi-hâ azin niku shavand
zahr-e pârineh azin gardad cho qand

-- Mathnawi V: 2222-2224
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I Met One Traveling -- Ghazal 3107

2011-10-17T12:33:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I Met One Traveling"

In the evening between sleep and awakening,
I met one traveling. He was the light of

consciousness. His body was soul, his pure
wisdom apparent in his beautiful face. He

praises me for a while, then scolds, "You
sit on the seven-sky throne, in prison.

The sign of Gemini has set a table for you,
yet you stick your head down a drainhole

again. Essence is not nourished with food
and sleep. Do no one any harm in this

timefield of short crops, where what you
sow comes back up very quickly! You try to

accomplish things, to win, to reach goals.
This is not the true situation. Put the

whole world in ambition's stomach, it'll
never be enough. Assume you get everything

you want. Assume you have it now. What's
the point? The next moment, you die.

Friend, the youth you've lived is ending.
You sleep a drunken dreamless sleep with no

sense what morning you could wake inside."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 3107
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The differences among souls

2011-10-14T10:06:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When it comes to human essences,
the foundation of these buildings we build,
know there are differences.
Neither is one person's life like another,
nor is any death the same.
Never think anyone's grave is similar.
How indeed shall I describe the difference that exists
among souls in that other world?
Put your work to the touchstone as you work.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pas haqâyeq-râ keh asl asl-hâst
dânke ânjâ farq-hâ va fasl-hâst
Nah hayâtesh chon hayât-e u bud
nah mamâtesh chon mamât-e u bud
Gur-e u hargez cho gur-e u ma-dân
khvod cheh guyam hâl-e farq-e ân jahân
Bar mehakk zan kâr-e khvhod ay mard-e kâr
tâ na-sâzi masjid-e ahl-e zerâr

-- Mathnawi II: 3022-3025
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] When you don't weave, the weaver will be He

2011-10-13T09:58:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Weave not, like spiders, nets from grief's saliva
In which the woof and warp are both decaying.
But give the grief to Him, Who granted it,
And do not talk about it anymore.
When you are silent, His speech is your speech.
When you don't weave, the weaver will be He.

-- Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
(No citation given)
Look! This is Love - Poems of Rumi
Shambhala, 1996

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Shams has come! -- Ghazal 633

2011-10-12T07:50:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shams has come!
My Sun and Moon, my sight and hearing
that Beauty suddenly appeared by my side.
The one who was always in my thoughts
for whom I've searched so long
has come to me with open arms
laying flowers on my path.
My deepest wish has been granted.
What can I fear when my shield
my water of life has come?
Today is a day of Glory!
Today I am like Solomon
with the ring of abundance on my finger
and the divine crown on my head.
I can fly for he has given me wings
I can roar like a lion, I can rise like dawn.
No more verses
for I am taken to a place from where
this world seems so small.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 633
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] A furnace to extract the silver

