Friday, February 27, 2009

[Sunlight] What is below comes from above

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

When you have seen your own cunning,
follow it back to its origin.
What is below comes from above.
Come on, turn your eyes to the heights.

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

Hileh-ye khvod-râ cho didi bâz raw
kaz kojâ âmad su-ye âghâz raw
Harcheh dar pastist âmad az `alâ
chashm-râ su-ye bolandi neh helâ


-- Mathnawi II: 1973-1974
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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


------------------------------------

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Thursday, February 26, 2009

[Sunlight] Flames from that wine -- Ghazal 2395

~

Today, Sunlight offers three presentations of Ghazal (Ode) 2395,
from Molana Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams" -- a version by Coleman Barks, and
translations by Annemarie Schimmel and A.J. Arberry:

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

My love wanders the rooms, melodious,
flute-notes, plucked wires,
full of wine the Magi drank
on the way to Bethlehem.

We are three. The moon comes
from its quiet corner, puts a pitcher of water
down in the center. The circle
of surface flames.

One of us kneels to kiss the threshold.

One drinks, with wine-flames playing over his face.

One watches the gathering,

and says to any cold onlookers,

This dance is the joy of existence.

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

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

I saw my Beloved wandering about the house:
He had taken up a rebeck and was playing a tune.
With a touch like fire he was playing a sweet melody,
Drunken and distraught and bewitching from the night's
carouse.
He was invoking the cup-bearer in the mode of Iraq:
Wine was his object, the cup-bearer was only an excuse.
The beauteous cup-bearer, pitcher in hand,
Stepped forth from a recess and placed it in the middle.
He filled the first up with that sparkling wine-
Didst thou ever see water set on fire?
For the sake of those in love he passed it from hand to hand,
Then bowed and kissed the lintel.
My Beloved received it from him, and quaffed the wine:
Instantly o'er his face and head ran flashes of flame.
Meanwhile he was regarding his own beauty and saying to the
evil eye:
"there has not been nor will be in this age another like me.
I am the Divine sun of the world, I am the Beloved of the
lovers,
Soul and spirit are continually moving before me."

-- Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
"The Triumphal Sun"
SUNY, 1993

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

I saw my sweetheart wandering about the house; he had
taken a rebec and was playing a melody.
With a plectrum like fire he was playing a sweet melody,
drunken and dissolute and charming from the Magian wine.
He was invoking the saqi* in the air of Iraq*; the wine was his
object, the saqi was his excuse.
The moonfaced saqi, pitcher in his hand, entered from a
corner and set it in the middle.
He filled the first cup with that flaming wine; did you ever see
water sending out flames?
He set it on his hand for the sake of the lovers then prostrated
and kissed the threshold.
My sweetheart seized it from him and quaffed the wine; flames
from that wine went running over the face.
He was beholding his own beauty, and saying to the evil eye,
"Never has there been, nor shall there come in this age, another
like me."

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

*"Saqi" - "Cupbearer" or "Winebearer", bringing metaphorical,
intoxicating "wine". Usually depicted in traditional Persian
miniatures as a beautiful young woman with a jug of wine. --
Sunlight Ed.

*The air of Iraq is a Persian tune. -- Arberry

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

~

------------------------------------

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009

[Sunlight] Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot -- Quatrain 106

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 106:

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

seek only the knowledge
that un-ties the problems
of your life
seek it soon
before
your number is up
leave alone
what seems to be
but is not
seek what
seems not to be
yet it might

--Translation by Nader Khalili
Rumi, Dancing the Flame
Cal-Earth Press, 2001

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

Seek the wisdom
that will untie your knot
seek the path
that demands your whole being.
Leave that which is not, but appears
to be
seek that which is, but is
not apparent.

-- Translation by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Whispers of the Beloved
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 1999


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

~


------------------------------------

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

[Sunlight] "Don’t look only at the exterior"

~

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

When you read the Qur'ân
don't look only at the exterior, my son:
the Devil considers Adam as nothing more than clay.
The external sense of the Qur'ân is like a person's form:
while his features are visible, his spirit is hidden.
Someone's uncles look at him for a hundred years,
and yet of his inward state
don't see so much as the tip of a hair.

