[Sunlight] "The story of the mouse and the camel"

~

From Rumi's Mathnawi, Book II, verses 3436-3474, comes
the story of the mouse and the camel, in a version from Coleman
Barks (interpreted from the classic English translation by Reynold
Nicholson), in a partial translation by William Chittick, and in a
partial version by Kabir Helminski:

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

"The Mouse and the Camel"

A mouse caught hold of a camel's leading ˆrope
in his two forelegs and walked off with it,
imitating the camel-drivers.

The camel went along, letting the mouse feel heroic.
"Enjoy yourself," he thought. "I have something
to teach you, presently."

They came to the edge of a great river.
The mouse was dumbfounded.
"What are you waiting for? Step forward into
the river. You are my leader. Don't stop here."

"I'm afraid of being drowned."

The camel walked into the water. "It's only
just above the knee."

"Your knee! Your knee is a hundred times
over my head!"

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be leading a camel.
Stay with those like yourself. A mouse has
nothing really to say to a camel."

"Would you help me get across?"

"Get up on my hump. I am made
to take hundreds like you across."

You are not a prophet, but go humbly on the
Way of the Prophets and you can arrive where
they are. Don't try to steer the boat. Don't open
a shop by yourself. Listen. Keep silent.
You are not God's mouthpiece. Try to be an ear,
and if you do speak, ask for explanations.

The source of your arrogance and anger is your
lust and the rootedness of that is in your habits.

Someone who makes a habit of eating clay
gets mad when you try to keep him from it.
Being a leader can also be a poisonous habit,
so that when someone questions your authority,
you think, "He's trying to take over."
You may respond courteously, but inside you rage.

Always check your inner state
with the Lord of your Heart.
Copper doesn't know it's copper,
until it's changed to gold.

Your loving doesn't know its Majesty,
until it knows its helplessness.

-- Mathnawi: II, 3436-3474
Version by Coleman Barks
"This Longing"
Threshold Book, 1988

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

Since you are not a prophet, follow the Way!
Then one day you may come out of this pit and reach
a high station.

Since you are not a sultan, be a subject! Since
you are not the captain, take not yourself the helm!

Since you are not perfect, take not a shop alone!
Be pliant to the hand, so that you may become leavened
dough.

Listen to the text, Be silent! and be silent! Since
you have not become God's tongue, be an ear!

-- Mathnawi II: 3453-56
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983

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

Since you're not spiritually perfect,
don't open a shop on your own.
Be pliant to the hand,
so you may become leavened and kneaded like dough.
Listen to the Divine command, "Keep silence."*
Be mute.
Since you haven't become the tongue of God,
be an ear.
If you do speak,
let it be to ask for explanations:
speak as a humble beggar
at the hand of the spiritually great.

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

Chon na'i kâmel dokkân tanhâ ma-gir
dast-khvosh mi bâsh tâ gardi khamir
"Ansetu"*-râ gush kon khâmush bâsh
chon zabân-e Haqq na-gashti gush bâsh
Var be-guyi shakl-e estefsâr gu
bâ shahanshâhân to meskin vâr gu

*al-A`râf, 204

-- Mathnawi II: 3455-3457
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~









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[Sunlight] "The story of the mouse and the camel"

[Sunlight] All that He is to me -- Ghazal 2251

~

Sunlight offfers Ghazal (Ode) 2251, from the "Diwan-e Shams", or, "The Book of Shams", in a version by Jonathan Star, and in translations by Annemarie Schimmel and William Chittick:

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

"No Place to Hide"

When I set out, he is my goal.
When I look in my heart, he is its ravisher.
When I seek justice, he is the judge.
When I go to war, he is my weapon.

When I join the celebration,
He is the wine and the sweetmeats.
When I enter the garden,
He is the narcissus in bloom.

When I go into a mine,
He is the ruby and carnelian.
When I dive into the ocean,
He is the pearl at the bottom.

When I cross the desert,
He is the watering hole.
When I rise to the spheres,
He is the brightest star.

When I show my courage,
He is the shield.
When I burn from heartache,
He is the incense holder.

When I fight a battle,
He is the commander-in-chief.
When I enter the banquet hall,
He is the saaqi, the minstrel, and the cup.

When I write to my friends,
He is the pen and the paper.
When I need a rhyme for a poem,
He gives me the right clue.

When I awake
He is my pure awareness.
When I go to sleep
He is the one who plays in my dreams.

Whatever picture you paint
or poem you write
he is beyond that.
Whatever height you can reach,
he is higher than your "highest."

Get rid of your talking and your books -
it is far better
to let Him be your book.

