Sunlight: September 2011

Thursday, September 29, 2011

[Sunlight] Those who have already died

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

Lovers, who die knowingly, die like sugar
before their Beloved.
On the day of Alast they drank the Water of
Life -- so they cannot die like others.
Since they have been resurrected in Love, they
do not die like these people in the crowd.
Through God's Gentleness they have passed
beyond the angels--far be it from them to die like humans!
Do you suppose that lions die like dogs, far
from His Presence?
When lovers die in their journey, the spirit's
King runs out to meet them.
When they die at the feet of that Moon, they all
light up like the sun.
The lovers who are each others' spirit, die in
their mutual love.
The water of Love soothes their aching livers,
they all come and die in that heartache.
Each is an unparalleled orphan pearl -- they do
not die next to mothers and fathers.
Lovers fly to the spheres, deniers die in the
depths of the Blaze.
Lovers open the eye that sees the Unseen, the
rest all die blind and deaf.
In fear the lovers never used to sleep at night--
now they all die without dread or danger.
Those who worshiped fodder here were all
cows -- they die like asses.
Those who sought that vision today die happy
and laughing in vision's midst.
The king places them next to His Gentleness--
they do not die in the lowliness and insignificance you see.
Those who seek to acquire the virtue of
Muhammad die like Abu Bakr and Umar.*
Far from them is death and annihilation! But I
have sung this ghazal supposing they were to die.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 972
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

* I.e. Abu Bakr and Umar, along with Uthman and Ali, were the closest
companions of the Prophet and the first four caliphs of Islam.

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

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

[Sunlight] When I see your face -- Ghazal 1628

Here, Sunlight offers three renderings of Mowlana Rumi's Ghazal
(Ode) 1628, in a translation by Kolin and Mafi, a version by
Barks, and a translation by Arberry, upon which Professor Barks based
his version:

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

When I see your face
I shut my eyes to others.
I am drunk with your presence.
To earn Solomon's seal
I have become supple as wax.
When I see your face
I surrender my will and
become a sigh on your lips.
You were in my hand but I kept reaching out
like a blind man.
I was in your hand but kept asking questions
from those who are ignorant.
I must have been very drunk or naïve
to steal my own gold,
I must have been mad to sneak in
and rob my own jasmine garden.
I've been twisted long enough by your might,
Shams of Tabriz!
But even in my sorrow I am joyous
like the crescent moon
at the beginning of the festival.

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

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

When I see you and how you are,
I close my eyes to the other.
For your Solomon's seal I become wax
throughout my body. I wait to be light.
I give up opinions on all matters.
I become the reed flute for your breath.

You were inside my hand.
I kept reaching around for something.
I was inside your hand, but I kept asking questions
of those who know very little.

I must have been incredibly simple or drunk or insane
to sneak into my own house and steal money,
to climb over the fence and take my own vegetables.
But no more. I've gotten free of that ignorant fist
that was pinching and twisting my secret self.

The universe and the light of the stars come through me.
I am the crescent moon put up
over the gate to the festival.

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

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

I closed my eyes to creation when I beheld his beauty, I
became intoxicated with his beauty and bestowed my soul.
For the sake of Solomon's seal I became wax in all my
body, and in order to become illumined I rubbed my wax.
I saw his opinion and cast away my own twisted opinion;
I became his reed pipe and likewise lamented on his lip.
He was in my hand, and blindly I groped for him with my
hand; I was in his hand, and yet I inquired of those who were
misinformed.
I must have been either a simpleton or drunk or mad that
fearfully I was stealing from my own gold.
Life a thief I crept through a crack in the wall into my own
vine, like a thief I gathered jasmine from my own garden.
Enough, do not twist my secret upon your fingertips, for
I have twisted off out of your twisted fist.
Shams-e Tabriz, from whom comes the light of moon and
stars, though I am grieving with sorrow for him, I am like the
crescent of the festival.

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

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

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

[Sunlight] The qualities of expansion and contraction

Today, Sunlight offers Mathnawi verses, in a version by Camille
and Kabir Helminski, which is accompanied by a Persian transliteration, and in a version by Professor Coleman Barks.