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

To ze Qor'ân ay pesar zâher ma-bin
Div Âdam-râ na-binad joz keh tin
Zâher-e Qor'ân cho shakhs-e âdamist
keh noqushesh zâher va jânesh khafist
Mard-râ sad sâl `amm o khâl-e u
yek sar-e muyi na-binand hâl-e u

-- Mathnawi III: 4247-4249
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

------------------------------------

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Monday, February 23, 2009

[Sunlight] Soul And The Old Woman

~

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

Soul And The Old Woman

What is the soul? Consciousness. The more awareness, the
deeper the soul, and when

such essence overflows, you feel a sacredness around. It's
so simple to tell one who

puts on a robe and pretends to be a dervish from the real
thing. We know the taste

of pure water. Words can sound like a poem but not have
any juice, no flavor to

relish. How long do you look at pictures on a bathhouse
wall? Soul is what draws

you away from those pictures to talk with the old woman
who sits outside by the door

in the sun. She's half blind, but she has what soul loves
to flow into. She's kind; she weeps.

She makes quick personal decisions, and laughs so easily.

-- Mathnawi: VI: 148-50
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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

~

------------------------------------

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Friday, February 20, 2009

[Sunlight] This quest is blessed

~

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

This quest is blessed; your seeking destroys the obstacles
on the Way to God.

Your seeking is the key to what you seek, this quest is
your army and the victory of your banners.


-- Mathnawi III: 1442-1443
Muriel Maufroy
"Breathing Truth - Quotations from Jalaluddin Rumi"
Sanyar Press - London, 1997

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

~


------------------------------------

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Thursday, February 19, 2009

[Sunlight] Everything in the world draws something to itself

~

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

Everything in the world draws something to itself:
infidelity draws the faithless,
and goodness, the one who is rightly guided.
Both magnet and amber attract:
whether you are iron or straw, you will be drawn.
If you are straw, you will be drawn to the amber;
and if you are iron, you will be pulled to the magnet.
When anyone is not associated with the good,
he inevitably becomes a neighbor to the corrupt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dar jahân har chiz chizi mi kashad
kofr kâfer-râ va morshed-râ roshd
Kahrobâ ham hast va meqnâtis hast
tâ to âhan yâ kahi âyi be-shast
Barad meqnâtis ar to âhani
var kahi bar kahrobâ bar mi tani
n yeki chon nist bâ akhyâr yâr
lâ jaram shod pahlu-ye fojjâr jâr

-- Mathnawi IV:1633-1636
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

------------------------------------

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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

[Sunlight] You'll not find another friend like me -- Ghazal 3050

~

Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 3050, from the Divan-e Shams, in a
translation by Jonathan Star, a version by Coleman Barks, and in the
translation by A.J. Arberry, from which Prof. Barks developed his
version:


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

Lord of Beauty, Lord of Grace,
Enter my soul
like one who enters a garden in bloom.

One glance from you and stones turn to rubies.
One hint from you
and every goal is within reach.

Come, come, you are the life and salvation of man.
Come, come, you are the eye and light of Joseph.
Touch my head
for your touch removes
the darkness of the body.

Come, come, for you bestow beauty and grace.
Come, come, for you are the cure of a thousand ills.
Come, come, even though you have never left –
come and hear some poetry.
Sit in the place of my soul,
for you are a thousand souls of mine.

Begone with your cares and your ancient longings –
you are the Beloved!

If the King did not sit
on the throne of this world
There would be darkness and confusion.

You are joyous and alive by His breath.
You move by the power of His love.
Now, like an artist, you create.
Now, like a servant, you sweep the floor.

Everything you touch
will reach its goal
and fly with the wings of an angel . . .
But wings cannot carry you to God.
Like the mule that carried the Prophet,
Only love can carry you there.

