Friday, May 29, 2009

[Sunlight] A prayer from Rumi

~

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

O God, make our stony hearts soft as wax;
make our wailing sweet and the object of Your mercy.

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

Ay Khodâ sangin del-e mâ mum kon
nâleh-ye mâ-râ khvosh o marhum kon

-- Mathnawi II: 1992
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


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

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

[Sunlight] The Shining Hero

~

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

The Shining Hero

Every prisoner, I freed.
Every lover's soul, I made happy.
The mouth of the dragon -- I tore it open.
The path of love -- I made it smooth.

Out of water I weaved the world.
Then I filled it with the power of life.
Out of water I brought forth living images
that cannot be carved from ivory or box wood.

Water bursts forth, surging
with the ecstasy of creation --
That is its nature,
That is its addiction.

I pulled Joseph out of a well,
And summoned the whole world
to remember his name.

I am the King
who enjoys the sight of every Queen.
I am the shining hero
who cut through a mountain of stone
for the sake of love.

I have caused great gardens to bloom;
I have built great empires.
The universe is my witness -
I am a King who gives away land
and rules with perfect justice.

I am merely a guest, born in this world
to know the secrets
that lie beyond it.

What masters I have checkmated!
What novices I have turned to masters!

Many lions have roared at me,
Yet like a fox,
I tamed them and made them helpless.

Enough with your doubts!
Enough with your sorrows!
Let them all go,
and I will show you the way.

Everyone swept up by the storm of misery
Will be brought to solid ground -
all they must do is call out to me.
I'll bring them from the center of the whirlwind
Just as I brought this whole creation
out of Emptiness . . .

Now my master has bade me to keep silent -
He has struck me with his sword
and turned my tongue to steel.
Now all I can do is cut.

-- Ode 1502
Poetic translation by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~

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

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

[Sunlight] All the precious words -- Quatrain 1112

~

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

all the precious words
you and I have exchanged
have found their way
into the heart of the universe
one day they'll pour on us
like whispering rain
helping us arise
from our roots again


-- Quatrain 1112
Translation by Nader Khalili
Rumi, Dancing the Flame
Cal-Earth Press, 2001

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

~


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

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

[Sunlight] With what work are you occupied?

~

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

With what work are you occupied,
and for what purpose are you purchased?
What sort of bird are you,
and with what digestive are you eaten?
Pass up this shop of hagglers
and seek the shop of Abundance where God is the purchaser.*
There Compassion has bought
the shabby goods no one else would look at.
With that Purchaser no base coin is rejected,
for making a profit is not the point.

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

Dar cheh kâri to va bahr-e chet kharand
to cheh morghi va torâ bâ cheh khvorand
Zin dokkân bâ makkâsân bartar â
tâ dokkân-e Fazl k-Allâha-shtarâ*
Kâleh-'i keh hich khalaqesh na-negarid
az khalâqet ân Karim ân-râ kharid
Hich qalbi pish-e U mardud nist
zânkeh qasdesh az kharidan sud nist

-- Mathnawi VI:1264-1267
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Tawbah, 111

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

~

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

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Friday, May 22, 2009

[Sunlight] Thou art wine and I am water -- Ghazal 1695

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before such spirit-bestowing Beauty, how should
I not die? How should I not go mad and seize hold of Thy
chainlike tresses?
When I drink Thy wine, how should I not be
obliterated? Thou art wine and I am water, Thou art honey
and I am milk.
Open Thy mouth, that infinite candy -- if Thou
acceptest not my excuses, well, I accept Thy blandishments!
Dost Thou know why I laugh? Because of my
own high aspiration -- in the city of Thy Love, I am the prince
of lovers!
I and eternal Love were born into the world
from a single womb -- though I appear as a new lover, by God I
am exceedingly ancient!
If you open your own eye, you will be fitting
only for yourself. But if you find this vision, you will know
that I am peerless.
Like Men, I fire up the stove of all those who
are cold; and within the stove of warm spirits, my dough is
cooked to the greatest perfection!
In my gentleness, I am like milk -- I never
become caught in the throat. Make no mistakes, though I be
salty like cheese!
In my love for Shams of Tabriz, I am a sultan
wearing a crown -- but when he comes to the throne, I am his
vizier.

-- Ghazal 1695, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams"
Translation by Professor William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

*Sunlight note: A vizier is a high executive officer of various Muslim countries and especially of the Ottoman Empire.

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

~

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

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

[Sunlight] Abandon being loved by people, and practice loving God

~

Today, Sunlight offers a Mathnawi passage from Volume V, verses 3189, et.seq., in versions by Barks and Helminski, and in Persian transliteration:

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

You Are the Only Student You Have

You are the only faithful student you have.
All the others leave eventually.