See his light fill the heavens.
And when you pass beyond the heavens
you'll find him hiding there.

O Wondrous Light of Tabriz,
Where will you hide? -
The brilliance ofyour Sun,
will always give you away.

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

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

When I seek peace,
he is the kindly intercessor,
And when I go to war,
the dagger, that is he.
And when I come to meetings,
he is the wine and sweetmeat.
And when I come to gardens,
the fragrance, that is he.
When I go to the mines, deep,
he is the ruby there.
When I delve in the ocean,
the precious pearl is he.
When I come to the desert,
he is a garden there.
When I go to the heaven,
the brilliant star is he . . .
And when I write a letter
to my beloved friends,
The paper and the inkwell,
the ink, the pen is he.
And when I write a poem
and seek a rhyming word -
The one who spreads the rhymes out
within my thought, is he!

-- Translation by Annemarie Schimmel
"I Am Wind, You are Fire"
Shambhala, 1992

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

When I start from the beginning, He is my
leader; when I seek my heart, He is its ravisher.
When I strive for peace, He intercedes for me;
when I go to war, He is my dagger.
When I come to the gathering, He is the wine
and the sweetmeats; when I enter the garden, He is the
narcissus.
When I go down to the mine, He is the ruby
and carnelian; when I dive into the sea, He is the pearl.
When I cross the desert, He is the oasis; when I
ascend the spheres, He is the star.
When I show my fortitude, He is my breast,
when I burn from heartache, He is the censer.
When I enter battle at the time of war, He
keeps ranks and leads the army.
When I go to a banquet at the time of joy, He is
the saki, minstrel and cup.
When I write letters to my friends, He is paper,
pen, and inkwell.
When I awaken, He is my new awareness; when
I go to bed, He enters my dreams.
When I seek a rhyme for my poetry, He eases
the way for my mind.
He stands above whatever form you can picture,
like painter and pen.
No matter how much higher you look, He is
still higher than that "higher" of yours.
Go, abandon speaking and books--much better
it is to let Him be your book.
Be silent! For all six directions are His light;
and when you pass beyond the directions, He Himself is the
Ruler.
I have preferred Thy Pleasure over my own;
Thy secret is mine, so I keep it hidden.
Marvellous sun of Tabriz! Like the sun, he is
exceedingly worthy of himself.

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

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

~



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[Sunlight] All that He is to me -- Ghazal 2251

[Sunlight] When you have come to live through God

~

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

To exalt oneself is to claim partnership with God.
Unless you have died and become living through Him,
you are an enemy seeking to hold the power.
But when you have come to live through God,
that which you have become is in truth He:
it is no longer copartnership, but absolute Unity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In foru`ast va osulesh ân bovad
keh taraffo` sherkat-e Yazdân bovad
Chon na-mordi o na-gashti zendeh zu
yâghiyi bâshi be-sherkat-e molk ju
Chon bedu zendeh shodi ân khvod Vayst
vahdat-e mahz ast ân sherkat kayst

-- Mathnawi IV: 2765-2767
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~





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[Sunlight] When you have come to live through God

[Sunlight] Drowsy -- Ghazal 1457

~

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

Drowsy

Drowsy, awake to everything, out
of myself, inside you, the work of

your wine vat where the grapes are
invisible. All one sees is stained

feet tromping about, making a juice
different from ordinary grapes. This

wine gives no hangover. But don't
condemn yourself for living in left-

over stupor. Someone built and set
the hangover trap you find yourself
in! It's the bottom of Joseph's pit,
where he becomes medicine, a clean

tent, a field of stubble and shine.
Shams is winter daylight. I more

resemble the long night coming after.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1457
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

~



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[Sunlight] Drowsy -- Ghazal 1457

[Sunlight] "Please keep singing"

~


Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 1955:

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

The birds have flown to freedom,
The cage lies empty.
Your happy songs bring to me the scent of heaven.
Please keep singing.