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

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

The Lord of Beauty enters the soul
as a man walks into an orchard
in Spring.
Come into me
that way again!
Light the lamp
in the eye of Joseph. Cure Jacob's
sadness. Though you never left,
come and sit down here and ask,
"Why are you so confused?"

Like a fresh idea in an artist's mind,
you fashion things before they come into being.

You sweep the floor like the man
who keeps the doorway.
When you brush
a form clean, it becomes
what it truly is.

You guard Your Silence perfectly
like a waterbag that doesn't leak.

You live where Shams lives,
because your heart-donkey was strong enough
to take you there.

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

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

The lord of beauty and quintessence of
loveliness entered the soul and mind as a man will
stroll in the garden in spring.
Come, come, for you are the life and salvation
of men; come, come, for you are the eye and lamp
of Joseph.
Lay foot on my water and clay, for through
your foot darkness and veiledness depart from
water and clay.
Through your glow stones turn to rubies,
through your searching the searcher reaches his
goal.
Come, come, though you have never departed,
but I speak every word to you for a desired end.
Sit in the place of my soul, for you are a
thousand times my soul; slay your paramour and
lover, for you are the Beloved.
If the king is not the king of the world, O
melancholy world, by His life I bid you say, "Why
are you in confusion?"
Now you are gay and fresh with His green
banner, and now you are overtuned by the heart of
His army of battle.
Now, like the thought of an artist, you
fashion forms; now you sweep carpets like the
room of the porter.
When you sweep a form, you give its
quintessence angelhood, and the wings and pinions
of the cherubim.
Silence, guard the water strictly like a water-
bag, for if you sprinkle it through a crack, know that
you are at fault.
Your heart has reached Shams, the Pride of
Tabriz, because the Doldol* of the heart proved itself
a nimble mount.

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

* "Doldol" was the name of a mule ridden by Ali.

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

~

------------------------------------

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Tuesday, February 17, 2009

[Sunlight] "He alone"

~

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

He alone has the right to break,
for He alone has the power to mend.

He that knows how to sew together
knows how to tear apart.

Whatever He sells, He buys
something better in exchange.

He lays the house in ruins;
then in a moment
He make it more liveable than before.

-- Mathnawi I, 3882-3886
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Inasmuch as His hand binds what is broken, it follows that
His breaking is assuredly mending.
If thou break it, He will say to thee, "Come, make it whole
(again)"; and thou hast neither hand nor foot (thou art
helpless).
Therefore He (alone) has the right to break, for He (alone)
can mend what has been broken.
He that knows how to sew (together) knows how to tear
(asunder); whatsoever He sells, He buys (something) better (in
exchange).
He lays the house in ruins, upside down; then in one moment
He makes it more habitable (than it was before).

-- Mathnawi I, 3882-3886
From The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin 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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Monday, February 16, 2009

[Sunlight] A call from the unseen -- Ghazal 791

~

Today, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 791, from the "Diwan-e
Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in the translation by Azima Melita
Kolin and Maryam Mafi, in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks,
and in the translation by A.J. Arberry, upon which Barks relied in
developing his version:

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

A baby pigeon on the edge of the nest
hears the call and begins his flight.
How can the soul of the seeker not fly when a message arrives saying,
"You have been trapped in life like a bird with no wings,
in a cage with no doors or windows
come, come back to me!"
How can the soul not rip open its coverings,
and soar to the sky.

What is the rope that pulls the soul from above?
What is the secret that opens the door?
The key is the flutter of the heart's wings
and its endless longing.
When the door opens, walk on the path
where abundance awaits you,
where everything old becomes new
and never look back.
Drink from the hands of the wine bearer
and you will be blessed
even in this life.

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

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


A baby pigeon stands on the edge of a nest all day.
Then he hears a whistle, Come to me.
How could he not fly toward that?
Wings tear through the body's robe when
a letter arrives that says,
"You've flapped and fluttered against limits
long enough.

You've been a bird without wings
in a house without doors or windows.

