Friday, December 23, 2011

[Sunlight] A short vacation for Sunlight

Dear Sunlight Subscribers,

The Sunlight list is taking a short end-of-year vacation. The posts will resume on January 3rd.

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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[Sunlight] "Does happiness reflect in your face?"

~

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

Does happiness reflect in your face
from the wine of the true religion?
Where is your generous hand
if you've beheld the Ocean of Abundance?
The one who sees the River doesn't grudge water to the thirsty,
especially the one who has beheld that Sea and those mighty Clouds.


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

Dar rokhet ku az may-e din farrokhi
gar be-didi Bahr ku kaff-e sakhi
Ânkeh Ju did âb-râ na-konad darigh
khâsseh ân ku did ân Daryâ o Migh

-- Mathnawi VI: 804-805
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

[Sunlight] "Loving one's shaykh"

~

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

Oh mouthpiece of God! Oh eye of the Realities!
Oh thou who deliverest the creatures from this ocean full of
fire!
Thou art a very ancient shaykh, a king
unparalleled! Take the spirit by the hand and free it from the
affliction of its attachments!
In the way of self-sacrifice, thou huntest for
spirits. Alas, which of these spirits are worthy to be thy prey?
Who indeed is the creature to brag of love for
thee? Oh, the light of the Creator's Majesty is in love with thy
beauty.
You say, "What am I to do, for I am the prey of
his love? I am distressed and lovesick"-- oh, thou art a skillful
physician!
Thy gentleness says, "Come forward!" Thy
severity says, "Go back!" Let me know at once, which of them
speaks the truth?
Oh sun of the spirits! Oh Shams of Tabriz, sun
of God! Every ray of thy sunbeams is a subtle and eloquent
spirit!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1310
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

~

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Wednesday, December 21, 2011

[Sunlight] "For I am born of the sun" -- Ghazal 1621

~

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

I only speak of the Sun
because the Sun is my Master
I worship even the dust at His feet.
I am not a night-lover and do not praise sleep
I am the messenger of the Sun!
Secretly I will ask Him and pass the answers to you.
Like the Sun I shine on those who are forsaken
I may look drunk and disheveled but I speak the Truth.
Tear off the mask, your face is glorious,
your heart may be cold as stone but
I will warm it with my raging fire.
No longer will I speak of sunsets or rising Moons,
I will bring you love's wine
for I am born of the Sun
I am a King!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1621
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

~

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

[Sunlight] Practice remembrance

~

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


If your thought is frozen, practice remembrance of God.
Recollection of God brings thought into movement:
make remembrance the sun for this congealed thought.

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

In qadar goftim bâqi fekr kon
fekr agar jâmed bovad raw zekr kon
Zekr ârad fekr-râ dar ehtezâz
zekr-râ khvorshid-e in afsordeh sâz

-- Mathnawi VI: 1475-1476
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 19, 2011

[Sunlight] Joy returning in another form -- Ghazal 1937

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1937, from Rumi's Diwan-e Shams, in versions by Jonathan Star and Coleman Barks, and in the A.J. Arberry translation, upon which Barks based his interpretive version:

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

FROM BOX TO BOX

Don't weep.
The joy that has gone
will come `round again in another form �
Have no doubt about this!

A child's first joy
comes from its mother's milk;
After the child is weaned
his joy comes from drinking sweet wine.

This supreme joy has no resting place -
It enters one form then another,
from box to box � an eternal movement
between heaven and earth.

Here it comes, pouring down from the sky,
seeping into the earth,
and rising up again as a bed of roses.

Now it is water, now a plate of rice,
Now the swaying trees, now a horse and rider.
It lies within these forms for awhile
then bursts forth to become something new.

Isn't this like our dreams? �
The body sleeps
while the soul moves on
to take other forms.
You say,
I dreamt I was a cypress, a bed of tulips,
the blossoms of roses and jasmines.

Then the soul returns, and you wake up �
the cypress is gone, the roses are gone.

I tell you truly,
everything you now see
will vanish like a dream.

I do not mean to trouble you, O friend,
with words so bold as these.
Perhaps you will only listen to God.
He speaks more gently than I.

But how will you ever hear Him with
All that blathering going on? �
Everyone is speaking about golden bread
yet no one has ever tasted it!

O my soul, where can I find rest
but in the shimmering love of his heart?
Where can I see the pure light of the Sun
but in the eyes of my own Shams-e Tabriz?

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

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

UNMARKED BOXES

Don't grieve. Anything you lose comes round
in another form. The child weaned from mother's milk
now drinks wine and honey mixed.

God's joy moves from unmarked box to unmarked box,
from cell to cell. As rainwater, down into flowerbed.
As rose, up from the ground.
Now it looks like a plate of rice and fish,
now a cliff covered with vines,
now a horse being saddled.
It hides within these,
till one day it cracks them open.

Part of the self leaves the body when we sleep
and changes shape. You might say, "Last night
I was a cypress tree, a small bed of tulips,
a field of grapevines." Then the phantasm goes away.
You're back in the room.
I don't want to make any one fearful.
Hear what's behind what I say.

Tatatumtum tatum tatadum.
There's the light gold of wheat in the sun
and the gold of bread made from that wheat.
I have neither. I'm only talking about them,

as a town in the desert looks up
at stars on a clear night.

