Monday, August 31, 2009

[Sunlight] "Let this night be like that one" -- Ghazal 2544

~

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

I've heard that a certain man lost his camel.
He goes everywhere, not finding that camel.
He falls asleep in the desert by the side of the road,
tired and thinking now he's through looking.

Late in the night he wakes up full of that loss.
The moon comes rolling out like a white ball
on the huge, empty polo field of the sky.
By that light he sees his camel standing
in the middle of the road. His tears
come easily like a quick rain.

He turns his face up, wet and shining.
How can I say what you are with your light?

Let this be a night like that one.
Each second the moon tells us, Be more passionate.
We should shine back and tell it the same thing.

It makes us restless. It grieves for us.
Take it inside you, that One whose Presence
is water. We are the stream, searching along.
That One is musk. We are the way musk smells.
Why not spray ourselves?

- - Ghazal (Ode) 2544
Version by Coleman Barks
These Branching Moments
Copper Beech Press, 1988

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

~

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

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Friday, August 28, 2009

[Sunlight] Unconcerned with kingship

~

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

Regard as a king someone unconcerned with kingship.
Only he who is an enemy to his own existence
possesses real existence.

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

Shâh ân dân ku ze shâhi fâreghast
bi mah o khurshid nuresh bâzeghast
Makhzan ân dârad keh makhzan-e zât-e ust
hasti u dârad keh bâ hasti `adust

-- Mathnawi II: 1469-1470
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

[Sunlight] Sacred paradoxes -- Ghazal 1869

~

Sunlight offers Ghazal 1869, from the Diwan-e Shams-e
Tabrizi, in a translation by William Chittick, a version from
Jonathan Star, and a translation by A.J Arberry:

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

Off with you! Know that the lover's religion is
contrary to other ways, for false dealings from the Friend
are better than sincerity and kindliness.
What is unthinkable for Him is the actual state, His
chastisement the reward, all of His tyranny justice, His
slander equity.
His harshness is soft, His synagogue the Kaaba ˆ
the thorn driven home by the Heart-ravisher is sweeter than
roses and basil.
When He is sour, He is more excellent than a house
of sugar; when He comes to you in annoyance, He is all
affection and kisses.
When He says to you, "By God, I am sick of you!",
that is Khidr's elixir from the Fountain of Life.
When He says "No!" a thousand yea's are hidden
within it; in this religion of the selfless, He becomes family
and self by remaining a stranger.
His unbelief is faith, His stones all coral, His miser-
liness generosity, His offenses all forgiveness.
If you taunt me and say, "Your religion is bent out
of shape!" ˆ well, I have bought the religion of His bent
eyebrow for the price of my spirit.
This bent religion has made me drunk! Enough!
I will shut my lips ˆ you continue, oh illuminated heart, and
recite the rest silently!
Oh Lord! Oh Shams of God Tabrizi! What sugar
you pour down! You voice a hundred arguments and
proofs from my mouth!

-- Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love - The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi"
State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983

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

A Sacred Blasphemy

Be off and know
That the way of lovers is opposite all other ways.
Lies from the Friend
Are better than truth and kindness from others.

For Him
The impossible is commonplace,
Punishment is reward,
Tyranny is justice,
Slander is the highest praise.

His harshness is soft,
His blasphemy is sacred.
The blood that drips from the Beloved's thorn
is sweeter than roses and basil.

When He's bitter
it's better than a candy-shop.
When He turns his head away
it's all hugs and kisses.
When He says, "By God, I've had enough of you!"
it's like an eternal spring
flowing from the fountain of life.

A "No" from his lips is a thousand times "Yes."
On this selfless path
He acts like a stranger
yet He's your dearest friend.

His infidelity is faith,
His stones are jewels,
His holding back is giving,
His ruthlessness is mercy.

You may laugh at me and say,
"The path you're on is full of curves!"
Yes ˆ for the curve of His eyebrow
I have traded in my soul!

This curvy path has gotten me drunk,
I cannot say another word!
Carry on, my glorious heart,
finish the poem in silence . . .

O Shams, Lord of Tabriz,
What sweetness you pour upon me ˆ
All I need to is open my mouth
and all your songs flow out.

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

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

Go, know that the code of lovers is opposite to all other ways,
for from the Beloved lies are better than truth and beneficence.
His impossibility comes to pass, his insalubriousness is a
bonus, his injustice is all rectitude. Calumny from him is justice.
His hard is soft, his synagogue is the Kaaba, the Beloved's
thorn is better than roses and basil.
The moment when he is bitter is better than a sweetshop, and
the moment when he becomes weary, that is kissing and em-
bracing.
The moment when he says to you, "By Allah, I am indifferent to you" --
that is the water of Khidr from the fountain of life.*
The when he says "No," in his "No" are a thousand "Yeses"; his
strangerhood is kinship according to the code of the unselfed.
His infidelity becomes all faith, his stone all coral, his miser-
liness all benificence, his crime all forgiveness.
If you criticize, you say, "You have a crooked way of going
on"; I have bought the way of his brow and given my life.
I am drunk with this crooked way; I have made enough, and
closed my lips -- rise up, bright heart, and recite the rest of it.
Shams-al-Haqq Tabrizi! Dear Lord, what sugar you sprinkle!
You might say that out of my mouth proceed a hundred proofs
and demonstrations.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979, 1991

*The Water of Life (Ab-e hayvan, or hayatI) is the Fountain of Life in the
Land of Darkness. Nizami, in his "Sikander-nama" describes how Alexander was
guided by the prophet Khidr to the Fountain but could not reach it.

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

~

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

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

[Sunlight] Look at the power of the Divine One -- Ghazal 3048

~


Today, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 3048, in a translation by Azima Melita Kolin and Maryam Mafi, and in a version by John Moyne & Coleman Barks:

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

You are the sky and I am the earth
astonished at what you grow inside my heart.
Dry-lipped and thirsty, only the grace of your rain
can turn the earth into a rose garden.
By you it is pregnant and only you know its burden.
It twists, it turns and sighs until
it gives birth to divine longing.

The Beloved takes care of his lovers
and feeds them generously.
Sometimes he ties them with the cord of reason
and sometimes he sets them free to dance.
Look at the meadow bursting with flowers
unable to contain its joy.
Look at the power of the Divine One
turning senseless dust into a sublime painting!
All we see is a veil of this never setting Sun,
this ancient Sun that will one day silently reveal
everything that has been planted.

