Sunlight: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

[Sunlight] You Are Not a Single You

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You Are Not a Single YOU

You're a common rhyme-word now,
dependent on some other for your emotional force,
but real life will come.

As when a baby stops nursing and grows interested
in solid food. As when seeds break open in the ground
and act differently.

There is a hidden love-center
in human beings that you will discover and savor
and nourish yourself with. That will be your food.

There's a way of going that's like the stars.
No,
even freer than they are, completely unconditioned,
unlocated, unpathed. A journey without a sky!

You came from Non-existence into being.
How did that happen? Tell me about it!
You were a little drunk when you arrived,
so you can't remember exactly?

I'll give you
some secret hints. Let your mind go, and be mindful.
Close your ears, and listen.

But maybe I shouldn't tell,
if you're not ripe. You're still in early Spring.
July hasn't happened yet in you.
This world is a tree,
and we are green, half-ripe fruit on it.
We hold tight to the limbs, because we know
we're not ready to be taken into the palace.

When we mature and sweeten,
we'll feel ashamed
at having clung so clingingly.
To hold fast
is a sure sign of unripeness.
To drink and enjoy
blood is fine for an embryo.

More needs to be said on this, but the Holy Spirit
will tell it to you when I'm not here.

*You'll* tell it
to *yourself*. Not I, or some other "I," You
who are Me!
As when you fall asleep and go
from the presence of your self to the Presence
of your Self. You hear That One and you think,
"Someone must have communicated telepathically
in my sleep."
You are not a single You,
good Friend, you are a Sky and an Ocean,
a tremendous YHUUUUUU, a nine hundred times huge
drowning place for all your hundreds of you's.

What are these terms *wakefulness* and *sleep*?
Don't answer. Let God answer.
Don't speak, so the Speakers can.
Not a word, so Sun-Light can say
what has never been in a book, or said.
Don't try to put it into words,
and the Spirit will do that through you,
in spite of you,
beside you,
among you.
Stop swimming so hard,
and climb in the boat with Noah.

-- Mathnawi, III, 1283-1307
Version by Coleman Barks and John Moyne
"This Longing"
Shambhala, Boston & London, 2000

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Friday, October 28, 2011

[Sunlight] Reading from the page of his heart

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When Adam became the theater of Divine inspiration and love,
his rational soul revealed to him the knowledge of the Names.*
His tongue, reading from the page of his heart,
recited the name of everything that is.
Through his inward vision his tongue divulged the qualities of each;
for each it bestowed an appropriate name.
Nine hundred Noah walked in the straight way,
and everyday he preached a new sermon.
His ruby lip drew its eloquence from the precious jewel
that is within the hearts of prophets:
he had not read Qushayrî's Risâlah or the Qût al-Qulûb of Abû Tâlib.
He had not learned to preach from pouring over commentaries;
no, he learned from the fountain of revelations and the spirit--
from the wine that is so potent that when it is quaffed
the water of speech gushes from the mouth of the dumb,
and the new-born child becomes an eloquent divine
and, like the Messiah, recites words of ripened wisdom.

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

Chon shod dam maz'har-e vahy o vedâd
nâteqeh-ye u `allama al-asmâ'* goshâd
Nâm-e har chizi chonânkeh hast ân
az sahifeh-ye del ruy gashtesh zabân
Fâsh mi gofti zabân az ro'yatesh
jomleh-râ khâsiyat o mâhiyatesh
nchonân nâmi keh ashyâ-râ sazad
nah chonânkeh chiz-râ khvânad asad
Nuh nohsad sâl dar râh-e savi
bud har ruzish tazkir-e navi
La`l-e u guyâ ze yâqut al-qolub
nah Risâlah khvândeh nah Qût al-Qulûb
Va`z-râ na-âmukhteh hich az shoruh
balkeh yanbu`-e koshuf o sharh-e ruh
Z-ân mayi k-ân may cho nushideh shavad
âb-e notq az gong jushideh shavad
Tefl-e nawzâdeh shavad habr-e fasih
hekmat-e bâlegh be-khvânad chon Masih