Compassion builds a door.
Restlessness cuts a key.

Ask. Step off into air like a baby pigeon.
Strut proudly into sunlight,
not looking back.

Take sips of this pure wine being poured.
Don't mind that you've been given a dirty cup."

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

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


This fledgling pigeon essayed the air and flew off when he
heard a whistle and a call from the unseen.
When that Desire of all the world send a messenger saying,
"Come to Me," how should not the disciple's soul take flight?
How should it not fly upwards on discovering such pinions,
how should it not rend the body's robe on the arrival of such a
missive?
What a moon it is that draws all these souls! What a way is
that secret way by which it drew!
Divine compassion sent a letter saying, "Come back hither, for
in this narrow cage your soul has fluttered much.
But in the house without doors you are like a bird without
wings; so the fowl of the air does when it has fallen low*.
Restlessness opens to it the door of compassion at last; beat
your wings against door and roof – this is the key.
Until you call on Me, you do not know the way of returning
for by Our calling the way becomes manifest to the reason."
Whatever mounts up, if it be old it becomes new; whatever
new descends here, through time it becomes threadbare.
Ho, strut proudly into the unseen, do not look back, in God's
protection, for there all is profit and increase.
Ha, silent one, depart to the Saki of Being, who gave you His
pure wine in this sullied cup**.

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

* CB pasti (low ) seems better than chusti.
**"This sullied cup: the physical body.

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

~

------------------------------------

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Friday, February 13, 2009

[Sunlight] Arguing with it doesn’t help

~

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

The lower self philosophizes:
beat it for its own good,
arguing with it doesn't help.
It witnesses a prophet's miracle
and momentarily glows with belief;
but later on says, "That was just imagination;
for if that incredible sight had been real,
it would have lasted--it would have remained before my eyes."
It is lasting in the eyes of the pure,
but it doesn't haunt the eyes of animals.
Miracles keep their distance from bodily senses:
would a peacock stay in a ditch?

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

Nafs sufestâyi âmad mi zanesh
kash zadan sâzandeh hojjat goftanesh
Mo`jezeh binand foruzad ân zamân
ba`d az ân guyad "Khayâli bud ân
Var haqiqat budi ân did-e `ajab
pas moqim-e cheshm budi ruz o shab"
Ân moqim-e cheshm-e pâkân mi bovad
ni qarin-e cheshm-e hayavân mi-shavad
K-ân `ajab zin hessdâr dârad `âr o nang
kay bovad tâ'us andar châh-e tang

-- Mathnawi II: 3500-3504
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


------------------------------------

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

[Sunlight] Where is the knowing, nimble Minstrel of Love – Ghazal 127

~

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

Where is the knowing, nimble Minstrel of Love -
He who plays only for Love, accepting no one's request?

I have died hoping for Him but have not seen Him;
I have entered the grave in my desire.

Oh dear friend, if you have seen Him, how
good for you! Oh friend, indeed, how good for you!

But if He is hidden like Khidr*,
alone upon the shores of the sea,

Then oh wind, take our salaam to Him! For my
heart is in tumult over Him.

I know that burning salaams take lovers to their
Beloved.

Love makes the millwheel of the heavens spin, not water;
Love makes the moon go forward, not feet.

In remembrance, the millwheel of spirits begins
to turn through the water of the eyes.

Remembrance is the noose of union with the Beloved -
be silent, for madness has begun to boil.

-- Ghazal 127
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

*"Hidden like Khidr" -- Khidr is one of the four prophets whom the
Islamic tradition recognizes as being `alive' or`immortal', the other
three being Idris (Enoch), Ilyas (Elias), and `Isa (Jesus). Khidr
is immortal because he drank from the water of life. In Sufi
tradition, Khidr has come to be known as one of the afrâd, those
"who receive illumination direct from God without human mediation."
He is the hidden initiator of those who walk the mystical path like
some of those from the Uwaisi tariqa.