Have you been making yourself shallow
with making others eminent?

Just remember, when you're in union,
you don't have to fear
that you'll be drained.

The command comes to speak,
and you feel the ocean
moving through you.
Then comes, Be silent,
as when the rain stops,
and the trees in the orchard
begin to draw moisture
up into themselves.

-- Mathnawi, V, 3195-3219)
Version by Coleman Barks
"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion,"
Threshold Books, 1991

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

Abandon being loved by people and practice loving God,
you who have such a high opinion of yourself.
You are really more silent than the night;
how long will you seek a buyer for your words?
Your hearers nod their heads in your presence,
but you waste your time in your passion to draw them near.
You say to me, "Don't be so envious,"
but how should I envy one who possesses nothing?
Instruction given to the worthless is like sketching in dust.
Instruct yourself in love of God and spiritual insight--
that endures like a pattern carved on solid stone.
Your own self is the only pupil ever really faithful to you.
All the others perish: where will you seek them, where?
While trying to make others erudite and eminent,
you are ruining yourself and draining what knowledge you have.
But when your heart is one with Reality,
you may speak, and not be afraid of becoming empty.
And so the Divine command, "Recite!" came to the Prophet,
saying, "O righteous one, this will not fail: it is an infinite
ocean."

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

Tark-e ma`shuqi kon va kon `asheqi
ay goman bordeh keh khub o fayeqi
Ay keh dar ma`na ze shab khamosh-tari
goft-e khvod-ra chand juyi moshtari
Sar be-jonbanand pishet bahr-e to
raft dar sawda-ye ishan dahr-e to
To mera guyi "Hasad andar ma-pich"
cheh hasad arad kasi az fawt-e hich
Hast ta`lim-e khasan ay cheshm-e shukh
hamcho naqsh-e khord kardan bar kolukh
Khvish-ra ta`lim kon `eshq o nazar
k-an bovad chon naqsh fi jerm al-hajar
Nafs-e to ba tost shagerd-e vafa
ghayr fani shod koja juyi koja
Ta koni mar ghayr-ra habr o sani
khvish-ra bad-khu o khali mi koni
Mottasel chon shod delet ba an `adn
hin be-gu ma-heras az khali shodan
Amr-e qol zin amadesh k-"Ay rastin
kam na-khvahad shod be-gu daryast in"

-- Mathnawi, V:3189-3198
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

[Sunlight] In the company of lovers -- Ghazal 2398

~

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

I am drunk and you are insane
tell me, who will lead us home?
How many times have I asked you not to drink so much
for I see no sober soul in town.
Come to the tavern my dearest and taste the wine of love
for the soul is joyous only in the company of lovers.
The tavern of love is your livelihood
your income and expenses, the wine.
Be careful, not to trust a sober soul
with even one drop of this wine.
Go on playing your lute, my drunken gypsy but tell me,
between the two of us, who is more drunk?
As I left my house a Sufi approached me,
in his glance I saw a hundred gardens.
He swayed from side to side like a ship without an anchor,
while a hundred reasonable men watched on enviously.
Where are you from? I asked him.
He replied, "Half from Turkistan and half from Farghaneh,
half from water and clay and half from soul and heart,
half from the edge of the sea and half from the depths of the coean."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2398
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

~

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

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

[Sunlight] The meaning of the words of the Tradition

~

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

During prayer I am accustomed to turn to God like this
and recall the meaning of the words of the Tradition,
"the delight felt in the ritual prayer."*
The window of my soul opens,
and from the purity of the unseen world,
the book of God comes to me straight.
The book, the rain of divine grace, and the light
are falling into my house through a window
from my real and original source.
The house without a window is hell;
to make a window is the essence of true religion.
Don't thrust your ax upon every thicket;
come, use your ax to cut open a window.

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

Khuy dâram dar namâz ân eltefât
ma`nâ "qurrat `ayni fi al-salât"*
Rawzan-e jânam goshâdast az safâ
mi resad bi vâseteh nâmeh-ye Khodâ
Nameh o bârân o nur az rawzanam
mi fotad dar khâneh-'am az ma`denam
Duzakhast ân khâneh k-ân bi rawzanast
asl-e din ay bandeh rawzan kardanast
Tisheh har bisheh kam zan biyâ
tisheh zan dar kandan rawzan halâ

*The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing upon him)
is said to have mentioned this as one of the three things
he loved best in the world.