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

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


Do not grieve over any joy that has gone forever, for it will
return to you in another form, know that for sure.
Did not the child find joy in its nursing and in milk? When the
child was weaned from milk, the joy came from wine and honey.
This joy is an unqualified thing which enters various forms,
moves from box to box between water and clay;
It suddenly displays its grace in the water of the rain, again
enters into the rosebed, and lifts its head from the earth.
Now it comes by water, now by way of bread and meat, now
by way of beauty, now by way of horse and saddle.
From behind these veils suddenly one day it peeps and shat-
ters all the idols, that which is neither that nor this.*
The soul in sleep leaves the body and appears in a phantasm;
the body is deposed and idle -- in another form it is manifest.*
You might say, "In a dream I saw myself like a cypress, my
face as a bed of tulips, my body as roses and jasmine.*
That phantasm of the cypress vanished, the soul returned to
its house; verily in this and that is a warning to all beings.
I fear stirring up trouble, though I would have spoken what
may be spoken, God speaks fairer than I - do not let go of the
saddlestraps of the faith.
Fa'ilatun fa'ilatun fa'ilatun fa'iltat, if you have not gold-wheat bread, yet speak the golden words.
At last, Tabriz of the soul, look upon the stars of the heart,
that you may see this mundane sun to be a reflection of Shams-e
Din.

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

*Any object which keeps one from being absorbed in divine love
is an idol.
*See Nicholson's commentary of I: 400-1.
*"Kiyal (fantasy or phantasm) is the same as the World of Similitude (`alam-e mesal), of which everything in the sensible world (`alam-e sahada) is a reflection. The World of Similitude is a purgatory stage between the worlds of souls and things." Sajjadi Farhang-e `erfani, 204.

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

~

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Friday, December 16, 2011

[Sunlight] "From this world, Rumi moved on"

~


In commemoration of the Urs, the wedding with the Beloved, of
Jalalu'ddin Rumi (the Urs is known in Persian as "vesal", "reunion
[with the Beloved]"), Sunlight offers a poem by Rumi's son, Sultan Valad*, recording the occasion of the passing of Rumi on December 17, 1273:

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

From this foul, fulsome world, Rumi moved on
After ten sweet years with Hosam al-Din*
On a December's day, the seventeenth*
came to pass that proud monarch's moving on
Of years six hundred seventy and two
since the Hijra of the Prophet* had gone by
The eye of mankind wept so sore that day
its lightning struck and burned away the souls
A quaking overtook the earth that moment
in the heavens rose a wail of mourning
The people of the town, both young and old
wailed and wept and sighed in lamentation
The villagers nearby, both Greeks and Turks
in pain upon his loss rent wide their collars
all paid the corpse their last loving respects
Folks from every faith proved faithful to him --
in love with him the people of all nations

-- SVE 121
From Sultan Valad's "Valad nameh" (Persian, "The
Book of Valad), also known as "Ebteda nameh"
Translation by Professor Franklin D. Lewis
"Rumi, Past and Present, East and West"
Oneworld Publications, Oxford, 2000
(This poem edited (c) 12/12/00)

Sunlight notes:

* Sultan Valad -- Rumi's son, his biographer, and his spiritual
successor. Formally founded in the Mevlevi Order of Sufis, following
his father's teachings. Author of five books, four of poetry
("Ebtedâ-nâme," "Rabâb-nâme," "Entehâ-nâme," "Dîvân-e Soltân
Valad") and one of prose ("Ma`âref")."

http://www.poetseers.org/spiritual_and_devotional_poets/sufi/sultan/
http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/V/ValadSultan/index.htm

* Hosam al-Din -- a sufi shaykh in his own right, Hosam al-Din acted
as Rumi's scribe, editor, and inspiration during the writing of the
Mathnawi. It's interesting to learn that the composition of the
Mathnawi was suspended when Hosam al-Din's wife died and he was
withdrawn in mourning. He also acted as an administrator of Rumi's
school in Konya.
* "December 17th" -- the Christian calendar equivalent of the fifth
day of Jumadi II. "Jumadi II" is the sixth month of the Arabic lunar
calendar.
* Seventy two and six hundred years since the Hijra of the Prophet --
"Hijra" (Arabic), the flight of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca (in
Sept., 622 A.D. per the Christian calendar) to Medina. The Muslim
calendar dates from the first day of the hijra.


A valuable Rumi link:

http://www.khamush.com/bio.htm

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

~

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Thursday, December 15, 2011

[Sunlight] The Color of Purity

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal N-XXVI (numbered according to
Nicholson's numbering system, rather than the Furuzanfur system)
- a poetic version by Kabir Helminski and the literal translation by
R. A. Nicholson upon which Helminski based his interpretation:

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

"The Color of Purity"

Inside myself I breathe
the fragrance of the Friend.

In the garden last night
an urge ran through my head;
a sun shone out of my eyes;
an inner river began to flow.

Lips became laughing roses
without the thorns of existence,
safe from the sword of decay.

The trees and plants in the meadow,
which to normal eyes looked fixed and still,
seemed to dance.
When our tall Cypress appeared,
the garden lost itself entirely,
and the plane tree clapped its hands.

A face of fire, a burning wine,
a blazing love, all happy together,
and the self, overwhelmed, screaming,
"Let me out of here."

In the world of Unity
there's no room for number.
But out of necessity number exists
in the worlds of five and four.

You can count a hundred thousand
sweet apples in your hands.
If you wish to make them one,
crush them all together!

Without thinking of the letters,
listen to the language of the heart.
The color of purity
belongs to the creative Source.
Where the sun of Tabriz sits,
my verses line up like willing slaves.

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

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

XXVI.