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

Observe the qualities of expansion and contraction
in the fingers of your hand:
surely after the closing of the fist comes the opening.
If the fingers were always closed or always open,
the owner would be crippled.
Your movement is governed by these two qualities:
they are as necessary to you
as two wings are to a bird.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In do vasf az panjeh-ye dast be-bin
ba`d qabz mosht bast âyad yaqin
Panjeh-râ gar qabz bâshad dâyemâ
yâ hameh bast u bovad chon mobtelâ
Zin do vasfesh kâr o maksab montazem
chon par-e morgh in do hâl u-râ mohemm

-- Mathnawi III:3762-3766
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

Birdwings

Your grief for what you've lost lifts a mirror
up to where you're bravely working.

Expecting the worst, you look, and instead,
here's the joyful face you've been wanting to see.

Your hand opens and closes and opens and closes.
If it were always a fist or always stretched open,
you would be paralyzed.

Your deepest presence is in every small
contracting and expanding,
the two as beautifully balances and coordinated
as birdwings.

-- Mathnawi III: 3769-3766
Coleman Barks
The Essential Rumi
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

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Monday, September 26, 2011

[Sunlight] Flee to the grace of God -- Ghazal 2894

Today, Sunlight offers Molana Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 2894, in a
version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry,
upon which Barks based his interpretive version:

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

It's a habit of yours to walk slowly.
You hold a grudge for years.
With such heaviness, how can you be modest?
With such attachments, do you expect to arrive anywhere?

Be wide as the air to learn a secret.
Right now you're equal portions
clay and water, thick mud.

Abraham learned how the sun
and the moon and the stars all set.
He said, No longer will I try to assign partners for God.

You are so weak. Give up to grace.
The ocean takes care of each wave till it gets to shore.
You're trying to live your life in open scaffolding.
Say Bismillah, In the name of God,
as the priest does with a knife
when he offers an animal.
"Bismillah" your old self to find your real name.

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

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

With such a gait, when will you reach the station? With such
a habit, how will you gain the goal?
You are very heavy of soul and camel-hearted; when will you
arrive among the nimble-spirited?*
With such grossness how will you be modest? with such a
joining [attachment for the world], how will you reach the one
who enjoys the union?
Since there is no broadness in the mind, how will you achieve
the society of the difficult secret?*
You are like water left in this clay; so how will you attain the
pure water and clay?
Disregard the sun and moon like Abraham, else how will you
attain the perfect sun?*
Since you are weak, go, flee to the grace of God, for without
the Gracious how will you attain the excellence?
Without the tender care of that sea of loving kindness, how
will you reach the shore of such a wave?
Without the Boraq* of love and the labor of Gabriel how will
you like Mohammad attain all the stages?
You take shelter in those who are without shelter; how will
you attain the shelter of the welcoming king?
Before besmellah sacrifice yourself utterly; else, when you lie
dead, how will you attain the Name of God?*

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

* "Camel-hearted" is a cowardly person or someone who holds a grudge long in his heart.
* Arberry had: "Since there is no opening in your head..."
* Qur'an 6: 76-7: "When the night covered him [Abraham], he saw a star; he said: 'This is my Lord.' But when it set, he said, 'Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among those who go astray.' When he saw the sun rising in splendor, he said: 'This is my Lord, who is the greatest of all.' But when the sun set, he said: 'O my people! I am now free from your guilt of giving partners to God."
* Boraq is the legendary steed of Mohammad which carried him to his ascension.
* Besmellah al-rahman al-rahim (in the name of God, most gracious, most merciful) is repeated in the beginning of every chapter of the Qur'an. Also it is mentioned when a bird or animal is slaughtered.

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

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Friday, September 23, 2011

[Sunlight] What is arrogance?

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

What is arrogance?
It is being oblivious and insensible to what is essential,
as the ice is unaware of the sun.
When ice becomes conscious of the sun, it doesn't last long:
it warms and melts and flows away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In takabbor chist ghaflat az lobâb
monjamed chon ghaflat-e yakh ze âftâb
Chon khabar shod ze âftâbesh yakh na-mând
narm gasht o garm gasht o tiz rând

-- Mathnawi V:1941-1942
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

[Sunlight] Dear one, come to the tavern of ruin -- Ghazal 2309

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal 2309, from the Diwan-e Shams, in a
version by Version by Helminski, with Godlas and Saedian, and in a
poetic translation by the Iranian architect Nader Khalili:

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

The Drunkards and the Tavern

I'm drunk and you're insane, who's going to take us home?
How many times did they say,
"Drink just a little, only two or three at most?"

