Sunlight: May 2010

Monday, May 31, 2010

[Sunlight] "I Throw It All Away" -- Ghazal 2368

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

You play with the great globe of
union, you that see everyone so

clearly and cannot be seen. Even
universal intelligence gets blurry

when it thinks you might leave.
You came here alone, but you create

hundreds of new worlds. Spring is
a peacock flirting with revelation.

The rose gardens flame. Ocean
enters the boat. I throw it all

away, except this love for Shams.

-- Ode (Ghazal) 2368
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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

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Friday, May 28, 2010

[Sunlight] A sugar-lipped sweetheart brought news -- Ghazal 2730

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2730, from the Divan-e Shams,
in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks, and in a translation
by William Chittick:

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

A King Dressed As a Servant

A sweet voice calls out,
"The caravan from Egypt is here!"
A hundred camels with what amazing treasure!

Midnight, a candle and someone quietly
waking me, "Your friend has come."

I spring out of my body, put a ladder
to the roof, and climb up to see if
it's true.

Suddenly, there is a world within this world!
An ocean inside the water jar!
A king sitting with me wearing
the uniform of a servant!
A garden in the chest of the gardener!

I see how love has "thoughts,"
and that these thoughts are circulating
in conversation with majesty.
Let me keep opening this moment
like a dead body reviving.

Shamsi Tabriz saw the placeless one
and from That, made a place.

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

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

A sugar-lipped sweetheart brought news, "A caravan
has come from Egypt!
A hundred camels, all sugar and candy, oh
Lord, what a fine gift!
A candle has come at midnight! A spirit has entered
a corpse!"
I said, "Speak plainly!" She said, "You-know-who
has come."
My heart flew up in joy and placed a ladder at the
intellect's edge.
It rushed to the roof in its love, seeking a tangible
sign of that good news.
Suddenly, from the housetop, it saw a world outside
of our world
An all-encompassing ocean in a jug, a heaven in
the form of dust.
Upon the roof sat a king wearing the clothes of a
watchman.
An infinite garden and paradise within that gardener's
breast.
His image traveled from breast to breast, explaining
the Sultan of the heart.
Oh image of that king, flee not from my eyes!
Renew my heart for a moment!
Shams-I Tabrizi has seen No-place, and built from
it a place.

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

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

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Thursday, May 27, 2010

[Sunlight] "This world is a dream"

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

This world is a dream—don't be deluded;
if in a dream a hand is lost, it's no harm.
In dreams, no real damage is done
if the body is maimed or torn in two hundred pieces.
The Prophet said of this apparently substantial world
that it is but the sleeper's dream.
You've accepted this as an idea,
but the spiritual traveler has beheld this truth with an open eye.
You are asleep in the daytime; don't say this is not sleep.

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

In jahân khvâbast andar zann ma-'ist
gar ravad dar khvâb dasti bâk nist
Hâsel andar khvâb noqsân-e badan
nist bâk, va ni dosad pâreh shodan
In jahân-râ keh be-surat-e qâyemast
goft Payghambar keh helm-e nâyemast
Az rah-e taqlid to kardi qabul
sâlekân in dideh paydâ bi rasul
Ruz dar khvâbi ma-gu kin khvâb nist
sâyeh far`ist asl-e jar mahtâb nist

-- Mathnawi III: 1729; 1732-1735)
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 26, 2010

[Sunlight] “Still some secrets”

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

STILL SOME SECRETS

O friend, can't you see? –
Your face is flowing with light.
The whole world could get drunk
on the love found in your heart.

Don't run here and there
looking all around –
He is right inside you.

Is there any place where the Sun doesn't shine?
Is there anyone who can't see the full Moon?

Veil upon veil, thought upon thought –
Let go of them all,
For they only hide the truth.

Once you see the glory
Of his moon-like face,
what excuse could you have
for pain and sorrow?

Any heart without his love –
even the king's heart –
is a coffin for the dead.

Everyone can see God
within his own heart –
everyone who is not a corpse.
Everyone can drink
from the waters of life
and conquer death forever.