From the bosom of Self* I catch continually a scent of
the Beloved:
How should I not, every night, take Self to my bosom?
Yestereve I was in Love's garden*: this desire came into
my head:
His sun peeped forth from mine eye*: the river (of tears)
began to flow.*
Each laughing rose* that springs from his laughing lip
Had escaped the thorn of being,* had avoided Dhu'lfiqar.*
Every tree and blade of grass was dancing in the meadow,
But in the view of the vulgar they were bound and at
rest.
Suddenly on one side our Cypress* appeared,
So that the garden became senseless and the plane clapped
its hands.*
A face like fire, wine like fire, Love afire--all three
delectable;
The soul, by reason of the mingled fires, was wailing
'Where shall I flee?'
In the world of Divine Unity is no room* for Number,*
But Number necessarily exists in the world of Five and
Four.*
You may count a hundred thousand sweet apples in
your hand:*
If you wish to make One, crush them all together.*
Behold, without regarding the letters,* what is this
language in the heart;*
Pureness of colour* is a quality derived from the Source
of Action.*
Shamsi Tabriz is seated in royal state, and before him
My rhymes are ranked like willing servants.

-- L.97.10 (Lachnau Edition of the Divani Shamsi Tabriz)
"Selected Poems from the Divani Shamsi Tabriz"
Edited and translated by Reynold A. Nicholson
Cambridge, At the University Press, 1898, 1952

Nicholson's Notes:
* "From the bosom of the self" -- 'self' refers here, not,
as it commonly does, to Man's phenomenal individuality,
the cheating mask which prevents him from seeing things
as they are, but to the divine spark or spirit which dwells
within him and cannot die. This is the true 'Self.' Cf.
Kor. L. 15: We (God) are nearer to him than the jugular vein.
"His sun peeped forth from mine eye" -- these words may
mean: "in whom I have hope."
"the river of tears began to flow." - i.e. I wept for joy.
Cf. Hafez, I. 64. 3:
"I wept so much that whomever passed by
upon seeing my soul in my tears asked
'what does he seek?'"
* "laughing rose"-- full-blown.
* "the thorn of being" - the celestial Rose and Wine,
unlike their counterfeits on earth, are wholly free from
defect: which is Not-being. "Being" signifies here
Contingent or Phenomenal Being.
* "Dhu'lfiqar" -- the famous sword given by Mohammed
to 'Ali, here used figuratively = death, corruption.
* "our Cypress" -- the Beloved.
* "clapped its hands" - in ecstasy. They words may also
be translated 'rustled its leaves'.
* "Number" - referring to 'mingled fires' in the last verse.
* "Five and Four" - -the five senses and the four elements.
* "hundred thousand sweet apples in your hand" -- plurality
is a phantom (i.e., the rays of the sun). This illustration recurs
in the Mathnavi (21.5):
"If you count one hundred apples and one hundred waters
What appears as a hundred shall become One
if you crush them all together."
* "without regarding the letters" -- never mind the parts: look
at the whole. Cf.
With men of form the word is: Synthesis by analysis;
With men of spirit the word is: Analysis by synthesis.
(T.116.4a).
*"what is this language in the heart" -- the language of the heart
is silence. So, end a large number of these poems. Speech is only
the prelude to silence: true worshippers are 'breathless with
adoration' (cf. Whinfield's Masnavi, pp. 5, 261, 326).
* "Pureness of colour" --
'Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass,
Stains the white radiance of eternity.'
(Shelley).
The same thought is found in Schiller's epigram, entitled
"Licht und Farbe":
Wohne, du ewiglich Eines, dort bei dem ewiglich Einen!
Farbe, du wechselnde, komm freundlich zum Menschen
herab!
Cf. with this passage the following lines (T. 332. 10a):
Deem the soul a unit and the body a hundred thousand
numbers,
Even as almonds in the form of oil.
How many words are there in the world! Yet all are
essentially one;
Water becomes one when you break the jars.
The soul sends intelligence to every person of insight
When by acknowledging Unity you pluck away your
heart from speech.
"the Source of Action" -- God is the only real agent. Cf.
Whinfield's Masnavi, pp. 15, 78, 91, 242.

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

~


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

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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

[Sunlight] What do you really possess?

~

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

What do you really possess,
and what have you gained?
What pearls have you brought up
from the depth of the sea?
On the day of death,
bodily senses will vanish:
do you have the spiritual light
to accompany your heart?
When dust fills these eyes in the grave,
will your grave shine bright?

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

To cheh dâri va cheh hâsel kardeh-'i
az tag-e daryâ cheh dorr âvordeh-'i
Ruz-e marg in hess-e to bâtel shavad
nur-e jân dâri keh yâr-e del shavad
Dar lahd kin chashm-râ khâk âganad
hastet ânche gur-râ rawshan konad

-- Mathnawi II:939-941
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Daylight
Threshold Books, 1994
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~


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

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Monday, December 12, 2011

[Sunlight] Greed and Generosity -- Ghazal 1101

~

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

Greed and Generosity

Look at her face.
Open your eyes into her eyes.
When she laughs, everyone falls in love.
Life your head up off the table. See,
there are no edges to this garden.
Sweet fruits, every kind you can think of,
branches green and always
slightly moving.

How long should you look at earth's face?
Come back and look again.
Now you see the nervous greed
deep inside plants and animals. Now you see them
constantly giving themselves away.

Greed and generosity are evidence of love.
If you can't see love itself,
see the results.
If you can't find love-colors in anything,
look for the pale, tired face of a lover.

Take this town with its stores and everyone
rushing around, some with a lot of money,
some without any.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1101
Version by Coleman Barks
Open Secret
Threshold Books, 1984

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

~

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

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Friday, December 09, 2011

[Sunlight] If your meaning is pure

~

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

The smell of pride and greed and lust
will betray you when you speak
as much as the onions you have eaten.
Many prayers are rejected because of their smell;
the corrupt heart reveals itself in the tongue.
But if your meaning is pure,
God will welcome even your clumsy expression.