In this city no one I see is conscious;
one is worse off than the next, frenzied and insane.

Dear one, come to the tavern of ruin
and experience the pleasures of the soul.
What happiness can there be apart
from this intimate conversation
with the Beloved, the Soul of souls?

In every corner there are drunkards, arm in arm,
while the Server pours the wine
from a royal decanter to every particle of being.

You belong to the tavern: your income is wine,
and wine is all you ever buy.
Don't give even a second away
to the concerns of the merely sober.

O lute player, are you more drunk, or am I?
In the presence of one as drunk as you, my magic is a myth.

When I went outside the house,
some drunk approached me,
and in his eyes I saw
hundreds of hidden gardens and sanctuaries.

Like a ship without an anchor,
he rocked this way and that.
Hundreds of intellectuaIs and wise men
could die from a taste of his yearning.

I asked, "Where are you from?"
He laughed and said, "O soul,
half of me is from Turkestan and half from Farghana.

Half of me is water and mud, half heart and soul;
half of me is the ocean' s shore, half is all pearl."

"Be my friend," I pleaded, 'I'm one of your family."
"I know the difference between farnily and outsiders."

I've neither a heart nor a turban,
and here in this house of hangovers
my breast is filled with unspoken words.
Shall I try to explain or not?

Have I lived among the lame for so long
that I've begun to limp myself?
And yet no slap of pain could disturb
a drunkenness like this.

Listen, can you hear a wail
arising from the pillar of grief?
Shams al-Haqq of Tabriz, where are you now,
after all the mischief you've stirred in our hearts?

-- Version by K. Helminski, A. Godlas, and L. Saedian
"The Rumi Collection"
Threshold Books, 1998

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

you are drunk
and i'm intoxicated
no one is around
showing us the way home

again and again
i told you
drink less
a cup or two

i know in this city
no one is sober
one is worse than the other
one is frenzied and
the other gone mad

come on my friend
step into the tavern of ruins
taste the sweetness of life
in the company of another friend

here you'll see
at every corner
someone intoxicated
and the cup-bearer
makes her rounds

i went out of my house
a drunkard came to me
someone whose glance
uncovered a hundred
houses in paradise

rocking and rolling
he was a sail
with no anchor but
he was the envy of all those sober ones
remaining on the shore

where are you from i asked
he smiled in mockery and said
one half from the east
one half from the west
one half made of water and earth
one half made of heart and soul
one half staying at the shores and
one half nesting in a pearl

i begged
take me as your friend
i am your next of kin
he said i recognize no kin
among strangers
i left my belongings and
entered this tavern
i only have a chest
full of words
but can't utter
a single one

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire", 1991
Cal-Earth Press, 1994

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

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

[Sunlight] Walking blindly -- Ghazal 1603

Here, Sunlight offers two contrasting versions of Ghazal 1603:

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

"The Staff of Moses"

I am in your garden
beneath a tree that grants every wish.
I am so full of fire
that I dance without music.

I am a shadow
forever dancing with the sunlight –
At times I lie on the ground,
At times I stand on my head.
At times I am short,
At times I am long.

Like the movement of dark and light
across the earth,
I move across the ages.
I am the Ruler of the Egyptians
and the Guide of the Jews.
Among men of letters
I am the law of truth -
At times I am like a pen,
At times like the staff of Moses,
At times like a cobra
slithering its way through the sand.

Don't try to find love
By leaning on the cane of the intellect;
that cane is nothing
but a blind man's stick.
One sign from you is all I want;
One "yes" from you
and my soul will be free.

I am not from this place.
I am a stranger here,
Walking blindly,
Hoping you will come and show me
where to take my next step.

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Walkingstick Dragon

I want to dance here in this music,
not in spirit where there is no time.

I circle the sun like shadow. My
head becomes my feet. Covered with

existence, Pharaoh; annihilated, I
am Moses. A pen between
God-fingers,

a walkingstick dragon, my blind mind
taps along its cane of thought. Love

does no thinking. It waits with soul,
with me, weeping in this corner. We're

strangers here where we never hear
yes. We must be from some other town.