The veil of ignorance
covers the Sun and Moon;
It even causes Love to think, "I am not divine."

O Shams, Blazing Light of Tabriz,
There are still some secrets of yours
that even I cannot tell.

-- Ghazal 505
Version by Jonathan Star, with Shahram Shiva
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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Tuesday, May 25, 2010

[Sunlight] The animal soul, the intellect, and the spirit

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

The animal soul is Nimrod*;
the intellect and spirit are Abraham, the friend of God.
The spirit is concerned with reality itself,
the ego with the proofs.
These signposts on the way
are for the traveler who at every moment
becomes lost in the desert.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nafs Namrudast va `aql o jân Khalil
ruh dar `ayn ast va nafs andar dalil
In dalil-râ rah-raw-râ bovad
ku be-har dam dar biyâbân gom shavad

-- Mathnawi II: 3311-3312
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*Nimrod -- According to tradition, Nimrod set out to establish an
empire, and began by conquering the cities which had become
established in Mesopotamia. Among these were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and
Calneh in Sumeria, and in Assyria the cities of Rehoboth, Calah, and
Resen. Besides conquering these seven cities he also founded Ninevah.
The Bible is specific in stating that he was the first man after the
flood to become an emperor. He seems to have been impelled and
empowered by super-human force and his onslaught was irresistible.
Genesis 10 describes Nimrod as a "mighty hunter before the LORD." The
term is not complimentary, but implies ruthlessness and a lust for
power. -- Sunlight Ed.

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

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Monday, May 24, 2010

[Sunlight] Even so is the blessed man transformed

Here, Sunlight presents Mathnawi verses IV: 2537-39, in a version by Coleman Barks and in translation by R.A. Nicholson

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

"The Worm's Waking"

This is how a human being can change:

There's a worm addicted to eating
grape leaves.
Suddenly, he wakes up,
call it Grace, whatever, something
wakes him, and he's no longer
a worm.
He's the entire vineyard,
and the orchard too, the fruit, the trunks,
a growing wisdom and joy
that doesn't need
to devour.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Delicious Laughter"
Maypop, 1990

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"O thou who because of (addiction to) a single leaf has been
left without (enjoyment of) a (whole) orchard, thou art like the
worm which (desire for) a leaf has driven away from (deprived
of) the vineyard.
When Grace awakened this worm, this worm devoured the
dragon of ignorance.
The worm became a vineyard full of fruit trees: even so
is the blessed man transformed."

-- 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"

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

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Friday, May 21, 2010

[Sunlight] Pure love, pure justice, pure mercy

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

The saints come to the rescue of this world when hearing
from everywhere the moans of the oppressed.
They run towards them like God's mercy.
These fortresses against weakness,
these doctors of hidden disease,
Are pure love, pure justice, pure mercy; like God they
are unstained and impregnable.

-- Mathnawi II:1933-1936
Translated by Muriel Maufroy
Breathing Truth - Quotations from Jalaluddin Rumi
Sanyar Press - London, 1997

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

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

[Sunlight] True identity

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

In form you are the microcosm;
in reality you are the macrocosm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pas beh surat `âlam-e asghar tuyi
pas beh ma`nâ `âlam-e akbar tuyi

-- Mathnawi IV: 521
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 19, 2010

[Sunlight] If I could have known to value what I owned

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

i've travelled around
raced through every city
while i knew all along
no place could be found
like the city of love

if i could have known
to value what i owned
i would not have suffered
like a fool
the life of a vagabond

i've heard many tunes
all over the globe
all empty
as a kettledrum
except the music of love

it was the sound of
that hollow drum
that made me fall
from the heavens
to this mortal life

i used to soar
among souls
like a heart's flight
winglessly roaming and
celestially happy

i used to drink
like a flower that drinks
without lips or throat
of the wine that overflows
with laughter and joy

suddenly
i was summoned by love
to prepare for a journey
to the temple of
suffering

i cried desperately
i begged and pleaded
and shredded my clothes
not to be sent
to this world

just the way i fear now
going away
to the other world
i was frightened then
to make my descent

love asked me to go
with no fear to be alone
promising to be close
everywhere i go
closer than my veins

love threw its spell
its magic and allure
using coyness and charm
i was totally sold and
bought everything with joy

who am i to resist
love's many tricks
and not to fall
while the whole world
takes love's bait

love showed me
a path but then
lost me on the way
if i could have resisted
i would have found my way

i can show you my friend
surely how you can get there
but here and now
my pen has broken down
before telling you how

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1509
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.