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

Bu-ye kebr o bu-ye hers o bu-ye âz
dar sokhan goftan biyâyad chon piyâz
Bas do`â-hâ radd shavad az bu-ye ân
ân del kazh mi namâyad dar zabân
Gar hadiset kazh bovad ma`nayet râst
ân kazhi lafz maqbul-e Khodâst

-- Mathnawi III: 166;169;171
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, December 08, 2011

[Sunlight] Become nothing but vision -- Ghazal 1169

~

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

Is there no one with a pure worthy vision
with which to gaze upward?
If there no one purified of his water and clay
so that he may gaze upon the Ocean?
So that he may place his foot upon Mount Qaf
and look upon the wing of the Phoenix?
So that the Sun may make his vision drunk and
headless and footless?
Is there no one who receives replenishment
from Love's light so that his vision may fall totally Yonder?
Water becomes purified with water -- the man
who can see gains vision from Vision.
Become nothing but vision, for in God's Court,
nothing finds access but vision!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1169
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

~

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

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Wednesday, December 07, 2011

[Sunlight] I will never leave this house of light

~

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

I will never leave this house of light,
I will never leave this blessed town
for here I have found my love
and here I will stay for the rest of my life.
If this world turns into a sea of trouble
I will brave the waves and steer my mind's ship
to the safe shore of love.

If you are a seeker looking for profit go on
and may God be with you,
but I am not willing to exchange my truth,
I have found the heart and will never leave
this house of light.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1653
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

~

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

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Tuesday, December 06, 2011

[Sunlight] This infinite Word is everlasting

~

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

No one has shown the beginning or end of the Infinite.
God said, "If the sea were to become ink . . ."*
Still God's word could not be written out.
Though all the orchards and forests were pens,
still we would be no closer to defining it.
Ink and pens pass away,
yet this infinite Word is everlasting.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Avval o âkher neshânesh kas na-dâd
goft "Law kâna lahu al-bahr midâd"*
Haft daryâ gar shavad kolli medâd
nist mar pâyân shodan-râ hich omid
Bâgh o bisheh gar shavad yeksar qalam
zin sokhan hargez na-gardad hich kam
Ân hameh hebr o qalam fâni shavad
vin hadis-e bi-`adad bâqi bovad

-- Mathnawi II:3543-3546
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Kahf, 109

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

~

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

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Monday, December 05, 2011

[Sunlight] Word Fog -- Ghazal 921

~

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

"Word Fog"

Words, even if they come from
the soul, hide the soul, as fog

rising off the sea covers the sea,
the coast, the fish, the pearls.

It's noble work to build coherent
philosophical discourses, but

they block out the sun of truth.
See God's qualities as an ocean,

this world as foam on the purity
of that. Brush away and look

through the alphabet to essence,
as you do the hair covering your

beloved's eyes. Here's the mystery:
this intricate, astonishing world

is proof of God's presence even as
it covers the beauty. One flake

from the wall of a gold mine does
not give much idea what it's like

when the sun shines in and turns
the air and the workers golden.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 921
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

~

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

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Friday, December 02, 2011

[Sunlight] By love, the bitter becomes sweet

~

Here, Sunlight offers the verses from Molana Rumi's epic, "The
Mathnawi", Book II, lines 1529-30, in two translations -- one from
Schimmel, and one from Helminski, with a Persian transcription:


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

Through love all that is bitter will be
sweet.
Through Love all that is copper will be
gold.
Through Love all dregs will turn to purest
wine.
Through Love all pain will turn to
medicine.
Through Love the dead will all become
alive.
Through Love the king will turn into a
slave!

-- Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
"Look! This is Love - Poems of Rumi"
Shambhala, 1991

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

By love, the bitter becomes sweet;
by love, copper becomes gold;
by love, dregs become clear;
by love, pains become healing;
by love the dead become living;
by love, the king becomes a slave.
From knowledge, love grows.
Has stupidity ever placed anyone on such a throne?

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

Az mohabbat talkh-hâ shirin shavad
az mohabbat mes-hâ zarrin shavad
Az mohabbat dord-hâ sâfi shavad
az mohabbat dard-hâ shâfi shavad
Az mohabbat mordeh zendeh mi konand
az mohabbat shâh bandeh mi konand
in mohabbat ham natijeh-ye dânesh ast
ki gazâfeh bar chonin takhti neshast

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

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

~

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

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Thursday, December 01, 2011

[Sunlight] I have escaped -- Ghazal 1472

~


Here, Sunlight offers Molana Rumi's Ghazal 1472, in three
presentations: a translation by Khalili, a version from Barks, and
the translation from Arberry upon which Barks based his version:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
once again
i broke free of the chains
of the wicked traps
of this world

once again
by your youthful love
i was saved from
this fraud-filled wizard
we call life
non-stop
running day and night
i finally had to cut myself off
from this deadly routine
leaping free as an arrow
from the grip of the cosmic bow

now i have no more fear
of grief and anxiety
i've learned to compete
with death itself

i lived through my wits
for forty years
now at sixty-two
finally hunted down
i am free from struggle

bread becomes blood
blood transforms to milk
and now
that I have my wisdom teeth
i am in no need for more milk

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire",
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.

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

I have broken out again,
escaped from the tricky,
wiry shamans of ecstasy.

Running night and day to escape night and day.
Why fear grief
when Death walks so close beside?

Don't fear the General
if you're good friends with the Prince.

For forty years I made plans and worried about them.
Now sixty-two, I've escaped reasonableness.

By definition, human beings do not see or hear.
I broke loose from definition.

Skin outside, seeds inside,
a fig lives caught between, and like that fig,
I wiggle free.

