Sunday, December 20, 2009

[Sunlight] A short vacation for Sunlight

Dear Sunlight Subscribers

The Sunlight list will be on vacation for the next two weeks. The posts will resume on January 4th. Thanks for your continued interest in receiving these messages. It's a pleasure to share Rumi's wisdom with you.

We wish you all peace for the holidays and the coming new year.


The Sunlight Moderators


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Friday, December 18, 2009

[Sunlight] The Body is Too Slow for Me -- Ghazal 1668

~

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

"The Body is Too Slow for Me"


Toward the gardens,
Toward the orchards,
I am going.
If you want to stay here,
Stay here -
I am going!
My day is dark without His Face,
Toward that bright flame
I am going.

My soul is racing ahead of me.
It says, The body is too slow for me -
I am going.

The smell of apples arises
from the orchard of my soul.
One whiff and I am gone -
Toward a feast of apples
I am going.

A sudden wind won't blow me over.
Toward Him, like a mountain of iron,
I am going.

My shirt is ripped open
with the pain of loss.
Searching for a new life,
with my head held high,
I am going.

I am fire, though I seem like oil -
Seeking to be the fuel of His fire,
I am going.

I appear as a steady mountain
Yet bit by bit,
Toward that tiny opening
I am going.

-- Ode 1668
Version by Jonathan Star from a translation by Shahram Shiva
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

[Sunlight] "The wheat that grows on my grave”

~


"Rumi would not have felt a sense of foreboding; quite the
contrary, he would have looked forward to the release of his soul
from the prison of self. Sepahsalar (a member of Rumi's inner
circle, and one of his biographers -- Ed.) expresses amazement about
the joyous and welcoming attitude toward death reflected in Rumi's
poems and wonders if anyone before or after will ever rival his words
in this regard. In several poems, some of them doubtless written on
the occasion of the death of one of his close disciples or an
important personage, Rumi reflects on the immortality of the soul."

-- "Rumi, Past and Present, East and West"
Franklin D. Lewis
Oneworld Oxford 2001

Here, in remembrance and celebration of the Urs, the "wedding"
of Rumi with the Beloved, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 683, in a
translation by Kolin and Mafi, and in translation by Ibrahim
Gamard. This ghazal was inscribed on Rumi's sarcophagus.

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

If you bake bread with the wheat that grows on my grave
you'll become drunk with joy and
even the oven will recite ecstatic poems.
If you come to pay your respects
even my gravestone will invite you to dance
so don't come without your drum.
Don't be sad. You have come to Gods feast.
Even death cannot stop my yearning
for the sweet kiss of my love.
Tear my shroud and wear it as a shirt,
the door will open and you'll hear
the music of your soul fill the air.
I am created from the ecstasy of love and
when I die, my essence will be released
like the scent of crushed rose petals.
My soul wants to leap and join
the towering soul of Shams.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 683
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
"Rumi: Hidden Music"
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

If wheat comes up from my grave (and) you bake bread 7102
from it, drunkenness will increase.
The dough and the baker will become crazy (and) his
oven will sing verses like a drunkard.
If you come to visit my tomb, its shape* will appear (to
you as) dancing.
(O) brother, don't come without a tambourine to my 7105
tomb, since (being) full of sorrow is not suitable at the
banquet of God.
The chattering chin is bound up and sleeping at the
tomb, (and) the mouth (of the spirit) is chewing the opium
and sweet deserts of the Beloved.
Tear (something) from the shroud (and) tie it to (your
chest; (then) from (within) your soul, open the door of a
(wine) tavern.*
From every direction (is) the sound of the quarreling and
the harp of the drunkards. Inevitably, from every activity,
(more) activity is born.
God has created me from the wine of Love; even if
death grinds me (down to nothing), I am that very same
Love.
I am drunkenness, and my origin (is) the wine of Love. Tell 7110
(me), what comes from wine except love?
My spirit won't stand waiting for a moment: it will fly to the
tower of the spirit of Shams-i Tabriz.*

-- From "The Dîwân-é Kabîr (or
Dîvân-é Shams-é Tabrîzî,
or Kulliyât-é Shams) of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard
(11/1998; revised 11/00)
(c) Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, &
transliteration)

(7104) its shape: literally, my donkey's back. An idiom
meaning, my tomb's shape.
(7106) a (wine) tavern: since alcoholic beverages are strictly
forbidden in Islam, wine is a metaphor in Persian Sufi poetry. The
wine tavern is the Sufi gathering place, the drunkards are the
dervishes, the wine-server is often the Sufi master, the wine is the
(God-given) spiritual grace of the master, and drunkenness is
spiritual ecstasy-- a foretaste of the pure wine of Paradise (Quran
76:21; 83:25), itself a symbol of Heavenly bliss.
(7111) Shams-i Tabriz: literally, Shamsu d-Deen-é Tabreez, The
Sun of the Faith of Tabriz (a city now located in Iran).

