Monday, December 31, 2012

[Sunlight] "The lover of that One"

~

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

I am the lover of that One to whom every "that" belongs:
of even a single pearl of His
the bodyguard is Intellect and Spirit,
I do not boast, or if I boast, it only seems that way,
for, like water, I have no trouble quenching fire.
How should I steal when He is the keeper of the treasury?
How should I not be bold and resolute?
He is my support.

~ ~ ~

`Âsheq-e Ânam keh har "ân" ân-e Ust
`aql o jân o jândâr yek marjân-e Ust
Man na-lâfam var be-lâfam hamcho âb
nist dar âtesh kashi'am ezterâb
Chon be-dozdam chon hafiz-e makhzan Ust
chon na-bâsham sakht-ru posht-e man Ust


-- Mathnawi III: 4136-4138
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~


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Thursday, December 27, 2012

[Sunlight] No Opposite, Without its Own Opposite

~

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

The Forgiving God desired and decided in
eternity to reveal and manifest Himself.
But no opposite can be displayed without its
own opposite, and that peerless King had no opposite.
So He made a vicegerent*, a Possessor of the
Heart, to be the mirror of His Kingship.
Then He gave him limitless purity, and
produced his opposite from darkness.
He made two banners, white and black: The
one was Adam, the other the satan of His way.
Then the strife and war that came to pass
between these two great camps came to pass.
In a similar manner, Abel came in the second
period: Opposed to his pure light was Cain. . . .
Period after period, generation after
generation, the two parties have continued to war.

-- Mathnawi VI: 2151-57, 62
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

* Sunlight note: "vicegerent" - A gerent is one who rules or
manages. (Latin, gerent-, gerens, present participle of gerere to
bear, carry on.)

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

~










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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

[Sunlight] Put This Design in Your Carpet

~

Today, Sunlight offers verses 3292-99, from Book V of the Mathnawi,
in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks, and in a literal translation
by Reynold Nicholson, on which Barks based his version.

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

"Put This Design in Your Carpet"

Spiritual experience is a modest woman
who looks lovingly at only one man.

It's a great river where ducks
live happily, and crows drown.

The visible bowl of form contains food
that is both nourishing and a source of heartburn.

There is an unseen presence we honor
that gives the gifts.

You're water. We're the millstone.
You're wind. We're dust blown into shapes.
You're spirit. We're the opening and closing
of our hands. You're the clarity.
We're this language that tries to say it.
You're joy. We're all the different kinds of laughing.

Any movement or sound is a profession of faith,
as the millstone grinding is explaining how it believes
in the river! No metaphor can say this,
but I can't stop pointing
to the beauty.

Every moment and place says,
"Put this design in your carpet!"

Like the shepherd in Book II,
who wanted to pick the lice off God's robe,
and stitch up God's shoes, I want to be
in such a passionate adoration
that my tent gets pitched against the sky!

Let the beloved come
and sit like a guard dog
in front of the tent.

When the ocean surges,
don't let me just hear it.
Let it splash inside my chest!

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

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

Spiritual experience is (like) the women who look modestly*: it
shows no sign but to its possessor.
That wine is (like) the women who look modestly, while these
vessels screening it (from view) are like the tents*.
The great river (too) is (like) a tent, wherein is life for the
duck, but death for crows.
Venom also is the snake's food and provision, (but) its venom
is anguish and death to others.
The form of every blessing and affliction is a Hell to this one,
a Paradise to that one.
Therefore (though) ye see all bodies and things, and there is
food and poison in them (all) - ye see (it) not.
Every body resembles a bowl or a pot, wherein is both food
and a (cause of) heart-burning.
The bowl is visible, the plenty (contained) in it is hidden;
(only) he who tastes it (the contents) knows what he is eating or
drinking from it.

-- Translation and Commentary by Reynold A. Nicholson
"The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi"
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial"

* Literally, "the women who restrict their eyes (to looking at their
husbands)," i.e. the houris in Paradise.
* See Qur'an, LV,72.