Hesitation, deadly. Hurrying, worse.
Escape both delay and haste.

Fed first with blood in the womb,
then milk from the breast,
my clever teeth came in,
and I escaped even those.

Off balance, I grope for bread, a loaf or two,
until God gives the next food,
and I'm gone.

No more garlicky detail, no more meanings.
Only clean-breathed,
silent escaping.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"These Branching Moments"
Copper Beech Press, 1988

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

Once again, once again I have escaped from my chains, I have
burst out of these bonds and this trap which seizes the infirm.
Heaven, the bent old man full of wizardry and deceit--by
virtue of your youthful fortune I have escaped from this old man.
Night and day I ran, I broke away from night and day; ask of
this sphere how like an arrow I sped.
Why should I fear sorrow? For I am the comrade of death.
Why should I fear the general? For I have escaped from the
prince.
Reason bore me down with anxiety for forty years; sixty-two*
has made me quarry, and I have escaped from devising.
All creatures have been made deaf or blind by predestination;
I have escaped from the deaf and blind of predestination, and
from predestination.
Outwardly skin, inwardly stone, the fruit is a prisoner; like a
fig, I have escaped from that skin and that stone.
Delay causes mischief, and haste is of the devil; my heart has
escaped from haste, and I have escaped from delay.
In the first place blood was the food,* in the end blood became
milk; when the teeth of reason sprouted, I escaped from that
milk;
I ran after bread, a loaf or two, by imposture; God gave me a
food, so that I escaped from imposture.
Be silent, be silent, speak no more in detail; I will speak of the interpretation, I have escaped from the stench of garlic.*

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press, 1968

Arberry's notes:
* This poem was composed when Rumi was sixty-two.
* "Blood was the food" -- in the womb.
* A play on "tafsir" (interpretation), and "taf-i sir" ("stench of garlic," -- eaten by unbelieving Jews).

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

~

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

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

[Sunlight] Back to being -- Ghazal 853

~

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

Back to Being

The ocean can do without fish. My soul,
let me tell you a secret: it's rare to

meet a fish like the ocean! Seawater is
the nursing mother. Fish, the crying

babies. But sometimes the ocean comes
looking for a particular fish to hear

what it wants. The ocean will not act
before it knows. That fish is an

emperor then; the ocean is its minister.
But don't call such a fish a fish! How

long will I keep talking in riddles?
Shams is the master who turns the earth

fragrant. When plants feel him near
they open out. I would not have a soul,

if after tasting the taste of Shams,
I could go back to being who I was.

-- Ode (Ghazal) 853
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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

~

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

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

[Sunlight] The body resembles a garment

~

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


When a man is busy in earnest,
he is unconscious of his pain.
I mention this insensibility to pain
so you may know how much the body resembles a garment.
Go, seek the one who wears it;
don't kiss a piece of cloth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Khvod be-binad dast rafteh dar zarar
khvod azu besyâr rafteh bi khabar
Tâ be-dâni keh tan âmad chon lebâs
raw be-ju lâbes lebâsi ma-lis

-- Mathnawi III: 1610
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


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

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Monday, November 28, 2011

[Sunlight] Too Vast for Partnership -- Ghazal 941

~

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

Too Vast for Partnership


Will it be better for us when we
dissolve into the ground, or worse?

Let's learn now what will happen.
This is lovers' work, to break through

and become this earth, to die before
we die. Don't think of pairing up

somehow with God! That claim is a
religious self-indulgence. You know

it by the smell: smoke coming off
dried dung is different from that of

aloe wood! The presence that one
second is soil, then water, fire,

smoke, woof, warp, a friend, a shame,
a modesty, is too vast and intimate

for partnership! Observers watch as
presence takes thousands of forms.

But inside your eyes the presence
doesn't brighten or dim; it just

lives there. A saint or a prophet,
one like Muhammad can see the trees

of heaven, the fruit hanging so close
he could reach and pick one for his

friend. But it's not time for that.
They melt and flow away from sight.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 941
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

~

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

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Friday, November 25, 2011

[Sunlight] Dumfounded by love

~

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

Dear soul, Love alone cuts arguments short,
for it alone comes to the rescue when you cry for help against disputes.
Eloquence is dumbfounded by Love: it dares not wrangle;
for the lover fears that, if he answers back,
the pearl of inner experience might fall out of his mouth.

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

`Eshq borad bahs-râ ay jân o bas
ku ze goft o gu shavad feryâd ras
Hayrati âyad ze `eshq ân notq-râ
zahreh na-bovad keh konad u mâ-jarâ
Keh be-tarsad gar javâbi vâ dehad
gawhari az lonj-e u birun fotad

-- Mathnawi V: 3240-3241
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

[Sunlight] All praise be to God and thanksgiving! -- Ghazal 123

~

Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 123, in a translation by
William Chittick, and in a version by Jonathan Star:

