Tuesday, October 30, 2007

[Sunlight] "Practice remembrance"

~


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


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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Monday, October 29, 2007

[Sunlight] "Too Vast for Partnership" -- Ghazal 941

~

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

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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Friday, October 26, 2007

[Sunlight] Become nothing but vision -- Ghazal 1169

~

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

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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Thursday, October 25, 2007

[Sunlight] "If your meaning is pure"

~

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

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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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

[Sunlight] We are the healers of spirit -- Ghaal 1474

~


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

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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Tuesday, October 23, 2007

[Sunlight] When did water ever fear fire?

~


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

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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Monday, October 22, 2007

[Sunlight] "Word Fog" -- Ghazal 921

~


"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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Friday, October 19, 2007

[Sunlight] "The Color of Purity"

~

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

-- Ghazal 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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Thursday, October 18, 2007

[Sunlight] "This infinite Word is everlasting"

~

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

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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Wednesday, October 17, 2007

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

~


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

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.

-- Ghazal 1517
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Cal-Earth Press, 1995

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

~

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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

[Sunlight] “Dumbfounded by Love”

~

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

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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Monday, October 15, 2007

[Sunlight] "Naught to do with existence"

~

Here, Sunlight offers an excerpt from the Mathnawi, Book III, in
an interpretive version by Professor Barks, and in the translation by
Professor Nicholson upon which Barks based his version:

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

One day a sufi sees an empty food sack hanging on a nail.
He begins to turn and tear his shirt, saying,
Food for what needs no food!
A cure for hunger!

His burning grows and others join him,
shouting and moaning in the love-fire.

An idle passerby comments, "It's only an empty sack."

The sufi says, Leave. You want what we do not want.
You are not a lover.

A lover's food is the love of bread,
not the bread. No one who really loves,
loves existence.

Lovers have nothing to do with existence.
They collect the interest without the capital.

No wings, yet they fly all over the world. No hands,
but they carry the polo ball from the field.

That dervish got a sniff of reality.
Now he weaves baskets of pure vision.

Lovers pitch tents on a field of nowhere.
They are all one color like that field.

A nursing baby does not know the taste of roasted meat.
To a spirit the foodless scent is food.

To an Egyptian, the Nile looks bloody.
To an Israelite, clear.
What is a highway to one is disaster to the other.

-- Mathnawi III, 3014-30
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1997

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

One day a Sufi espied a food-wallet (hanging) on a nail: he
began to whirl and rend his garments,
Crying, "Lo, the food of the foodless! Lo, the remedy for
famines and pangs (of hunger)!"
When his smoke and tumult (his ecstasy) waxed great, every
one that was a Sufi joined him (imitated has behaviour).
They were shouting and shrieking: several were becoming
intoxicated and beside themselves.
An idle busybody said to the Sufi, "What is the matter?
(Only) a food-wallet said hung (on a nail), and it is empty of bread!"
He (the Sufi) said, "Begone, begone! Thou art a (mere) form
without spirit: do thou seek existence (not no-existence), for
thou art no lover."
The lover's food is love of the bread, without (the existence of)
the bread: no one that is sincere (in his love) is in thrall to
existence.
Lovers have naught to do with existence: lovers have the
interest without (having) the capital.
They have no wings, and (yet) they fly round the world; they
have no hands, and (yet) they carry off the ball from the polo-field.
That dervish who scented (perceived) Reality used to weave
baskets though his hand had been cut off.*
Lovers have pitched their tents in non-existence*: they are of
one color (quality) and one essence; like non-existence.

-- Book III, 3014-24
"The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi"
Translation and Commentary by Reynold A. Nicholson
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The E.J.W. Gibb Memorial

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

~


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Friday, October 12, 2007

[Sunlight] Ramadan came to the heart's temple -- Ghazal 370

~

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

Ramadan came, but Bairam is with us.
The lock came, but the key is with us.

Mouth is closed. Eyes are opened.
That brilliance that the eyes see is with us.

We have cleaned soul and heart with fasting.
The dirt which has been with us is cleansed now.

Some stress comes from fasting,
But the invisible treasure of heart is with us.

Ramadan came to the heart's temple;
The one who created heart is with us.

Since Salahuddin* is among this crowd,
Mansur and Beyazid* are with us.


*Salahuddin: Rumi's closest spiritual companion and disciple following
the final disappearance of Shams-e Tabriz, whom he put in charge of
the spiritual training of his disciples.

*Mansur and Beyazid: two famous Sufis of the past, Mansur al-Hallaj
and Beyazid Bestami.

-- Ghazal No. 370 from the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi
Translated by Nevit Ergin
(from the Turkish translation of the original
Persian by Golpinarli)
"Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi: Divan-i Kebir,"
Volume 18, 2002.

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


~

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Thursday, October 11, 2007

[Sunlight] "The qualities of expansion and contraction"

~

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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Wednesday, October 10, 2007

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

~

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 Arberry:

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

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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Tuesday, October 09, 2007

[Sunlight] The body resembles a garment

~

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


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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Monday, October 08, 2007

[Sunlight] Greed and Generosity -- Ghazal 1101

~

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

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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Friday, October 05, 2007

[Sunlight] "Loving one's shaykh" -- Ghaal 1310

~

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

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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Thursday, October 04, 2007

[Sunlight] "What do you really possess?"

~

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

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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Wednesday, October 03, 2007

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

~


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

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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Tuesday, October 02, 2007

[Sunlight] "Generation upon generation"

~

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

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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Monday, October 01, 2007

[Sunlight] "Show me the ladder, that I may mount up to heaven" -- Ghazal 19

~

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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