2011-10-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This discipline and rough treatment are a furnace
to extract the silver from the dross.
This testing purifies the gold
by boiling the scum away.

~~~~~~~~~

Ba-har ânast in riyâzat vin jafâ
tâ bar ârad kawreh az noqreh jofâ
ba-har ânast emtehân nik o bad
tâ be-jushad bar sar ârad zar zabad

-- Mathnawi I: 232-233
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The Day's Great Wooden Bowl -- Ghazal 2952

2011-10-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Day's Great Wooden Bowl

Still dizzy from last night's
wine? Wait a while. Don't reach

yet for this we serve. You can't
really be on the ocean with scenes

of familiar creeks and your loved
home-river in your eyes. Wait,

if you're caught in memory. As
those with business ideas were

driven from the temple courtyard,
so bitter, self-important people

need to be excluded from the mix
being stirred in this day's great

wooden bowl. In the room with
the Chinese princess, popular

songs fade. Don't boil the hard
unripened grapes, and don't sell

vinegar! This moment is the perfect
grape you crush to make your life-

wine interesting. You might, in
such a moment, meet someone as

I met Shams. God knows what
orchard you'll be walking then!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2952
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Until springtime brings the touch of God

2011-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The soil is faithful to its trust:
whatever you have sown in it, you reap the same.
But until springtime brings the touch of God,
the soil does not reveal its secrets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Khâk amin o harch dar vay kâshti
bi khiyânat jens-e ân bardâshti
Tâ neshân-e Haqq niyârad nawbahâr
khâk serr-hâ-râ na-kardeh âshkâr

-- Mathnawi I: 509;511
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Preparation for planting

2011-10-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers three renditions of verses from the Mathnawi:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Absolute Being works in nonexistence -
what but nonexistence is the workshop of the Maker
of existence?

Does anyone write upon a written page? Does
anyone plant a sapling in a place already planted?

No, he searches for a paper free of writing, he
sows a seed in a place unsown.

Be, oh brother, a place unsown, a white paper
untouched by the pen!

-- Mathnawi V: 1960-63
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Does anyone write something on a place
that has already been written over,
or plant a sapling where one already grows?
No; he seeks a blank piece of paper
and sows the seed where none has yet been sown.
Sister, be bare earth; be a clean piece of paper
untouched by writing, that you may be ennobled by the pen of revelation,*
so that the Gracious One may sow seed within you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bar neveshteh hich be-nevisad kasi
yâ nehâleh kârd andar maghresi
Kâghazi juyad keh ân be-neveshteh nist
tokhm kârd mawze`i keh keshteh nist
To berâdar mawze`i nâ-keshteh bâsh
kâghaz-e aspid nâ be-neveshteh bâsh
Tâ mosharraf gardi az Nûn wa-al-qalam*
tâ be-kârd dar to tokhm ân Zu al-Karam

*al-Qalam, 1

-- Mathnawi V:1961-1964
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Absolute works with nothing.
The workshop, the materials
are what does not exist.

Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it.
Be a spot of ground where is nothing is growing,
where something might be planted,
a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.

-- Mathnawi V: 1960-64
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1995

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Disentangle yourself -- Ghazal 3291

2011-10-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

if you can disentangle
yourself from your selfish self
all heavenly spirits
will stand ready to serve you

if you can finally hunt down
your own beastly self
you have the right
to claim Solomon's kingdom

you are that blessed soul who
belongs to the garden of paradise
is it fair to let yourself
fall apart in a shattered house

you are the bird of happiness
in the magic of existence
what a pity when you let
yourself be chained and caged

but if you can break free
from this dark prison named body
soon you will see
you are the sage and the fountain of life

-- Ghazal (Ode) 3291
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~

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[Sunlight] "It is less than an atom"

2011-10-04T10:05:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When He Himself is the light of your eye,
a hundred worlds like ours appear.
If this one looks bottomless and vast,
remember: to Omnipotence it is less than an atom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sad cho `âlam dar nazar paydâ konad
chon keh chashmet-râ be-Khvod binâ konad
Gar jahân pishast bozorg o bi bonist
pish-e Qodrat zarreh mi dân nist
In jahân khvod habs-e jân-hâ-ye shomâst
hin ravid ân su keh sahrâ-ye shomâst
In jahân majdud o ân khvod bi haddast
naqsh o surat pish-e ân ma`nâ saddast.

-- Mathnawi I: 523-6
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~

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[Sunlight] Every mote -- Ghazal 1195

2011-10-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1195, from Molana
Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in a version by
Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry, from which
Barks developed his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Music Master"

You that love lovers,
this is your home. Welcome!

In the midst of making form, love
made this form that melts form,
with love for the door,
soul the vestibule.

Watch the dust grains moving
in the light near the window.
Their dance is our dance.

We rarely hear the inward music,
but we're all dancing to it nevertheless,

directed by the one who teaches us,
the pure joy of the sun,
our music master.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The love of that cherisher of lovers has come to his own
house; Love has in form-conceiving a form melting all forms.
You have come to your own house; welcome, enter! Your coming is
with joy; enter by the door of the heart, run to the vestibule of the
soul!
Every mote of my being is in love with your sun; take heed, for
motes have long transaction with the sun.
