Sunlight: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

[Sunlight] The glow of humble longing

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

Everyone who delights in some act of devotion
can't bear to miss it,
even for a short while.
That disappointment and grief
are as a hundred prayers:
what is ritual prayer compared
with the glow of humble longing?

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

Zawq dârad har kasi dar tâ`ati
lâ jaram na-shakibad az vay sâ`ati
Ân ghabin o dard budi sad namâz
ku namâz va ku forugh-e ân niyâz

-- Mathnawi II: 2769-2770
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, August 30, 2010

[Sunlight] Every moment the world is renewed

Here, Sunlight brings an offering the Mathnawi, Book I, verses
1145-1149, in an interpretive version by Professor Coleman Barks, and
in the translation by Professor Reynold Nicholson, upon which Barks
based his version:

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

"The Moment"

In every instant there's dying and coming back around.
Muhammad said, This world

is a moment, a pouring that refreshes and renews itself so
rapidly it seems continuous,

as a burning stick taken from the fire looks like a golden
wire when you swirl

it in the air, so we feel duration as a string of sparks."

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Every moment the world is renewed, and we are unaware of
its being renewed whilst it remains (the same in appearance).
Life is ever arriving anew, like the stream, though in the body
it has the semblance of continuity.
From its swiftness it appears continuous, like the spark which
thou whirlest rapidly with thy hand.
If thou whirl a firebrand with dexterity, it appears to the
sight as a very long (line of) fire.
The swift motion produced by the action of God presents
this length of duration (Time) as (a phenomenon arising) from
the rapidity of Divine action.
Even if the seeker of this mystery is an exceedingly learned
man, (say to him), "Lo, Husamu'ddin, who is a sublime book
(where you will find the mystery revealed)."

-- 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, August 27, 2010

[Sunlight] Recognizing a person's true nature

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

If in the darkness of ignorance,
you don't recognize a person's true nature,
look to see whom he has chosen for his leader.

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

Gar to na-shenâsi kasi-râ az zalâm
be-negar u-râ kush sâzidast emâm

-- Mathnawi IV: 1640
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, August 26, 2010

[Sunlight] The final merging, everlasting beauty -- Ghazal 464

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

THE GLITTER OF THIS FANTASY

Now comes the final merging,
Now comes everlasting beauty.
Now comes abundant grace,
Now comes boundless purity.

The infinite treasure is shining,
The mighty ocean is roaring,
The morning of grace has come -
Morning? - No!
This is the eternal Light of God!

Who occupies this beautiful form?
Who is the ruler and the prince?
Who is the wise man? -
Nothing but a veil.

The wine of love removes these veils.
Drink with your head and your eyes -
Both your eyes,
and both your heads!

Your head of clay is from the earth,
Your pure awareness is from heaven.
O how vast is that treasure
which lies beneath the clay!
Every head you see depends on it!

Behind every atom of this world
hides an infinite universe.

O Saaqi, free us from the facade of this world.
Bring wine - barrels full!
Our eyes see too straight -
straight past the truth!

The Light of Truth shines from Tabriz.
It is beyond the beyond
yet it is here,
shining through every particle of this world.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 464
Version by Jonathan Star
"Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved "
Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997

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

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

[Sunlight] Come into my house -- Ghazal 2512

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

come down my love
abandon your adventurous flight
it's high time for a happy life

come into my house
throw out my old belongings
burn me again with your love

i know for sure
even if you burn the entire house
your love will build me a new paradise

you empowered the drops of water
to shine like diamonds
you blew life into a piece of clay

you gave a lowly fly
the same wings as an eagle
the aspiration of the sky

there was a blind sage in our town
a healer took mercy on him with medicine
to set his eyes open to the light

the sage refused and replied
if you could only see the light i see
you'd pluck out both of your eyes

-- Ode (Ghazal) 2512
Translated by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994

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Tuesday, August 24, 2010

[Sunlight] "And teaches by means of opposites"

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

God turns you from one feeling to another
and teaches by means of opposites,
so that you will have two wings to fly,
not one.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ze ân hami gardândet hâli be-hâl
zedd ba-zedd paydâ konân dar enteqâl
Tâ do par bâshi keh morgh yek pareh
`âjez âmad az paridan ay sareh

-- Mathnawi II: 1552; 1554
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, August 23, 2010

[Sunlight] A Walking Fire -- Ghazal 448

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Walking Fire

Today, now, this is when
we can meet the Friend,

now, as the sun comes up.
The Beloved, who yesterday

was so distant, today is
kind and bringing food.