-- Derived by Sunlight from http://www.khidr.org


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

~

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

[Sunlight] "I am That"

~

Today, Sunlight offers an interpretation of Quatrain 276:

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

The marvelous sound
That comes from the sky – I am That.
The sweet fragrance
That comes from the garden – I am That.

The great beauty
That comes from the heart and soul
Until I leave . . . Wait!
I can't leave – I am That.

-- Version by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva
A Garden Beyond Paradise
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~


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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

[Sunlight] The mystery of "die before death"

~

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

The mystery of "die before death"* is this,
that the prizes come after dying and not before.
Except for dying,
no other skills avail with God, O artful schemer.
One Divine favor is better than a hundred kinds of personal effort:
such exertion is in danger from a hundred kinds of mischief.
And the Divine favor depends on dying:
the trustworthy authorities have put this way to the test.
No, not even the mystic's death is possible without Divine favor:
listen, listen, don't linger anywhere without Divine grace!
That grace is like an emerald, and this bodily self is an old viper:
without the emerald how should the viper be made blind?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Serr-e "Mûtû qabla mawt"* in bovad
kaz pas mordan ghanimat-hâ resad
Ghayr-e mordan hich farhangi degar
dar na-girad bâ Khodây ay hileh-gar
Yek `enâyat beh ze sad gun ejtehâd
jahd-râ khawfast az sad gun fasâd
Vân `enâyat hast mawquf-e mamât
tajrebeh kardand in rah-râ seqât
Balkeh margesh bi `enâyat niz nist
bi `enâyat hân o hân jâyi mah-'ist

-- Mathnawi: VI: 3885-3889
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

*Hadith

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

~

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Monday, February 09, 2009

[Sunlight] A Man Talking to His House

~

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

I say that no one in this caravan is awake
and that while you sleep, a thief is stealing

the signs and symbols of what you thought
was your life. Now you're angry with me for

telling you this! Pay attention to those who
hurt your feelings telling you the truth.

Giving and absorbing compliments is like
trying to paint on water, that insubstantial.

Here is how a man once talked with his house.
"Please, if you're ever about to collapse,

let me know. " One night without a word the
house fell. "What happened to our agreement?"

The house answered, "Day and night I've been
telling you with cracks and broken boards and

holes appearing like mouths opening. But you
kept patching and filling those with mud, so

proud of your stopgap masonry. You didn't
listen." This house is your body always

saying, I'm leaving; I'm going soon. Don't
hide from the one who knows the secret. Drink

the wine of turning toward God. Don't examine
your urine. Examine instead how you praise,

what you wish for, this longing we've been
given. Fall turns pale light yellow wanting

spring, and spring arrives! Seeds blossom.
Come to the orchard and see what comes

to you, a silent conversation with your soul.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1134
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

~


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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Friday, February 06, 2009

[Sunlight] The pearl in the breast

~

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

The Universal Soul met a separate soul
and placed a pearl on her breast.
Through such contact the soul, like Mary,
became pregnant with a heart-winning messiah.

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

Jân-e koll bâ jân-e jozo âsib kard
jân azu dorri setad dar jib kard
Hamcho Maryam jân az ân âsib-e jib
hâmeleh shod az masih-e delfarib

-- Mathnawi II: 1183-1184
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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Thursday, February 05, 2009

[Sunlight] Blessed Laughter

~


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

When you go to buy a pomegranate,
pick the one that's laughing,
that has its rind cleft,
so that through its broken-open-ness
you get some information
about the seeds.
Listen for the laughter
that shows the inside,
that cracks the casket-shell
and lets you see the pearl.
There's another kind, an unhappy laughing
like the red anemone's that shows
its inner blackness.
But pomegranate-laughter is blessed,
like the companionship of good people.
Even if you're a common rock,
when you join them,
you'll become a precious stone.
Keep the love of holy laughing in you.
Don't visit sad neighborhoods. Let
laughter lead you to the right people.
Your body-wantings will take you out of the sunlight
into dark and dank places. Feed on the conversation
of a lover. Look for spiritual growth from one
who is farther along than you.