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

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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

[Sunlight] "Come, arise from the depths of your heart!"

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

Come, arise from the depths of your heart!
You are alive and born of the living.
O lovely one, aren't you suffocated
by this narrow tomb?
You are the Joseph of the time, the bright sun:
arise from this prison and show your face!
Your Jonah has been cooked and absorbed
in the belly of the fish:
to deliver him there is no way
but glorification of God.*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gur-e khvosh-tar az chonin del mar terâ
âkher az gur-e del-e khvod bartar â
Zendeh-'i va zendeh-zâd ay shawkh o shang
dam na-mi-girad to-râ zin gur-e tang
Yusof-e vaqti va khurshid-e samâ
zin cheh va zendân bar â va ru namâ
Yunoset dar batn-e mâhi pokhteh shod
mokhallesesh-râ nist az tasbih* bod

*al-Anbiyâ, 87

-- Mathnawi II: 3132-3135
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, May 17, 2010

[Sunlight] Like seeds, in bondage

Today, Sunlight offers an excerpt from the Mathnawi, Book III,
Lines 1284-1288, in a version by Coleman Barks, and in translation by
Reynold Nicholson:

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

A Star Without a Name

When a baby is taken from the wet nurse,
it easily forgets her
and starts eating solid food.

Seeds feed awhile on ground,
then lift up into the sun.

So you should taste the filtered light
and work your way toward wisdom
with no personal covering.

That's how you came here, like a star (I Love this part)
without a name. Move across the night sky
with those anonymous lights.

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

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

When the sucking (babe) is separated from its nurse, it
becomes an eater of morsels and abandons her.
Thou, like seeds, art in bondage to the milk of earth: seek
to wean thyself by (partaking of) the spiritual food (lit., "the food
of hearts").
Drink the word of Wisdom, for it hath become a hidden
(veiled) light, O thou who are unable to receive the unveiled
Light,
To the end that thou mayst become able, O Soul, to receive
the Light, and that thou mayst behold without veils that which
(now) is hidden,
And traverse the sky like a star; nay, (that thou mayst)
journey unconditioned, without (any) sky.
('Twas) thus thou camest into being from non-existence.
Say now, how didst thou come? Thou camest drunken (unconscious).

-- 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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Friday, May 14, 2010

[Sunlight] "The Oxus has become the Sea" -- Ghazal 1931

"The Oxus has become the Sea"

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

The Oxus, which had begun to flow because of the love for
the Sea, has become the Sea – the Oxus has been obliterated.
When it reached Love, it saw an ocean of blood – intellect
sat in the blood's midst.
The waves of blood crashed down upon its head and took
it away from all six directions toward the Directionless,
Until it lost itself completely and became nimble and well
proportioned in Love.
While lost, it reached a place where the earth and the
heavens did not exist.
When it wanted to go forward, it had no feet – but if it
had sat, it would have suffered great loss.
Suddenly it saw from the other side of both obliteration
and the universe an Ineffable Light.
One banner and a hundred thousand spears. It became
enthralled by the Gentle Light:
Its feet had been stuck but began to move; forward it
went in the incredible plain,
Hoping to pass Yonder and be delivered from self and
everything below.
Two valleys appeared upon its path, one full of fire and
the other roses.
A call came, "Go into the fire and find yourself in the
rosegarden of ease!
But if you enter the rosary, you will find yourself in fire
and furnace.
Either fly to the heavens like Jesus, or fall to the depths
like Korah!*"
Flee and seek the sanctuary of the spirit's king so that
you may escape every snare
That Sun of Religion and Pride of Tabriz, who is greater
than any attribute you give him!