Someone who knows this
one and isn't demolished

completely and reborn, that
someone is made of marble,

not blood and bone and brain
and eyes and hair. Gabriel

knocks on the Friend's door.
"Who is it?" "Your servant."

"Who came with you?" "Your
love." "Where?" "In my

arms." But the whole world
is in love with me. What

you've brought is a common
thing. Go away." Now Shams

comes along, a walking fire
beyond anything I can say.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 448
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

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Friday, August 20, 2010

[Sunlight] Don't hide from us the errors of our wrong pursuits

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

God, You who know all that is hidden,
You who speak with compassion,
don't hide from us the errors of our wrong pursuits
nor reveal to us the lack within the good we try to do,
lest we become disgusted and lose the heart
to journey on this Path.

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

Ay Khodâ-ye râz-dân khvosh sokhan
`ayb-e kâr-e bad ze mâ panhân ma-kon
`Ayb-e kâr-e nik-râ ma-namâ be-mâ
tâ na-gardim az ravesh sard o habâ

-- Mathnawi IV: 1353-1354
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, August 19, 2010

[Sunlight] Seemly and Unseemly -- Ghazal 907

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

Give not my heart into separation's hand, for
that is not seemly! Kill not him who is dying for Thee! Kill
him not, oh Idol, for that is not seemly!
In Gentleness Thou hadst chosen me, why now
hast Thou fled from me? Oh Thou who hast displayed
faithfulness, be not cruel, for that is not seemly!
The treasure of Thy Gentleness gave me the
robe of felicity. Strip not that robe from my body, for that is
not seemly!
My heart seems to be all face with no back.
Turn not Thy Face away from me, turn not Thy back toward
me, for that is not seemly!
I spoke of union with Thee. Thy Gentleness
said yes! After saying yes, ask not why--that is not seemly!
Thou art a mine of sugar and candy--candy
does not speak bitterness. Speak not bitter words to our face,
for that is not seemly!
Bring those words each of which is like a spirit!
Hide not the lamp in the night, for that is not seemly!
Thy heartache, which has made me frail, is
neither inside nor outside the body. Heartache is a placeless
fire--ask not where, for that is not seemly!
My heart has come from the World of
Ineffability, Thy Image from the other side of the heart.
Separate not these two travelers, for that is not seemly!
Shut not the door of the house, glance at the
Sufis! Say, "Welcome!" and do not eat rice alone, for that is
not seemly!
Oh heart, sleep from thought, for thought is the
heart's snare. Go not to God except disengaged from all things,
for that is not seemly!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 907
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

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Wednesday, August 18, 2010

[Sunlight] Do you think I am in control here?

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of
Quatrain 1359:

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

Do you think I am in control here?
That for a moment, or even half a moment,
I can tell you what's going on?

I am no more than a pen in a writer's hand.
A ball smacked around by a polo stick.

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

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

Do you think I know what I'm doing?
That for one breath or half-breath
I belong to myself?
As much as a pen knows what it's writing
or the ball can guess where it's going next.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1997

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

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

[Sunlight] "Flee from the hordes of devourers"

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

Every fantasy devours another fantasy:
one thought feeds on another.
You can't be delivered from fantasy
or fall asleep to escape from it altogether.
Your thoughts are like hornets, and your sleep is like the water
in which you are plunged: when you awake, the hornets return,
and many hornet-like fantasies fly in
and draw you now this way and then that way.
This mental fantasy is the least of the devourers:
the Almighty knows how great the others are.
Listen, flee from the hordes of devourers
toward the One who has said, "We are your Protector"*;
or if you can't hasten toward the Protector Himself,
toward the one who has gained that power of protection.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Har khayâli-râ khayâli mi-khvorad
fekr ân fekr-e degar-râ mi charad
To na-tâni kaz khayâli vâ rahi
yâ be-khospi keh az ân birun jahi
Fekr zanburast va ân khvâb-e to âb
chon shavi bidâr bâz âyad zobâb
Chand zanbur-e khayâli dar parad
mi kashad in su o ân su mi barad
Kamtarin âkelân ast in khayâl
vân degar-hâ-râ shenâsad Zu al-Jalâl
Hin goriz az jawq-e okkâl-e ghaliz
su-ye U keh goft "Mâ-'imet Hafiz"*
Yâ beh-su-ye ânke U ân hefz yâft
gar na-tâni su-ye ân hâfez-e shetâft