There was once a Christian gospel
that had in it some mention of Muhammed,
his courage and his fasting.
Whenever a group of Christians studied
this gospel, they bowed and kissed the words
of that passage. Without knowing it,
they were looking for refuge
inside that light, and with its power
it befriended and helped them.

-- Mathnawi, I, 718-733
Version by Coleman Barks
³Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion²
Threshold Books, 1991

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

~


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

[Sunlight] "If you rend the veil" -- Ghazal 2820

~

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2820, in a poetic version
from Jonathan Star, and in translations by Professor Arberry and
Professor Nicholson, both with notes:

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

He Also Made the Key

When I entered the city
you moved away.
When I left the city
you didn't even look up to say good-bye.

I'll accept your kindness,
I'll accept your insult.
I'll accept whatever you have to give.

Your radiance shines
in every atom of creation
yet our petty desires keep it hidden.

Like the beautiful wife of a prince
You dwell in a lonely place.
If you came out of hiding
the veil on every face would fall.

You confound the doubting heart,
Your intoxicate the faithful head.
You have robbed every soul of its senses,
You have brought every heart to your breast.

All roses fall prey to December.
All intellect falls prey to love's glory.

Since the rose is not eternal
Why be captured by its scent?
Let me know your secrets -
Only the ones that last forever.

How many men have found tragic ends
running after beauty?
Why don't they look for you? -
the heart and spirit of all beauty.

You formed man from a handful of dust.
You gave him the power to know the highest truth.
You freed him from the snares of this world
with one breath of your spirit.

O love,
O heart,
Find the way to heaven.
Find the way to God's pasture.
You have spent enough time
in this pasture made for cattle.

Set your sights on a place
Higher than your eyes can see.
For it was the higher aim
that brought you here
in the first place.

Now be silent.
Let the One who creates the words speak.
He made the door.
He made the lock.
He also made the key.

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

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

When I reached your city you withdrew into a corner from me;
when I left your city you did not give me a goodbye glance.
Whether you choose kindness or incline to rancor, you are all
the soul's ease, you are all the feast's decoration.
The cause of your jealousy is that you are hidden, otherwise
you are evident as the sun; for you are manifest through every
mote.*
If you choose to be in a corner, you are the darling of the
heart and
a prince; and if you rend the veil, you have rent the veils of all.
The heart of unbelief by you is confounded, the heart of faith
by your wine is happy; you have robbed all of their sense, you
have pulled the ears of all.
All roses are a prey to December, all heads in pawn to wine;
you have redeemed both these and those from the hand of death.
Since there is no constancy in the rose, since there is no way
to the rose, on you only is trust to be put; you are the stay and
support.
If a few have cut their heads on account of Joseph's face, you
have deprived two hundred Josephs of the spirit of the heart and
reason.*
You fashion the form of a person from filth and blood, that he
may flee two parsangs from the odor of foulness.
You make him a morsel of dust to become pure herbage --
he escapes from foulness when you have breathed spirit into
him.
Come, heart, go to heaven, go to God's pasture, since you have
grazed awhile in the pasture of cattle.
Set all your desire on that of which you have no hope, for out
of original hopelessness you have reached thus far.*
Be silent, that the lord who bestows words may speak, for He
made the door and the lock, and He also made a key.

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

Arberry's notes:
* In this verse Rumi refers to the well known tradition which the Sufi
poets often have made use of. God declares: "I was a hidden treasure
and I desired to be known, so I created the creation in order that I
might be known."
* Quran 15: 29 "[God said to the angels:] 'When I have completed
him [Adam] and breathed of my spirit into him, you will fall and
worship him.' " According to Nicholson, "ruh" -- spirit -- is
probably
used here as the reasonable soul (ruh-e nateqa).
* "When man contemplates his own evolution -- from inanimate to
plant and then animal life, and eventually the state of man -- he will
realize that he might go further and even surpass angels in his
nearness to God." -- see Nicholson's notes, 47: 12 and 12: 6-10.