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

I saw that good and beautiful King, that Eye
and Lamp of the breast,
That Intimate and Comforter of the heart, that
spirit-increasing Spirit and World.
I saw Him who gives intellect to the intellect
and purity to purity,
That Object of adoration for the moon and the
heavens, that Kiblah of the spirits of the saints.
Each one of my particles called out with its
own voice, "All praise be to God and thanksgiving!"
When Moses suddenly saw that Light from the
bush,
He said, "I have been delivered from seeking!
For I have been given this gift."
God said, "Oh Moses, leave aside traveling!
Throw down thy staff! (XXVII 10)"
At once Moses cast out from his heart friends,
fellows, and kin.
This is the significance of Put off thy two shoes!
(XX 12): "Cut off thy love from the two worlds!"
The house of the heart has no room for any but
God-- the heart knows the jealousy of the prophets.
God said, "Oh Moses, what is that in thy hand?"
He replied, "That is my staff for the road" (XX 17-18).
He said, "Cast it down (XX 19) and see the
marvels of heaven!"
He threw it down and it became a serpent;
when he saw the serpent he fled (XX 20-21).
God said, "Take it and I will make it your staff
once more" (XX 21):
"I will make your enemy your assistant, your
adversary your support.
Then you will know that faithful and gentle
friends derive only from My Bounty.
When We give pain to your hands and feet,
they become serpents in your eyes.
Oh hand, seize naught but Us! Oh foot, seek
naught but the Goal!
Flee not from the suffering We inflict, for
wherever you find suffering, there also you find a way to the
remedy."
No one has ever fled from suffering without
finding something worse in return.
Flee from the bait-- that is where fear lies.
Leave fear of places for the intellect.
Shams of Tabriz has shown his gentleness, but
when he went away, he took it with him.

-- Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

"Throw Down Your Staff"

I saw that good and beautiful King,
That Witness of the heart's light,
That comforter and friend of the soul,
That spirit of all the world.

I saw the One who gives
wisdom to the wise,
purity to the pure;
The one adorned by the Moon and stars,
The one toward whom all saints bow.

Every cell of my body called out,
Praise God! Glory to God!

When Moses saw the radiant fire of the bush, he said:
"After finding this gift I need nothing more."

God said, "O Moses, your wandering is over.
Throw down your staff."
In that moment Moses cast from his heart
all friends, relatives, and kinsmen.

This is the meaning of "Take off both your shoes" -
Remove from your heart the desire of both worlds.
The abode of the heart has room for God alone.
You will know this through the grace of the prophets.

God said, "O Moses, what do you hold in your hand?"
Moses replied, "This is my rod for the journey."

God said,
"Throw it down and behold the marvels within yourself!"
Moses tossed his rod to the ground
and it became a serpent.
When Moses saw the serpent he ran in fear.

God said,
"Pick it up and I will turn it
into a staff once again.
Through my grace your foes will grant you blessings,
Your enemies will reach out in friendship.
When We bring suffering to your hands and feet
like the burning pain of snake-bites - carry on."

O hand, keep reaching for Us.
O feet, keep walking toward the Goal!
Do not run from the hardship We give you,
For wherever you find hardship
you will also find the means to its end.

No one has ever escaped from hardship
without something worse happening in return.

Don't take the bait! -
It will only lead to disaster.
Don't give in to your doubts! -
It will shake you from your ground.

Now Shams has shown us his mercy -
He went away
and left us with nothing but ourselves.

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

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

~

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

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

[Sunlight] I will take you to the depths of spirit -- Ghazal 1518

~


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

I am the Spirit Moon
with no place.
You do not see me for I am hidden
inside the soul.
Others want you for themselves but I call you
back to yourself.
You give me many names but I am
beyond all names.
Sometimes you say I am deceitful
but as long as you are
I will be too.
Until you remain blind and deaf
I will be invisible.
I am the garden of all gardens
I speak as the King of all flowers
I am the spring of all waters.
My words are like a ship and the sea
is their meaning.
Come to me and I will take you
to the depths of spirit.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1518
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

~

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

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

[Sunlight] Generation upon generation

~

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

This world and that world are forever giving birth:
every cause is a mother; the effect is born as a child.
When the effect was born, it too became a cause,
so that it might give birth to wondrous effects.
These causes follow generation upon generation,
but it takes a very well-illuminated eye
to see all the links in the chain.

~ ~ ~

in jahân va ân jahân zâyad abad
har sabab mâdar asar zâyad valad
Chon asar zâyid ân ham shod sabab
tâ be-zâyid u asar-hâ-ye `ajab
in sabab-hâ nasl bar naslast layk
dideh-'i bâyad monavvar nik nik

-- Mathnawi II: 1000-1002
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra


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

~

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

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Monday, November 21, 2011

[Sunlight] Union with you is the source of happiness -- Ghazal 2756

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2756, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams",
in a version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J.
Arberry, upon which Barks based his version:

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

Only union with you gives joy.
The rest is tearing down one building
to put up another.
But don't break
with forms!

Boats cannot move without water.
We are misquoted texts
made right when you say us.

We are sheep in a tightening wolf-circle:
You come like a shepherd and ask,
"So how are you?"
I start crying.

This means something to anyone in a body,
but what means something to you?

You can't be spoken, though you listen
to all sound. You can't be written,
but you read everything.

You don't sleep, yet you're the source of dream-vision.

Your ship glides over nothing,
deep silence, praise for the ONE,
who told Moses on Sinai,

You Shall Not See Me

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

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

Union with you is the source of happiness, for those are
but forms and this is reality.
Break not for a moment from your servant, for a ship
cannot sail without water.
I am a faulty Qur'an but am made correct when you recite.
A Joseph alone, and a hundred wolves, yet he escapes
when you are shepherd.
Every time you ask me, "How are you?" I am with tears
and pale cheeks.
For the vulgar these two are tokens; what are signs to
you who are without signs?
Unspoken you hear the discourse, unwritten you read the
deed.
Without sleep you show visions, without water you
drive on the ships.
Silence, have done with praises and petition, for from
the unseen has come "thou shall not see me".*

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1979/1991


*When Moses asked to see God on the Mount, the answer was, "You will
never see me." Qur'an 7:143.