See how before the window the motes gracefully suspended
beat; whoever has the sun for a qibla prays after this fashion.
In the concert of the sun these motes are like Sufis; no on
knows to what recitation, to what rhythm, to what harmony.
In every heart there is a different note and rhythm, all stamp-
ing feet outwardly, and the minstrels hidden like a secret.
Loftier than all is our inward concert, our particles dancing
therein with a hundred kinds of glory and pride.
Shams-I Tabrizi, you are the sultan of the sultans of the soul;
no Mahmud like you ever came into being, nor like me any Ayaz.

*The love of Sultan Mahmud and Ayaz became proverbial; see Math.
V:2858 foll.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press 1968/1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Those who have already died

2011-09-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lovers, who die knowingly, die like sugar
before their Beloved.
On the day of Alast they drank the Water of
Life -- so they cannot die like others.
Since they have been resurrected in Love, they
do not die like these people in the crowd.
Through God's Gentleness they have passed
beyond the angels--far be it from them to die like humans!
Do you suppose that lions die like dogs, far
from His Presence?
When lovers die in their journey, the spirit's
King runs out to meet them.
When they die at the feet of that Moon, they all
light up like the sun.
The lovers who are each others' spirit, die in
their mutual love.
The water of Love soothes their aching livers,
they all come and die in that heartache.
Each is an unparalleled orphan pearl -- they do
not die next to mothers and fathers.
Lovers fly to the spheres, deniers die in the
depths of the Blaze.
Lovers open the eye that sees the Unseen, the
rest all die blind and deaf.
In fear the lovers never used to sleep at night--
now they all die without dread or danger.
Those who worshiped fodder here were all
cows -- they die like asses.
Those who sought that vision today die happy
and laughing in vision's midst.
The king places them next to His Gentleness--
they do not die in the lowliness and insignificance you see.
Those who seek to acquire the virtue of
Muhammad die like Abu Bakr and Umar.*
Far from them is death and annihilation! But I
have sung this ghazal supposing they were to die.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 972
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

* I.e. Abu Bakr and Umar, along with Uthman and Ali, were the closest
companions of the Prophet and the first four caliphs of Islam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] When I see your face -- Ghazal 1628

2011-09-28T08:46:00.001-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers three renderings of Mowlana Rumi's Ghazal
(Ode) 1628, in a translation by Kolin and Mafi, a version by
Barks, and a translation by Arberry, upon which Professor Barks based
his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I see your face
I shut my eyes to others.
I am drunk with your presence.
To earn Solomon's seal
I have become supple as wax.
When I see your face
I surrender my will and
become a sigh on your lips.
You were in my hand but I kept reaching out
like a blind man.
I was in your hand but kept asking questions
from those who are ignorant.
I must have been very drunk or naïve
to steal my own gold,
I must have been mad to sneak in
and rob my own jasmine garden.
I've been twisted long enough by your might,
Shams of Tabriz!
But even in my sorrow I am joyous
like the crescent moon
at the beginning of the festival.

-- Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When I see you and how you are,
I close my eyes to the other.
For your Solomon's seal I become wax
throughout my body. I wait to be light.
I give up opinions on all matters.
I become the reed flute for your breath.

You were inside my hand.
I kept reaching around for something.
I was inside your hand, but I kept asking questions
of those who know very little.

I must have been incredibly simple or drunk or insane
to sneak into my own house and steal money,
to climb over the fence and take my own vegetables.
But no more. I've gotten free of that ignorant fist
that was pinching and twisting my secret self.

The universe and the light of the stars come through me.
I am the crescent moon put up
over the gate to the festival.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"These Branching Moments,"
Copper Beech Press, 1988

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I closed my eyes to creation when I beheld his beauty, I
became intoxicated with his beauty and bestowed my soul.
For the sake of Solomon's seal I became wax in all my
body, and in order to become illumined I rubbed my wax.
I saw his opinion and cast away my own twisted opinion;
I became his reed pipe and likewise lamented on his lip.
He was in my hand, and blindly I groped for him with my
hand; I was in his hand, and yet I inquired of those who were
misinformed.
I must have been either a simpleton or drunk or mad that
fearfully I was stealing from my own gold.
Life a thief I crept through a crack in the wall into my own
vine, like a thief I gathered jasmine from my own garden.
Enough, do not twist my secret upon your fingertips, for
I have twisted off out of your twisted fist.
Shams-e Tabriz, from whom comes the light of moon and
stars, though I am grieving with sorrow for him, I am like the
crescent of the festival.

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] The qualities of expansion and contraction

2011-09-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

Today, Sunlight offers Mathnawi verses, in a version by Camille
and Kabir Helminski, which is accompanied by a Persian transliteration, and in a version by Professor Coleman Barks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Observe the qualities of expansion and contraction
in the fingers of your hand:
surely after the closing of the fist comes the opening.
If the fingers were always closed or always open,
the owner would be crippled.
Your movement is governed by these two qualities:
they are as necessary to you
as two wings are to a bird.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In do vasf az panjeh-ye dast be-bin
ba`d qabz mosht bast âyad yaqin
Panjeh-râ gar qabz bâshad dâyemâ
yâ hameh bast u bovad chon mobtelâ
Zin do vasfesh kâr o maksab montazem
chon par-e morgh in do hâl u-râ mohemm

-- Mathnawi III:3762-3766