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

~




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Monday, December 24, 2012

[Sunlight] The one who regards the Sea

~

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

The one who regards the foam explains the mystery,
while the one who regards the Sea is bewildered.
The one who regards the foam forms intentions,
while the one who has known the Sea makes her heart one with the Sea.
The one who regards the froth calculates and reckons,
while the one who regards the Sea is without conscious volition.
The one who regards the froth is continually in motion,
while the one who regards the Sea is free of hypocrisy.

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

Ânkeh kaf-râ did serr guyân bovad
v-ânkeh Daryâ did u hayrân bovad
Ânkeh kaf-râ did niyat-hâ konad
v-ânkeh Daryâ did del Daryâ konad
Ânkeh kaf-hâ did bâshad dar shomâr
v-ânkeh Daryâ did shod bi ekhtiyâr
Ânkeh u kaf did gerdesh bovad
v-ânkeh Daryâ did u bi gheshsh bovad

-- Mathnawi V: 2908-2911
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~









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Friday, December 21, 2012

[Sunlight] "I am only the house of your beloved”

~

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

"I am only the house of your beloved,
not the beloved herself:
true love is for the treasure,
not for the coffer that contains it."
The real beloved is that one who is unique,
who is your beginning and your end.
When you find that one,
you'll no longer expect anything else:
that one is both the manifest and the mystery.
That one is the lord of the states of feeling,
dependent on none:
month and year are slaves to that moon.
When He bids the "state,"
it does His bidding;
when that one wills, bodies become spirit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Khâneh-ye ma`shuqeh-'am ma`shuq ni
`eshq bar naqdast bar sanduq ni
Hast ma`shuq ânke u yek taw bovad
mobtadâ o montahâ'et u bovad
Chon biyâbi'esh ma`âni montazer
ham hovaydâ u bud ham niz serr
Masir-e ahvâlast nah mawquf-e hâl
bandeh-ye ân Mâh bâshad mâh o sâl
Chon be-guyad hâl-râ farmân konad
chon be-khvâhad jesm-hâ-râ jân konad

-- Mathnawi III: 1417-1421
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

[Sunlight] "The Creek and the Stars"

~

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

"The Creek and the Stars"

Spirit is so mixed with the visible world that giver,
gift, and beneficiary are

one thing. You are the grace raining down; the grace
is you. Creation is

a clear, flat, fast-moving creek, where qualities reflect.
Generations rush by, while

the stars stay still, without a splash. When you lose your
appetite for food, you'll

be given other nourishment. There's well-being that is not
bodily and beings

that live on fragrance. Don't worry about losing animal
energy. Go the way of love

and ask provisions. Love more the star region reflected,
less the moving medium.

-- Mathnawi VI: 3136-83;2816-25;2833-59;2867-70
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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

~


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

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

[Sunlight] Fly up from this narrow cage

~

Here, Sunlight continues this week's series of posts,
remembering Rumi's passing from this life:

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

You who fly up from this narrow cage
veering off beyond the heavens
you'll see a new life after this;
how long will you bear this life's drear? . . .
This body wore a butler's garb
now sports a more fashionable form.
Death means life and this life is death
though heathen eyes see negative
All souls departed from this body
live on, but hidden now, like angels . . .
When body's bricks crumble, don't wail
Sir, you've only been in a jail
when you emerge from jail or pit,
you stand regal, tall, like Joseph

-- Ghazal 3172*
From the "Diwan-e Shamsi Tabrizi"
Translation by Franklin D. Lewis
"Rumi, Past and Present, East and West"
Oneworld Publications, Oxford, 2000

*Professor Franklin cites this as Ghazal 3172, but the Sunlight
editors have been unable to confirm this in the Foruzanfar one-volume
edition. If subscribers are able to provide further information,
that would be appreciated.

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

~





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Monday, December 17, 2012

[Sunlight] "Take my spirit totally from my body"

~

This week, Sunlight is offering a series of poems in memory of
the passing of Rumi from earthly life, and specifically focused on
his teachings on the subject of mortality.