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

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

I feel like the ground, astonished
at what the atmosphere has brought to it. What I know
is growing inside me. Rain makes
every molecule pregnant with a mystery.
We groan with women in labor.
The ground cries out, I am Truth and Glory Is Here,
breaks open, and a camel is born out of it.
A branch falls from a tree, and there's a snake.

Muhammed said: A faithful believer is a good camel,
always looking to its Master, who takes perfect care.
He brands the flank.
He sets out hay.
He binds the knees with reasonable rules,
and now he loosens all bindings and lets his camel dance,
tearing the bridle and ripping the blankets.

The field itself sprouts new forms,
while the camel dances over them, imaginary
plants no one has thought of,
but all these new seeds, no matter how they try,
do not reveal the other sun.
They hide it.
Still, the effort is joy,
one by one to keep uncovering
pearls in oyster shells.

Version by John Moyne & Coleman Barks
These Branching Moments
Copper Beech Press, 1988

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

~

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

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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

[Sunlight] A shadow in love with the sun

~

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

The lover hotly pursues the beloved:
when the beloved comes, the lover is gone.
You are a lover of God, and God is such
that when He comes not a single hair of yours remains.
At that look of His a hundred like you vanish away.
I think you are in love with nothingness.
You are a shadow and in love with the sun.
When the sun comes, the shadow quickly disappears.

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

Goft `âsheq dust mi juyad be-taft
chonke ma`shuq âmad ân `âsheq be-raft
`Âsheq-e Haqqi va Haqq ânast ku
chon biyâyad na-bovad az to tâ-ye mu
Sad cho to fânist pish-e ân nazar
`âsheqi bar nafi khvod khvâjeh magar
Sâyeh va `âsheqi bar âftâb
shams âyad sâyeh lâ gardad shetâb

-- Mathnawi III: 4620-4623
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Monday, August 24, 2009

[Sunlight] "Let the ill-balanced load drop from me"

~

Today, Sunlight offers two presentations of the verses from the
Mathnawi, Volume VI, lines 216 - 227 -- the first an interpretive
version by Coleman Barks, which Barks developed relying on Professor
Reynold Nicholson's translation; the second, Nicholson's classic,
literal translation:

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


I am part of the load
not rightly balanced.
I drop off in the grass,
like the old Cave-sleepers, to browse
wherever I fall.

For hundreds of thousands of years I have been dust-grains
floating and flying in the will of the air,
often forgetting ever being
in that state, but in sleep
I migrate back. I spring loose
from the four-branched, time-and-space cross,
this waiting room.

I walk into a huge pasture.
I nurse the milk of millennia.

Everyone does this in different ways.
Knowing that conscious decisions
and personal memory
are much too small a place to live,
every human being streams at night
into the loving nowhere, or during the day,
in some absorbing work.

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


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


Let the ill-balanced load drop from me, that I may behold the
meadow of the pious.
(Then), like the Fellows of the Cave, I shall browse on the
orchard of Bounty ˆ not awake, nay, they are asleep.*
I shall recline on the right or on the left, I shall not roll save
involuntarily, like a ball,
Just as Thou, O Lord of the Judgement, turnest me over
either to the right or to the left.
Hundreds of thousands of years I was flying (to and fro)
involuntarily, like the motes in the air.
If I have forgotten that time and state, (yet) the migration in
sleep (to the spiritual world) recalls it to my memory.
(Every night) I escape from this four-branched cross and
spring away from this (confined) halting-place into the (spacious)
pasture of the spirit.
For the nurse, Sleep, I suck the milk of those bygone days
of mine, O Lord.
All the (people in the) world are fleeing from their free-will
and (self-) existence to their drunken (unconscious) side.
In order that for awhile they may be delivered from sobriety
(consciousness), they lay upon themselves the opprobrium of
wine and minstrelsy.
All know that this existence is a snare, that volitional thought
and memory are a hell.
They are fleeing from selfhood into selflessness either by
means of intoxication or by means of (some engrossing) occupa-
tion, O well-conducted man.

-- Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
"The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi"
Gibb Memorial Trust

* Qua'an, XVIII, 17, slightly altered.

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

~

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

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Friday, August 21, 2009

[Sunlight] "Celebrate! The month of fasting has come" -- Ghazal 2344

~

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

Celebrate! The month of fasting has come.
Pleasant journey to the one
Who is the company of the fasting.

I climbed the roof to see the Moon,
Because I really missed fasting
By heart and soul.

I lost my hat while looking at the Moon.
the Sultan of fasting made me drunk.

O Muslims, I have been drunk
since that day I lost my mind.
What a beautiful fortune fasting has.
What a wonderful glory.

There is another secret moon
Besides this one.
He is hiding in the tent of fasting
Like a Turk.

Anyone who comes
To the harvest of fasting in this month
Finds the way to this Moon.

Whoever makes his face
Resemble pale satin
Wears the silk clothes of fasting.

Prayers will be accepted in this month.
Sighs of the one fasting pierce the sky.

The person who sits patiently
At the bottom of fasting's well
Owns the love of Egypt, like Joseph.

O the word which eats the Sahur* meal,
Be silent so that anyone
Who knows fasting will enjoy fasting.

Come, O Shems, the brave one
Of whom Tebriz is proud.
You are the commander of fasting's soldiers.

*Sahur: Meal before dawn during Ramazan fast.

-- Ghazal No. 2344 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, August 20, 2009

[Sunlight] The trap and the bait -- Quatrain 1332

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 1332:

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

I have grown old,
but not old from the days.
I have grown old
but not old from the smiles and games
of my Beloved.

With every breath
I am baked and unbaked,
With every step I become the trap
and the one who takes the bait.

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

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

if you see me getting old
it's not from the
passing of time
my beloved being
coy and selfish
in every breath
I get cooked
I get raw
over and over
in every step I'm used as a bait
or a trap
over and over

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

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

~

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

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Wednesday, August 19, 2009

[Sunlight] "Love is Reckless"

~

Here, Sunlight offers verses from Rumi's "Mathnawi", Book VI,
lines 1967-1974, as interpreted in versions by Kabir Helminski and
Coleman Barks, along with the literal translation by Professor
Nicholson, on which Helminski and Barks relied in developing their
versions:

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

"Love is Reckless"

Love is reckless; not reason.
Reason seeks a profit.
Love comes on strong, consuming herself, unabashed.

