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Sunlight offers Ghazal 120, from Molana Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams",
in versions by Jonathan Star and Kabir Helminski, and in translation by William Chittick:
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We Can See the Truth in Your Eyes
For ages you have come and gone
courting delusion.
For ages you have run from the pain
and forfeited the ecstasy.
So come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
Although you appear in earthly form
Your essence is pure Consciousness.
You are the fearless guardian
of Divine Light.
So come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
When you lose all sense of self
the bonds of a thousand chains will vanish.
Lose yourself completely.
Return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
You descended from Adam, by the pure Word of God,
but you turned your sight
to the empty show of this world.
Alas, how can you be satisfied with so little?
So come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
Why are you so enchanted by this world
when a mine of gold lies within you?
Open your eyes and come -
Return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
You were born from the rays of God's Majesty
when the stars were in their perfect place.
How long will you suffer from the blows
of a nonexistent hand?
So come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
You are a ruby encased in granite.
How long will you deceive Us with this outer show?
So come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
After one moment with that glorious Friend
you became loving, radiant, and ecstatic.
Your eyes were sweet and full of fire.
Come, return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
Shams-e Tabriz, the King of the Tavern,
has handed you an eternal cup.
And God in all His glory is pouring the wine.
So come! Drink!
Return to the root of the root
of your own soul.
-- Version by Jonathan Star
"Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved"
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Root of the Root of Your Self
Don't go away, come near.
Don't be faithless, be faithful.
Find the antidote in the venom.
Come to the root of the root of yourself.
Molded of clay, yet kneaded
from the substance of certainty,
a guard at the Treasury of Holy Light -
come, return to the root of the root of your Self.
Once you get hold of selflessness,
you'll be dragged from your ego
and freed from many traps.
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.
You are born from the children of God's creation,
but you have fixed your sight too low.
How can you be happy?
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.
Although you are a talisman protecting a treasure,
you are also the mine.
Open your hidden eyes
and come to the root of the root of your Self.
You were born from a ray of God's majesty
and have the blessings of a good star.
Why suffer at the hands of things that don't exist?
Come, return to the root of the root of your Self.
You are a ruby embedded in granite.
How long will you pretend it isn't true?
We can see it in your eyes.
Come to the root of the root of your Self.
You came here from the presence of that fine Friend,
a little drunk, but gentle, stealing our hearts
with that look so full of fire; so
come, return to the root of the root of your Self.
Our master and host, Shamsi Tabriz,
has put the eternal cup before you.
Glory be to God, what a rare wine!
So come, return to the root of the root of your Self.
-- Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger
Threshold Books, 1993
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How long will you move backwards? Come
forward! Enter not into unbelief, come to religion!
Behold the elixir hidden within the venom --
come to the venom! And come, return to the root of the root
of your own self!
Although in form you are earthly, you have
been kneaded from certainty's substance.
You guard the treasury of God's Light -- so come,
return to the root of the root of your own self!
Once you have tied yourself to selflessness, you
will be delivered from selfhood
And released from the ties of a hundred
snares -- so come, return to the root of the root of your own self!
Though you are the talisman protecting the
world's treasure, within yourself, you are the Mine.
Open your hidden eyes and come, return to the
root of the root of your own self!
You were born of the rays of God's majesty and
have gained the good fortunes of your auspicious star.
How long will you suffer at the hands of
nonexistent things? Come! Return to the root of the root of
your own self!
You are a ruby in the midst of granite -- how
long will you try to deceive us?
We can see the truth in your eyes -- so come,
return to the root of the root of your own self!
You came here from the presence of that
haughty Friend, so you are drunk, gentle, and heart-ravishing,
And your eyes are sweet and full of fire -- so
come, return to the root of the root of your own true self!
The king and saki, Shams-i Tabrizi, has placed
before you the everlasting cup.
Glory be to God! What marvelous pure wine!
So come, return to the root of the root of your own self!
-- Translation by William Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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