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1716, in a translation by
Professor William Chittick. For more information on "Urs", the
wedding, Sunlight suggests a visit to
http://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/wedding-night.html

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

Tonight, take my spirit totally from my body, so that I
may no longer have shape and name in the world!
At this moment I am drunk in Thee - give me another
cup! Then I may be obliterated from the two worlds in Thee,
and be done with it.
When I have been annihilated through Thee and be-
come what Thou knowest, then I will take the cup of non-
existence and drink it, cup after cup.
When the spirit becomes radiant through Thee,
when the candle lights up - if not consumed by Thee it is raw,
raw.
Give me now the wine of nonexistence instant by
instant; when I have entered nonexistence, I will not know
the house from its roof.
When your nonexistence increases, the spirit will
prostrate itself to you a hundred times - oh you to whose
nonexistence thousands of existences are slave!
Give me wine, measure by measure! Deliver me from
my own existence! Wine is Thy special grace, intellect Thy
general grace.
Send up waves from nonexistence to steal me away!
How long will I pace the Oceans shore in fear?
The snare of my king Shams al-Din is catching
prey in Tabriz, but I have no fear of the snare, for I am
within it.

-- Ghazal 1716
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

~




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Friday, December 14, 2012

[Sunlight] This world is a trap, and desire its bait

~

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

To follow one's own desires is to flee from God
and to spill the blood of spirituality
in the presence of His justice.

This world is a trap, and desire its bait:
escape the traps, and quickly
turn your face toward God.

When you have followed this Way,
you have enjoyed a hundred blessings.
When you have gone the opposite way, you have fared ill.

So the Prophet said, "Consult your own hearts,
even though the religious judge
advises you about worldy affairs."

Abandon desire, and so reveal His Mercy:
you've learned by experience
the sacrifice He requires.

Since you can't escape, be His servant,
and go from His prison into His rose garden.
When you continually keep watch over your thoughts and actions,

you are always seeing the Justice and the Judge,
though heedlessness may shut your eyes,
still, that doesn't stop the sun from shining.

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

Ârzu jostan bovad be-gorikhtan
pish-e `adlesh khun-e taqvâ rikhtan
In jahân dâmast va dâneh-sh ârzu
dar goriz az dâm-hâ ruy âr zu
Chon chonin rafti be-didi sad goshâd
chon shodi dar zedd-e ân didi fasâd
Bas Payambar goft "Istaftû al-qulûb"
garcheh moftiyetân berun guyad khotub
Ârzu bo-g'zâr tâ rahm âyadesh
âzmudi keh chonin mi bâyadesh
Chon na-tâni jast pas khedmat konesh
tâ ravi az habs-e U dar golshanesh
Dam be-dam chon to morâqeb mi-shavi
dâd mi bini va dâvar ay ghavi
Var be-bandi cheshm-e khvod-râ ze ehtejâb
kâr-e khvod-râ kay gozârad âftâb

-- Mathnawi VI: 377-384
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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Thursday, December 13, 2012

[Sunlight] I am neither of this not or that

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1615, in a poetic version by
Professor Coleman Barks and in literal translation by Professor A.J.
Arberry:

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

I may be clapping my hands,
but I don't belong to a crowd of clappers.
I'm neither this nor that.

I'm not part of a group that loves flute music,
or one that loves gambling,
or one that loves drinking wine.

Those who live in time,
descended from Adam,
made of earth and water,
I'm not part of that.

Don't listen to what I say,
as though these words came from an inside
and went to an outside.

Your faces are very beautiful,
but they are wooden cages.

You'd better run from me.
My words are fire.

I have nothing to do with being famous,
or making grand judgments,
or feeling full of shame.

I borrow nothing.
I don't want anything from anybody.

I flow through all human beings.
Love is my only companion

When Union happens, my speech
goes inward, toward Shams.

At that meeting,
all the secrets of language
will no longer be secret.