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


~~~~~~~~~~~

birds are free from the cage
cage is empty from the birds
where have you flown from
to be so happy
I can smell eternity
in your songs

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

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

~




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[Sunlight] "Please keep singing"

[Sunlight] When the heart becomes whole

~

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

When the heart becomes whole,
it will know the flavors of falsehood and truth.
When Adam's greed for the forbidden fruit increased,
it robbed his heart of health.
Discernment flies
from one who is drunken with desire.
He who puts down that cup
lightens the inner eye,
and the secret is revealed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chon shavad az ranj o `ellat del salim
ta`m-e kezb o râst-râ bâshad `alim
Hers-e dam chon su-ye gandom fozud
az del-e dam salimi-râ robud
Pas dorugh o `ashveh-'et-râ gush kard
gherreh gasht va zahr-e qâtel nush kard
Kazhdom az gandom na-dânast ân nafs
mi parad tamyiz az mast-e havas
Khalq mast ârzu'and o havâ
z-ân pazirâ'and dastân terâ
Har keh khvod-râ az havâ khu bâz kard
chashm-e khvod-râ âshnâyi râz kard

-- Mathnawi II: 2738-2743
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~














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[Sunlight] When the heart becomes whole

[Sunlight] Dolls That Pull the Stuffing Out of Each Other

~

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

"Dolls That Pull the Stuffing Out of Each Other"

You that give nourishment and steadiness and freedom,
give the bent soul strength

to stand up straight in the work it knows it's here
to do. Give us patience and

generosity and clarity to see through the images that
appear. There is a coarse

desire that wants world-power; there are armies that
kill their own relatives;

and there is the bitter pleasure of dolls that pull the
stuffing out of each other.

Read the passionate love stories again. Notice how
everyone perishes in what is

not love. Love is when the holy nothingness loves itself.
Jealousies come as kindness

turns cruel. If there were no legal punishment, no threat
of prison, people would shred

their enemies, the so-called lovers. Envy connects deeply
with the old ambition of fallen

angels, who do exist, and they have human helpers who try
to destroy anyone who

has loved and received wisdom from a teacher.

-- Mathnawi V: 1197-1225
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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

~



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[Sunlight] Dolls That Pull the Stuffing Out of Each Other

[Sunlight] "Can the intellect perceive thee?" -- Ghazal 144

~


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

Can the intellect perceive thee, or love, or the
pure spirit? Does the Guarded Tablet know thee, do the angels
in heaven?*
Do Gabriel or Jesus or Moses even see thee in
their dreams? Is the celestial sphere worthy to be thy abode,
or the Lote Tree of the Far Boundary?
Moses' Mount Sinai has become blood many
times in love's madness, because an echo of Lord Shams al-
Din's fame fell upon it.
The jealousy of the One has woven radiance
upon radiance over his face. Muhammad's spirit shouts, "Oh,
how I desire to meet him!"*
God's Jealousy would burn the two worlds to a
cinder if a single hair of his beauty were to appear to us without veil.
His beauty has shone forth from behind a
hundred thousand veils. The spirit has fallen to shouting,
"Welcome, oh king, welcome!"
The elegant cypress has bent itself double in
prostrating itself before Tabriz; tiny Suha* shines forth over Tabriz like a sun.

-- Ghazal 144
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

* The Guarded Tablet (lawh-i mahfuz), mentioned in the Koran as the locus
wherein the Koran is inscribed (LXXXV 22), is usually interpreted in a
cosmological sense to mean the Universal Soul, the passive pole of spiritual
existence. Within it the Pen--the Universal Intellect--inscribes the
knowledge of all things which are to come into existence. As a result, the
created universe is born.

* The Prophet said, "Oh how I desire to meet my brothers," a saying that is
taken to refer to the saints who would be born in coming generations.

* "Suha" -- the name of a small star


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

~



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[Sunlight] "Can the intellect perceive thee?" -- Ghazal 144

[Sunlight] "Unless there is truth"

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nothing shows up false without the true:
the fool took false coin
hoping it might be gold.
If there were no genuine coin in the world,
how would it be possible to pass fakes?
Unless there is truth,
how could there be lies?
Falsity gets its value from the existence of truth.
Some want the wrong in hope that it will be right.

~ ~ ~ ~

Zânke bi haqq bâteli n-âyad padid
qalb-râ ablah beh bu-ye zar kharid
Gar na-budi dar jahân naqdi ravân
qalb-hâ-râ kharj kardan kay tavân
Tâ na-bâshad râst kay bâshad dorugh
ân dorugh az râst mi girad forugh
Bar omid-e râst kazh-râ mi kharand
zahr dar qandi ravad ânkeh khvorand

-- Mathnawi II:2928-2931
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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[Sunlight] "Unless there is truth"

[Sunlight] Tulips, violets and jasmine sprout -- Ghazal 2006

