[Sunlight] "This appearance of identity"

~

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

All this dying is not the death of the physical form:
this body is only an instrument for the spirit.
There is many a martyred soul that has died to self in this world,
though it goes about like the living.
The animal self has died, though the body, which is its sword, survives:
the sword is still in the hand of that eager warrior.
The sword is the same sword; the person is not the same person,
but this appearance of identity bewilders you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In hameh mordan nah marg-e suratast
in badan mar ruh-râ chon âlatast
Ay basâ nafs-e shahid-e mo`tamad
mordeh dar donyâ cho zendeh mi ravad
Ruh rahzan mord o tan keh tigh-e ust
hast bâqi dar kaff-e ân ghazv-just
Tigh ân tighast mard ân mard nist
lik in surat torâ hayrân konist

-- Mathnawi V: 3281; 3826-3828
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

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

All this dying is not the death of the physical form:
this body is only an instrument for the spirit.
There is many a martyred soul that has died to self in this world,
though it goes about like the living.
The animal self has died, though the body, which is its sword, survives:
the sword is still in the hand of that eager warrior.
The sword is the same sword; the person is not the same person,
but this appearance of identity bewilders you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In hameh mordan nah marg-e suratast
in badan mar ruh-râ chon âlatast
Ay basâ nafs-e shahid-e mo`tamad
mordeh dar donyâ cho zendeh mi ravad
Ruh rahzan mord o tan keh tigh-e ust
hast bâqi dar kaff-e ân ghazv-just
Tigh ân tighast mard ân mard nist
lik in surat torâ hayrân konist

-- Mathnawi V: 3281; 3826-3828
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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[Sunlight] "This appearance of identity"