*l `Imrân, 150

-- Mathnawi V: 729-735
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 16, 2010

[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 Ramadan 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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Friday, August 13, 2010

[Sunlight] Mercy and wrath

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

Everyone can distinguish mercy from wrath,
whether he is wise or innocent or corrupt,
but a mercy hidden in wrath,
or wrath hidden in the heart of mercy
can only be recognized by one whose heart
contains a spiritual touchstone.

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

Qahr-râ az lotf dânad har kasi
khvâh dânâ khvâh nâ-dân yâ khassi
Lik lotfi qahr dar panhân shodeh
yâ qahri dar del-e lotf âmadeh
Kam kasi dânad magar rabbâniyi
kash bovad dar del mehakk-e jâniyi

-- Mathnawi III: 1506-1508
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, August 12, 2010

[Sunlight] The call of love

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

Call of Love

At every instant and from every side, resounds the call of Love:
We are going to sky, who wants to come with us?
We have gone to heaven, we have been the friends of the angels,
And now we will go back there, for there is our country.
We are higher than heaven, more noble than the angels:
Why not go beyond them? Our goal is the Supreme Majesty.
What has the fine pearl to do with the world of dust?
Why have you come down here? Take your baggage back. What is this place?
Luck is with us, to us is the sacrifice!
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean--the ocean of the soul.
How could this bird, born from that sea, make his dwelling here?
No, we are the pearls from the bosom of the sea, it is there that we dwell:
Otherwise how could the wave succeed to the wave that comes from the soul?
The wave named 'Am I not your Lord' has come, it has broken the vessel of the body;
And when the vessel is broken, the vision comes back, and the union with Him.

-- Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch,
'Rumi and Sufism', trans. Simone Fattal
Post-Apollo Press, Sausalito, 1977, 1987

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

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

[Sunlight] When you ask, the answer will be given

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 99:

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

Do you know what the music is saying?
"Come follow me and you will
find the way.
Your mistakes can also lead you
to the Truth.
When you ask,
the answer
will be given.

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

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

do you hear
the fiddle's surround sound
follow me and
your path will be found
only going astray
ypu'll find a saintly way
only knowing questions
you'll find a reply.

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

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

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Tuesday, August 10, 2010

[Sunlight] Every enemy is a remedy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The servant complains to God of pain:
in a hundred ways he moans.
God says, "But after all, grief and pain
have caused you to act rightly and humbly call on Me;
complain instead of the bounty that befalls you
and takes you far from My door."
In reality every enemy of yours is your remedy:
he is an elixir, a gift, and one that seeks to win your heart;
for you flee from him into solitude
imploring God's help.

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

Bandeh mi nâlad be-Haqq az dard o nish
sad shekâyat mi konad az ranj-e khvish
Haqq hami guyad keh "kher ranj o dard
mar torâ lâbeh konân va râst kard
In geleh zân ne`mati kon ket zanad
az dar-e Mâ dur va matrudet konad"
Dar haqiqat har `adu dâru-ye tost
kimiyâ o nâfe` o delju-ye tost
keh azu andar gorizi dar khalâ
este`ânat juyi az lotf-e Khodâ

-- Mathnawi IV: 91-95
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 09, 2010

[Sunlight] I see my beauty in you -- Ghazal 2234

~

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

I See My Beauty in You

I see my beauty in you. I become
a mirror that cannot close its eyes

to your longings. My eyes wet with
yours in the early light. My mind

every moment giving birth, always
conceiving, always in the ninth

month, always the come-point. How
do I stand this? We become these

words we say, a wailing sound moving
out into the air. These thousands of

worlds that rise from nowhere, how
does your face contain them? I'm

a fly in your honey, then closer, a
moth caught in flame's allure, then

empty sky stretched out in homage.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2234
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

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Friday, August 06, 2010

[Sunlight] Expression always falls short of meaning

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

Expression always falls short of meaning.
The Prophet said, "Whoever knows God, his tongue falters."
Speech is an astrolabe in its reckoning.
How much does it really know of the sky and the sun?
Or of that Sky which holds this heaven as a speck;
and that Sun which shows this sun to be a grain of sand?