~

Today, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 2006, in a version by
Professor Barks, and in translations by Professors Schimmel and
Arberry:

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

Jasmine comes up where You step
You breathe on dirt, and it sails off
like a kite. You wash Your hands,
and the water You throw out shines with gold.

You say the first line of the Qur'an,
and all the dead commentators lift their heads.

Your robe brushes a thornbush,
and a deep chord of music comes.

Whatever You break finds itself more intelligent
for being broken. Every second a new being
stands in the courtyard of Your chest
like Adam, without a father or mother,
but the beginning of many generations to come.

I should rhyme that fifty times!

The beginning of many
generations to come,

a line without any
inclination to end!

But I won't. I close my mouth
in hopes You'll open Yours.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Say I Am You"
Maypop, 1994

~ ~ ~

Where you put your foot on earth, my life,
Tulips, violets and jasmine sprout.
If you take some clay and breathe on it,
It becomes a hawk, a dove, a crow!
If you wash your hand in earthen bowls
They become, thanks to your hand, pure gold.
If you say a prayer at a grave –
Look, a happy man lifts up his head!
If your garment strikes the claws of thorns,
They become a harp with sweetest sound.
Ev'ry idol that you smash, O friend,
Gets his soul and intellect from you.
If you shine on some ill-starred man –
Fortune's star relieves him from all pain!
Fifty verses would I like to sing,
But I close my mouth. You open yours!

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

~ ~ ~

Wherever you set your foot, my darling, tulip and violet and
jasmine spring up.
You breathe upon a piece of clay, and it becomes either a dove
or a kite.
You wash your hands in a dish and from the water of your
hand that basin becomes of gold.
You recite the Fateha over a grave and a Bu'l-Fotuh raises his
head from the winding-sheet.*
Your shirt strikes against the clutch of a thorn, and its clutch
becomes a strumming lute.
Every idol you have broken, O Abraham, received life and
finds intellect from that breaking.
Since the new moon shone upon an evil-starred one, it
became the greatest good fortune and he escaped from misfortune.
Every moment there springs from the court of your breast a
newborn without mother or father, like Adam.
And thereafter from his side and loins children abound in the
earth.
I wanted to speak fifty couplets on this rhyme; I closed my
lips, that you might open your mouth.

-- Translation by A. J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press 1968/1991
(Footnote by Professor Arberry)

* Fateha, the first sura of the Qur'an, is recited several times in
daily prayers. Bu'l-Fotah seems to be a "konya" or title
meaning "father of victories. "Golpinarli, following the same idea,
translates the line: "If you recite Fateha over a grave, the person
will rise with the victorious ones. . ." (4:249). Otherwise, one
might think that the reference is to Abu'l Fotuh Razi, the celebrated
commentator of the Qur'an, meaning a man like Abu'l Fotuh rises when
the fateha is recited.

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

~



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

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[Sunlight] Tulips, violets and jasmine sprout -- Ghazal 2006

[Sunlight] Stay awake for an entire night -- Ghazal 258

~

Here, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 258, in two forms -- a
poetic translation from Nader Khalili, and a version by Coleman
Barks:

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

if you stay awake
for an entire night
watch out for a treasure
trying to arrive

you can keep warm
by the secret sun of the night
keeping your eyes open
for the softness of dawn

try it for tonight
challenge your sleepy eyes
do not lay your head down
wait for heavenly alms

night is the bringer of gifts
Moses went on a ten-year journey
during a single night
invited by a tree
to watch the fire and light

Mohammed too made his passage
during that holy night
when he heard the glorious voice
when he ascended to the sky

day is to make a living
night is only for love
commoners sleep fast
lovers whisper to God all night

all night long
a voice calls upon you
to wake up
in the precious hours

if you miss your chance now
when your body is left behind
your soul will lament
death is a life of no return

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

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

THE VIGIL

Don't go to sleep one night.
What you most want will come to you then.
Warmed by a sun inside, you'll see wonders.
Tonight, don't put your head down.

Be tough, and strength will come.
That which adoration adores
appears at night. Those asleep
may miss it. One night Moses stayed awake
and asked, and saw a light in a tree.

Then he walked at night for ten years,
until finally he saw the whole tree
illuminated. Muhammad rode his horse
through the night sky. The day is for work.
The night for love. Don't let someone
bewitch you. Some people sleep at night.

But not lovers. They sit in the dark
and talk to God, who told David,
"Those who sleep all night every night
and claim to be connected to us, they lie."

Lovers can't sleep when they feel the privacy
of the beloved all around them. Someone
who's thirsty may sleep for a little while,