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

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

If I am hand-clapping, I belong not to the clappers; I am
neither of this nor of that, I am of that mighty city.
I am not for fluting and gambling, I am not for wine and
liquor, I am neither leaven nor crop-sickness, I am neither like this
nor like that.
If I am drunk and dissolute, I am not drunk with wine like
you; I am not of earth nor of water, I am not of the people of
time.
The mind of the son of Adam – what knowledge has it of this
utterance? For I am hidden by two hundred veils from the world
entire.
Hear not these words as from me, nor from this clear thought,
for I neither receive nor seize this outward and inward.
Though your face is beautiful, the cage of your soul is of
wood; run away from me or you will burn, for my tongue is a
flame.
I am not of scent nor colour, I am not of fame nor shame;
beware of my poplar arrow, for God is my bow.
I seize not raw wine, nor borrow from anyone, I seize neither
breath nor snare, O my youthful fortune.
I am as the rosebower of paradise, I am the joy-garden of the
world, for my spirit is flowing through the spirits of all men.
The sugarbed of your phantom brings rose-sugar to me; in the
garden of realities I scatter the rose of a hundred petals.
When I enter the rose-showering garden of union with you,
make me sit down, for I am a target for your brand.
Love, what a mate you are, how strange, how marvellous!
When you seized my mouth, my expression went inwards.
When my soul reaches Tabriz, to come to Shams al-Haqq u
Din, I will bring to an end all the secrets of speech.

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

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

~



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

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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

[Sunlight] Love’s poison -- Quatrain 670

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 670:

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

I am hopelessly in love with you, no point
giving me advice.
I have drunk love's poison, no point
taking any remedy.
They want to chain my feet but
what's the point
when it is my heart that's gone mad.

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

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

fallen in love with you
I will take no advice
I have tasted the poison
what good can sugar do
they say he is mad
and in chains
he must be put
mad is my heart
what is a chain
on my foot

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

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

~


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

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Monday, December 10, 2012

[Sunlight] Show mercy on the weak

~

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

Weep like the waterwheel,
that green herbs may spring up
from the courtyard of your soul.
if you wish for tears,
have mercy on one who sheds tears;
if you wish mercy, show mercy to the weak.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bâsh chon dulâb nâlân-e chashm-tar
tâ ze sahn-e jânat ruyad khozar
Ashk khvâhi rahm kon bar ashkbâr
rahm khvâhi bar za`ifân rahm âr

-- Mathnawi I:821-822
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra


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

~


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Friday, December 07, 2012

[Sunlight] “A window from heart to heart”

~

Here, Sunlight offers two versions of an excerpt from the
Mathnawi, regrettably quite different in length. The first is from
Coleman Barks, and the second from Camille and Kabir Helminski.
Additionally, the Helminski lines are accompanied by a Persian
transliteration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Desire and the Importance of Failing"


A window opens.
A curtain pulls back.

The lamps of lovers connect,
not at their ceramic bases,
but in their lightedness.

No lover wants union with the Beloved
without the Beloved also wanting the lover.

Love makes the lover weak,
while the Beloved gets strong.

Lightning from here strikes there.
When you begin to love God, God
is loving you. A clapping sound
does not come from one hand.

The thirsty man calls out, "Delicious water,
where are you?" while the water moans,
"Where is the water-drinker?"

The thirst in our souls is the attraction
put out by the Water itself.

We belong to It,
and It to us.

God's wisdom made us lovers of one another.
In fact, all the particles of the world
are in love and looking for lovers.

Pieces of straw tremble
in the presence of amber.

We tremble like iron filings
welcoming the magnet.

Whatever that Presence gives us
we take in. Earth signs feed.
Water signs wash and freshen.
Air signs clear the atmosphere.
Fire signs jiggle the skillet,
so we cook without getting burnt.

And the Holy Spirit helps with everything,
like a young man trying to support a family.
We, like the man's young wife, stay home,
taking care of the house, nursing the children.

Spirit and matter work together like this,
in a division of labor.

Sweethearts kiss and taste the delight
before they slip into bed and mate.

The desire of each lover is
that the work of the other be perfected.
By this man-and-woman cooperation,
the world gets preserved.
Generation occurs.