-- Mathnawi III: 2401-2405
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Monday, May 18, 2009

[Sunlight] "The Fragile Vial"

~

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

"The Fragile Vial"

I need a mouth as wide as the sky
to say the nature of a True Person, language
as large as longing.

The fragile vial inside me often breaks.
No wonder I go mad and disappear for three days
every month with the moon.

For anyone in love with you,
it's always these invisible days.

I've lost the thread of the story I was telling.
My elephant roams his dream of Hindustan again.
Narrative, poetics, destroyed, my body,
a dissolving, a return.

Friend, I've shrunk to a hair trying to say your story.
Would you tell mine?
I've made up so many love stories.
Now I feel fictional.
Tell me!
The truth is, you are speaking, not me.
I am Sinai, and you are Moses walking there.
This poetry is an echo of what you say.
A piece of land can't speak, or know anything!
Or if it can, only within limits.

The body is a device to calculate
the astronomy of the spirit.
Look through that astrolabe
and become oceanic.

Why this distracted talk?
It's not my fault I rave.
You did this.
Do you approve of my love-madness?

Say yes.
What language will you say it in, Arabic or Persian,
or what? Once again, I must be tied up.
Bring the curly ropes of your hair.
Now I remember the story.
A True Man stares at his old shoes
and sheepskin jacket. Every day he goes up
to his attic to look at his work-shoes and worn-out coat.
This is his wisdom, to remember the original clay
and not get drunk with ego and arrogance.

To visit those shoes and jacket
is praise.

The Absolute works with nothing.
The workshop, the materials
are what does not exist.

Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it.
Be a spot of ground where nothing is growing,
where something might be planted,
a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.

-- Mathnawi V; 1884-1920; 1959-64
Poetic version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

~

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

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Friday, May 15, 2009

[Sunlight] Who but You will break those chains?

~

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

O Lord, truly, Your grace is not from our work,
but from your mysterious giving.
Save us from what our own hands might do;
lift the veil, but do not tear it.
Save us from the ego; its knife has reached our bones.

Let us turn from ourselves to You
Who are nearer to us than ourselves.
Even this prayer is Your gift to us.
How else has a rose garden grown from these ashes?

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

Yâ Rabb in bakhshesh nah hadd-e kâr-e mâst
lotf-e To lotf-e khafi-râ khvod sazâst
Dast gir az dast-e mâ mâ-râ be-khar
pardeh-râ bardâr va pardeh-ye mâ ma-dar
Bâz khar mâ-râ azin nafs-e palid
kârdesh tâ ostokhvân-e mâ resid
Az cho mâ bichâregân in band-e sakht
ki goshâyad ay shah bi tâj o takht
In chonin qofl-e gerân-râ ay Vadud
keh tavânad joz keh fazl-e To goshud
Mâ ze khvod su-ye To gardânim sar
chon Toi az mâ be-mâ nazdiktar
In do`â ham bakhshesh o ta`lim-e Tost
gar nah dar golkhan golestânast az cheh rost

-- Mathnawi II: 2443-2449
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

[Sunlight] His Sun always shines within me

~

Today, Sunlight offers an interpretation of Quatrain 430:

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

You call him a moon,
yet moonlight fades.
You call him a king,
yet kingdoms fall.

How often you say,
Wake up, you'll miss the sunrise.
But His Sun always shines within me.
How can I miss the sunrise?

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

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

~


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

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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

[Sunlight] Enthralled only by love

~

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

whenever you meet
someone deep drunk
yet full of wisdom
be aware and watch
this person is enthralled
only by love

anytime you see
someone who seems gone
tipsy and happy
filled with rapture
be sure and observe
this is the condition
of someone in love

if you see a head
happy and thrilled
filled with joy
every night and day
this head was fondled
by the fingers of love

every moment
someone is blessed
a tree sprouts
an angel flies
even a monster
leaps with delight

when your body
feels together
when your soul
wants to unite
you are chosen
for a blissful love

-- Ghazal 2132
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994

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

~

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

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

[Sunlight] Take refuge with the Decree

~

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

Although he was a mountain,
relying only upon his own firmness,
a small flood swept him away.

When the Decree extends its head from heaven,
the intelligent become deaf and blind;
fish are cast from the sea;
birds are miserably caught in the snare.

All are lost except
the one who takes refuge
within the command of God:
no unfortunate aspect among the stars
was ever the cause of shed blood.

Unless you take refuge with the Decree,
nothing you can devise
will ever gain your freedom.