Yet, in the midst of suffering,
Love proceeds like a millstone,
hard surfaced and straightforward.

Having died to self-interest,
she risks everything and asks for nothing.
Love gambles away every gift God bestows.

Without cause God gave us Being;
without cause, give it back again.
Gambling yourself away is beyond any religion.

Religion seeks grace and favor,
but those who gamble these away are God's favorites,
for they neither put God to the test
nor knock at the door of gain and loss.

-- Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger"
Threshold Books, 1993

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

"The Circle Around the Zero"

A lover doesn't figure the odds.

He figures he came clean from God
as a gift without a reason,
so he gives without cause
or calculation or limit.

A conventionally religious person
behaves a certain way
to achieve salvation.

A lover gambles everything, the self,
the circle around the zero! He or she
cuts and throws it all away.

This is beyond
any religion.

Lovers do not require from God any proof,
or any text, nor do they knock on a door
to make sure this is the right street.

They run,
and they run.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion"
Threshold Books, 1991

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

Love is reckless, not Reason: Reason seeks that from which
it may get some profit.
(The lover is) fierce in onset and body-consuming and un-
abashed: in tribution, like the nether millstone;
A hard-faced one that has no back: he has killed in himself
the seeking of self-interest.
He gambles (everything) clean away, he seeks no reward, even
as he receives (everything) clean (as a free gift) from Him (God).
God gives him his existence without any cause: the devoted
(lover) yields it up again without cause;
For devotion consists in giving without cause: gambling
(one's self) clean away (pure self-sacrifice) is outside of (tran-
scends) every religion.
Forasmuch as religion seeks (Divine) grace or salvation,
those who gamble (everything) clean away are (God's) chosen
favourites.
Neither do they put God to any test, nor do they knock at the
door of any profit or loss.

-- Mathnawi VI: 1967-1974
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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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

[Sunlight] "You who have filled the world"

~

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

Hidden One, You who've filled the world
from East to West with Your radiance
and are exalted above the light of the Orient and the Occident,
You are the inmost Ground of Consciousness
revealing our inmost thoughts,
You are the explosive Force
that causes our dammed-up rivers to surge forth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yâ Khafîyan qad mala'ta al-Khâfiqayn
qad `alawta fawqa nûr al-Mashriqayn
Anta Sirrun kâshifu asrâranâ
Anta fajrun mufajjiru anhâranâ

-- Mathnawi V:3308-3309
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Monday, August 17, 2009

[Sunlight] You'll not find another friend like me -- Ghazal 3055

~

In this post, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 3055, in version form by Barks and Cowan, and in translation by Arberry and Nicholson:

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

You won't find another friend like me.
You spend your days in all directions.
No one accepts your money but me.
You're the dry ditch, and I am rain.
You're the rubble of a building.
I'm the architect.

There is only one sunrise a day.
In your sleep you see many shapes and people.
When you wake, you see nothing.
Close those eyes and open these eyes.

What you've been wanting is a donkey
lying sick on the ground.
What you've been doing is the bit and
halter on that donkey.
There's sweet syrup here where you've
been buying vinegar and unripened fruit.

Walk into the hospital.
There's no shame in going where everyone has to go.
Without that healing, you're a body with no head.

The mirror is black and rusty.
Who is the lucky man doing business with?
Think of the one who gave you thought.
Walk toward whoever gave you feet.

Look for the one behind your seeing.
Sing and clap because the whole ocean is a bit of foam.
No accidents are happening here.

Listen within your ear.
Speak without forming words.
Language turns against itself
and is likely to cause injury.

-- Version by Coleman Barks (based on a
translation by A.J. Arberry)
"These Branching Moments"
Copper Beech Press, 1988

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

Be mindful, you'll not know a friend like me.
Where in the world is there such a Beloved?

Be mindful, don't spend your life wandering about,
There's no market elsewhere for you to splurge.

You are as an arid gully, I as rain,
You are a city in ruins, I the architect.

Know that my service is like joy at dawn,
Few men experience its illuminating warmth.

In dreams you see a myriad shifting images;
When the dream ends you're left with nought.

Close tight the eye of falsity, open wide the eye of
the intellect;
An ass is your senses, evil thoughts its halter.

Choose sweet syrup from the garden of Love, for Nature
Sells vinegar, and crushes unripened grapes.

Enter the hospital of your Creator, for no man
Who's ill can dispense with his remedies.

Without the King the world is decapitated:
Like a turban, fold yourself about its severed head.

Unless you're dark, don't let the mirror fall
From your hand: soul is your mirror, your body rust.

Where is the lucky merchant, whose destiny Jupiter
Controls, that I may trade with him and buy his wares?

Come, remember me who gave you the ability to think,
From my mine you may yet buy an ass-load of rubies.

Come, walk towards him who gave you feet,
Look with both eyes on him who gave you sight.

Clap hands for joy of him, by whose foamy hand
the sea is made. His joy dispels sorrow and pain.

Speak without tongue, without ears listen,
The tongue's mutterings often give offence.

-- Version by James Cowan (based on R.A. Nicholson's
"Divan-I Shems-I Tabriz" translation)
"Rumi's Divan of Shems of Tabriz, Selected Odes
Element Books Limited 1997

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

Come, come, for you will not find another friend like me;
where indeed in both worlds is a beloved like me?
Come, come, and do not pass your days in every direction, for
there is no other market elsewhere for your money.
You are like a dry water conduit and I am like the rain; you
are like a ruined city and I am like the architect.
Except in serving me, which is the sunrise of joy, men have
never seen and never will see any mark of happiness.
In sleep you see a thousand moving forms; when sleep has
gone, you see not a single creature.
Close the eye of wrong and open the eye of intelligence, for
the carnal soul has fallen like an ass, and concupiscence is the halter.
Seek sweet syrup from the garden of love, for human nature
is a vinegar-seller and a crusher of unripe grapes.
Come to the hospital of your Creator, for no sick man can do
without that physician.
The world without that king is like the body without its head;
wind round such a head as a turban.
If you are not black, let not the mirror go from your hand; for the
soul is your mirror and the body is rust.
Where is the lucky merchant with Jupiter in ascension, that I
may do that business with him and purchase his goods?
Come, think of me who gave you thought; if you are buying
rubies, at least buy from my mine.
Go on foot towards him who gave you a foot, gaze on him with both
eyes who gave you sight.
Clap hands for joy for him from whose sea is the foam, for
there is no grief or sorrow happening to him.
Listen without ears; speak unto him without a tongue, for the
speech of the tongue is not without contradiction and injury.