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Birdwings

Your grief for what you've lost lifts a mirror
up to where you're bravely working.

Expecting the worst, you look, and instead,
here's the joyful face you've been wanting to see.

Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.
If it were always a fist or always stretched open,
you would be paralyzed.

Your deepest presence is in every small
contracting and expanding,
the two as beautifully balances and coordinated
as birdwings.

-- Mathnawi III: 3769-3766
Coleman Barks
The Essential Rumi
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Flee to the grace of God -- Ghazal 2894

2011-09-26T09:01:00.001-07:00

Today, Sunlight offers Molana Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 2894, in a
version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry,
upon which Barks based his interpretive version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's a habit of yours to walk slowly.
You hold a grudge for years.
With such heaviness, how can you be modest?
With such attachments, do you expect to arrive anywhere?

Be wide as the air to learn a secret.
Right now you're equal portions
clay and water, thick mud.

Abraham learned how the sun
and the moon and the stars all set.
He said, No longer will I try to assign partners for God.

You are so weak. Give up to grace.
The ocean takes care of each wave till it gets to shore.
You're trying to live your life in open scaffolding.
Say Bismillah, In the name of God,
as the priest does with a knife
when he offers an animal.
"Bismillah" your old self to find your real name.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"These Branching Moments,"
Copper Beech Press, 1988

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With such a gait, when will you reach the station? With such
a habit, how will you gain the goal?
You are very heavy of soul and camel-hearted; when will you
arrive among the nimble-spirited?*
With such grossness how will you be modest? with such a
joining [attachment for the world], how will you reach the one
who enjoys the union?
Since there is no broadness in the mind, how will you achieve
the society of the difficult secret?*
You are like water left in this clay; so how will you attain the
pure water and clay?
Disregard the sun and moon like Abraham, else how will you
attain the perfect sun?*
Since you are weak, go, flee to the grace of God, for without
the Gracious how will you attain the excellence?
Without the tender care of that sea of loving kindness, how
will you reach the shore of such a wave?
Without the Boraq* of love and the labor of Gabriel how will
you like Mohammad attain all the stages?
You take shelter in those who are without shelter; how will
you attain the shelter of the welcoming king?
Before besmellah sacrifice yourself utterly; else, when you lie
dead, how will you attain the Name of God?*

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979

* "Camel-hearted" is a cowardly person or someone who holds a grudge long in his heart.
* Arberry had: "Since there is no opening in your head..."
* Qur'an 6: 76-7: "When the night covered him [Abraham], he saw a star; he said: 'This is my Lord.' But when it set, he said, 'Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.' When he saw the sun rising in splendor, he said: 'This is my Lord, who is the greatest of all.' But when the sun set, he said: 'O my people! I am now free from your guilt of giving partners to God."
* Boraq is the legendary steed of Mohammad which carried him to his ascension.
* Besmellah al-rahman al-rahim (in the name of God, most gracious, most merciful) is repeated in the beginning of every chapter of the Qur'an. Also it is mentioned when a bird or animal is slaughtered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] What is arrogance?

2011-09-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is arrogance?
It is being oblivious and insensible to what is essential,
as the ice is unaware of the sun.
When ice becomes conscious of the sun, it doesn't last long:
it warms and melts and flows away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In takabbor chist ghaflat az lobâb
monjamed chon ghaflat-e yakh ze âftâb
Chon khabar shod ze âftâbesh yakh na-mând
narm gasht o garm gasht o tiz rând

-- Mathnawi V:1941-1942
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Dear one, come to the tavern of ruin -- Ghazal 2309

2011-09-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal 2309, from the Diwan-e Shams, in a
version by Version by Helminski, with Godlas and Saedian, and in a
poetic translation by the Iranian architect Nader Khalili:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Drunkards and the Tavern

I'm drunk and you're insane, who's going to take us home?
How many times did they say,
"Drink just a little, only two or three at most?"

In this city no one I see is conscious;
one is worse off than the next, frenzied and insane.

Dear one, come to the tavern of ruin
and experience the pleasures of the soul.
What happiness can there be apart
from this intimate conversation
with the Beloved, the Soul of souls?

In every corner there are drunkards, arm in arm,
while the Server pours the wine
from a royal decanter to every particle of being.

You belong to the tavern: your income is wine,
and wine is all you ever buy.
Don't give even a second away
to the concerns of the merely sober.

O lute player, are you more drunk, or am I?
In the presence of one as drunk as you, my magic is a myth.

When I went outside the house,
some drunk approached me,
and in his eyes I saw
hundreds of hidden gardens and sanctuaries.

Like a ship without an anchor,
he rocked this way and that.
Hundreds of intellectuaIs and wise men
could die from a taste of his yearning.

I asked, "Where are you from?"
He laughed and said, "O soul,
half of me is from Turkestan and half from Farghana.

Half of me is water and mud, half heart and soul;
half of me is the ocean' s shore, half is all pearl."

"Be my friend," I pleaded, 'I'm one of your family."
"I know the difference between farnily and outsiders."

I've neither a heart nor a turban,
and here in this house of hangovers
my breast is filled with unspoken words.
Shall I try to explain or not?

Have I lived among the lame for so long
that I've begun to limp myself?
And yet no slap of pain could disturb
a drunkenness like this.

Listen, can you hear a wail