-- Mathnawi VI:2648-2656
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

*al-Baqarah, 29

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

[Sunlight] Show Thy Face to us -- Ghazal 1160

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

Show Thy Face to us! Conceal it not, oh Thou
who like the moon art famous throughout the seven heavens!
We are a group of lovers whom desire has
brought from a distant place on a journey--
Oh Thou who hast within Thine own Spirit
hundreds of thousands of paradises and houris and palaces!
Look down from the roof and behold with
kindliness this congregation of afflicted lovers!
Oh Saki of the Sufis! Give us a wine that does
not come from vat or grapes!
Give that wine whose ferment's fragrance pulls
the dead out of their graves!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1160
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

[Sunlight] Let go of all distractions -- Ghazal 563

Today, Sunlight offers two translations of Ghazal (Ode) 563,
from Rumi's "Divan-e Shams" ("The Collection of Shams") -- one by Kolin and Mafi, and one by Professor Arberry:

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

My heart, sit only with those
who know and understand you.
Sit only under a tree
that is full of blossoms.
In the bazaar of herbs and potions
don't wander aimlessly
find the shop with a potion that is sweet
If you don't have a measure
people will rob you in no time.
You will take counterfeit coins
thinking they are real.
Don't fill your bowl with food from
every boiling pot you see.
Not every joke is humorous, so don't search
for meaning where there isn't one.
Not every eye can see,
not every sea is full of pearls.
My heart, sing the song of longing
like nightingale.
The sound of your voice casts a spell
on every stone, on every thorn.
First, lay down your head
then one by one
let go of all distractions.
Embrace the light and let it guide you
beyond the winds of desire.
There you will find a spring and
nourished by its sweet waters
like a tree you will bear fruit forever.

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

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

My heart, be seated near that person who has experience of
the heart, go under that tree which bears fresh blossoms.
Go not in every direction as do idlers in this druggists'
market; sit in the shop of someone who has sugar in his shop.
If you have no balance, then every one waylays you; one
man adorns a counterfeit coin, and you imagine that he has
gold;
Cheatingly he sets you by the door, saying, "I am coming"
- do not sit expectant at the door, for that house has two doors.
Do not bring your cup to every pot that seethes, and do not
sit there, for every seething pot has within in something else.
Not every reed holds sugar; not every under has an over;
not every eye has sight; not every sea holds pearls.
Lament, singing nightingale, because the drunkard's lament
has some effect, some effect even on rocks and stones.
Put aside your head if you have no room, for if the thread is
not contained in the eye of the needle that is because it has a head.
This wakeful heart is a lantern; hold it under your skirt; pass
away from this wind and air, for the air puts it into commotion.
When you have passed away from the wind you have become a
dweller in a fountain, you have become companion to a confederate
who pours cooling water on the heart.
When you have water on your heart, you are like a green
tree which constantly yields new fruit, and journeys within the Heart.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press 1968/1991

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

[Sunlight] The idol of your self

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

The idol of your self is the mother of all idols.
The material idol is only a snake;
while this inner idol is a dragon.
It is easy to break an idol,
but to regard the self as easy to subdue is a mistake.

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

Mâdar-e bot-hâ bot-e nafs-e shomâst
zânke ân bot mâr va in bot azhdahâst
Bot shekastan sahl bâshad nik sahl
sahl didan nafs-râ jahlast jahl

-- Mathnawi I: 772-778
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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Monday, October 24, 2011

[Sunlight] God willing

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Some people work and become wealthy.
Others do the same and remain poor.

Marriage fills one with energy.
Another it drains.

Don't trust ways. They change.
A means flails about like a donkey's tail.

Always add the gratitude clause
to any sentence, if God wills,
then go.

You may be leading a donkey, no,
a goat, no, who can tell?

We sit in a dark pit and think we're home.
We pass around delicacies.
Poisoned bait.

You think this is preachy doubletalk?

Those who do not breathe the God willing phrase
live in a collective blindness.

Rubbing their eyes, they ask the dark,
"Who's there?"