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

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

XLV.

Come, come, for you will not find another friend like
me.
Where indeed is a Beloved like me in all the world?
Come, come, and do not spend your life in wandering
to and fro,
Since there is no market elsewhere for your money*.
You are as a dry valley and I as the rain,
You are as a ruined city and I as the architect.
Except my service, which is joy's sunrise,
Man never has felt and never will feel an impression of
joy*.
You behold in dreams* a thousand moving shapes;
When the dream is past you do not see a single one of
the kind*.
Close the eye that sees falsely and open the intellectual
eye*,
For the senses resemble an ass, and evil desire is the
halter.
Seek sweet syrup* in the garden of Love,
For Nature is a seller of vinegar and a crusher of
unripened grapes.
Come to the hospital of your own Creator:
No sick man can dispense with that Physician*.
The world without that King is like a headless body:
Fold yourself, turbanwise, round such a head*.
Unless you are black*, do not let the mirror go from
your hand:
The soul is your mirror, while the body is rust.
Where is the fortunate merchant, whose destiny Jupiter
controls*,
That I may eagerly trade with him and buy his wares?
Come, and think of me who gave you the faculty of
thought,
Since from my mine you may purchase an ass-load of
rubies.
Come, advance towards him who gave you a foot,
Look with all your eyes on him who gave you an eye.
Clap your hands for joy of him, by whose sea the hand
(foam) is produced,
For his joy admits no sorrow nor affliction.
Listen without ears, speak to him without the tongue,
Since the speech of the tongue is not without offence
and injury.

-- Translation by R.A. Nicholson
(Ode 242.15 [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:

* "money" "the pure gold of the spirit."
* "impression of joy" "signifies the different points of the horizon,
from whence the sun rises in the course of the year' (Sale's Kor'an,
Vol. II. P. 309, note)."
* "in dreams" "the sleep of phenomenal existence. Our birth is but
a sleep and a forgetting.'"
* "a single one of the kind" "literally, a dweller, is mostly used with
a negative, and seldom occurs in Persian except in the phrase there is
no one.'"
* "eye of the intellect" " the intelligentiae oculus' described by
Richard of St Victor (Vaughan's Hours with the Mystics,' Vol. 1.
P. 128):
An eye within. . . one that beholds at once the past,
the present, and the future; which diffuses through all
things the keen brightness of its vision; which penetrates
what is hidden, investigates what is impalpable; which
needs no foreign light wherewith to see, but gazes by a
light of its own, peculiar to itself.
The animal soul is driven blindly along by its ruling passion.
Cf. T. 204. 5:
Sensual desire is a bridle, and men are as camels:
Do not suppose that there is any bridlions are the only obstacles
to union with the Divinity."
* "sweet syrup" " probably here means honey'. . . The poet
obviously contrasts honey with vinegar, as the sweet fruits of
the spirit with the bitter gall of worldly lusts."
* "Physician" "cf. T. 210. 12a:
Love came to me at morn in the guise of a physician;
He laid his hand on my vein and said, The pulse is
weak.'"
* "Fold yourself, turbanwise, round such a head" "for
this word-play cf. T. 247. 2; 251. 12. From Professor Cowell's
MS. (C2) I quote the following beyt, because it affords another
example of aghileh' (shackle, tether, bond):
You are in the bonds of (absorbed in) the arrangement
of beard and turban:
How will you gain Him who quaffs the mighty flagon
(of love)?"
* "black" "buried in the dark attributes of Not-being.
Your soul, which should reflect the truth, is obscured by
pride and self will. Cf. Masnavi, 176. 9:
The rust, coat on coat, O black kettle,
Has corrupted thy interior aspect."
* "Where is the fortunate merchant, whose destiny Jupiter
controls" "born under a happy star." cf. Sa'di, Gulistan,'
p. 23, fourth line from the foot:
How long will this mart remain busy?"

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

~

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Friday, August 14, 2009

[Sunlight] "In spite of the skeptics"

~

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

God, in spite of the skeptics,
caused spiritual gardens with sweet flowers to grow
in the hearts of His friends.
Every rose that is sweet-scented within,
that rose is telling of the secrets of the Universal.
Their scent, to the confusion of the skeptics,
spreads around the world, rending the veil.

Kuri-ye ishân darun dustân
Haqq be-ruyânid bâgh o bustân
Har goli k-andar darun buyâ bud
ân gol az asrâr-e Koll guyâ bud
Bu-ye ishân raghm-e anaf-e monkerân
gerd-e `âlam mi ravad pardeh darân

-- Mathnawi I: 2021-2023
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

[Sunlight] The two veils between man and God

~

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

Between God and His servant are just two veils;
all other veils become manifest from these two: health and
wealth. He who is healthy says, "Where is God? I don't know
and I don't see." As soon as he begins to suffer, he says, "Oh
God! Oh God!", and he begins sharing his secrets with Him
and talking to Him. So you see that health was his veil, and
God was hidden under his pain. So long as man has riches, he
gathers together all the means of achieving his desires. Night
and day he busies himself with them. But as soon as he loses
his wealth, his ego weakens and he turns round about God.

-- Discourses of Rumi (Fihi ma fihi) 233/240
Translation by Prof. William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983

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

~

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

[Sunlight] "The Rider and the Man Who Swallowed a Snake"

~

Today, Sunlight offers the Mathnawi story of the man who
swallowed a snake, in a version by Coleman Barks, and in translation
by Dr. Ibrahim Gamard:


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

Jesus on the lean donkey,
this is an emblem of how the rational intellect
should control the animal-soul.
Let your spirit
be strong like Jesus.
If that part becomes weak,
then the worn out donkey grows to a dragon.

Be grateful when what seems unkind
comes from a wise person.
Once, a holy man,
riding his donkey, saw a snake crawling into
a sleeping man's mouth! He hurried, but he couldn't
prevent it. He hit the man several blows with his club.

The man woke terrified, and ran beneath an apple tree
with many rotten apples on the ground.
"Eat!
You miserable wretch! Eat!"
"Why are you doing this to
me?"
"Eat more you fool."
"I've never seen you
before!
Who are you? Do you have some inner quarrel with my soul?"

