Tuesday, April 08, 2008

[Sunlight] Behold this human being

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O body that has become the spirit's dwelling place,
enough is enough:
how long can the Sea abide in a water-skin?
O you who are a thousand Gabriels
in the form of a human being,
O you who are many messiahs inside Jesus's donkey,
O you who are a thousand Ka`bahs
concealed in a house of prayer,
O you who cause `ifrît and devil to fall into error,
you are the spaceless Object of worship in space,
you destroy the devils' business,
for they say, "How should I pay homage to this clay?
How should I bestow on a mere form
a title signifying obedience?"
This human being is not form: rub your eye well,
so that you may behold in him
the radiance of the light of God's glory!

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Ay tan-e gashteh vesâq-e jân bas ast
chand tânad Bahr dar mashki neshast
Ay hazârân Jebra'il andar bashar
ay masihân-e nehân dar jawf-e khar
Ay hazârân Ka`beh penhân dar kanis
ay ghalat andâz-e `efrit o belis
Sajdeh-gâh-e lâ makâni dar makân
mar belisân-râ ze to virân dokkân
Keh "Cherâ man khedmat-e in tin konam
surati-râ man laqab chon din konam?"
Nist surat cheshm-râ niku be-mâl
tâ be-bini sha`sha`eh-ye nur-e jalâl

-- Mathnawi VI: 4583-4588
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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