-- Mathnawi VI: 3685-3698
Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

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Friday, October 21, 2011

[Sunlight] Trust in our sustainer

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

Trust in God is the best livelihood.
Everyone needs to trust in God
and ask, "O God, bring this work of mine to success."
Prayer involves trust in God, and trust in God
is the only means of livelihood that is independent of all others.
In these two worlds I don't know of any means of livelihood
better than trust in our Sustainer.
I know nothing better than gratitude
which brings in its wake the daily bread and its increase.

-- Mathnawi V: 2425-2426
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996

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

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

[Sunlight] The Breaking Wave of Love -- Ghazal 881

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

The Breaking Wave of Love

Ah, once more he put a fire in me,
And once more this crazy heart
is craving the open plains.
This ocean of love breaks into another wave
And blood pours from my heart
in all directions.

Ah, one spark flew
and burned the house of my heart.
Smoke filled the sky.
The flames grew fierce in the wind.

The fire of the heart is not easily lit.
So don't cry out: "O Lord, rescue me
from the burning flames!
Spare me from the army of thoughts
that is marching through my mind!"

O Heart of Pure Consciousness,
You are the ruler of all hearts.
After countless ages
you brought my soul
all it ever wished for.

The eyes of all people happy and sad,
are closed to the truth.
May their eyes be opened!
May they look upon God
and get drunk on His beauty.

May their hands reach toward the Truth.
May their ears hear the voice of the Beloved.
May the shadow of a Master
fall upon everyone who has devotion.

All the world praises you,
But where did this "you" come from?
All the universe is born of Love –
But where did this Love come from?

O Shams,
you are the owner of the land of life –
the light of every heart;
Even the King of Love
knows no love
that is not yours.

-- Ode 881
Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

[Sunlight] To Know the Moon and the Sea -- Ghazal N-XIX

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal N-XIX (numbered according
to Nicholson's numbering system, rather than the Furuzanfur
system), in a version by Kabir Helminski:

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

"To Know the Moon and the Sea"

At the break of dawn a single moon appeared,
descended from the sky, and gazed at me.

Like a falcon swooping in for the catch,
it snatched me up and soared across the sky.
When I looked at myself, I saw myself no more,
because by grace my body had become fine.

I made a journey of the soul accompanied by the moon,
until the secret of time was totally revealed.
Heaven's nine spheres were in that moon.
The vessel of my being had vanished in that sea.

Waves rose on the ocean. Intelligence ascended
and sounded its call. So it happened; so it was.
The sea began to foam and every bit of froth
took shape and was bodied forth.

Then each spindrift body kissed by that sea
immediately melted into spirit.
Without the power of a Shams, the Truth of Tabriz,
one could neither behold the moon nor become the sea.

-- Ghazal (Ode) N-XIX
Version by Kabir Helminski
"Love is a Stranger"
Threshold Books, 1993

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

[Sunlight] The water of life

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

Though your life has almost passed, this present moment is its root:
if it lacks moisture, water it with repentance.
Give the Living Water to the root of your life,
so that the tree of your life may flourish.
By this Water past mistakes are redeemed.
By this Water last year's poison is made sweet.

`Omr agar be-gozasht bikhesh in damast
âb-e tawbeh-sh deh agar u bi namast
Bikh-e `omret-râ be-deh b-e Hayât
tâ derakht-e `omr gardad bâ nabât
Jomleh-ye mâzi-hâ azin niku shavand
zahr-e pârineh azin gardad cho qand

-- Mathnawi V: 2222-2224
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, October 17, 2011

[Sunlight] I Met One Traveling -- Ghazal 3107

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

"I Met One Traveling"

In the evening between sleep and awakening,
I met one traveling. He was the light of

consciousness. His body was soul, his pure
wisdom apparent in his beautiful face. He

praises me for a while, then scolds, "You
sit on the seven-sky throne, in prison.

The sign of Gemini has set a table for you,
yet you stick your head down a drainhole

again. Essence is not nourished with food
and sleep. Do no one any harm in this

timefield of short crops, where what you
sow comes back up very quickly! You try to

accomplish things, to win, to reach goals.
This is not the true situation. Put the

whole world in ambition's stomach, it'll
never be enough. Assume you get everything

you want. Assume you have it now. What's
the point? The next moment, you die.