arising from the pillar of grief?
Shams al-Haqq of Tabriz, where are you now,
after all the mischief you've stirred in our hearts?

-- Version by K. Helminski, A. Godlas, and L. Saedian
"The Rumi Collection"
Threshold Books, 1998

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

you are drunk
and i'm intoxicated
no one is around
showing us the way home

again and again
i told you
drink less
a cup or two

i know in this city
no one is sober
one is worse than the other
one is frenzied and
the other gone mad

come on my friend
step into the tavern of ruins
taste the sweetness of life
in the company of another friend

here you'll see
at every corner
someone intoxicated
and the cup-bearer
makes her rounds

i went out of my house
a drunkard came to me
someone whose glance
uncovered a hundred
houses in paradise

rocking and rolling
he was a sail
with no anchor but
he was the envy of all those sober ones
remaining on the shore

where are you from i asked
he smiled in mockery and said
one half from the east
one half from the west
one half made of water and earth
one half made of heart and soul
one half staying at the shores and
one half nesting in a pearl

i begged
take me as your friend
i am your next of kin
he said i recognize no kin
among strangers
i left my belongings and
entered this tavern
i only have a chest
full of words
but can't utter
a single one

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire", 1991
Cal-Earth Press, 1994

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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[Sunlight] Walking blindly -- Ghazal 1603

2011-09-21T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers two contrasting versions of Ghazal 1603:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"The Staff of Moses"

I am in your garden
beneath a tree that grants every wish.
I am so full of fire
that I dance without music.

I am a shadow
forever dancing with the sunlight –
At times I lie on the ground,
At times I stand on my head.
At times I am short,
At times I am long.

Like the movement of dark and light
across the earth,
I move across the ages.
I am the Ruler of the Egyptians
and the Guide of the Jews.
Among men of letters
I am the law of truth -
At times I am like a pen,
At times like the staff of Moses,
At times like a cobra
slithering its way through the sand.

Don't try to find love
By leaning on the cane of the intellect;
that cane is nothing
but a blind man's stick.
One sign from you is all I want;
One "yes" from you
and my soul will be free.

I am not from this place.
I am a stranger here,
Walking blindly,
Hoping you will come and show me
where to take my next step.

-- Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Walkingstick Dragon

I want to dance here in this music,
not in spirit where there is no time.

I circle the sun like shadow. My
head becomes my feet. Covered with

existence, Pharaoh; annihilated, I
am Moses. A pen between
God-fingers,

a walkingstick dragon, my blind mind
taps along its cane of thought. Love

does no thinking. It waits with soul,
with me, weeping in this corner. We're

strangers here where we never hear
yes. We must be from some other town.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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[Sunlight] Making hidden things manifest

2011-09-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

God is forever making hidden things manifest:
since they grow up, don't sow bad seed.
Rain and clouds and fire and this sun are forever
bringing up hidden things from within the earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Râz-hâ-râ mi konad Haqq âshkâr
chon be-khvâhad rost tokhm-e bad ma-kâr
Âb o abr o âtesh o in âftâb
râz-hâ-râ mi bar ârad az torâb

-- Mathnawi, V:3969-3970
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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[Sunlight] Warriors with no shields' musicians with no pipes -- Ghazal 2942

2011-09-19T08:45:00.001-07:00

~

Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2942, in an interpretive version
by Coleman Barks, and in translation by A.J. Arberry:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ashes, Wanderers"

In this battle we do not hold
a shield in front to us. When

we turn in sama, we do not hear
the flute or the tambourine.

Underneath these feet we become
nazar, the guide's glance, ashes,

wanderers: as the moon diminishes
every day and then it's gone, to

come back changed. Send for the
planet Venus to play here! Flute,

drum, and strings are not enough.
No. Who but these musicians could

stand the heat that melts the sun?

-- Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the battle ranks we have no shield before our face; in the
concert we are unaware of reed pipe and tambourine.
We are naught in his love, dust at the foot of his love; we are
love fold upon fold, we are all love, nothing else.
When we have obliterated ourselves we become altogether
love; when sormah is pounded, it is nothing but the source of
sight.
Every body that has become an accident has become the soul
and heart of self-interest; melt of all sickness, there is nothing
worse than being congealed.
Out of desire of that melting and love for that cherishing the
liver within me has turned all to blood; I have no liver any more.
My heart is broken into a hundred pieces, my heart has become
astray; today if you search, there is no trace of heart in me.
Look at the orb of the moon, waning every day, so that in the
dark period you might say there is no moon in the sky.
The changelessness of that moon derives from nearness to the
sun; when afar, it is full-bodied, but such initiative does not
belong to it.
O king, for the sake of the soul send Venus as a minstrel;
this soft pipe and tambourine are no match for the concert of
the souls.
No, no--for what is Venus when the Sun itself is powerless?
To be suitable for such ardor is not in the power of any lute or
sun.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Gradualness is characteristic of that King

2011-09-16T07:15:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wasn't God able to create heaven in one moment by the word "Be"?
Without a doubt He was.
Why, then, O you who seek to be taught,
did He extend the time to six days—
every day as long as a thousand years?
Why is the creation of a child completed in nine months?
Because gradualness is characteristic of the action of that King.