The wise man kept forcing him to eat, and then he ran him.
For hours he whipped the poor man and made him run.
Finally at nightfall, full of rotten apples,
fatigued, bleeding, he fell
and vomited everything,
The good and the bad, the apples and the snake.
When he saw that ugly snake
come out of himself, he fell on his knees
before his assailant.
"Are you Gabriel? Are you God?
I bless the moment you first noticed me. I was dead
and didn't know it. You gave me new life.
Everything I've said to you was stupid!
I didn't know."
"If I had explained what I was
doing,
you might have panicked and died of fear.
Muhammad said,
'If I described the enemy that
lives
inside men, even the most courageous would be paralysed. No one
would go out, or do any work. No one would pray or fast,
and all power to change would fade
from human beings,'
so I kept quiet
while I was beating you, that like David
I might shape iron, so that, impossibly,
I might put feathers back into a bird's wing.

God's silence is necessary, because of humankind's
faintheartedness. If I had told you about the snake,
you wouldn't have been able to eat, and if
you hadn't eaten, you wouldn't have vomited.

I saw your condition and drove my donkey hard
into the middle of it, saying always, under my breath,
'Lord, make it easy on him' I wasn't permitted
to tell you, and I wasn't permitted to stop
beating you!"
The healed man, still kneeling,
"I have no way to thank you for the quickness
of your wisdom and the strength of your guidance.
God will thank you."

-- Mathnawi II, Verses 1858-1929 (Excerpts)
Version by Coleman Barks, based on the translation
by Nicholson
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

The Rider and the Man Who Swallowed a Snake

Mathnawi II: 1878-1915, 1923-1926, 1930

A wise man was coming, riding on (his) horse, (while) a snake
was going into the mouth of a sleeping man.*
The rider saw that, and acted quickly so that he might scare away
the snake, (but) he found no opportunity.
Since he had the aid of great intelligence, he hit the sleeper
several times with a strong iron-covered club.
(The man) took the blows of that hard mace, and fled from him
until (he arrived) beneath a tree.
Many rotten apples had fallen (there), and (the rider) commanded:
"Eat these, O you (who) are dangling (helplessly) in pain!"
He gave so many apples for him to eat* that they were falling back
out of his mouth.
He was yelling, "O prince, why have you made (killing) me your
intention, (when) you haven't seen (any) injustice (from me)?*
"If you have an authentic quarrel against my life, (then) strike
(your) sword immediately (and) spill my blood!
"(What) an unlucky hour when I became visible to you! Oh happy
(is) the one who never saw your face!
"Without (any) crime or sin, without (doing) more or less-- (even)
heretics don't consider this (kind of) ill-treatment (to be)
permissible.
"Blood is leaping from my mouth (along) with (my) words. O
God, retaliate against him in the end!"
He was shouting new curses every moment, (while the rider) kept
beating him, (and) saying, "Run into the desert plain!"
Blows of the mace (continued), and a rider (in pursuit) like the
wind! (The man) was running, and again (and again), he fell on (his)
face.
He was full-fed, filled with drowsiness, and weak; his feet and
face were (covered with) a hundred thousand wounds.
(The rider) kept leading and releasing (him) up to night time,
until vomiting overcame him, caused by (excess) bile.
Everything consumed, bad or good, came up from him: the snake,
together with (everything else) that (was) eaten leaped out of him.
When he saw the snake outside of him, he fell on his face before
that benevolent (man).
(And) when he saw the terror of that big black ugly snake, those
sufferings left him.
He said, "You are (the angel) Gabriel, himself, or (else) you are
God, since you are the protecting friend of merciful kindness!
"Oh (what) a blessed hour (it was) when you saw me; I was dead
(and) you gave me a new life.
"You were seeking me like mothers [searching for their children]
(but) I was running away from you like donkeys.
"The donkey flees from (its) master because of (its) donkey-
nature, (while) its owner (follows) in (its) tracks because of
(his) good-nature;
"He seeks it, not because of profit or loss, but so that a wolf or
(other) wild animal may not tear it (to pieces).
"Oh (how) blessed (is) the one who sees your face, or (who)
suddenly comes upon your lane!
"O you, whom the pure spirit* has praised! (How) many babbling
and foolish (things) I said to you!
"O lord and emperor and prince! I didn't speak, (but) my
ignorance said (those words). Don't hold it (against me)!
"If I had known the least bit about this situation, I never would
have been capable of (such) foolish talk.
"I would have said many (things in) praise (of you instead), O you
of excellent qualities, if you had said one hint to me about the
situation.
"But you, acting in silence, were (so) disturbed, (and) were
quietly pounding my head!
"My mind became crazy (and) reason leaped out of my skull,
especially (since) this head has very little brain.
"Pardon (me), O you of fine appearance and manners! What
(ever) I said because of frenzy, let (it) pass!"
(The rider) answered, "If I had said (even) a hint about it, (all
of) your gall* would have turned (into) water that instant.
"If I had told you (about) the snake's qualities, the (resulting)
fear would have lifted the breath of life (right) out of your soul!"
Muhammad said:* "If I speak truly (about) the description of the
enemy which is within your souls,
"Even the gallbladders of brave men would burst; they* would not
travel on the roads, nor would they be concerned about any work.
"Nor would endurance remain in their hearts for supplications (to
God), nor would strength (remain) for fasting and ritual prayer.
"They would become as nothing, like a mouse before a cat, and
(deeply) troubled, like a lamb before a wolf.
"(And) no strategy or movement would remain to them.
Therefore, I am supporting you without speaking."

. . . . . . . . . . . .

(The rider said,) "You would not have had the strength for eating
(the apples), nor (would you have had) a way or care to vomit.
"I kept hearing (your) curses, but I kept 'driving the donkey
(forward).'* (And) I kept reciting in a whisper, 'O Lord, make (it)
easy!'
"I had no permission to speak about the cause (and yet) I had no
ability to talk about leaving you.
I kept reciting, every moment from (my) inward sorrow, '(O
God,) guide my people, for truly they do not know!'"*
. . . . . . . . . . . .