Friend, the youth you've lived is ending.
You sleep a drunken dreamless sleep with no

sense what morning you could wake inside."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 3107
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

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Friday, October 14, 2011

[Sunlight] The differences among souls

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

When it comes to human essences,
the foundation of these buildings we build,
know there are differences.
Neither is one person's life like another,
nor is any death the same.
Never think anyone's grave is similar.
How indeed shall I describe the difference that exists
among souls in that other world?
Put your work to the touchstone as you work.

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

Pas haqâyeq-râ keh asl asl-hâst
dânke ânjâ farq-hâ va fasl-hâst
Nah hayâtesh chon hayât-e u bud
nah mamâtesh chon mamât-e u bud
Gur-e u hargez cho gur-e u ma-dân
khvod cheh guyam hâl-e farq-e ân jahân
Bar mehakk zan kâr-e khvhod ay mard-e kâr
tâ na-sâzi masjid-e ahl-e zerâr

-- Mathnawi II: 3022-3025
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

[Sunlight] When you don't weave, the weaver will be He

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

Weave not, like spiders, nets from grief's saliva
In which the woof and warp are both decaying.
But give the grief to Him, Who granted it,
And do not talk about it anymore.
When you are silent, His speech is your speech.
When you don't weave, the weaver will be He.

-- Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
(No citation given)
Look! This is Love - Poems of Rumi
Shambhala, 1996

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

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Wednesday, October 12, 2011

[Sunlight] Shams has come! -- Ghazal 633

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

Shams has come!
My Sun and Moon, my sight and hearing
that Beauty suddenly appeared by my side.
The one who was always in my thoughts
for whom I've searched so long
has come to me with open arms
laying flowers on my path.
My deepest wish has been granted.
What can I fear when my shield
my water of life has come?
Today is a day of Glory!
Today I am like Solomon
with the ring of abundance on my finger
and the divine crown on my head.
I can fly for he has given me wings
I can roar like a lion, I can rise like dawn.
No more verses
for I am taken to a place from where
this world seems so small.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 633
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