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

~

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

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Friday, November 18, 2011

[Sunlight] Beware the trap

~

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

The fowler scatters grain incessantly:
the grain is visible,
but the deceit is hidden.
Wherever you see the grain, beware,
lest the trap confine your wings.
The bird that gives up that grain
eats from Reality's spacious field.
With that it is content and escapes;
no trap confines its feathers.
Many times have you fallen into the snare of greed
and given your throat up to be cut;
but again the One that disposes hearts to repentance
has set you free, accepted your repentance,
and made you rejoice.
O moth, don't be forgetful and dubious;
just look at your burnt wing.

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

Dâyeman sayyâd rizad dâne-hâ
dâneh paydâ bâshad va penhân daghâ
Har kojâ dâneh be-didi al-hazar
tâ na-bandad dâm bar to bâl o par
Zânkeh morghi ku be-tark-e dâneh kard
dâneh az sahrâ-ye Bi Tazvir khvord
Ham bod ân qâne` shod vaz dâm jast
hich dâmi par o bâlesh-râ na-bast
Bâr-hâ dar dâm-e hers oftâdeh-'i
halq-e khvod-râ dar boridan dâdeh-'i
Bâzet ân Tavvâb-e lotf âzâd kard
tawbeh pezroft va shomâ-râ shâd kard
Kam kon ay parvâneh nesyân o shakki
dar par-e suzideh be-negar to yeki

-- Mathnawi III:2858-2861; 2870-2871; 2879
Translation by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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

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Thursday, November 17, 2011

[Sunlight] The Still-Point of Ecstasy -- Ghazal 1529

~

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

"The Still-Point of Ecstasy"

On the Night of Creation I was awake,
Busy at work while everyone slept.
I was there to see the first wink
and hear the first tale told.
I was the first one caught
in the hair of the Great Imposter.

Whirling around the still-point of esctasy
I spun like the wheel of heaven.

How can I describe this to you?
you were born later.

I was a companion of that Ancient Lover;
Like a bowl with a broken rim
I endured his tyranny.
Why shouldn't I be as lustrous as the King's cup?
I have lived in the room of treasures.
Why shouldn't this bubble become the sea?
I am the secret that lies at its bottom . . .

Sh . . . no more words
Hear only the voice within.
Remember, the first thing He said was:
"We are beyond words."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1529
Interpretive version by Jonathan Star
(in cooperation with the translator Shahram Shiva)
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~

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

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

[Sunlight] Reveal your face, as I long for orchard and rose-garden

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 441, in a poetic translation
by Nader Khalili, a version by Coleman Barks, and a translation by
A.J. Arberry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
show me your face
i crave
flowers and gardens
open your lips
i crave
the taste of honey
come out from
behind the clouds
i desire a sunny face
your voice echoed
saying "leave me alone"
i wish to hear your voice
again saying "leave me alone"
i swear this city without you
is a prison
i am dying to get out
to roam in deserts and mountains
i am tired of
flimsy friends and
submissive companions
i die to walk with the brave
am blue hearing
nagging voices and meek cries
i desire loud music
drunken parties and
wild dance
one hand holding
a cup of wine
one hand caressing your hair
then dancing in orbital circle
that is what i yearn for
i can sing better than any nightingale
but because of
this city's freaks
i seal my lips
while my heart weeps
yesterday the wisest man
holding a lit lantern
in daylight
was searching around town saying
i am tired of
all these beasts and brutes
i seek
a true human
we have all looked
for one but
no one could be found
they said
yes he replied
but my search is
for the one
who cannot be found

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, 1994.

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

What I want is to see your face
in a tree, in the sun coming out, in the air.

What I want is to hear the falcon-drum,
and light again on your forearm.

You say, "Tell him I'm not here." The
sound of that brusque dismissal becomes
what I want.

To see in every palm your elegant silver coin-shavings,
to turn with the wheel of the rain,
to fall with the falling bread of every experience,

to swim like a huge fish in ocean water,
to be Jacob recognizing Joseph.
To be a desert mountain instead of a city.

I'm tired of cowards.
I want to live with lions.
With Moses.

Not whining, teary people.
I want the ranting of drunkards.
I want to sing like birds sing, not worrying
who hears, or what they think.

Last night, a great teacher went
from door to door with a lamp.
"He who is not to be found is the one
I'm looking for."

Beyond wanting, beyond place, inside form,
That One. A flute says, I have no hope
for finding that.

But Love plays and is the music played.
Let that musician finish this poem.

Shams, I am a waterbird flying into the sun.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

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

Show your face, for the orchard and rosegarden are my desire;
open your lips, for abundant sugar is my desire.
Sun of beauty, come forth one moment out of the cloud, for
that glittering, glowing countenance is my desire.
Out of your air I heard the sound of the falcon-drum; I
returned, for the sultan's forearm is my desire.
You said capriciously, "Trouble me no more; be gone!" That
saying of yours, "Trouble me no more," is my desire.
And your repulse, "Be gone, the king is not at home," and
those mighty airs and brusqueness of the doorkeeper, are my
desire.
In the hand of every one who exists there are filings of beauty;
that quarry of elegance and that mine are my desire.
This bread and water of heavens wheel are like a treacherous
torrent; I am a fish, a leviathan, Oman* is my desire.
Like Jacob I am crying alas, alas*; the fair visage of Joseph of
Canaan is my desire.
By Allah, without you the city is a prison for me; I wander
abroad, mountain and desert are my desire.
My heart is weary of these weak-spirited fellow-travellers; the
Lion of God* and Rustam-i Dastan are my desire.
My soul is sick of Pharaoh and his tyranny; that light of the
countenance of Moses son of Imran is my desire.
I am aweary of these tearful people so full of complaining;
that ranting and roaring of the drunkards is my desire.
I am more eloquent than the nightingale, but because of
vulgar envy a seal is on my tongue, and lamentation is my desire.
Last night the shaikh went all about the city, lamp in hand,
crying, "I am weary of beast and devil, a man is my desire."
They said, "He is not to be found, we too have searched." He
answered, "He who is not to be found is my desire."
Though I am penniless, I will not accept a small carnelian, for
that rare, precious carnelian is my desire.
Hidden from every eye, and all things seen are from Him --
that hidden One manifest in works is my desire.
My state has gone beyond every desire and yearning; from
mine and place to the elements is my desire.
My ear heard the tale of faith and became drunk; where is the
portion of sight? The form of faith is my desire.
In one hand the winecup, in the other the Beloved's curl -- to
dance so in the midst of the arena is my desire."
That rebeck says, "I am dead of expectation; the hand and
bosom and plectrum of Uthman* are my desire."
I am at once Love's rebeck, and Love is my rebeck-player;
those favours of the plucking of the All-merciful are my desire.
Cunning minstrel, number the rest of this ode after this fashion,
for it is after this fashion I desire.
Show your face from the east, Sun of the Pride of Tabriz; I am
the hoopoe, the presence of Solomon is my desire.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press, 1968