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

E`temâdesh sabât-e khvish bud
garcheh keh bod nim saylesh dar robud
Chon Qazâ birun konad az charkh sar
`âqelân gardand jomleh kur o kar
Mâhiyân oftand az daryâ berun
dâm girad morgh parân-râ zabun
Joz kasi k-andar Qazâ andar gorikht
khun u-râ hich tarbi`i na-rikht
Ghayr-e ânke dar gorizi dar Qazâ
hich hileh na-dehadet az vay rahâ

-- Mathnawi III: 468-470; 472-473
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Monday, May 11, 2009

[Sunlight] Keep moving -- Ghazal 304

~


Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 304, in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks, and a translation by A.J.Arberry:

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

"Keep Moving"

Do you hear what the violin
says about longing?

The same as the stick, "I was once
a green branch in the wind."

We are all far from home.
Language is our caravan bell.

Don't stop anywhere.
The moment you're attracted to a place,
you grow bored with it.

Think of the big moves you've already made,
from a single cell to a human being!

Stay light-footed, and keep moving.
Turkish, Arabic, Greek, any tongue
is a wind that was formerly water.

As a breeze carries the ocean inside it,
so underneath every sentence is,
"Come back to the source."

A moth doesn't avoid flame.
The king lives in the city.

Why should I keep company with an owl
out here in the empty buildings?

If your donkey acts crazy and won't work,
apply the bullwhip to his head.
He'll understand.

Don't try to love him
back to his senses. Whack him!

-- Version by Coleman Barks, from a
translation by John Moyne
"Say I am You"
Maypop, 1994

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

Do you not know what the rebeck says concerning tears of the
eyes and burning hearts?
"I am a skin far sundered from the flesh; how should I not
lament in separation and torment?"
The stick also says, "I was once a green branch; that cavalcade
broke and tore to pieces my saddle."*
We are exiles in separation; O kings, give ear to us-"To God
is the returning."
From God in the first place we sprang in the world; to Him
likewise we revert from the revolution.
Our cry is like the bell in the caravan, or as thunder when the
clouds travel the sky.
Wayfarer, set not your heart upon a lodging-place, becoming
weary at the time of attraction;
For you have departed from many a stage, from the sperm
until the season of youth.*
Take it lightly, that you may escape easily; give up readily,
and so find the reward.
Take hold of Him firmly, for He has taken firm hold on you;
first He and last He-go, discover Him.*
Gently He draws the bow, for that arrow of His quivers in the
hearts of the lovers.
Be the lover Turk or Greek or Arab,* this cry right enough is
fellow-tongue with him.
The wind is lamenting and calling to you, "Come in my wake,
even to the river of water.
I was water; I became wind; I have come to deliver the thirsty
ones from this mirage."
Speech* is that wind which was formerly water; it becomes
water when it casts off the veil.
This shout arose from without the six directions: "Flee from
direction, and turn not your face from Us."
O lover, you are not less than the moth; when does the moth
ever avoid the flame?
The King is in the city; for the sake of the owl how should I
abandon the city and occupy the ruin?
If an ass has gone mad, strike the ox-whip upon its head until
its senses return.
If I seek his heart, his worthlessness increases still more; God
said regarding the unbelievers, "Strike their necks".*

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


Arberry's notes:

Comparison of this poem with the opening verses of the Mathnawi
is relevant
* "To God": cf. Koran 3:12
* "For you have departed, etc.": see Math. III:3901; IV:3637; and
cf. Qur'an 23:13.
* "Take hold...": see Qur'an 31:21
* "Turk or Greek or Arab": The language of Divine Love is international.
* "Speech": the Logos mediating between God and man.
* "If I seek, etc.": Qur'an 47:4. The only course with deniers of spiritual values
is, not tenderness, but outright rejection.

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

~


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

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Friday, May 08, 2009

[Sunlight] Falsehood is like a piece of straw

~

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

Since the shining truth is a cause of tranquility,
the heart will not be calmed by lying words.
Falsehood is like a piece of straw, and the heart like a mouth:
a straw never remains quietly hidden in the mouth.
As long as it's there, the one annoyed by it keeps moving his tongue,
so that he may rid his mouth of it.

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

Chon toma'ninast sedq bâ forugh
del niyârâmad be-goftâr-e dorugh
Kezb chon khas bâshad va del chon dehân
khas na-gardad dar dehân hargez nehân
Tâ daru bâshad zabâni mi zanad
tâ bedânesh az dehân birun konad

-- Mathnawi VI: 2576-2578
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, May 07, 2009

[Sunlight] The Level of Words

~

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

The Level of Words

God has said, "The images that come
with human language
do not correspond to me,
but those who love words
must use them to come near."

Just remember,
it's like saying of the King,
"He is not a weaver."

Is that praise?

Whatever such a statement is,
words are on that level of God-knowledge.