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

ze-khâk-é man agar gandom bar-ây-ad 7102
az-ân gar nân paz-î mastî fezây-ad

khamîr-o nân-bâ dêwâna gard-ad
tanûr-ash bayt mast-âna serây-ad

agar bar gûr-é man ây-î ziyârat
to-râ khar-poshta-am raqSân nomây-ad

ma-y-â bê-daf ba-gûr-é man, barâdar!
7105
ke dar bazm-é khodâ gham-gîn na-shây-ad

zanokh bar basta-wo dar gûr khofta
dahân afyûn-o nuql-é yâr khây-ad

be-darr-î z-ân kafan bar sîna band-î
kharâbâtê ze-jân-at dar-goshây-ad

ze-har sô bâng-é jang-o chang-é mast-ân
ze-har kârê ba-lâ-bud kâr zây-ad

ma-râ Haq az may-é `ishq âfrîd-ast
ham-ân `ishq-am agar marg-am be-sây-ad

man-am mastî-wo aSl-é man may-é `ishq 7110
be-gô, az may ba-joz mastî che ây-ad

ba-burj-é rûH-é shamsu d-dîn-é tabrîz
be-par-ad rûH-é man yak-dam na-pây-ad

(meter: oXXX oXXX oXX)

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

~

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

[Sunlight] "Your spirit soars to the infinite"

~

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

The days of the body are increased by the spirit:
look what becomes of the body when the spirit departs.
The range of the body is an arm's length or two,
yet your spirit soars to the infinite.
Within the spirit's imagining,
it's only a half step to Baghdad or Samarkand.
The white of your eye is a coin's weight,
but the light of its spirit reaches the heights of the sky.
In a dream, without this eye, the light sees:
without this light what would the eye be but ruined?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jesm az jân ruz afzun mi shavad
chon ravad jân jesm bin chon mi shavad
Hadd-e jesmet yek do gaz khvod bish nist
jân-e to tâ âsmân jawlân konist
Tâ be-Baghdâd o Samarqand ay homâm
ruh-râ andar tasavvor nim-e gâm
Do deram sangast pih-e cheshmetân
nur-e ruhesh tâ `anân-e âsmân
Nur bi in cheshm mi binad be-khvâb
cheshm bi in nur cheh bovad joz kharâb

-- Mathnawi IV: 1881-1885
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

[Sunlight] "I have never become less from dying"

~


Rumi departed earthly life on 5 Jumadi II, 672 A.H (according to
the Islamic lunar calendar; Dec 17, 1273 A.D., according to the
Christian calendar). His death is referred to by Persians
as "vesal", meaning "union (with the Beloved)", while in the Mevlevi
Sufi tradition, the expression "shab-i aroos" (variously
spelled "sheb-i arus", etc., in transliteration) is used, a phrase
meaning "the wedding night" -- the night of Rumi's marriage to the
Beloved. (The Sufi tradition of referring to the death of a Sufi
saint as "urs" -- a wedding -- predates Rumi, and is still used in
Sufi circles.)

Over the next few days, the Sunlight mailing list will offer
poems appropriate to the memory of Molana's passing from this life,
and touching on his teachings on the significance of death.

Here, Sunlight offers a selection from the Mathnawi, Book III,
verses 3501 - 3506, in a translation by Professor William Chittick,
in a version by the Helminskis (accompanied by a Persian
transliteration), and in a translation by Dr. Ibrahim Gamard
(accompanied by Dr. Gamard's Persian transliteration):


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I died from the mineral kingdom and became a
plant; I died to vegetative nature and attained to animality.
I died to animality and became a man. So why
should I fear? When did I ever become less through dying?