* Oman, the southern part of the Persian Gulf, symbolizes
the Divine Ocean.
* "Like Jacob, etc." -- Koran 12:84
* The "Lion of God" was Ali, Muhammad's cousin and fourth
caliph. Rustam was the famous Iranian champion.
* Uthman: Sharaf al-Din-i Qavval the minstrel, see Aflaki 222, etc.

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

~

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

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

[Sunlight] Increase this search

~

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

If continually you keep your hope
quivering like the willow in longing for Heaven,
spiritual water and fire will continually arrive
and increase your subsistence.
And if your longing carries you there, it will be no wonder.
Don't pay attention to your weakness,
but to the intensity of your longing.
For this search is God's pledge within you,
because every seeker deserves to find something of which she seeks.
Increase this search,
that your heart may escape from this bodily prison.
If your spirit shall not live without the body,
for whom is the blessing promised in the words:
in Heaven is your provision?*

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dam be-dam bar âsmân mi dâr omid
dar havâ-ye âsmân raqsân cho bid
Dam be-dam az âsmân mi âyadet
âb o âtesh rezq mi afzâyadet
Gar torâ ânjâ barad na-bud `ajab
ma-negar andar `ajz va be-negar dar talab
Kin talab dar to gerawgân-e Khodâst
zânkeh har tâleb be-matlubi sazâst
Jahd kon tâ in talab afzun shavad
tâ delet zin châh-e tan birun shavad
Gar na-khvâhad bi badan jân-e to zist
fî al-samâ'i rizqukum* ruzi kist

*al-Dhâriyât, 22

-- Mathnawi V:1731-1735; 1742
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Monday, November 14, 2011

[Sunlight] Shadow and light together

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2155, from Rumi's Diwan-e
Shams, in a version by Coleman Barks, and in translation by A.J.
Arberry:

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

How does a part of the world leave the world?
How can wetness leave water?

Don't try to put out a fire
by throwing on more fire!
Don't wash a wound with blood!

No matter how fast you run,
your shadow more than keeps up.
Sometimes, it's in front!

Only full, overhead sun
diminishes your shadow.

But that shadow has been serving you!
What hurts you, blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest.

I can explain this, but it would break
the glass cover on your heart,
and there's no fixing that.

You must have shadow and light source both.
Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe.

When from that tree, feathers and wings sprout
on you, be quieter than a dove.
Don't open your mouth for even a cooooooo.

When a frog slips into the water, the snake
cannot get it. Then the frog climbs back out
and croaks, and the snake moves toward him again.

Even if the frog learned to hiss, still the snake
would hear through the hiss the information
he needed, the frog voice underneath.

But if the frog could be completely silent,
then the snake would go back to sleeping,
and the frog could reach the barley.

The soul lives there in the silent breath.

And that grain of barley is such that,
when you put it in the ground,
it grows.
Are these enough words,
or shall I squeeze more juice from this?
Who am I, my friend?

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

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

Say, how shall a part of the world depart from the world? How
shall moisture escape from water, one leap from two?
No fire dies from another fire, my son; O my heart bleeding of
love, wash not my blood in blood.
However much I fled, my shadow did not leave me; shadow
must be in charge of me, even though I become as the thread of
a hair.
Only the sun has the power to drive away shadows, the sun
increases and diminishes them; seek this from the sun.
Though for two thousands years you are running in the back of
the shadow, in the end you will see that you are behind and the
shadow before.
Your sin has become your service, your pain your blessing,
your candle your darkness, your bounds seeking and questing.
I would explain this, only it would break the back of your
heart; when you break the glass of the heart, repairs are of no
avail.
You must have both shadow and light together; listen to me,
lay your head down and prostrate yourself before the tree of the
fear of God.*
When from the tree of His grace wings and feathers sprout
for you, be silent as a dove, do not open your mouth for cooing.
When a frog enters water, the snake cannot reach it; the frog
croaks and gives information so that the snake knows where
he is.
Even though the cunning frog should hiss like a snake, the
feeble frog-sound of his betrays the true voice.
If the frog were silent, the snake would be his prey: when it
retires into its corner, the barleycorn and grain become a treasure.
When the golden barleycorn has become a treasure, it does
not diminish in the earth; the barleycorn of the soul becomes a
treasure when it attains the treasure of Hu.
Shall I finish these words, or shall I squeeze them again?
Yours is the decree; what am I, O gracious king?

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2155, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams"
Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979

* I.e. "O you who believe! Fear God as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." Qur'an 3: 102.


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

~

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

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