~~~~~~~~~

Haqq nah qâder bud bar khalq-e falak
dar yeki lahzeh be- "Kun"*? Bi hich shakk
Pas cherâ shesh ruz ân-râ dar keshid
koll yawm alf `âm ay mostanid
Khalqat-e tefl az cheh andar noh mah ast
zânkeh tadrij az she`âr-e ân Shah ast

-- Mathnawi VI: 1213-1215
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Milk and honey, sugar and halva -- Ghazal 236

2011-09-15T07:10:00.000-07:00

Here, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 236, from the Diwan-e Shams, in a translation by Professor Franklin D. Lewis. Professor Lewis relates that this poem was, "Rumi's benediction, either on the occasion of the marriage contract, or the actual wedding celebration, of his son, Sultan Valad, and Salah al-Din's daughter Fateme Khatun".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May the blessings which flow in all weddings
be gathered, God, together in our wedding!
The blessings of the Night of Power,
the month of fasting
the festival to break the fast
the blessings of the meeting of Adam and Eve
the blessings of the meeting of Joseph and Jacob
the blessings of gazing on the paradise of all abodes
and yet another blessing which cannot be put in words:
the fruitful scattering of joy
of the children of the Shayak
and our eldest!

In companionship and happiness
may you be like milk and honey
in union and fidelity,
just like sugar and halva.
May the blessings of those who toast
and the one who pours the wine
anoint the ones who said Amen and
the one who said the prayer.

-- Translation by Franklin D. Lewis
"Rumi -- Past and Present, East and West"
Oneworld Publications, Oxford, 2000

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I wasnt like this before -- Ghazal 1506

2011-09-14T07:53:00.001-07:00

Sunlight offers two presentations of Ghazal (Ode) 1506 -- a
poetic translation by Nader Khalili, and a translation of a translation by Nevit Ergin, who was working from a classic Turkish edition of the Diwan-e Shams:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

believe me
i wasn't always like this
lacking common sense
or looking insane

like you
i used to be clever
in my days

never like this
totally enraptured
totally gone

like sharp shooters
i used to be
a hunter of hearts

not like today
with my own heart
drowning in its blood

nonstop asking and
searching for answers
that was then

but now
so deeply enchanted
so deeply enthralled

always pushing
to be ahead and above
since i was not yet hunted down
by this
ever-increasing love

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Cal-Earth Press, 1991

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Not Like This Before"

I wasn't like this before.
I wasn't out of my mind and senses.
Once I used to be wise like you,
not crazy, insane and broken down
like I am now.