[Sunlight] A furnace to extract the silver

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

This discipline and rough treatment are a furnace
to extract the silver from the dross.
This testing purifies the gold
by boiling the scum away.

~~~~~~~~~

Ba-har ânast in riyâzat vin jafâ
tâ bar ârad kawreh az noqreh jofâ
ba-har ânast emtehân nik o bad
tâ be-jushad bar sar ârad zar zabad

-- Mathnawi I: 232-233
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Monday, October 10, 2011

[Sunlight] The Day's Great Wooden Bowl -- Ghazal 2952

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

The Day's Great Wooden Bowl

Still dizzy from last night's
wine? Wait a while. Don't reach

yet for this we serve. You can't
really be on the ocean with scenes

of familiar creeks and your loved
home-river in your eyes. Wait,

if you're caught in memory. As
those with business ideas were

driven from the temple courtyard,
so bitter, self-important people

need to be excluded from the mix
being stirred in this day's great

wooden bowl. In the room with
the Chinese princess, popular

songs fade. Don't boil the hard
unripened grapes, and don't sell

vinegar! This moment is the perfect
grape you crush to make your life-

wine interesting. You might, in
such a moment, meet someone as

I met Shams. God knows what
orchard you'll be walking then!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2952
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

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Friday, October 07, 2011

[Sunlight] Until springtime brings the touch of God

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

The soil is faithful to its trust:
whatever you have sown in it, you reap the same.
But until springtime brings the touch of God,
the soil does not reveal its secrets.

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

Khâk amin o harch dar vay kâshti
bi khiyânat jens-e ân bardâshti
Tâ neshân-e Haqq niyârad nawbahâr
khâk serr-hâ-râ na-kardeh âshkâr

-- Mathnawi I: 509;511
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

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Thursday, October 06, 2011

[Sunlight] Preparation for planting

Here, Sunlight offers three renditions of verses from the Mathnawi:

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

The Absolute Being works in nonexistence -
what but nonexistence is the workshop of the Maker
of existence?

Does anyone write upon a written page? Does
anyone plant a sapling in a place already planted?

No, he searches for a paper free of writing, he
sows a seed in a place unsown.

Be, oh brother, a place unsown, a white paper
untouched by the pen!

-- Mathnawi V: 1960-63
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

Does anyone write something on a place
that has already been written over,
or plant a sapling where one already grows?
No; he seeks a blank piece of paper
and sows the seed where none has yet been sown.
Sister, be bare earth; be a clean piece of paper
untouched by writing, that you may be ennobled by the pen of revelation,*
so that the Gracious One may sow seed within you.

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

Bar neveshteh hich be-nevisad kasi
yâ nehâleh kârd andar maghresi
Kâghazi juyad keh ân be-neveshteh nist
tokhm kârd mawze`i keh keshteh nist
To berâdar mawze`i nâ-keshteh bâsh
kâghaz-e aspid nâ be-neveshteh bâsh
Tâ mosharraf gardi az Nûn wa-al-qalam*
tâ be-kârd dar to tokhm ân Zu al-Karam

*al-Qalam, 1

-- Mathnawi V:1961-1964
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

The Absolute works with nothing.
The workshop, the materials
are what does not exist.

Try and be a sheet of paper with nothing on it.
Be a spot of ground where is nothing is growing,
where something might be planted,
a seed, possibly, from the Absolute.

-- Mathnawi V: 1960-64
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1995

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

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Wednesday, October 05, 2011

[Sunlight] Disentangle yourself -- Ghazal 3291

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

if you can disentangle
yourself from your selfish self
all heavenly spirits
will stand ready to serve you

if you can finally hunt down
your own beastly self
you have the right
to claim Solomon's kingdom

you are that blessed soul who
belongs to the garden of paradise
is it fair to let yourself
fall apart in a shattered house

you are the bird of happiness
in the magic of existence
what a pity when you let
yourself be chained and caged

but if you can break free
from this dark prison named body
soon you will see
you are the sage and the fountain of life

-- Ghazal (Ode) 3291
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.

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

~

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Tuesday, October 04, 2011

[Sunlight] "It is less than an atom"

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

When He Himself is the light of your eye,
a hundred worlds like ours appear.
If this one looks bottomless and vast,
remember: to Omnipotence it is less than an atom.

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

Sad cho `âlam dar nazar paydâ konad
chon keh chashmet-râ be-Khvod binâ konad
Gar jahân pishast bozorg o bi bonist
pish-e Qodrat zarreh mi dân nist
In jahân khvod habs-e jân-hâ-ye shomâst
hin ravid ân su keh sahrâ-ye shomâst
In jahân majdud o ân khvod bi haddast
naqsh o surat pish-e ân ma`nâ saddast.

-- Mathnawi I: 523-6
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~

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Monday, October 03, 2011

[Sunlight] Every mote -- Ghazal 1195

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1195, from Molana
Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in a version by
Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry, from which
Barks developed his version:

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

"Music Master"

You that love lovers,
this is your home. Welcome!

In the midst of making form, love
made this form that melts form,
with love for the door,
soul the vestibule.

Watch the dust grains moving
in the light near the window.
Their dance is our dance.

We rarely hear the inward music,
but we're all dancing to it nevertheless,

directed by the one who teaches us,
the pure joy of the sun,
our music master.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

The love of that cherisher of lovers has come to his own
house; Love has in form-conceiving a form melting all forms.
You have come to your own house; welcome, enter! Your coming is
with joy; enter by the door of the heart, run to the vestibule of the
soul!
Every mote of my being is in love with your sun; take heed, for
motes have long transaction with the sun.
See how before the window the motes gracefully suspended
beat; whoever has the sun for a qibla prays after this fashion.
In the concert of the sun these motes are like Sufis; no on
knows to what recitation, to what rhythm, to what harmony.
In every heart there is a different note and rhythm, all stamp-
ing feet outwardly, and the minstrels hidden like a secret.
Loftier than all is our inward concert, our particles dancing
therein with a hundred kinds of glory and pride.
Shams-I Tabrizi, you are the sultan of the sultans of the soul;
no Mahmud like you ever came into being, nor like me any Ayaz.

*The love of Sultan Mahmud and Ayaz became proverbial; see Math.
V:2858 foll.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 1"
The University of Chicago Press 1968/1991

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

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