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

XLVII

When I came to thy city, thou chosest a corner apart
from me;
When I went from thy city, thou didst not look upon
me to say Farewell'.
Whether thou choosest to be kind or inclinest to rancour,*
Thou art all the comfort of the soul, thou art all the
adornment of the feast.
The cause of thy jealousy is that thou art hidden* or,
otherwise,
While thou art revealed by every atom, thou art hidden
like the sun.
If thou dwell'st in seclusion*, art not thou the darling
of the Prince?
And if thou rendest the veil, thou hast rent the veils
of all.
By thee the heart of infidelity is confounded, by thy
wine the head of faith is intoxicated;
Thou dost rob all of sense, thou dost draw all towards
thee.
All roses are a prey to December, all heads a prey to
wine:
Both these and those thou redeemest from the hand of
death.
Since in the rose there is no constancy, why do you
approach every rose?*
On thee alone is reliance: thou art the stay and support.
If a few cut their hands on account of Joseph's face,*
Thou hast bereft of soul and reason two hundred spiritual
Josephs.
Thou mouldest of foul and fair* the form of a man,
That he may flee two leagues from the odour of foulness.
Thou mak'st him a morsel of dust that he may become
pure herbage;
He is free from filth when thou hast breathed into him
a soul.*
Come, O heart, far heavenward, fare to the divine pasture,
Since thou hast grazed awhile in the pasture of cattle.
Set thy whole desire on that whereof thou hast no hope,
for thou hast come thus far from original hopelessness.*
Be silent that the lord who gave thee language may
speak,
For as he fashioned a door and lock, he has also made
a key.*

-- Translation by Professor Reynold Nicholson
Ghazal 2820/T.326.1a ("Tabriz 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:

* "Whether thou choosest to be kind or inclinest to rancour"
to incline toward a thing. Cf. Sururi's commentary:
Attend to (be mindful of) your rank and dignity.
("Gulistan," p. 27).
* "The cause of thy jealousy is that thou art hidden"
Cf. "I was a hidden treasure": this famous tradition,
which innumerable Sufi poets and commentators
have illustrated and embellished (cf. especially a
beautiful passage in Jami's Yusuf u Zulaikha, p. 16),
runs . . .

I was a hidden treasure and I desired to be known,
so I created the creation in order that I might be known.

Also Cf. "I am harsh in a good cause, or affair." For the poet's
view of the probationary and corrective purpose of suffering ,
cf. Whinfields' "Masnavi," p. 90 seq, 114, 295.