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

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

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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

[Sunlight] Making hidden things manifest

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

God is forever making hidden things manifest:
since they grow up, don't sow bad seed.
Rain and clouds and fire and this sun are forever
bringing up hidden things from within the earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Râz-hâ-râ mi konad Haqq âshkâr
chon be-khvâhad rost tokhm-e bad ma-kâr
Âb o abr o âtesh o in âftâb
râz-hâ-râ mi bar ârad az torâb

-- Mathnawi, V:3969-3970
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, September 19, 2011

[Sunlight] Warriors with no shields' musicians with no pipes -- Ghazal 2942

~

Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2942, in an interpretive version
by Coleman Barks, and in translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

"Ashes, Wanderers"

In this battle we do not hold
a shield in front to us. When

we turn in sama, we do not hear
the flute or the tambourine.

Underneath these feet we become
nazar, the guide's glance, ashes,

wanderers: as the moon diminishes
every day and then it's gone, to

come back changed. Send for the
planet Venus to play here! Flute,

drum, and strings are not enough.
No. Who but these musicians could

stand the heat that melts the sun?

-- Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

In the battle ranks we have no shield before our face; in the
concert we are unaware of reed pipe and tambourine.
We are naught in his love, dust at the foot of his love; we are
love fold upon fold, we are all love, nothing else.
When we have obliterated ourselves we become altogether
love; when sormah is pounded, it is nothing but the source of
sight.
Every body that has become an accident has become the soul
and heart of self-interest; melt of all sickness, there is nothing
worse than being congealed.
Out of desire of that melting and love for that cherishing the
liver within me has turned all to blood; I have no liver any more.
My heart is broken into a hundred pieces, my heart has become
astray; today if you search, there is no trace of heart in me.
Look at the orb of the moon, waning every day, so that in the
dark period you might say there is no moon in the sky.
The changelessness of that moon derives from nearness to the
sun; when afar, it is full-bodied, but such initiative does not
belong to it.
O king, for the sake of the soul send Venus as a minstrel;
this soft pipe and tambourine are no match for the concert of
the souls.
No, no--for what is Venus when the Sun itself is powerless?
To be suitable for such ardor is not in the power of any lute or
sun.