but he or she will dream of water, a full jar
beside a creek, or the spiritual water you get
from another person. All night, listen
to the conversation. Stay up.
This moment is all there is.

Death will take it away soon enough.
You'll be gone, and this earth will be left
without a sweetheart, nothing but weeds
growing inside thorns.

I'm through. Read the rest of this poem
in the dark tonight.
Do I have a head? And feet?

Shams, so loved by Tabrizians, I close my lips.
I wait for you to come and open them.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanfrancisco, 1995.

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

~



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[Sunlight] Stay awake for an entire night -- Ghazal 258

[Sunlight] Now I will plant my banner in the open plain

~

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

I am rushing headlong: hey, let go of my feet!
Where in all my limbs is any understanding?
I am like a camel: I carry my load as long as I can,
but when I fall down exhausted, I'm glad to be killed.
If there are a hundred moats full of severed heads,
it's an absolute pleasantry in comparison with my anguish.
Nevermore in fear and dread
will I beat the drum of passion under such a blanket.
Now I will plant my banner in the open plain:
let my fate be either to lose my head
or behold the face of my Beloved!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sar-negunam hay rahâ kon pâ-ye man
fahm ku dar jomleh-ye ajzâ-ye man
Oshtoram man tâ tavânam mi kesham
chon fotâdam zâr bâ koshtan khvosham
Por sar-e maqtu` agar sad khandaqast
pish-e dard-e man mezâh-e motlaqast
Man na-khvâham zad degar az khawf o bim
in chonin tabl-e havâ zir-e gelim
Man `alam aknun beh-sahrâ mi zanam
yâ sar-andâzi va yâ ru-ye Sanam

-- Mathnawi VI: 4164-4167
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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

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[Sunlight] Now I will plant my banner in the open plain

[Sunlight] A call from the unseen -- Ghazal 791

~

Today, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ghazal (Ode) 791, from the "Diwan-e Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in the translation by Azima Melita Kolin and Maryam Mafi, in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J. Arberry, upon which Barks relied in developing his version:

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

A baby pigeon on the edge of the nest
hears the call and begins his flight.
How can the soul of the seeker not fly
when a message arrives saying,
"You have been trapped in life like a bird with no wings,
in a cage with no doors or windows
come, come back to me!"
How can the soul not rip open its coverings,
and soar to the sky.

What is the rope that pulls the soul from above?
What is the secret that opens the door?
The key is the flutter of the heart's wings
and its endless longing.
When the door opens, walk on the path
where abundance awaits you,
where everything old becomes new
and never look back.
Drink from the hands of the wine bearer
and you will be blessed
even in this life.

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

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


A baby pigeon stands on the edge of a nest all day.
Then he hears a whistle, Come to me.
How could he not fly toward that?
Wings tear through the body's robe when
a letter arrives that says,
"You've flapped and fluttered against limits
long enough.

You've been a bird without wings
in a house without doors or windows.

Compassion builds a door.
Restlessness cuts a key.

Ask. Step off into air like a baby pigeon.
Strut proudly into sunlight,
not looking back.

Take sips of this pure wine being poured.
Don't mind that you've been given a dirty cup."

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

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


This fledgling pigeon essayed the air and flew off when he
heard a whistle and a call from the unseen.
When that Desire of all the world send a messenger saying,
"Come to Me," how should not the disciple's soul take flight?
How should it not fly upwards on discovering such pinions,
how should it not rend the body's robe on the arrival of such a
missive?
What a moon it is that draws all these souls! What a way is
that secret way by which it drew!
Divine compassion sent a letter saying, "Come back hither, for
in this narrow cage your soul has fluttered much.
But in the house without doors you are like a bird without
wings; so the fowl of the air does when it has fallen low*.
Restlessness opens to it the door of compassion at last; beat
your wings against door and roof – this is the key.
Until you call on Me, you do not know the way of returning
for by Our calling the way becomes manifest to the reason."
Whatever mounts up, if it be old it becomes new; whatever
new descends here, through time it becomes threadbare.
Ho, strut proudly into the unseen, do not look back, in God's
protection, for there all is profit and increase.
Ha, silent one, depart to the Saki of Being, who gave you His
pure wine in this sullied cup**.

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

* CB pasti (low ) seems better than chusti.
**"This sullied cup: the physical body.

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

~























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

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[Sunlight] A call from the unseen -- Ghazal 791