This is the form of the "hostility" of the wise ones; their poison
is a joy for souls!*

-- Translation from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard
(with gratitude to R.A. Nicholson's for his 1926
British translation)
From "The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî" (Rhymed
Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning) of
Jalaluddin Rumi.
Footnotes courtesy of Ibrahim Gamard.
(C) Ibrahim Gamard

*sleeping man: "The Amír [= Prince] in this Story represents a
murshid [= sufi guide], while the man who swallowed the snake is a
sensualist. The nafs [=ego] is frequently symbolised by a snake."
(Nicholson, Commentary)
*to eat: Nicholson later changed this, because of a misprint in his
Persian text, to: "He gave him so many apples to eat" (from: "He
gave the man...").
*you haven't seen (any) injustice (from me): Nicholson later
changed this, based on the earliest manuscript of the Mathnawi to:
"when you have not suffered injury" (from: "What have I done to
you?").
*the pure spirit: "probably refers to the angels, who paid homage to
the Perfect Man (Adam)." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*gall: means courage, based on ancient beliefs that courage was
linked to the "fiery" quality of bile from the gallbladder. This usage
exists in English, in the sense of rude fearlessness: "He had a lot of
gall to do a thing like that."
*Muhammad said: "Cf. the Hadíth: a'dá 'aduwika nafsuka 'llatí
bayna janbayka, 'thy worst enemy is thy nafs [= ego] which is
between thy sides.'" (Nicholson, Commentary)
*they: literally, "he" in the following couplets.
*driving the donkey: Nicholson translated this as an idiom: "I heard
(your) abuse and went on with my work"-- "Literally, 'I was driving
my ass along.'" (Nicholson, footnote)
*they do not know: "The story goes that in the battle of Uhud a stone
hurled by one of the Quraysh broke the Prophet's teeth; but instead of
cursing his enemies he cried, 'O God, guide my people, for verily
they know not." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*a joy for souls: "i.e. the remedies they apply are drastic and bitter
as poison, but the result is spiritual happiness." (Nicholson,
Commentary)

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

`âqilê bar asp mê-âm-ad sowâr
dar dahân-é khofta-yê mê-raft mâr

ân sowâr ân-râ be-dîd-o mê-shetâft
tâ ramân-ad mâr-râ, furSat na-yâft

chûn-ke az `aql-ash farâwân bod madad
chand dabûsê qawî bar khofta zad

bord ô-râ az zakhm-é ân dabbûs-é sakht
z-ô gorêzân tâ ba zêr-é yak derakht

sêb-é pôsîda basê bod rêkhta
goft az-în khwar, ay ba-dard âwêkhta

sêb chandân mar ô-râ dar khward dâd
k-az dahân-ash bâz bêrûn mê-fotâd

gar to-râ z-aSl-ast bâ jân-am setêz
têgh zan yak-baragê khûn-am be-rêz

shûm sâ`at ke shod-am bar tô padîd
ay khonok ân-râ ke rôy-é tô na-dîd

bê-jinâyat, bê-gonah, bê-bêsh-o kam
mulHid-ân jâyiz na-dâr-and în setam

mê-jah-ad khûn az dahân-am bâ sokhon
ay khodâ âkhir mukâfât-ash tô kon

har zamân mê-goft ô nafrîn-é naw
ô-sh mê-zad k-andar-în SaHrâ be-daw

zakhm-é dabbûs-o sowâr-é hamchô bâd
mê-dawîd-o bâz dar rô mê-fotâd

mumtalî-wo khwâb-nâk-o sost bod
pâ-wo rôy-ash Sad hazâr-ân zakhm shod

tâ shabân-gah mê-kashîd-o mê-goshâd
tâ ze-Safrâ qay shodan bar way fotâd

z-ô bar âmad khwarda-hâ zesht-o nekô
mâr bâ ân khwarda bêrûn jast az-ô

chûn be-dîd az khwad berûn ân mâr-râ
sajda âward ân nekô-kardâr-râ

sahm-é ân mâr-é seyâh-é zesht-é zaft
chûn be-dîd, ân dard-hâ az way be-raft

goft khwad tô jibra'îl-é raHmat-î
yâ khodây-î ke waliyy-é ni`mat-î

ay mubârak sâ`atê ke dîdî-am
morda bûd-am, jân-é naw bakhshîdî-am

tô ma-râ jôy-ân miSâl-é mâdar-ân
man gorêzân az tô mânand-é khar-ân

khar gorêz-ad az khodâwand az kharî
SâHib-ash dar pay ze-nêkô-gawharî

na az pay-é sûd-o zeyân mê-jôy-ad-ash
lêk tâ gorg-ash na-darr-ad yâ dad-ash

ay khonok ân-râ ke bîn-ad rôy-é tô
yâ dar oftad nâ-gahân dar kôy-é tô

ay rawân-é pâk be-setûda to-râ
chand goft-am zhâzh-o bêhûda to-râ

ay khodâwand-o shahenshâh-o amîr
man na-goft-am, jahl-é man goft, ân ma-gîr

shamma'yê z-în Hâl agar dân-ast-am-y
goftan-é bêhûda kay tawânast-am-y?

bas Sanâyat goftam-y ay khwash-khiSâl
gar ma-râ yak ramz mê-goft-î ze-Hâl

lêk khâmosh-karda mê-âshôft-î
khâmush-âna bar sar-am mê-kôft-î

shod sar-am kâlîwa, `aql az sar be-jast
khâSSa în sar-râ ke maghz-ash kam-tar-ast

`afw kon ay khôb-rôy-é khôb-kâr
ân-che goft-am az junûn andar goZâr

goft agar man goft-am-y ranzê az ân
zahra-yé tô âb gasht-y ân zamân

gar tô-râ man goft-am-y awSâf-é mâr
tars az jân-at bar âward-y damâr

muSTafà farmûd agar gôy-am ba-râst
sharH-é ân doshman ke dar jân-é shomâ-st

zahra-hây-é por-del-ân ham bar dar-ad
nay raw-ad rah, nay gham-é kârê khwar-ad

na del-ash-râ tâb mân-ad dar neyâz
na tan-ash-râ quwwat-é rôza-w' namâz

hamchô môshê pêsh-é gorba lâ shaw-ad
hamchô barra pêsh-é gorg az jâ raw-ad

andar-ô na Hîla mân-ad na rawesh
pas kon-am nâ-gofta-tân man parwaresh

. . . . . . .