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

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

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Friday, September 16, 2011

[Sunlight] Gradualness is characteristic of that King

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

Wasn't God able to create heaven in one moment by the word "Be"?
Without a doubt He was.
Why, then, O you who seek to be taught,
did He extend the time to six days—
every day as long as a thousand years?
Why is the creation of a child completed in nine months?
Because gradualness is characteristic of the action of that King.

~~~~~~~~~

Haqq nah qâder bud bar khalq-e falak
dar yeki lahzeh be- "Kun"*? Bi hich shakk
Pas cherâ shesh ruz ân-râ dar keshid
koll yawm alf `âm ay mostanid
Khalqat-e tefl az cheh andar noh mah ast
zânkeh tadrij az she`âr-e ân Shah ast

-- Mathnawi VI: 1213-1215
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

[Sunlight] Milk and honey, sugar and halva -- Ghazal 236

Here, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 236, from the Diwan-e Shams, in a translation by Professor Franklin D. Lewis. Professor Lewis relates that this poem was, "Rumi's benediction, either on the occasion of the marriage contract, or the actual wedding celebration, of his son, Sultan Valad, and Salah al-Din's daughter Fateme Khatun".

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

May the blessings which flow in all weddings
be gathered, God, together in our wedding!
The blessings of the Night of Power,
the month of fasting
the festival to break the fast
the blessings of the meeting of Adam and Eve
the blessings of the meeting of Joseph and Jacob
the blessings of gazing on the paradise of all abodes
and yet another blessing which cannot be put in words:
the fruitful scattering of joy
of the children of the Shayak
and our eldest!

In companionship and happiness
may you be like milk and honey
in union and fidelity,
just like sugar and halva.
May the blessings of those who toast
and the one who pours the wine
anoint the ones who said Amen and
the one who said the prayer.

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

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

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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

[Sunlight] I wasn’t like this before -- Ghazal 1506

Sunlight offers two presentations of Ghazal (Ode) 1506 -- a
poetic translation by Nader Khalili, and a translation of a translation by Nevit Ergin, who was working from a classic Turkish edition of the Diwan-e Shams:

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

believe me
i wasn't always like this
lacking common sense
or looking insane

like you
i used to be clever
in my days

never like this
totally enraptured
totally gone

like sharp shooters
i used to be
a hunter of hearts

not like today
with my own heart
drowning in its blood

nonstop asking and
searching for answers
that was then

but now
so deeply enchanted
so deeply enthralled

always pushing
to be ahead and above
since i was not yet hunted down
by this
ever-increasing love

-- Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Cal-Earth Press, 1991

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

"Not Like This Before"

I wasn't like this before.
I wasn't out of my mind and senses.
Once I used to be wise like you,
not crazy, insane and broken down
like I am now.

I wasn't the admirer of life
which has no trace, no being.
I used to ask, "Who is this?
What is that?"
and search all the time.

Since you have wisdom,
sit and think
that probably I was like this before.
I haven't changed much.

I used to try to make
myself better than everybody.
I hadn't been hunted
with the ever-growing Love before.
I tried to rise above the sky
with my ambition
yet I didn't know
I was just wandering in the desert.
At the end, I have raised
a treasure from the ground.

-- Second generation translation by Nevit O.Ergin
"Magnificent One: Selected Verses from Divan-I Kebir"
Larson Publishing Company, 1993

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

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

[Sunlight] Visions and reality

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

When a person sees a reflection of apples in the river,
and the sight of them fills her skirt with real apples,
how should that which she saw in the river be a fantasy,
when a hundred sacks have been filled by her vision?
Don't pay attention to the body, and don't act
like those deaf and dumb ones*
who disbelieved in the Truth when it came to them.

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

Chon darin ju did `aks-e sib mard
Dâmanesh-râ did ân por sib kard
ncheh dar ju did kay bâshad khayâl
chonkeh shod az didanesh por sad jovâl
Tan ma-bin va ân ma-kon k-ân bukm o summ*
kadhdhabû bi-al-Haqqi lammâ jâ'ahum

-- Mathnawi VI:3194-3196
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Baqarah, 171

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

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Monday, September 12, 2011

[Sunlight] I am ready to drink every flame -- Ghazal 543

In this post, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 543, in a
poetic version by Coleman Barks and a literal translation by
A. J. Arberry:

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

When I press my hand to my chest,
it is Your Chest.

And now You're scratching my head!

Sometimes you put me in the herd
with Your other camels.

Sometimes You place me at the front of the troops
as the commander. Sometimes You wet me
with Your mouth like You do Your seal-ring
just before You plant Your power.

Sometimes You round me
into a simple door-knocker.

You take blood and make sperm.
You take sperm and create an animal.
You use the animal to evolve Intelligence.
Life keeps leading to more Life.

