"The desire in your heart is for the sea"

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You are a bird of the sea,
even though a chicken has sheltered you beneath her wing.
The desire in your heart is for the sea;
your soul has that nature from your mother.
Leave your land-bound nursemaid and move on.
Come into the sea of reality.
You are a waterfowl:
you can live on land and sea.
You are of royal birth, for . . .
"We have ennobled the children of Adam:"*
you walk on both dry land and sea.

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Mâdar-e to batt-e ân daryâ bodast
dâyeh-'et khâki bod o khoshki parast
Mayl-e daryâ keh del-e to andarast
ân tabi`at jânet-râ az mâdarast
Mayl-e khoshki mar torâ zin dâyeh ast
dâyeh-râ bo-g'zâr keh u bad-râyeh ast
Dâyeh-râ bo-g'zâr bar khoshk va be-rân
andar â dar bahr-e ma`nâ chon battân
Gar torâ mâdar be-tarsânad ze âb
to ma-tars va su-ye daryâ rân shetâb
To batti bar khoshk va bar tar zendeh-'i
ni cho morgh khâneh khâneh kandeh-'i
To ze "Karramnâ Bani dam"* shahi
ham be-khoshki ham be-daryâ pâ nehi

-- Mathnawi II:3767-3773
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Isrâ', 70

The media:

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"The desire in your heart is for the sea"