I wasn't the admirer of life
which has no trace, no being.
I used to ask, "Who is this?
What is that?"
and search all the time.

Since you have wisdom,
sit and think
that probably I was like this before.
I haven't changed much.

I used to try to make
myself better than everybody.
I hadn't been hunted
with the ever-growing Love before.
I tried to rise above the sky
with my ambition
yet I didn't know
I was just wandering in the desert.
At the end, I have raised
a treasure from the ground.

-- Second generation translation by Nevit O.Ergin
"Magnificent One: Selected Verses from Divan-I Kebir"
Larson Publishing Company, 1993

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] Visions and reality

2011-09-13T07:19:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When a person sees a reflection of apples in the river,
and the sight of them fills her skirt with real apples,
how should that which she saw in the river be a fantasy,
when a hundred sacks have been filled by her vision?
Don't pay attention to the body, and don't act
like those deaf and dumb ones*
who disbelieved in the Truth when it came to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chon darin ju did `aks-e sib mard
Dâmanesh-râ did ân por sib kard
ncheh dar ju did kay bâshad khayâl
chonkeh shod az didanesh por sad jovâl
Tan ma-bin va ân ma-kon k-ân bukm o summ*
kadhdhabû bi-al-Haqqi lammâ jâ'ahum

-- Mathnawi VI:3194-3196
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Baqarah, 171

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] I am ready to drink every flame -- Ghazal 543

2011-09-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

In this post, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 543, in a
poetic version by Coleman Barks and a literal translation by
A. J. Arberry:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When I press my hand to my chest,
it is Your Chest.

And now You're scratching my head!

Sometimes you put me in the herd
with Your other camels.

Sometimes You place me at the front of the troops
as the commander. Sometimes You wet me
with Your mouth like You do Your seal-ring
just before You plant Your power.

Sometimes You round me
into a simple door-knocker.

You take blood and make sperm.
You take sperm and create an animal.
You use the animal to evolve Intelligence.
Life keeps leading to more Life.

You drive me away gently
as a flute-song does a dove
from the eaves.

With the same song
You call me back.

You push me out on many journeys;
then You anchor me with no motion at all.

I am water. I am the thorn
that catches someone's clothing.

I don't care about marvelous sights!
I only want to be in Your Presence.

There's nothing to believe.
Only when I quit believing in myself
did I come into This Beauty.

I saw Your Blade and burned my shield!
I flew on six hundred pairs of wings like Gabriel.
But now that I'm Here, what do I need wings for?

Day and night I guarded the pearl of my soul.
Now in this Ocean of pearling currents,
I've lost track of which was mine.

There is no way to describe You.
Say the end of this so strongly
that I will ride up over
my own commotion.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
from a translation by A.J. Arberry
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My Beloved leaves me not so much as to scratch my own
head; it is the body of my Beloved that presses me in its breast.
Now He draws me in His train like a string of camels, anon
the King places me in front like the commander of His troops.
Anon He sucks me like a seal-ring, to plant His seal
through me; anon He makes me into a ring and fastens me on
His door.
He takes blood and makes sperm, He takes sperm and
fashions a creature; He slays the creature and fashions Reason,
He makes manifest the resurrection.*
Now He drives me away with a reed like a dove from the
house, anon with a hundred entreaties He calls me to His presence.
Now He carries me like a ship on a voyage over the sea,
anon He halts me and ties me to His own anchor.
Now He makes me water for the sake of the seeker after
purity, anon He makes me a thorn in the path of His luckless
ones.
The eternal eight paradises did not become the prospect of
that King; how happy is this heart of mine, which He makes
His prospect!*
Not by the attestation of faith did I become a believer in
that Beauty of the Soul; only then did I become a believer in
It when I became an unbeliever in myself.
Whoever joined His ranks became secure from destruction
by Him; I saw the sword in His hand, I burned that shield of
mine.
I was like-pinioned with Gabriel, I had six hundred wings;
now that I have reached Him, what shall I do with my wings?
Many days and nights I was guardian of the pearl of my
soul; now in the current of the ocean of pearls I am indifferent
to my own pearl.
How long will you essay to describe Him? For He comes not
within description; make enough, that I may ride over my
commotion.