You drive me away gently
as a flute-song does a dove
from the eaves.

With the same song
You call me back.

You push me out on many journeys;
then You anchor me with no motion at all.

I am water. I am the thorn
that catches someone's clothing.

I don't care about marvelous sights!
I only want to be in Your Presence.

There's nothing to believe.
Only when I quit believing in myself
did I come into This Beauty.

I saw Your Blade and burned my shield!
I flew on six hundred pairs of wings like Gabriel.
But now that I'm Here, what do I need wings for?

Day and night I guarded the pearl of my soul.
Now in this Ocean of pearling currents,
I've lost track of which was mine.

There is no way to describe You.
Say the end of this so strongly
that I will ride up over
my own commotion.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
from a translation by A.J. Arberry
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990

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

My Beloved leaves me not so much as to scratch my own
head; it is the body of my Beloved that presses me in its breast.
Now He draws me in His train like a string of camels, anon
the King places me in front like the commander of His troops.
Anon He sucks me like a seal-ring, to plant His seal
through me; anon He makes me into a ring and fastens me on
His door.
He takes blood and makes sperm, He takes sperm and
fashions a creature; He slays the creature and fashions Reason,
He makes manifest the resurrection.*
Now He drives me away with a reed like a dove from the
house, anon with a hundred entreaties He calls me to His presence.
Now He carries me like a ship on a voyage over the sea,
anon He halts me and ties me to His own anchor.
Now He makes me water for the sake of the seeker after
purity, anon He makes me a thorn in the path of His luckless
ones.
The eternal eight paradises did not become the prospect of
that King; how happy is this heart of mine, which He makes
His prospect!*
Not by the attestation of faith did I become a believer in
that Beauty of the Soul; only then did I become a believer in
It when I became an unbeliever in myself.
Whoever joined His ranks became secure from destruction
by Him; I saw the sword in His hand, I burned that shield of
mine.
I was like-pinioned with Gabriel, I had six hundred wings;
now that I have reached Him, what shall I do with my wings?
Many days and nights I was guardian of the pearl of my
soul; now in the current of the ocean of pearls I am indifferent
to my own pearl.
How long will you essay to describe Him? For He comes not
within description; make enough, that I may ride over my
commotion.

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

* See Koran 23: 12-14
* Muhammad in his Ascension disregarded the wonders of the
heavens, seeking only the Presence of God. For another interpretation
of the Eight Paradises, see Nicholson on Math. I: 3498.

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

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Friday, September 09, 2011

[Sunlight] A slap in season

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

What is justice? To put a thing in its right place.
What is injustice? To put a thing in its wrong place.
Nothing is vain that God has created,
whether it be anger or forbearance or sincere counsel or guile.
None of these things is absolutely good,
nor are any of them absolutely evil.
The usefulness or harm of each depends on the occasion:
for this reason knowledge is necessary and useful.
Oh, many a punishment inflicted on a poor fellow
is more meritorious than a gift of bread or sweetmeats,
for sweetmeat eaten unseasonably causes yellow bile,
whereas slaps purge him of evil.
Give the poor fellow a slap in season:
it will save him beheading later.

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

`Adl cheh bud vaz` andar mawze`esh
zolm cheh bud vaz` dar nâ mawze`esh
Nist bâtel harcheh Yazdân âfarid
az ghazab vaz helm vaz nas.h o makid
Khayr-e motlaq nist zin-hâ hich chiz
sharr-e motlaq nist zin-hâ hich niz
Naf` o zarr-e har yeki az mawze`ast
`elm azin ru vâjebast o nâfe`ast
Ay basâ zajri keh bar meskin ravad
dar savâb az nân o halvâ beh bovad
Zânkeh halvâ bi avân safrâ konad
silish az khobs mostanqâ konad
Siliyi dar vaqt bar meskin be-zan
keh rahânad ânesh az gardan zadan

-- Mathnawi VI:2596-2602
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, September 08, 2011

[Sunlight] That beautiful face -- Ghazal 657

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

Were a single mote of Thy Face to show itself,
neither dervish cloak nor Christian belt would remain upon
the earth.
When Thou showest Thy Face to anyone in the
two worlds, he is consumed by fire and left with no business
but Thy heartache.
If Thou shouldst throw off the veil from that
beautiful Face, no trace would remain of the faces of sun and
moon.
With Love's wine Thou puttest to sleep those
consumed by fire -- none but Thou is confidant to the
mysteries.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 657
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

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Wednesday, September 07, 2011

[Sunlight] This Useless Heart -- Ghazal 2647

Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2647, in a version by Kabir Helminski, and in translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

"This Useless Heart"

Heart, since you embraced the mysteries,
you have become useless for anything else.
Go mad, don't stay sane.
People meditate to get something.
All you do is give.
Crazy Majnun's priorities are now yours, too.

If you want to be respectable,
why do you go downtown drunk?
It's no good just sitting in some corner,
once you've made friends with the dissolute of this path.

Go back to the desert;
leave this shabby town.
There's the smell of a tavern