-- Mathnawi II: 1716-1719
Poetic version by Coleman Barks
"Rumi: One-Handed Basket Weaving"
Maypop, 1991

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

He has said, "Although I far transcend your commemoration
(of Me), (and although) the pictorial ideas (of human speech) are
not suitable to Me,
Yet he that is intoxicated with (pictorial) imagination and
fancy will never apprehend My essence without (the help of)
similitude."
Bodily commemoration is an imperfect fancy: the Kingly
attributes are remote from those (forms of speech).
If any one say of a king, "He is not a weaver," what praise
is this? He (that person) is surely ignorant.

-- Mathnawi II: 1716-1719
Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
"The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi"
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial"

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

~

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

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Wednesday, May 06, 2009

[Sunlight] "One day" -- Quatrain 720

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 720:

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


Your love has filled me
with a madness
no one could ever know.

Your gaze has enchanted my heart
with a poem
no one could ever write.

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

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

One day
You will take my heart completely
and make it more fiery than
a dragon.
Your eyelashes will write on my heart
the poem
that could never come from the pen
of a poet.

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

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

~

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

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Tuesday, May 05, 2009

[Sunlight] Polish your heart for a day or two

~

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

Stop talking!
What a shame you have no familiarity
with inner silence!
Polish your heart for a day or two:
make that mirror your book of contemplation.

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

`Âlam khâmushi âyad pish nist
vây ânkeh dar darun anisesh nist
Sayqali kon yek do ruzi sineh-râ
daftar-e khvod sâz ân âyeneh-râ


-- Mathnawi VI: 1286-1287
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Monday, May 04, 2009

[Sunlight] The Waterwheel -- Ghazal 359

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 0359, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams", in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry, upon which Barks based his interpretation:

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

"The Waterwheel"

In this river the soul is a waterwheel
that no matter how it's facing, water pours
through turning, re-turning to the river.

Even if you put your side
or your back to the river,
water still comes through.

A shadow can't ignore the sun
that all day creates and moves it!

The soul lives like a drop of mercury
in the palm of a palsied man.

Or say the soul is the moon,
that every thirty nights has two
so empty, in union, that it disappears.

The other twenty-eight nights it endures
different stages of separation,
wretched, but laughing.

Laughter is the way of lovers.
They live and die tickled,

and always fresh-faced, knowing
the return that's coming.

Don't question this! The answers
and your questions in response

will cause your eyes to see wrongly.
Live the laughing silence.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Say I am You"
Maypop, 1994

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

In this river the heart is like a ruined waterwheel; in which-
ever direction it turns, there is water before it;
And even if you turn your back to the water, the water runs
hurrying before you.
How shall the shadow save its soul from the sun, seeing that its
soul is in the hand of the sun?
If the shadow stretches forth its neck, the sun's face that in-
stant is shrouded.
Brave Sun, before which this sun in heaven quivers with fear
like quicksilver!
The moon is like quicksilver on a palsied palm-- one night
only, and for the rest it is poured forth;
In every thirty nights, two nights it is united and lean, for the
rest it endures separation, and separation is torture.*
Though it is wretched, it is fresh of face; laughter is the habit
and wont of lovers.
It lives laughing, and likewise dies laughing, for its return is to
laughing fortune.
Keep silent, for the faults of vision always come from question
and answer.

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

* The idea seems to be that the moon's occultation is during union
with the sun; the terms "united" and "separation" belong to the tech-
nical vocabulary of Sufism.


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

~

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

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Friday, May 01, 2009

[Sunlight] Sweetness in proportion to pain

~

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

Your anguish is seeking a way to attain to Me:
yesterday evening I heard your deep sighs.
And I am able, without any delay,
to give you access, to show you a way of passage,
to deliver you from this whirlpool of time,
that you might set your foot upon the treasure of union with Me;
but the sweetness and delights of the resting place
are in proportion to the pain of the journey.
Only then will you enjoy your native town and your kinsfolk,
when you have suffered the anguish of exile.

^ ^

Châreh mi juyad pay-e Man dard-e to
mi shonudam dush âh-e sard-e to
Man tavânam ham keh bi in entezâr
rah deham be-namâyamet râh gozâr
Tâ azin gerdâb-e dawrân vâ rahi
bar sar-e ganj-e vesâlam pâ nehi
Lik shirini o lazzat-e maqarr
hast bar andâzeh-ye ranj-e safar
nkeh az shahr va ze khvishân bar-khvori
kaz gharibi ranj o mehnat-hâ bari

-- Mathnawi III:4154-4158
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra


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

~


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

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