mar to-râ na quwwat-é khwardan bod-y
na rah-o parwây-é qay kardan bod-y

mê-shenîd-am fuHsh-o khar mê-rând-am
rabbi yassir zêr-é lab mê-khwând-am

az sabab goftan ma-râ dastûr nay
tark-é tô goftan ma-râ maqdûr nay

har zamân mê-goft-am az dard-é darûn
ihdi qawmî innahum lâ ya`lamûn

. . . . . . .

doshmanîy-é `âqil-ân z-în sân bow-ad
zahr-é îshân ibtahâj-é jân bow-ad

-- Persian transliteration courtesy of Ibrahim Gamard

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

~

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

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

[Sunlight] The shop for Unity

~

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

Every shop has a different kind of merchandise:
the Masnavi is the shop for spiritual poverty, my son.
In the shoemaker's shop there is fine leather:
if you see wood there it is only the mold for a shoe.
the drapers have silk and dun-colored cloth in their shops:
if iron is there, it's only to serve as a measuring rod.
Our Masnavi is the shop for Unity:
anything you see there other than the One God is just an idol.

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

Har dokkâni-râ-st sudâyi degar
Masnavi dokkân-e faqrast ay pesar
Dar dokkân-e kafshgar charmast khub
qâleb-e kafsh ast agar bini to chub
Pish-e bazârân qazz o adkan bud
bahr-e gaz bâshad agar âhan bud
Masnavi-ye mâ dokkân-e Vahdatast
ghayr-e Vâhed har cheh bini ân botast

-- Mathnawi VI: 1525-1528
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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Monday, August 10, 2009

[Sunlight] Only through this -- Ghazal 3090

~


Sunlight presents Ghazal 3090, in poetic versions by Jonathan Star and Coleman Barks, and in literal translation by A.J. Arberry:


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

ONLY THROUGH THIS

Abandon this world
That you may become King of all worlds.
Throw away your handful of sugar
That you may become a sugar field.

Leap like a flame through the sky.
Scatter the dark spirits
and become the pillar of heaven.

When Noah sails upon the flooding waters
you will be his ark.
When the Prophet ascends to heaven
you will be his ladder.
When Jesus walks among the weary souls
you will be his healing breath.
When Moses goes forth as a shepherd
you will be his staff.

A divine fire blazes within you.
Don't jump back like a coward.
Cook in the fire!
Bake like bread!
Soon you'll be the prize of every table,
the life-giving food of every soul.

Walk patiently through this troubled world
and you'll find a great treasure.
Even though your house is small, look within it –
you will find the secrets
of the unseen world.

I asked, "Why have I received only this?"
A voice replied,
"'Only this' will lead you to That!"

No more words from my mouth.
I didn't come here to wag my chin,
I came here to chew on sugar-cane.

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

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

Forget the world, and so command the world.

Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder.
Help someone's soul heal.
Walk out of your house like a shepherd.

Stay in the spiritual fire. Let it cook you.
Be a well-baked loaf and lord of the table.
Come and be served to your brothers.

You have been a source of pain.
Now you'll be the delight.

You have been an unsafe house. Now you'll
be the One who sees into the Invisible.

I said this, and a Voice came to my ear,
"If you become this, you will be That! "

Then Silence,
and now more Silence.

A mouth is not for talking.
A mouth is for tasting this Sweetness.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
from a translation by A.J. Arberry
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990

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

Leap, leap from the world, that you may be king of the world;
seize the sugar tray that you may be a sugar plantation.
Leap, leap like a meteor to slay the div*; when you leap out of
stardom, you will be the pole of heaven.*
When Noah sets out for the sea, you will be his ship; when the
Messiah goes to heaven, you will be the ladder.
Now like Jesus of Mary you become the soul's physician; and
now like Moses of Emran you will go forth to be a shepherd.
There is a spiritual fire for the sake of cooking you; if you leap
back like a woman, you will be a raw cuckold.
If you do not flee from the fire, and become wholly cooked
like well-baked bread, you will be a master and lord of the table.
When you come to the table and the brethren receive you, like
bread you will be sustenance of the soul and you will be the soul.
Though you are the mine of pain, by patience you will become
the treasure; though you are a flawed house, you will be a knower
of the unseen.
I said this, and a call came from heaven to my spirit's ear
saying, "If you become like this, you will be like that."
Silence! the mouth is intended for cracking sugar, not for you
to cast slack and become a chin-wagger.

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

*div: "demons," a Persian translation of the Quranic word "satans." Refers a
verse in the Qur'an (67:5) which describes how "shooting stars" drive away any
satans who attempt to eavesdrop on Heavenly secrets: "And We have adorned the
sky of the world with lamps, and We have made them as missiles to drive away the
evil ones." This verse is generally understood as symbolizing the fruitless
attempts of astrologers ("satans among the humans") to understand Heavenly
secrets. (Sunlight thanks Ibrahim Gamard for the additional information
he has added to this footnote.)

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

~

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

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Friday, August 07, 2009

[Sunlight] "Don't take a wooden sword into battle"

~

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

Don't take a wooden sword into battle.
Go, find one of steel;
then march forward with joy.
The sword of reality is the saint's protection:
your time with him
is worth as much as the cup of life itself.
All the wise have said the same:
the one who knows God
is God's mercy to His creatures.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tigh-e chubin-râ ma-bar dar kârzâr
be-negar-e avval tâ na-gardad kârzâr
Gar bovad chubin baru digar talab
var bovad almâs pish â bâ tarab
Tigh dar zarrâdkhâneh-ye awliyâst
didan ishân shomâ-râ kimiyâst
Jomleh-ye dânâyân hamin gofteh hamin
hast dânâ rahmatan lil-`âlamin

-- 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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Thursday, August 06, 2009

[Sunlight] Live a fresh story -- Quatrain 1521

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 1521:

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

It's good to leave each day behind,
like flowing water, free of sadness.
Yesterday is gone and its tale told.
Today new seeds are growing.

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

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

happiness is to reach
the next post every day
like flowing water
free from stillness
and melancholy
yesterday is gone and
took away its talk
today we must live
a fresh story again

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

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

~

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

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Wednesday, August 05, 2009

[Sunlight] "He has afflicted you from every direction"

~

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

He has afflicted you from every direction in order
to pull you back to the Directionless.