-- Mathnawi III: 3901-03
Translation by William P. Chittick
"A Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

O my noble friends, slaughter this cow,
if you wish to raise up the spirit of insight.
I died to being mineral and growth began.
I died to vegetable growth and attained to the state of animals.
I died from animality and became Adam:
why then should I fear?
When have I become less by dying?
Next I shall die to being a human being,
so that I may soar and lift up my head among the angels.
Yet I must escape even from that angelic state:
everything is perishing except His Face.*
Once again I shall be sacrificed, dying to the angelic;
I shall become that which could never be imagined —
I shall become nonexistent.
Nonexistence sings its clear melody,
Truly, unto Him shall we return!**

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

Yâ kirâmi idhbahu hâdhâ al-baqar
in uridtum hashr arwâh al-nazar
Az jamâdi mordam va nâmi shodam
vaz namâ mordam be-hayavân bar-zadam
Mordam az hayavâni va dam shodam
pas cheh tarsam kay ze mordan kam shodam
Hamleh-ye digar be-miram az bashar
tâ bar dam az malâyek par o sar
Vaz malak ham bâyadam jastan ze ju
kullu shay'in hâlikun illâ Wajhuhu*
Bâr-e digar az malak qorbân shodam
ânche andar vahm na-âyad ân shavam
Pas `adam gardam `adam chon orghanun
guyadam keh innâ ilayhi râji`un**

-- Mathnawi III:3900-3906
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Qasas, 88
**al-Baqarah, 156

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

The Ascension of the Spirit

Mathnawi III: 3901-3906

I died to the mineral state and became a plant;* I died to
the vegetable state and reached animality;* (3901)
I died to the animal state and became a man;* then what
should I fear? -- I have never become less from dying.
At the next charge (forward) I will die to human nature, so
that I may lift up (my) head and wings (and soar) among the
angels.
And I must (also) jump from the river* of (the state of) the
angel: "Everything perishes except His Face."*
Once again I will become sacrificed from (the state of) the
angel; I will become that which cannot come into the imagination.*
(3905)
Then I will become non-existent;* non-existence says to
me (in tones) like an organ: "Truly, to Him is our return."*
(3906)

-- From "The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî"
[Rhymed Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning]
of Jalaluddin Rumi.
(With gratitude for R.A. Nicholson's translation)
(c) Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, &
transliteration)

(3901) I died to the mineral state and became a plant: the line
which precedes this famous passage shows that the context has
to do with transcendence of the human body and ego (as translated
by Nicholson: "O my noble (friends), slaughter this cow (the fleshly
soul), if ye desire to raise to life the spirits (possessed) of
insight."
(3901) and reached animality: "It means an animal which ate
plants." (Translated from a Persian translation of the famous
Turkish 17th century commentary by Anqaravi)
(3902) and became a man: "It means a man who ate animals."
(Anqaravi, Commentary)
(3904) jump from the river: "i.e. 'to escape'." (Nicholson,
Commentary)
(3094) "Everything perishes except His Face": Qur'an 28:88.
(3095) that which cannot come into the imagination: refers to
a saying of the Prophet Muhammad: "What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard, and what has never passed into the heart
of any mortal."
(3906) Then I will become non-existent: "i.e. 'I shall become
fání fí 'lláh." [= ecstatically annihilated (of self) in
God] (Nicholson, Commentary)
(3096) "Truly, to Him is our return": Qur'ân 2:156.
These verses describe re-ascent of the spirit back to God,
following its descent into matter. This is not transmigration,
reincarnation, or an early view of biological evolution (see
Chittick, "The Sufi Path of Love," pp. 72-82; see also related
verses in III: 4178-89; 3165-69).
"The soul, as a mode of Divine Being,... in order that its
inherent potentialities may be developed and exhibited, it
descends into the world of matter, where from the lowest phases
of soul-life it gradually rises to the highest and, having traversed
the whole circle of existence and thus attained to the utmost
perfection of which it is capable, gives itself up to God and
realises its essential unity with Him." (Nicholson, Commentary)
"Then, if he can abandon human cravings with his own free
will and die a chosen death, he will arrive at the stage of spirit.
If he also dies to the stage of spirit and erases his existence in
the Presence of God he will be abiding and will live eternally
and will find everlasting bliss. Mawlana (Jalaluddin Rumi)
indicated this meaning in [these] verses..." (Anqaravi,
Commentary)

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

az jumâdî mord-am-o nâmê shod-am 3901
w-az namâ mord-am ba-Haywân bar zad-am

mord-am az Hawânî-wo âdam shod-am
pas che tars-am, kay ze mordan kam shod-am?

Hamla-yé degar be-mîr-am az bashar
tâ bar âr-am az malâ'ik parr-o sar

w-az malak ham bâyâd-am jastan ze jû
kullu shay-in hâlik illâ wajha-hu

bâr-é dêgar az malak qurbân shaw-am 3905
ân-che andar wahm n-ây-ad ân shaw-am

pas `adam gard-am `adam chûn arghanûn 3906
gôy-ad-am ke innâ ilay-hi râji`ûn

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

~

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Monday, December 14, 2009

[Sunlight] Coming again to the Beloved -- Ghazal 3079

~

Sunlight presents Ode 3079 - in a version by Coleman Barks and in a translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

MEADOWSOUNDS

We've come again to that knee of seacoast
no ocean can reach.

