Drowned in roses from the beloved

FRIDAY, JUNE 16


As popular as various versions of Rumi's poetry have become (a "version" has been developed by its author, based on a translation which was carried out by someone else), some of the versions are less accurate than others. Professor Barks' version of Ghazal 1051, developed from a translation by John Moyne, is accompanied here by a literal translation by Dr. Ibrahim Gamard:


The Tent

Outside, the freezing desert night.
This other night inside grows warm, kindling.
Let the landscape be covered with a thorny crust.
We have a soft garden in here.
The continents blasted,
cities and little towns, everything
become a scorched, blackened ball.

The news we hear is full of grief for that future,
but the real news inside here
is that there's no news at all.

-- The Essential Rumi, Coleman Barks
(Ode 1051)
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

Drowned in roses from the beloved

It was night, but (only) to strangers;
my night is (kept) day from the face of the beloved.

Even if the world is completely filled with thorns,
we are (kept) drowned in roses from the beloved.

Even if the world becomes ruined and (then) built up,
the (mystic's) heart is (kept) "drunk" and the ruin* of the
beloved.

Since the news is all sadness and weariness,
the absence of news (is) the source of (real) news!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1051
Literal translation (c)Ibrahim Gamard, 1998

*drunkards went to ruins to get "ruined."

The Persian image:
http://tinyurl.com/m3kna

The English image:
http://tinyurl.com/nedxs

The Persian recitation:
http://tinyurl.com/n73a3

Drowned in roses from the beloved