* "If thou dwell'st in seclusion" cf. "Masnavi," 8. 2;
Whinfield's "Masnavi," p. 7:
When he enters the chambers of the brain,
Reason falls headlong from the roof.
When he pulls the ear of Intelligence toward him,
It cries in pain, "My ear, my ear!"
(T. 74. 12).
* " Since in the rose there is no constancy, why do you
approach every rose?" Cf. Shakespeare, Sonnet LXVII.:
Why should poor beauty indirectly seek
Roses of shadow, since his rose is true?
If "you" is addressed to the reader, the change of person,
though harsh, is not unexampled. It may, however, denote
the Beloved, whom the poet upbraids for having forsaken
him.
* "If a few cut their hands on account of Joseph's face"
Cf. Koran XII. 31: and she (Zulaikha) said (to Joseph),
"Come forth to them." And when they beheld him thy
marveled at him and cut their hands and said, "God forbid!
This is not a man, but an exalted angel." By cutting their
hands the women showed that they had lost their senses and
were absorbed in the Beloved.
* "Thou mouldest of foul and fair" of flesh and spirit,
Not-being and Real Being.
* "He is free from filth when thou hast breathed into him a soul"
Koran XV. 29:(God said to the angels:) When therefore I shall
have completed him (Adam) and breathed of my spirit into him,
do ye fall and worship him. "Ruh" is probably used here of the
reasonable soul (Nafsi-Nategheh). See "Gulshani Razz," 318
and note, 493.
* "for thou hast come thus far from original hopelessness"
When man reflects of what he was created, and what, by gradual
evolution, he has become, can he doubt the ultimate reality of
his deepest aspirations, wild and impracticable as they seem at
present? Cf.
From the moment you came into the world of being,
A ladder was placed before you that you might escape.
First you were mineral, later you turned to plant,
Then you became animal: how should this be a secret
to you?
Afterwards you were made man, with knowledge, reason
faith;
Behold the body, which is a portion of the dust-pit, how
perfect it has grown!
When you have travelled on from man, you will doubtless
become an angel;
After that you are done with this earth: your station is
in heaven.
Pass again even from angelhood: enter that ocean,
That your drop may become a sea which is a hundred
seas of Oman.
(Ode 12-Nicholson translation of Rumi)
Cf. Note, XVIII, note, Whinfield's "Masnavi," pp. 216, 231,
"Gulshani Raz," 317-338.
Here the poet would seem to have anticipated Walpole's maxim
that every man has his price: he means to say that the worth of a
man is higher in proportion to the excellence of his ideal.
Cf. Echart ("Deutch Mystiker, Vol. II. P. 199): "The words of
Augustine, "Man is what he loves," are to be understood in this
way. If he loves a stone, he is a stone; if he loves a man, he is a
man; if he loves God I dare not say more, for if I said that he
would then be God, ye might stone me." Freytag (Vol. III. P. 644)
gives a proverb to the same effect: the dignity of a man depends
upon the height of his aspiration. The view of Jalalu'ddin himself
is plainly expressed in the following verses:
Know that your value is equal to the object for which
you are quivering with desire;
On this account the lover's heart is higher than the
empyrean.
(Cf. The hadis quoted by Whinfield on "Gulshani Raz," 214).
The motion of every atom is toward its origin;
A man comes to be the thing on which he is bent.
By the attraction of fondness and yearning the soul
and the heart
Assume the qualities of the Beloved and the soul of
souls.
(T. 184.10)
* "key" The key' is Love.

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

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Tuesday, February 03, 2009

[Sunlight] Intuitive wisdom

~

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

Whenever a feeling of aversion comes into the heart of a good soul,
it's not without significance.
Consider that intuitive wisdom to be a Divine attribute,
not a vain suspicion:
the light of the heart has apprehended
intuitively from the Universal Tablet.

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

Har karâhat dar del-e mard-e behi
chon dar âyad az fanni na-bud tohi
Vasf-e Haqq dân ân ferâsat-râ nah vahm
nur-e del az Lawh-e Koll kardast fahm

-- Mathnawi VI:2743-2744
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


------------------------------------

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Monday, February 02, 2009

[Sunlight] "The Beloved has entered to tend me" -- Ghazal 2110

~

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2110, from Rumi's "Diwan-e
Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in a version by Coleman Barks,
and in translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

Bonfire at Midnight

A shout comes out of my room
where I've been cooped up.
After all my lust and dead living
I can still live with you.
You want me to.
You fix and bring me food.
You forget the way I've been.

The ocean moves and surges in the heat
of the middle of the day, in the heat
of this thought I'm having.
Why aren't all human resistances burning up
with this thought?

It's a drum and arms waving.
It's a bonfire at midnight
on the top edge of a hill,
this meeting again with you.

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

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

A cry went up from my tavern,
the heavens were split by my litany:
Finally victory has arrived,
the Beloved has entered to tend me.
Lord, lord, how He is aching, my
unequaled Beloved, to recompense me!
That philosophers' stone makes obedience
and faith from my neglect and unbelief and sins.
After my shortcomings He bestows a palace,
after my slips He bestows victuals.
He causes the heart of sea and mountain to
surge from the heat of the day of my encounter.
If the thoughts of man were not a veil,
they would be burnt to ashes by my thoughts.
My drum and flag, my cry and shouting
would strike agitation in the army of the spirit.
The fire of my tryst at midnight would strike
flames into the horizon of the sky.

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

~


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