*Korah, one of Moses' people, is said to have been the richest
man alive. According to the Koran he was swallowed up by the
earth for his sins and arrogance (XXVIII 81 and other passages).

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1931
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

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Thursday, May 13, 2010

[Sunlight] The master’s good will

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

The ass runs from its master because it's asinine;
the master runs after the ass out of good will.
He seeks him, not from profit or loss,
but so that the wolf will not tear him to pieces.

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

Khar gorizad az khodâvand az khari
sâhebesh dar pay ze niku-gawhari
Nah az pay-e sud o ziyân mi juyadesh
balke tâ gorgesh na-darad yâ dadesh

-- Mathnawi II: 1899-1900
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

[Sunlight] "The Many Objects of Desire" -- Ghazal 929

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

"The Many Objects of Desire"

Oh, the many objects of desire,
The many reflections of His beautiful Face.
How can you turn away from such eyes?
Where, where will you turn?

A thousand praises!
A thousand hearts of gratitude!
For your love has given wings to the world.
Wanting to see the dawn of your eternal light,
This old world recites your Name each morning.
You have shared your love;
You have ruled with kindness.
How can there be justice
without your purity and compassion?

I heard that Joseph did not sleep for ten years;
The prince of virtue kept praying to God
for the sake of his brothers:

O God, forgive them –
if not, I'll cry a hundred tears.
Do not punish them
for they truly regret the evil act
they so suddenly committed.

Joseph's feet swelled from standing all night:
His eyes burned from tears and torment.
His cries echoed through the heavens
and rocked the flight of angels;
It caused the Sea of Compassion to boil
and overflow its bounds . . .

Such is the way of spiritual masters –
they work day and night to release mankind
from its pain and moral decay.

After helping one soul, they move on,
and God alone knows
of their great compassion.
Masters always ask God
to rescue those who are lost.
They take away despair,
and replace it with joy;
They remove the tattered clothes of life
and dress everyone in silk.

Enough for now!
I'll tell you the rest tomorrow . . .
Now look how the beauty of the moon
Shows only through a dark night.

-- Ode 929
Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

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Tuesday, May 11, 2010

[Sunlight] Treasure follows after the work

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

The discovery of treasure is by luck,
and even more, it is rare:
one must earn a living
so long as the body is able.
Does earning a livelihood
prevent the discovery of treasure?
Don't retire from work:
that treasure, indeed,
follows after the work.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kâr bakhtast ân va ân ham nâderast
kasb bâyad kard tâ tan qâderast
Kasb kardan ganj-râ mâne` kayst
pâ ma-kash az kâr ân khvod dar payst

-- Mathnawi II: 734-735
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, May 10, 2010

[Sunlight] ""The Master's bond is very strong" -- Ghazal 2776

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2776, in a poetic version by
Coleman Barks and in the literal translation by A.J. Arberry, from
which Barks derived his version:

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

You miss the garden,
because you want a small fig from a random tree.
You don't meet the beautiful woman.
You're joking with an old crone.
It makes me want to cry how she detains you,
stinking mouthed, with a hundred talons,
putting her head over the roof edge to call down,
tasteless fig, fold over fold, empty
as dry-rotten garlic.

She has you tight by the belt,
even though there's no flower and no milk
inside her body.
Death will open your eyes
to what her face is: leather spine
of a black lizard. No more advice.

Let yourself be silently drawn
by the stronger pull of what you really love.

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

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

You who let a garden go for the sake of a small fig, let slip the
houri for the sake of an unworthy crone.
I am rending my shirt, and repulsion comes over me from the
glance that a crone cast at a youth.
A stinking-mouthed crone with a hundred clutching talons and
tricks, putting her head down from the roof to snare a clever one.
Who is such a crone? A savorless deception, fold on fold like
an onion, fetid as garlic.
A prince has become her captive, pledged his belt--she laughs
in secret, "Fool of a princeling!"
No full blossom is the garden of her beauty, no milk in the
breasts of fidelity of that whore.
When death opens your eyes, then you will behold her, her
face like the back of a lizard, her body black as pitch.
Now be silent, give no more counsel. The master's bond is
very strong; the chain of his love draws without the help of a
miserable chain.