[Sunlight] Doors in Metal -- Ghazal 2138

~

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

"Doors in Metal"

Tell me, O Love,
Who is more elegant,
You or this vast garden of yours?

Shine, O moon,
You are an inspiration
to all who look upon the night sky.

Sour will turn to sweet,
Blasphemy will turn to truth,
Thorn bushes will turn to jonquil,
A hundred bodies will spring to life
with one breath of yours.

You place doors in the sky.
You place wings on the human heart.
You enchant every mind
and bewilder both worlds.

O Beloved,
your face is sweet and rosy red,
how rosy red.

O Beloved,
yours is the pleasure of this world
and the way to the next.

The threshed corn assumes your color;
All truth becomes one
under the stamping of your foot.
Every note of my song
longs to ring
with the sweetness of your voice.

Without you, the markets would be empty,
The gardens and the vineyards
would wash away in the rain.

You show trees how to sway in the wind.
You show wet branches how to weep.

The leaves and fruits get drunk
on your life-giving water.
If the vast gardens wished for one thing
During the eternal Spring
it would be for leaves, flying forever,
in this flower-wind of yours.

The lights of heaven and the moving planets
Think little of any star
that dares to shine
in this vast galaxy of yours.

O, what a promise you have made!
To serve joy instead of bread
to any soul who becomes a guest of yours. . . .
I went somewhere and I returned.
In a moment, as in a dream,
I was at the beginning and the end;
This elephant of a soul
saw the open plains of yours.

From all my plans I gained nothing.
In the end my heart broke its chains,
grabbed my soul,
and dragged it into your presence.
There I see no pettiness, no pain.
Every moment a new life enters,
born from the flowing compassion of yours.

O, the mountain looks small
beside your grandeur.
And the heart seems rude
beside your love . . .

You are holding every door wide open.
Doors in metal, in mountains, in stone!
Yet my heart crawls around like an ant
looking for its tiny hole.

I may sing till the end of time
Trying to describe your face
but I'll always sound mute.
How can a person talk straight
when he is in love?
How can a person walk straight
when he is drowning
in this wine-filled ocean of yours?

-- Ghazal 2138
Version by Jonathan Star, based on a translation by
Shahram Shiva
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~



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[Sunlight] Doors in Metal -- Ghazal 2138

[Sunlight] "He lives for God's sake"

~

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

Wherever the Eternal Command takes its course,
living and dying are one to God's willing servant.
He lives for God's sake, not for riches;
he dies for God's sake, not from fear and pain.
His faith exists for the sake of doing God's will,
not for the sake of Paradise and its trees and streams.
His abandonment of infidelity is also for God's sake,
and not out of fear of the Fire.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Har kojâ Amr-e Qedam-râ maslakist
zendegi o mordegi pishesh yekist
Bahr-e Yazdân mi ziyad ni bahr-e ganj
bahr-e Yazdân mi merad nah az khawf o ranj
Hast imânesh barâ-ye khvâst-e U
ni barâ-ye Jannat o ashjâr o ju
Tark-e kofresh ham barâ-ye Haqq bovad
ni ze bim-e ânke dar tesh ravad

-- Mathnawi III:1909-1912
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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[Sunlight] "He lives for God's sake"

[Sunlight] How unfair is this Love! -- Quatrain 25

~

Today, Sunlight offers three interpretations of Quatrain 25:

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

sweetheart i see myself
very close to you
like earth
i welcome your every step
is it fair to call you
my entire world
and yet not
find you around

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

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

We are bound together.
I am the ground
You are the step.
How unfair is this Love!
I can see Your world
but You, I cannot.

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

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

Friend, our closeness is this:
Anywhere you put your foot, feel me
in the firmness under you.

How is it with this love,
I see your world and not you?

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

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

~




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[Sunlight] How unfair is this Love! -- Quatrain 25

[Sunlight] Pouring out wine -- Ghazal 1135

~

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

Bring wine, oh Saki--may my head and turban
be Thy sacrifice! Bring the spirit's cup from wherever it is
found!
Come drunk and strolling, goblet in hand--let it
not be lawful for Thee to be the Saki and us to be so sober!
Bring the cup, for my spirit in its desire has left
me--what place is this for patience and repose?
Bring the cup of Life, whose nature is the same
as Thine--for it is the friend of wounded hearts and the
confidant of the mysteries.
Were a drop of that wine to fall upon barren
ground, at once a rosegarden would blossom.
Were that ruby wine to bubble up at midnight,
its lights would fill the heavens and the earth.
Marvellous wine! Marvellous flagon! Marvellous
Saki, May spirits be strewn before them, strewn!
Come, for in my heart secrets are concealed--
pass around the ruby wine and leave not a single veil in