Tie together all human intellects.
They won't stretch to here.

The sky bares its neck so beautifully,
but gets no kiss. Only a taste.

This is the food that everyone wants,
wandering the wilderness, "Please give us
your manna and quail."

We're here again with the beloved.
This air, a shout. These meadowsounds,
an astonishing myth.

We've come into the presence of the one
who was never apart from us.

When the waterbag is filling, you know
the water carrier's here!

The bag leans lovingly against your shoulder.
"Without you I have no knowledge,
no way to reach anyone."

When someone chews sugarcane,
he's wanting this sweetness.

Inside this globe the soul roars like thunder.
And now silence, my strict tutor.

I won't try to talk about Shams.
Language cannot touch that presence.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

We have come once again to a lord to whose knee no sea
reaches.
Tie together a thousand minds, they will not reach Him; how
shall a hand or foot reach the moon in heaven?
The sky stretched out its throat eagerly to Him; it found no
kiss, but it swallowed a sweetmeat.
A thousand throats and gullets stretched towards His lip.
"Scatter too on our heads manna and quails."
We have come again to a Beloved, from whose air a shout has
reached our ears.
We have come again to that sanctuary to bow the brow which
is to surpass the skies.
We have come again to that meadow to whose bolbol `anqa is
a slave.*
We have come to Him who was never apart from us; for the
waterbag is never filled without the existence of a water-carrier.
The bag always clings to the body of the water-carrier, saying,
"Without you, I have no hand or knowledge or opinion."
We have come again to that feast with the sweet dessert of
which the sugarcane chewer attained his desire.
We have come again to that sphere, in whose bent the soul
roars like thunder.
We have come again to that love at whose contact the div has
become peri-like.
Silence! Seal the rest under your tongue, for a jealous tutor
has been put in charge of you.
Speak not of the talk of the Pride of Tabriz, Shams-e Din, for
the rational mind is not suitable for that speech.

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

* Anqa or Simorg is the legendary bird by which the Sufis sometimes
represent the unknown God. Simorg is sometimes considered to symbolize
the perfect man.

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

~

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

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Friday, December 11, 2009

[Sunlight] "The prospect of pearls"

~

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

Stinginess is not seeing the abundance:
the prospect of pearls keeps the diver glad.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bokhl nâ-didan bovad a`vâz-râ
shâd dârad did-e dorr khavvâz-râ


-- Mathnawi II: 898
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


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

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

[Sunlight] "The quarry of annihilation"

~

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

You imprisoned in air nine spheres of emerald till
you brought into orbit a form of earth.*
Water, what are you washing? Wind, what are
you seeking? Thunder, why are you roaring? Sphere,
why are you turning?
Love, why are you laughing? Reason, why are
you binding? Patience, why are you content? Face, why
are you pale?
What place is there for the head on the road of
fidelity? What worth has life itself in the religion of
manliness?
That man is perfect in quality who is the quarry
of annihilation; there is room for not one hair in the circle
of uniqueness.
Whether anguish or joy, it is far from freedom;
cold is that person who remains in hotness and coldness.
Where is the gleam of the charming brow if you
have seen my moon? Where is the gleam of drunkeness if
you have drunk spiritual wine?
Has not disquietude from this purse and that bowl
seized you? After all you are not a blind ass; what are you
circling around?
With the breast unwashed what profits it to wash
the face? From greed you are like a broom, you are always
in this dust.
Every day for me is Friday, and this sermon of
mine is perpetual; this pulpit of mine is high, my screen is
true manliness.
When the steps of this pulpit become empty of men,
the spirits and the angels will bring a present from God.

*In the past it was believed that the earth was encircled by nine spheres.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2589
Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1991

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

~

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

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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

[Sunlight] "The owner of the heart"

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

The Prophet said, "God doesn't pay attention to your outer form:
so in your improvising, seek the owner of the Heart."
God says, "I regard you through the owner of the Heart,
not because of prostrations in prayer or the giving of wealth in charity."*
The owner of the Heart becomes a six-faced mirror:
through him God looks out in all the six directions.

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

Goft "Lâ yanzuru ilâ taswîrakum
fa-btaghû dhâ al-Qalbi fî tadbîrakum"
"Man ze sâheb-del konam dar to nazar
ni be-naqsh-e sajdeh o isâr-e zar"*
Sâheb-del âyeneh-ye shesh ru shavad
Haqq azu dar shesh jehat nâzer bovad

*Hadith qudsi, an extra-Qur'ânic revelation.