--Breathing Truth - Quotations from Jalaluddin Rumi
Selected and Translated by Muriel Maufroy
Sanyar Press - London, 1997


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


~

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

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Tuesday, August 04, 2009

[Sunlight] "One juice"

~

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

A brotherhood is as a cluster of grapes:
when you squeeze them they become one juice.
The unripe and the ripe are in opposition,
but when the immature ripens, too,
it becomes a good friend.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Surat-e angur-hâ ekhvân bovad
chon fashordi shireh-ye vâhed shavad
Ghureh o angur zeddânand layk
chonke ghureh pokhteh shod, shod yâr-e nik

-- Mathnawi II:3717-3718
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Monday, August 03, 2009

[Sunlight] A Marriage at Daybreak

~

Today, Sunlight offers the the following Mathnawi verses, in a
version by Coleman Barks, accompanied by the translation by Professor
Reynold Nicholson, upon which Barks based his interpretive version:

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

Mathnawi IV: 3189-3223


A Marriage at Daybreak

Do you know, brother, that you are a prince?
A son of Adam. And that the witch of Kabul,
who holds you with her color and her perfume,
is the world?
Say the words, I take refuge
with the Lord of the Daybreak.

Avoid the hot breathing that keeps you tied
to her. She breathes on knots and no one
can unknot them. That's why the prophets came.

Look for those whose breath is cool.
When they breathe on knots, they loosen.

The old woman of the world has had you
in her net for sixty years. Her breathing
is the breathing of God's anger. But God's mercy
has more strength. Mercy is prior to wrath.

You must marry your soul.
That wedding is the way.
Union with the world is sickness.

But it's hard to be separated from these forms!
You don't have enough patience to give this up?
But how do you have enough patience
to do without God?

You can't quit drinking the earth's dark drink?
But how can you not drink from this other fountain?

You get restless, you say, when you don't sip
the world's fermentation. But if for one second
you saw the beauty of the clear water of God,
you'd think this other was embalming fluid.

Nearness to the Beloved is the splendor
of your life. Marry the Beloved.
Let the thorn of the ego slide from your foot.

What a relief to be empty!
Then God can live your life.

When you stay tied to mind and desire, you stumble
in the mud like a nearsighted donkey.

Keep smelling Joseph's shirt.
Don't be satisfied with borrowed light.
Let your brow and your face illuminate with union.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"One-Handed Basket Weaving"
Maypop, 1991

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

~Explaining that the prince is Man*, the vicegerent of God, and
that his father is Adam, the chosen one, the vicegerent of God, he to
whom the angels bowed in worship; and that the old hag of Kabul is
the World, which separated Man from his Father by succor, which the
prophets and saints are (like) the physician who applied the remedy.~

O brother, know that thou art the prince born anew in the old
world.
The witch of Kabul is this World which made men captive to colour
and perfume.
Since she hath cast thee into this polluted stream, continually
recite and utter (the words), Say, I take refuge.
In order that thou mayst be delivered from this witchery and
this distress, beg of the Lord of the daybreak that thou mayst say "I
take refuge."
The Prophet called this world of thine an enchantress because
through her spells she lodged mankind in the pit.
Beware! The stinking hag hath hot (potent) spells: her hot
breath hath made kings captive.
She is the witches who blow (on knots) within (thy) breast: she
is the (means of) maintaining the knots of sorcery.
The sorceress, (who is) the World, is a mightily cunning
woman: `tis not in the power of the vulgar to undo her sorcery;
And if (men's) understandings could loose her knot, how
should God have sent the prophets?
Hark, seek one whose breath is pure, a looser of knots, one who
knows the mystery of God doeth whatso He willeth.
She (the World) hath imprisoned thee, like a fish, in her net:
the prince remained (there) one year, and thou sixty.
From (being enmeshed in) her net thou art in tribulation
sixty years: neither art thou happy nor (dost thou walk) in the way
of the Sunna.
Thou art a miserable unrighteous man: neither is thy worldly
life good (happy) nor art thou delivered from guilt and sins.
Her (the World's) breathing hath made these knots tight:
seek, then, the breathing of the unique Creator,
In order that "I breathed of My spirit into him" may deliver
thee from this (sorcery) and say (to thee), "Come higher!"
The breathing of sorcery is not consumed save by the breathing
of God: this (the former) is the breathing of (Divine) wrath, (while)
that (the latter) exhalation is the breathing of (Divine) love.
His mercy is prior to His wrath: (if) thou desirest priority (in
spiritual rank), go, seek that (attribute) which is prior.
That thou mayst attain unto the souls that are wedded; for lo,
this, O ensorcelled prince, is thy way of escape.
With the existence of the old woman*, there can be no undoing
(of the knots), (whilst thou art) in the net and in the arms of that
(paramour) full of blandishments.
Hath not the Lamp of the peoples* called this world and that
world the two fellow-wives (who are always quarrelling with each
other)?
Therefore union with this (world) is separation from that
(world): the health of this body is the sickness of the spirit.
Hard is the separation from this transitory abode: know, then
that the separation from that permanent abode is harder.
Since it is hard for thee to be separated from the form, how
hard must it be to be parted from its Maker!
O thou that hast not the patience to do without the vile world,
how, O friend, how hast thou the patience to do without God?
Since thou has not the patience to do without this black
water, how hast thou the patience to do without God's (pure)
fountain?
Since thou art restless without this (worldly) drink, how art
thou (remaining patiently) apart from the righteous and from
they shall drink (of the wine of Paradise)?
If for one moment thou behold the beauty of the Loving One
and cast thy soul and existence into the fire (of love),
After that thou wilt regard this (worldly) drink as a carcase,
when thou beholdest the glory and splendour of nighness (unto Him).
Like the prince, thou wilt attain unto thy Beloved: then thou
wilt draw out from thy foot the thorn of self.
Strive for selflessness, find thy (true) self as soon as
possible ˆ and God best knoweth the right course.
Take heed, never be wedded to self: do not, like an ass, be
always falling into water and mud.
That stumbling arises from shortsightedness; for like a blind
man, he (such a one) does not see the ups and downs.
Make the scent of Joseph's shirt thy stay, because his scent
makes the eye clear.
The hidden Form and the Light of that Brow have made the
eyes of the prophets far-seeing.
The Light of that Countenance will deliver (thee) from the
fire; hark, be not content with borrowed light.

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

*Literally "the child of Adam"
*I.e. "So long as the World exists for thee."
*I.e. the Prophet

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

~

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

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