Roses and blue arghawan flowers flower.
Night and day meet in a mutual hug.

So different, but they do love each other,
the day and the night, like family.

And without their mutual alternation
we would have no energy.

Every part of the cosmos draws toward its mate.
The ground keeps talking to the body,
saying, "Come back! It's better for you
down here where you came from."

The streamwater calls to the moisture in the body.
The fiery ether whispers to the body's heat,
"I am your origin. Come with me."

Seventy-two diseases are caused
by the various elements pulling inside the body.
Disease comes, and the organs
fall out of harmony.

We're like the four different birds,
that each had one leg tied in
with the other birds.

A flopping bouquet of birds!
Death releases the binding, and they fly off,
but before that, their pulling is our pain.

Consider how the soul must be,
in the midst of these tensions,
feeling its own exalted pull.

My longing is more profound.
These birds want the sweet green herbs
and the water running by.

I want the infinite! I want wisdom.
These birds want orchards and meadows
and vines with fruit on them.

I want a vast expansion.
They want profit and the security
of having enough food.

Remember what the soul wants,
because in that, eternity
is wanting our souls!

Which is the meaning of the text,
They love That, and That loves them.

If I keep on explaining this,
the Mathnawi will run to eighty volumes!

The gist is: whatever anyone seeks,
that is seeking the seeker.

No matter if it's animal,
or vegetable, or mineral.

Every bit of the universe is filled with wanting,
and whatever any bits wants,
wants the wanter!

This subject must dissolve again.

Back to Sadri Jahan and the uneducated peasant
who loved him, so that gradually Sadri Jahan
loved the lowly man. But who really
attracted who, whom, Huuuu?

Don't be presumptuous and say one or the other.
Close your lips. The mystery of loving
is God's sweetest secret.

Keep it. Bury it. Leave it here
where I leave it, drawn as I am
by the pull of the Puller
to something else.

You know how it is. Sometimes
we plan a trip to one place,
but something takes us to another.

When a horse is being broken, the trainer
pulls it in many different directions,
so the horse will come to know
what it is to be ridden.

The most beautiful and alert horse is one
completely attuned to the rider.

God fixes a passionate desire in you,
and then disappoints you.
God does that a hundred times!

God breaks with wings of one intention
and then gives you another,
cuts the rope of contriving,
so you'll remember your dependence.

But sometimes, your plans work out!
You feel fulfilled and in control.

That's because, if you were always failing,
you might give up. But remember,
it is by failures that lovers
stay aware of how they're loved.

Failure is the key
to the kingdom within.

Your prayer should be, "Break the legs
of what I want to happen. Humiliate
my desire. Eat me like candy.
It's spring, and finally,
I have no will."

-- Mathnawi III: 4391-4472
Version by Coleman Barks
"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion"
Threshold Books, 1991

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

Surely there is a window from heart to heart:
they are not separate and far from each other.
Though two earthenware lamps are not joined,
their light mingles.
No lover seeks union without the beloved seeking;
but the love of lovers makes the body thin as a bowstring,
while the love of loved ones makes them shapely and pleasing.
When the lightning of love for the beloved
has shot into the heart, know that there is love in that heart.
When love for God has been doubled in your heart,
there is no doubt that God has love for you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Keh ze del tâ del yaqin rawzan bovad
nah jodâ o dur chon do tan bovad
Mottasel na-bovad sefâl do cherâgh
nureshân mamzuj bâshad dar masâgh
Hich `âsheq khvod na-bâshad vasl ju
keh nah ma`shuqesh bovad juyâ-ye u
Lik `eshq-e `âsheqân tan zeh konad
`eshq-e ma`shuqân khvosh o farbeh konad
Chon darin del barq-e mehr-e dust jast
andar ân del dusti mi dân keh hast
Dar del-e to mehr-e Haqq chon shod do-taw
hast Haqq-râ bi gomâni mehr-e to

-- Mathnawi III: 4391-4396
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~

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

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Thursday, December 06, 2012

[Sunlight] Sacrifice your intellect

~

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

Sacrifice your intellect in love for the Friend:
for anyway, intellects come from where He is.
The spiritually intelligent have sent their intellects back to Him:
only the fool remains where the Beloved is not.
If from bewilderment, this intellect of yours flies out of your head,
every tip of your hair will become a new knowing.
In the presence of the Beloved, the brain needn't labor;
for there the brain and intellect spontaneously produce
fields and orchards of spiritual knowledge.
If you turn toward that field, you will hear a subtle discourse;
in that oasis your palm tree will freshen and flourish.