-- Mathnawi V: 869-870; 874
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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


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Monday, December 07, 2009

[Sunlight] "The world does not work without both"

~

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

There once was a sneering wife
who ate all her husband brought home
and lied about it.

One day it was some lamb for a guest
who was to come. He had worked two hundred days
in order to buy that meat.

When he was away, his wife cooked a kabob
and ate it all, with wine.

The husband returns with the guest.
"The cat has eaten the meat," she says.
"Buy more, if you have any money left."

He asks a servant to bring the scales,
and the cat. The cat weighs three pounds.
"The meat was three pounds, one ounce.
If this is the cat, where is the meat?
If this is the meat, where is the cat?
Start looking for one or the other!"

If you have a body, where is the spirit?
If you're spirit, what is the body?

This is not our problem to worry about.
Both are both. Corn is corn-grain and cornstalk.
The Divine Butcher cuts us a piece from the thigh,
and a piece from the neck.

Invisible, visible, the world
does not work without both.

If you throw dust at someone's head, nothing will
happen.
If you throw water, nothing.
But combine them into a lump. That marriage
of water and dirt cracks open the head,
and afterwards there are other marriages.

-- Mathnawi V: 3409-3429
Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

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

~

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Friday, December 04, 2009

[Sunlight] The world is full of remedies

~

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

The world is full of remedies,
but you have no remedies until God
opens a window for you.
Though you are unaware of that remedy now,
God will make it clear
in the hour of need.

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

Kawn por-e châreh-st va hichet châreh ni
tâ keh na-goshâyad Khodâyet rawzani
Garcheh to hasti konun ghâfel az ân
vaqt-e hâjat Haqq konad ân-râ `iyân

-- Mathnawi II: 682-683
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

[Sunlight] Heaven's secrets

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 729:

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

never say
no one knows the way
never say
profound humans
can't be found
just because
you're kept out of
heaven's secrets
you think everyone
is like you

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

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

You claim skill in every art
and knowledge of every science,
Yet you cannot even hear
what your own heart is telling you.

Until you can hear that simple voice
How can you be a keeper of secrets?
How can you be a traveller on this path?

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

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

~


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

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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

[Sunlight] "Don't go to sleep" -- Ghazal 2232

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2232, from Molana Jalal al-Din Rumi's "Divan" (known variously as the "Divan-e Kabir", or the
"Divan-e Shams"), in versions by Helminski and Barks; and in
translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

"Search the Darkness"

Sit with your friends; don't go back to sleep.
Don't sink like a fish to the bottom of the sea.

Surge like an ocean,
don't scatter yourself like a storm.

Life's waters flow from darkness.
Seach the darkness, don't run from it.

Night travelers are full of light,
and you are, too; don't leave this companionship.
Be a wakeful candle in a golden dish,
don't slip into the dirt like quicksilver.

The moon appears for night travelers,
Be watchful when the moon is full.

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

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

"The Ocean Moving All Night"

Stay with us. Don't sink to the bottom
like a fish going to sleep.
Be with the ocean moving steadily all night,
not scattered like a rainstorm.

The spring we're looking for
is somewhere in this murkiness.
See the night-lights up there traveling together,
the candle awake in its gold dish.

Don't slide into the cracks of ground like spilled mercury.
When the full moon comes out, look around.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
(from a translation by John Moyne)
"Open Secret"
Threshold Book, 1984

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

Sit with your comrades, do not go to sleep; do not go to the
bottom of the sea like a fish.
Be surging all night like the sea; no, do not go scattered like a
torrent.
Is not the water of life in darkness? Seek in darkness and do
not hurry away.
The nightfarers of heaven are full of light; you too, go not away
from the company of your companions.
Is not the wakeful candle in a golden dish? Go not into earth
like quicksilver.
The moon shows its face to the night-travelers; be watchful,
on the night of moonshine do not go.

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

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

~

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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

[Sunlight] The beginning of pride and hatred

~

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

The beginning of pride and hatred
lies in worldly desire,
and the strength of your desire is from habit.
When an evil tendency becomes confirmed by habit,
rage is triggered when anyone restrains you.

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

Ebtedâ-ye kebr o kin az shahvatast
râsekhi-ye shahvat az `âdatast
Chon ze `âdat gasht mohkam khui bad
khashm âyad bar kasi ket vâ kashad

-- Mathnawi II:3458-3459
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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