place!
When Thou hast made me drunk, then behold
how a lion-catcher enters the hunt!
Blesses God! What a moment!--when our
gathering is full of the cup's fragrance and the light of the
Beloved's Face!
A thousand drunkards place their spirits on
trays, like moths before the candle--"Take this, and bring
wine!"
The sweet-voiced minstrels and shouting
drunkards make the wine itself giddy in the Wine-seller's
veins!
Behold the state of the young men of the cave
who drank it: For three hundred nine years they slept ruined
and drunk in the cave!*
What wine did Moses pour upon the sorcerers?
Drunkenly they surrendered their hands and feet like selfless
men! (Qur'an VII 124)
What did the Egyptian women see in Joseph's
face that made them cut their beautiful arms to shreds?
What did the Holy Saki pour upon Saint
George's head so that all heartache left him and he had no
fear of the unbelievers?
They killed him a thousand times, yet he kept
on going: "I am drunk and unaware of 'one' or a 'thousand.'"*
The companions who went naked before arrows
were ruined and drunk because of Muhammad the chosen.
No wrong! For Muhammad was not the Saki--
he was a cup full of wine, and God was the Saki of the pious.
Which wine did the son of Adham drink so that
like a drunkard he became disgusted with his rule and
kingdom?*
Which intoxication gave the call, "Glory to
me!"?* Which spoke the mystery, "I am God," and went to
the gallows?
The fragrance of that wine made water bright
and pure--like a drunkard it goes toward the ocean making
constant prostrations.
Love for this wine made the earth full of colors,
its radiance lit up fire's sweet face.
If not for this wine, why did wind become an
intimate and a tale bearer, the animator of pastures and
gardens and a book of saying?
What joy these four elements derive from
mixing! Look how plants, animals, and men are their result!
What awareness-taking wine has this black
night? For one cup of it knocks out the creatures.
Which Gentleness and handiwork of the Maker
should I describe? The Sea of His Power has no shore!
Let us drink the wine of Love and carry Love's
burden, like a camel drunk in the midst of a caravan--
Not such a drunkenness that will make you
wish for intellect, but one that will awaken both intellect and
spirit.
The drunkards will vomit everything other than
God, for "other than God" is but headache and winesickness.
How is this pure wine related to the wine of
the grape? This is the water of Life, that other carrion.
For a while that wine makes you a pig, for a
while a monkey--in the end that red water makes you black
faced.
The heart is the vat of God's wine, so remove
its stopper: The ill-mannered natural temperament has stopped
it up with clay.
When you remove part of the clay from the top
of the vat, its fragrance and a thousand benefits rise up.
If I should try to number those benefits, I would
not be able to count them by the Last Day.
Since we are incapable, let us rest with the
Prophet's prayer: "I cannot count Thy blessings!" since it is
time to stop counting, lift the spirit's cup!
Enter into the gathering of Shams al-Din's
lovers! For the sun in heaven steals light from his sun.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1135
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

* The story of the "Companions of the Cave," or the Seven-
sleepers of Ephesus, Qur'an XVIII 9 ff.
* Jirjis is said to have been a prophet, although historically he
seems to be identical with saint George, who was put to death
in the year 303.
* Ibrahim Adham is one of the great saints of early Islam.
* "Glory be to me" is a famous "ecstatic utterance" of Bayazid, a
great Muslim saint.

~



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[Sunlight] Pouring out wine -- Ghazal 1135

[Sunlight] No ruin is empty of treasure

~

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

You may despair of finding a true friend of God;
but since the treasure does exist in this world,
consider no ruin empty of treasure.
Go to every dervish at random,
and when you find the sign of a true saint,
keep his company regularly.
If the inner eye has not been granted to you,
always think that treasure could be in anybody.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chonke ganji hast dar `âlam ma-ranj
hich viran-râ ma-dân khâli ze ganj
Qasd-e har darvish mi-kon az gazâf
chon neshân yâbi be-jedd mi-kon tavâf
Chon terâ ân chashm-e bâten bin na-bud
ganj mi pandâr andar har vojud

-- Mathnawi II: 2153-2155
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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[Sunlight] No ruin is empty of treasure

[Sunlight] "A tiny piece of a piece of straw" -- Ghazal 950

~

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

This World Which Is Made of Our Love for Emptiness

Praise to the emptiness that blanks out existence. Existence:
This place made from our love for that emptiness!
Yet somehow comes emptiness,
this existence goes.
Praise to that happening, over and over!
For years I pulled my own existence out of emptiness.
Then one swoop, one swing of the arm,
that work is over.
Free of who I was, free of presence, free of dangerous fear, hope,
free of mountainous wanting.
The here-and-now mountain is a tiny piece of a piece of straw
blown off into emptiness.
These words I'm saying so much begin to lose meaning:
Existence, emptiness, mountain, straw:
Words and what they try to say swept
out the window, down the slant of the roof.