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

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

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Friday, May 07, 2010

[Sunlight] "Tell me truly, who are you?"

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

One night I asked Love: "Tell me truly, who are you?"
It said: "I am life eternal, I multiply the lovely life."
I said: "O you who are beyond each place, where is
your home?"
It said: "I am together with the heart's fire and beside
the wet eye,
I am a dyer; due to me every cheek turns saffron-colored.
I am a swift-footed messenger, and the lover my lean
steed.
I am the crimson of the tulip, the merchandise's worth,
I am the sweetness of lament, the unveiler of all that is
veiled . . ."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1402
Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
"I Am Wind, You are Fire"
Shambhala, 1992

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

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Thursday, May 06, 2010

[Sunlight] Dervishhood

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

Dervishhood is not for the sake of avoiding
entanglement with the world;
no, it's because nothing exists but God.

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

Ân faqiri bahr-e pichâpich nist
bal pay-e ân keh be-joz-e Haqq hich nist

-- Mathnawi II: 3497
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Wednesday, May 05, 2010

[Sunlight] "Is this the face of God?

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal 2219, from Rumi's Diwan-e Shames,
in translations by Kolin & Mafi, Nader Khalili* and Professor
Franklin Lewis*:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am the slave of that perfect Moon!
Don't talk to me of suffering, I don't want to hear.
Talk about light, joy and sweetness
and if you can't, keep silent!

Last night Love found me shouting, mad
and beyond myself, and said:
"I am here, why are you so worried and afraid?"
O Love, I am overwhelmed with fear.
"Be silent, let me whisper a secret in your ear,
just nod your head and don't say a word."

Oh how delicate, how subtle is the path of love!
This most precious Moon-like beauty appeared to me!

My heart, is this the Moon or my imagination?
"Be silent, it is not for you to understand
don't you see, you have been blessed."
But what is this, the face of an angel or a man?
"Be silent, what you see is beyond angels or men."
But what is it, tell me, or I will go out of my mind.
"Do not torment yourself, leave this house of illusions
and say no more."
"O please", I begged, "tell me, is this the face of God"
My heart nodded silently.

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

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

i'm loyal
to the image and beauty
of my beloved
please speak of that image only
and say no more

whenever you're with me
speak only about
the generosity of candles
the generosity of the sugarcane
and say no more

don't speak of any suffering
show me the treasure that waits
at the end of the road
if you're ignorant of the path
then say no more

last night i was in flame
my beloved saw me and said
"i'm here at last
don't tear your clothes
lament no more"

i begged my beloved
to understand my condition
to sense my fear
my love said "when i'm present
you must seek no more

i'll whisper the words
of secrets into your ear
and you must promise not to answer
just nod your head
and say no more

the face of a sweetheart
has penetrated your heart
the tenderness is all there is
your journey is the journey of love
sense it to the depth and say no more"

i asked if the face
belongs to a human
or that of an angel
"neither this nor that
sense it but say no more"

i said if you don't
identify this for me at once
my life will be shattered
"be shattered at once
but say no more

you're dwelling in
a house filled with
images and dreams
pack all your belongings
move out but say no more"

you're simply expressing
the experience of God
i said to the beloved
"yes this is the answer
but for God's sake say no more"

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi -- Fountain of Fire"
Cal-Earth Press, 1994

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

I serve that orb in heaven
say no word but Orb!
speak to me of nothing
but sweetness and light
Not of bother, but of treasure
and if you cannot find the words
don't bother.

Yesterday a craze came over me
Love saw, came up to me:
Here I am,
don't shout,
don't rip off your shirt,
hush, shh!

I spoke:
Love, I'm scared of that other thing
There is no other thing, say nothing!
I will whisper secrets in your ear
you just nod in asseveration
speak in semaphore

A nova, a celestial love
burst bright above the heartpath
so exquisite the quest of heart,
it cannot be expressed
I asked:
Heart, what orb is this?
heart intimated
beyond fathom
be quiet, forget!
Is this the face of man or angel?
Beyond men and angels
hush!