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

Lafz dar ma`nâ hamisheh nâ-resân
zân Payambar goft "qad kalla lisân"
Notq astorlâb bâshad dar hesâb
cheh qadr dânad ze charkh o âftâb
Khâsseh Charkhi kin falak zu pareh-'ist
âftâb az Âftâbesh zarreh-'ist

-- Mathnawi II: 3013-3015
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, August 05, 2010

[Sunlight] My soul isn’t yet satisfied -- Ghazal 1205

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

don't tell me i had enough
don't stop me from having more
my soul isn't yet satisfied

last night an intoxicated friend
handed me his wine jar
i broke the jar in spite of my desire

i'm not enslaved
by my craving body
i'll not pollute this endless longing

i've broken the barriers
of the past and the future
without being drunk

love's message came to me this morning
hiding itself as a healer
taking my pulse and declaring i'm weak

"don't drink wine
given by anyone
but your beloved"

if i can only find i said
the fountainhead named love
what use is any wine

-- Ode (Ghazal) 1205
Translated by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994

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

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Wednesday, August 04, 2010

[Sunlight] "Love has made me Solomon"

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

Though the eye of intellect and competence see
me as mad, I have many arts in the circle of lovers.
Love has made me Solomon and my tongue
Asaf* -- how should I be tied to all these remedies and
incantations?
Like Abraham, I never turn away from the
Kaaba -- I reside in the Kaaba, I am its pillar.*
A thousand Rustams* cannot approach me -- why
should I be subject to the effeminate ego?
I take the bloody sword in hand -- I am a martyr
to Love in the midst of my own blood.
In this plain, I am the All-Merciful's nightingale.
Seek not my limits and border -- I have no limits.
Shams-i Tabrizi has nurtured me through love --
I am greater than the Holy Spirit and the Cherubim.

-- Gazal (Ode) 1747
Translation by Professor William Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

*"Asaf" -- King Solomon's vizier, or counselor -- Sunlight Ed.
*"Pillar" -- according to traditon, Abraham built the Kaaba and resided there
for some time. -- Note by Chittick
*"Rustam" -- variously spelled "Rostam" -- legendary warrior king, one of the
subjects of the epic "Book of Kings" ("Shah Nameh") -- Sunlight Ed.

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

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Tuesday, August 03, 2010

[Sunlight] "The body is like a letter"

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

The body is like a letter:
look into it and see whether it's worthy to be read by the King.
Go into a corner, open the letter, and read what is in it,
see whether its words are suitable for royalty.
If it isn't suitable, tear it to pieces,
write another letter, and remedy the fault.
But don't think it's easy to open the letter of the body;
otherwise everyone would readily discover the secret of the heart.
How difficult it is to open that letter!
It's only for the strong, not for those playing games.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kâlbod nâmeh-st andar vay negar
hast lâyeq Shâh-râ ânkeh be-bar
Gusheh-'i raw nâmeh-râ bo-g'shâ be-khvân
bin keh harfesh hast dar khvord-e shahân
Gar ne-bâshad dar khvor ân-râ pâreh kon
nâmeh-ye digar nevis va châreh kon
Lik fath-e nâmeh-ye tan zap ma-dân
var nah har kas serr-e del didi `iyân
Nâmeh bo-g'shâdan cheh doshvârast o sa`b
kâr-e mardânast nah teflân o ka`b

-- Mathnawi, IV:1564-1568
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 02, 2010

[Sunlight] Solomon Ant

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

Solomon Ant

This feverish desiring does not calm
down, because God doesn't want it to.

Wishes and wantings come from there.
When my shirt is wet, blame the sea!

We soul-fish swim among the fishing
lines of what we want, unable to imagine

the beauty of the fisherpeople jiggling
the hooks! God was here before the

universe. What desire brought us into
being? I do not know. It's enough that

we go straight for what and who we are
drawn to. No. There's no crooked or

straight with this, though we persist in
judging actions and their source: bad,

bad, good, good. Think of an ant
that wants to fly. Wonderful! He digs at

the palace wall. He claims to be Solomon.
He demands a crown. This is how we are.

We are not what we're wanting, and yet
somewhat the longings are not apart from

us. Shams, will you untie this knot?

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2240
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

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