-- Ode 950
Version by Coleman Barks
"Open Secret"
Threshold Books, 1984

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

~



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[Sunlight] "A tiny piece of a piece of straw" -- Ghazal 950

[Sunlight] "Don't go to sleep" -- Ghazal 947

~

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

don't go to sleep
this night
one night is worth
a hundred thousand souls

the night is generous
it can give you
a gift of the full moon
it can bless your soul
with endless treasure

every night when you feel
the world is unjust
never ending grace
descends from the sky
to soothe your souls

the night is not crowded like the day
the night is filled with eternal love
take this night
tight in your arms
as you hold a sweetheart

remember the water of life
is in the dark caverns
don't be like a big fish
stopping the life's flow
by standing in the mouth of a creek

even Mecca is adornedwith black clothes
showing that the heavens
are ready to grace
the human soul

even one prayer
in the Mecca of a night
is like a hundred
no one can claim
sleep can build
a temple like this

during a night
the blessed prophet
broke all the idols and
God remained alone
to give equally to all
an endless love

-- Ode (Ghazal) 947
Translated by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.

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

~



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[Sunlight] "Don't go to sleep" -- Ghazal 947

[Sunlight] Open the window of your heart -- Ghazal 110

~

Here, Sunlight offers three different presentations of Ghazal
(Ode) 110, from Rumi's Diwan-e Shams, accompanied by a Persian
transliteration:

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

Do not worry if our harp breaks
thousands more will appear.
We have fallen in the arms of love where all is music.
If all the harps in the world were burned down,
still inside the heart
there will be hidden music playing.
Do not worry if all the candles in the world flicker and die
we have the spark that starts the fire.
The songs we sing
are like foam on the surface of the sea of being
while the precious gems lie deep beneath.
But the tenderness in our songs
is a reflection of what is hidden in the depths.
Stop the flow of your words,
open the window of your heart and
let the spirit speak.

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

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

Don't worry about saving these songs!
And if one of our instruments breaks,
it doesn't matter.

We have fallen into the place
where everything is music.

The strumming and the flute notes
rise into the atmosphere,
and even if the whole world's harp
should burn up, there will still be
hidden instruments playing.

So the candle flickers and goes out.
We have a piece of flint, and a spark.

This singing-art is sea foam.
The graceful movements come from a pearl
somewhere on the ocean floor.

Poems reach up like the edge of driftwood
along the beach, wanting and wanting!

They derive
from a slow and powerful root
that we can't see.

Stop the words now.
Open the window in the center of your chest,
and let the spirits fly in and out.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
(from a translation by John Moyne)
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990

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

(Go ahead and) break our harp, O lofty one, (for) thousands of
other harps exist here!
Since we have fallen into the talons* of Love, what (does it
matter) to us (if) harp and reed-pipe are scarce?!
Even if (all) the lutes and harps of the world are burned up,
there is many a hidden harp (remaining), O friend!
Its strumming and melody have gone (up) to the heavens, although
it doesn't come into the ears of the deaf.
Even if (all) the lamps and candles of the world are put out, what
sorrow (is that)!-- since (flint) stone and iron exist (very)
securely!
Songs are (mere) straw (floating) on the sea; no pearl will come
to the surface of the ocean.
But know (that) the grace of the straw (is) from the pearl-- for
the reflection of its reflected gleam is (also shining) upon us!
Songs are entirely (just) a branch of the yearning for union--
(and) branch and root are not at all equal.
(So) close your mouth and open the window of (your) heart, and
by that way be talking with the spirits!

-- Translation by Ibrahim Gamard (C)
(10/22/98; revised 11/11/99)

*talons [chang]: a pun, since this word (also meaning claws,
clutches) has a
second meaning of "harp."

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

tô be-sh'kan chang-é mâ-râ ay mu`allâ
hazâr-ân chang-é dêgar hast în-jâ

chô mâ dar chang-é `ishq andar fotâd-êm
che kam ây-ad bar mâ chang-o sornâ

rabâb-o chang-é `âlam gar be-sôz-ad
basî changê-yé penhânê-st yâr-â

tarang-o tantan-ash rafta ba-gardûn
agar-che n-ây-ad ân dar gôsh-é Samâ

cherâgh-o sham`-é `âlam gar be-mîr-ad
che gham chûn sang-o âhan hast bar jâ

ba-rôy-é baHr khâshâk-ast aghânî
na-y-ây-ad gawharê bar roy-é daryâ

wa-lêkin luTf-é khâshâk az gohar dân
ke `aks-é `aks-é barq-é ô bar mâ

aghânî jomla far`-é shawq-é aSlî-st
barâbar nêst far`-o aSl aSlâ

dahân bar band-o be-g'shâ rawzan-é del
az ân rah bâsh bâ arwâH gôyâ

(Meter: oXXX oXXX oXX)

-- Transliteration courtesy of Ibrahim Gamard

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

~

















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[Sunlight] Open the window of your heart -- Ghazal 110