somewhere in this neighborhood,
and it's already got you high.

Now follow it. Go to Qaf Mountain like the Simurgh,*
leave these owls and herons.
Go into the thicket of Reality like a lion.
Why linger with hyenas and dogs?
Don't go after the scent of Joseph's shirt,
you are already mourning his death like Jacob, his father.

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

*"The Simurgh" -- the phoenix, which dwells upon Mount Qaf. In sufi
symbolism, the phoenix often symbolizes the spirit of the saint, or
the saint himself, while Mount Qaf is his station in God's presence.
-- Sunlight footnote from Chittick's "The Sufi Path of Love"

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

Heart, since you have become understanding of the mysteries,
you have become useless for all other employments.
Be still mad and insane; why have you come to your senses
and recovered your wits?
Meditation is all for the sake of acquiring; you have become
entirely giving.
Preserve that same order of Majnun, for you have become in-
different to all orderings.
If you desire to be veiled and prudent, why did you go about
drunk in the market?
To sit in a corner yields you no profit once you have become
the friend of the dissolutes of this path.
Go forth into the desert, that same desert where you were; you
have wandered long enough in these ruins.
There is a tavern in your neighborhood, from the scent of its
wine you have become intoxicated.
Seize this scent and go to the tavern, for you have become
nimble-paced as that scent.
Go to the mountain of the Qaf like the Simorg; why have you
become the friend of owl and heron?
Go like a lion into the thicket of reality; why have you become
the friend of the fox and the hyena?
Go not after the scent of the shirt of Joseph, for like Jacob, you
are in mourning.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
University of Chicago Press, 1995

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

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Tuesday, September 06, 2011

[Sunlight] The pleasures of this world

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

The pleasures of this world are delightful
from a distance before the actual test.
From a distance they appear to be refreshing water,
but when you approach them, you find they are a mirage.
The world's bait is visible, but the trap is hidden:
at first sight, the world's favors seem sweet.

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

Hamchonân jomleh-ye na`im-e in jahân
bas khvoshast az dur pish az emtehân
Mi namâyad dar nazar az dur âb
chon ravi nazdik bâshad ân sarâb
Âshkârâ dâneh panhân dâm-e u
khvosh namâyad ze avvalet an`âm-e u

-- Mathnawi VI: 316-317; 321
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, September 05, 2011

[Sunlight] The Elusive Ones -- Ghazal 810

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

The Elusive Ones

They're lovers again: Sugar dissolving in milk.
Day and night, no difference. The sun is the moon:
an amalgam. Their gold and silver melt together.
This is the season when the dead branch and the green
branch are the same branch.

The cynic bites his finger because he can't understand.
Omar and Ali on the same throne, two kings in one belt.
Nightmares fill with light like a holiday.
Men and angels speak one language.
The elusive ones finally meet.

The essence and the evolving forms
run to meet each other like children
to their father and mother.
Good and evil, dead and alive, everything blooms
from one natural stem.

You know this already, I'll stop.
Any direction you turn it's one vision.
Shams, my body is a candle touched with fire.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 810
Version by Coleman Barks
Open Secret
Threshold Books, 1984

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

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Friday, September 02, 2011

[Sunlight] The lover's ailment

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

The lover's ailment is not like any other;
Love is the astrolabe* of God's mysteries.
Whether Love is from heaven or earth,
it points to God.

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

`Ellat-e `âsheq ze `ellat-hâ jodâst
`eshq astorlâb-i asrâr-e Khodâst
`Âsheqi gar zin sar va gar zân sarast
`âqebat-i mâ-râ bedân serr rahbarast

-- Mathnawi I: 110-111
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

* Astrolabe: an astronomical instrument for taking the altitude of
the sun or stars, and for the solution of other problems in astronomy
and navigation. Used by Greek astronomers from about 200 B.C., and
by Arab astronomers from the Middle Ages, until superseded by the
sextant.

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

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Thursday, September 01, 2011

[Sunlight] If you offer me your love -- Ghazal 1394

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

Don't take the cup away from me
before I've had enough to drink
Your promises are charming
but I am not a fool.
Be more giving or I will have to rob you,
you raise your price to discourage me
but I am not naive and won't give up so easily.
Come out of hiding, open the door and let me in
I am at your mercy, the slave of your smile.
I put on airs to impress you,
even your scolding inflames my passion.
You are the music within music that stole my heart.
If I see beauty it's because I look through your eyes
but when I come back to myself
I find no one there.
Still you are not content, what more do you want?
My king, I am your falcon and when I hear your drum
I will spread my wings.
If you offer me your love I'll be drunk with joy,
but if you do not, I will accept,
lower my head and surrender.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1394
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

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