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press, 1968

* See Koran 23: 12-14
* Muhammad in his Ascension disregarded the wonders of the
heavens, seeking only the Presence of God. For another interpretation
of the Eight Paradises, see Nicholson on Math. I: 3498.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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[Sunlight] A slap in season

2011-09-09T08:15:00.000-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is justice? To put a thing in its right place.
What is injustice? To put a thing in its wrong place.
Nothing is vain that God has created,
whether it be anger or forbearance or sincere counsel or guile.
None of these things is absolutely good,
nor are any of them absolutely evil.
The usefulness or harm of each depends on the occasion:
for this reason knowledge is necessary and useful.
Oh, many a punishment inflicted on a poor fellow
is more meritorious than a gift of bread or sweetmeats,
for sweetmeat eaten unseasonably causes yellow bile,
whereas slaps purge him of evil.
Give the poor fellow a slap in season:
it will save him beheading later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

`Adl cheh bud vaz` andar mawze`esh
zolm cheh bud vaz` dar nâ mawze`esh
Nist bâtel harcheh Yazdân âfarid
az ghazab vaz helm vaz nas.h o makid
Khayr-e motlaq nist zin-hâ hich chiz
sharr-e motlaq nist zin-hâ hich niz
Naf` o zarr-e har yeki az mawze`ast
`elm azin ru vâjebast o nâfe`ast
Ay basâ zajri keh bar meskin ravad
dar savâb az nân o halvâ beh bovad
Zânkeh halvâ bi avân safrâ konad
silish az khobs mostanqâ konad
Siliyi dar vaqt bar meskin be-zan
keh rahânad ânesh az gardan zadan

-- Mathnawi VI:2596-2602
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] That beautiful face -- Ghazal 657

2011-09-08T07:34:00.001-07:00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Were a single mote of Thy Face to show itself,
neither dervish cloak nor Christian belt would remain upon
the earth.
When Thou showest Thy Face to anyone in the
two worlds, he is consumed by fire and left with no business
but Thy heartache.
If Thou shouldst throw off the veil from that
beautiful Face, no trace would remain of the faces of sun and
moon.
With Love's wine Thou puttest to sleep those
consumed by fire -- none but Thou is confidant to the
mysteries.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 657
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[Sunlight] This Useless Heart -- Ghazal 2647

2011-09-07T07:27:00.000-07:00

Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2647, in a version by Kabir Helminski, and in translation by A.J. Arberry:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"This Useless Heart"

Heart, since you embraced the mysteries,
you have become useless for anything else.
Go mad, don't stay sane.
People meditate to get something.
All you do is give.
Crazy Majnun's priorities are now yours, too.

If you want to be respectable,
why do you go downtown drunk?
It's no good just sitting in some corner,
once you've made friends with the dissolute of this path.

Go back to the desert;
leave this shabby town.
There's the smell of a tavern
somewhere in this neighborhood,
and it's already got you high.

Now follow it. Go to Qaf Mountain like the Simurgh,*
leave these owls and herons.
Go into the thicket of Reality like a lion.
Why linger with hyenas and dogs?
Don't go after the scent of Joseph's shirt,
you are already mourning his death like Jacob, his father.

-- Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger"
Threshold Books, 1993

*"The Simurgh" -- the phoenix, which dwells upon Mount Qaf. In sufi
symbolism, the phoenix often symbolizes the spirit of the saint, or
the saint himself, while Mount Qaf is his station in God's presence.
-- Sunlight footnote from Chittick's "The Sufi Path of Love"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heart, since you have become understanding of the mysteries,
you have become useless for all other employments.
Be still mad and insane; why have you come to your senses
and recovered your wits?
Meditation is all for the sake of acquiring; you have become
entirely giving.
Preserve that same order of Majnun, for you have become in-
different to all orderings.
If you desire to be veiled and prudent, why did you go about
drunk in the market?
To sit in a corner yields you no profit once you have become
the friend of the dissolutes of this path.
Go forth into the desert, that same desert where you were; you
have wandered long enough in these ruins.
There is a tavern in your neighborhood, from the scent of its
wine you have become intoxicated.
Seize this scent and go to the tavern, for you have become
nimble-paced as that scent.
Go to the mountain of the Qaf like the Simorg; why have you
become the friend of owl and heron?
Go like a lion into the thicket of reality; why have you become
the friend of the fox and the hyena?
Go not after the scent of the shirt of Joseph, for like Jacob, you
are in mourning.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
University of Chicago Press, 1995

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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