What is it? Tell me, I'm in a whirl
Whirl on, keep quiet!
You sit within this room
whose walls reflect
mere forms and suppositions
Get up, go out, move on,
keep quiet!
I said:
Heart, befather me,
for doesn't this match God's description?
Yes, my son, it does,
but do not tell.

-- Translation by Franklin D. Lewis
"Rumi -- Past and Present, East and West"
Oneworld Publications, Oxford, 2000

Franklin Lewis' notes:

I have used "orb" throughout these translations to render what is
literally "moon" (mah, qamar). this is the shining face of the
beloved, beside which all other thoughts and images pale.
Unfortunately, in English, "moon face" does not have a very happy
connotation.

*Franklin Lewis is Assistant Professor in the Department of
Middle Eastern Studies at Emory University in Atlanta. A specialist
in Persian literature, his thesis on Sana' i won the 1995 Best
Dissertation of the Year Award from the Foundation for Iranian
Studies.

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

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Tuesday, May 04, 2010

[Sunlight] "I want no kingdoms"

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

If you don't have sovereignty over your own beard,
how will you exercise sovereignty over good and evil?
Without your wish, your beard grows white:
be ashamed of your beard, you with your self-serving dreams.
God is the Owner of the Kingdom:
whoever lays his head before Him
will receive a hundred kingdoms without the terrestrial world;
but the inward savor of a single prostration before God
will be sweeter to you than a hundred empires:
then you will cry humbly, "I want no kingdoms
except the kingdom of that prostration."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pâdeshâhi nistet bar rish-e khvod
pâdeshâhi chon koni bar nik o bad?
Bi morâd-e to rishet sapid
sharm dâr az rish-e khvod ay kazh omid
Mâlek al-Molkast harkesh sar nehad
bi jahân-e khâk sad molkesh dehad
Lik zawq-e sajdeh-'i pish-e Khodâ
khvoshtar âyad az do sad dawlat torâ
Pas be-nâli keh "Na-khvâham molk-hâ
molk-e ân sajdeh mosallam kon merâ"

-- Mathnawi IV: 662-666
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 03, 2010

[Sunlight] Like the diver's clothes on the shore -- Ghazal 2693

Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2693, in versions by Coleman Barks
and Kabir Helminski, and in a poetic translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

"The Diver's Clothes Lying Empty"

You're sitting here with us, but you're also out walking
in a field at dawn. You are yourself
the animal we hunt when you come with us on the hunt.
You're in your body like a plant is solid in the ground,
yet you're wind. You're the diver's clothes
lying empty on the beach. You're the fish.

In the ocean are many bright strands
and many dark strands like veins that are seen
when a wing is lifted up.
Your hidden self is blood in those, those veins
that are lute strings that make ocean music,
not the sad edge of surf, but the sound of no shore.

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

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

"Clothes Abandoned on the Shore"

Your body is here with us,
but your heart is in the meadow.
You travel with the hunters
though you yourself are what they hunt.

Like a reed flute,
you are encased by your body,
with a restless breathy sound inside.

You are a diver;
your body is just clothing left at the shore.
You are a fish whose way is through water.

In this sea there are many bright veins
and some that are dark.
The heart receives its light
from those bright veins.

If you lift your wing
I can show them to you.
You are hidden like the blood within,
and you are shy to the touch.

Those same veins sing a melancholy tune
in the sweet-stringed lute,
music from a shoreless sea
whose waves roar out infinity.

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

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

In body you are with us, in heart you are in the meadow; you
are the quarry yourself when attached to the hunt.
You are girdled here in the body like a reed, inwardly you are
like a restless wind.
Your body is like the diver's clothes on the shore; you like a
fish, your course is in the water.
In this sea are many bright veins, many veins too that are dark
and black;
The brightness of the heart drives from those bright veins; you
will discern them when you lift your wings.
In those veins you are hidden like the blood, and if I lay a fin-
ger, you are shy.
From those veins the voice of the sweet-veined lute is melan-
choly, reflecting the face of that melancholy.
Those melodies come from the shoreless sea which thunders
like waves out of the infinite.

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

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

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