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

`Aql-râ qorbân kon andar `eshq-e Dust
`aql-hâ bâri az ân suist k-Ust
`aql-hâ ân su ferestâdeh `oqul
mândeh in su keh nah Ma`shuqast gul
Zin sar az hayrat gar in `aqlet ravad
har sar-e muyet sar o `aqli shavad
Nist ân su ranj-e fekrat bar demâgh
keh demâgh o `aql ruyad dasht o bâgh
Su-ye dasht az dasht nokteh be-shenui
su-ye bâgh âyi shavad nakhlet rui

-- Mathnawi IV: 1424-1428
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~


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

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Wednesday, December 05, 2012

[Sunlight] "Don’t think too much"

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 84:

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

Don't think.
Don't get lost in your thoughts.
Your thoughts are a veil on the face of the Moon.
That Moon is your heart,
and those thoughts cover your heart.
So let them go.
Just let them fall into the water.

-- Version by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva
A Garden Beyond Paradise
Bantam Books, 1992

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

don't think too much
put yourself to sleep
thinking is a veil
on the face of the moon
your heart is like the moon
don't cover it with thought
cast your thinking on the water

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

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

~






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

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Tuesday, December 04, 2012

[Sunlight] The lover does not want a day of fortune, nor a night of ease -- Ghazal 586

~

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

He who seeks felicity* is one thing, the lover
something else - he who loves his head has not the feet for
Love.
How should Love's two fire-filled eyes, drowned
in the liver's blood, search for the heart's desire and the
spirits' subsistence?
The lover does not weep for his sorry state, nor
does he rub his eyes from heartache: He wants to be worse
each instant.
He does not want a day of fortune, nor does he
seek a night of ease - his heart stays concealed between night
and day like dawn.
The world has two nests: good fortune and
affliction - by God's Holy Essence, the lover is outside them
both!
The ocean does not make him boil, for he is
unparalleled pearl. His face has not come from the mine, even
if it is yellow like gold.
In love with the spirit's King, how should the
heart seek a kingdom? Enraptured by His slender waist, how
should the spirit seek a robe of honor?
Should a phoenix enter the world, the lover
would not seek its shadow, for he is drunk with love for that
famous Phoenix.
If the world should become all sugar, his heart
would still lament like the reed; and if the Beloved should say
"No!" he will still melt like sugar.
I asked my Lord about Shams al-Din of Tabriz,
whose permanent abode is Love: "Why should such a king go
on a journey?"

-- Ode 586
Translated by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press Albany, 1984

*Sunlight footnote: "felicity" is a somewhat archaic synonym for happiness.

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

~


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

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Monday, December 03, 2012

[Sunlight] The food of the chosen

~

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

Man's original food is the light of God;
material food is not for him;
but from disease,
his mind has fallen into the delusion
that day and night he should eat only this food.
He is pale, weak, and faint:
where is the food of "by heaven
which has starry tracks"?
That is the food of the chosen,
food eaten without fork or throat.

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

Qut-e asli-ye bashar nur-e Khodâst
qut-e hayavâni morurâ nâ-sazâst
Layk az `ellat darin oftâd del
keh khvord u ruz o shab zin âb o gel
Ru-ye zard va pâ-ye sost va del-e sabok
ku ghezâ-ye "wa-al-samâ'i dhâti al-hubuk"
n ghezâ-ye khâssagân dawlatast
khvordan ân bi golu va âlast

-- Mathnawi II: 1083-1086
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra


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

~
















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