[Sunlight] You and I, in the Palace -- Ghazal 2214

~

Here, Sunlight offers four presentations of Rumi's Ghazal (Ode)
2214 - a version by Jonathan Star, translations by Dr. Annemarie
Schimmel and Professor A.J. Arberry, and, thanks to a Ruminations
subscriber, a translation from Sir Colin Garbett:


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

Happy is the moment, when we sit together,
With two forms, two faces, yet one soul,
you and I.

The flowers will bloom forever,
The birds will sing their eternal song,
The moment we enter the garden,
you and I.

The stars of heaven will come out to watch us,
And we will show them
the light of a full moon –
you and I.

No more thought of "you" and "I."
Just the bliss of union –
Joyous, alive, free of care, you and I.

All the bright-winged birds of heaven
Will swoop down to drink of our sweet water –
The tears of our laughter, you and I.

What a miracle of fate, us sitting here.
Even at the opposite ends of the earth
We would still be together, you and I.

We have one form in this world,
another in the next.
To us belongs an eternal heaven,
the endless delight of you and I.

-- Version by Jonathan Star
(From a translation by Shahram Shiva)
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

Blessed time! when we are sitting,
I and thou,
With two forms and only one soul,
I and thou.
Fragrance, song of birds, they quicken
ev'rything
When we come into the garden,
I and thou.
All the stars of heaven hurry
to see us,
And we show them our own moon,
I and thou -
I and thou without words, without
I and thou -
In delight we are united,
I and thou.
Sugar chew the heaven's parrots
in that place
Where we're sitting, laughing sweetly,
I and thou.
Strange that I and thou together
in this nook
Are apart a thousand miles, see -
I and thou.
One form in this dust, the other
in that land,
Sweet eternal Paradise there . . .
I and thou.

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

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

Oh the memory of that moment
In the Palace, You and I,
To the eyes of the beholder,
Separate beings, You and I.
In our hearts, how well we knew it,
We were One soul-You and I

Oh the glory of the garden!
Beauteous birds that sing and fly!
'Twas for us the Living Fountain,
Paradise, as You and I
Cynosure of all the planets,
Went a-wandering, You and I.

And in us they saw the beauty
Of the full moon, You and I;
You no more you, I no more I,
One enraptured entity,
Joyous, free from all the smallness
Of the little You and I!

At the sight the hawks of heaven
Rend their breasts, with envy torn,
Where the nipple of our laughter
Rends the happy air of morn.

Oh the magic, Oh the power
Of this union, You and I --
Here we sit, we twain together,
In this corner, You and I--
Yet Iraq and Khorasan lie
Here before us--You and I!

-- Translation by Sir Colin Garbett
"Sun of Tabriz" (Selected poems of Rumi)
R. Beerman Publishers, Cape Town, 1956

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

Happy the moment which we, you and I, sit in the palace,
with two forms and two figures but with one soul, you and I.
The beauty of the garden and the birdson will confer upon us
the water of life at that time when we enter the garden, you and I.
The stars of heaven will come to gaze on us; we shall show
them the moon's sickle, you and I.
You and I, unselfed, will be collected together in ecstasy,
joyful, and indifferent to idle fable, you and I.
This is still more amazing, that you and I here in one corner
in this very moment are in Iraq and Khorasan, you and I.
In one form upon this earth, and in another form in eternal
paradise and the land of sugar, you and I.

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

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

~













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[Sunlight] You and I, in the Palace -- Ghazal 2214

[Sunlight] Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 106:

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

seek only the knowledge
that un-ties the problems
of your life
seek it soon
before
your number is up
leave alone
what seems to be
but is not
seek what
seems not to be
yet it might

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

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

Seek the wisdom
that will untie your knot
seek the path
that demands your whole being.
Leave that which is not, but appears
to be
seek that which is, but is
not apparent.

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


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

~



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[Sunlight] Seek the wisdom that will untie your knot

[Sunlight] A very topsy-turvy game

~

God's reversal of things: Mathnawi V: 420-458, a poetic version from
Coleman Barks, and the literal translation from Reynold A. Nicholson, from
which Barks developed his version

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

"The Question"

One dervish to another, "What was your vision of God's presence"?
I haven't seen anything.
But for the sake of conversation, I'll tell you a story.

God's presence is there in front of me - a fire on the left,
a lovely stream on the right.
One group walks toward the fire, into the fire, another
toward the sweet flowing water.
No one knows which are blessed and which not.
Whoever walks into the fire appears suddenly in the stream.
And then a head goes under on the water surface, that head
pokes out of the fire.
Most people guard against going into the fire,
and so end up in it.
Those who love the water of pleasure and make it their devotion
are cheated with this reversal.
The trickery goes further.
The voice of the fire tells the truth saying, "I am not fire.
I am fountainhead. Come into me and don't mind the sparks."

If you are a friend of God, fire is your water.
You should wish to have a hundred thousand sets of mothwings,
so you could burn them away, one set a night.
The moth sees light and goes into fire. You should see fire
and go toward light. Fire is what of God that is world-consuming.
Water, world-protecting.
Somehow each gives the appearance of the other. To these eyes
you have now, what looks like water
burns. What looks like fire
is a great relief to be inside.
You've seen a magician make a bowl of rice
seem a dish of tiny, live worms.
Before an assembly with one breath he made the floor swarm
with scorpions that weren't there.
How much more amazing God's tricks.
Generation after generation lies down, defeated, they think,
but they're like a woman underneath a man, circling him.
One molecule-mote-second thinking of God's reversal
of comfort and pain is better
than any attending ritual. That splinter
of intelligence is substance.

The fire and water themselves:
accidental, done with mirrors."

-- Poetic version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

~~Explaining that everyone knows the mercy of God, and
everyone knows the worth of God; and all are fleeing from the
wrath of God and clinging to the mercy of God; but the Most
High God has concealed wraths in mercy and mercies in wrath.
This is God's mystification and disguise and contrivance to the
end that the discerning who see by the Light of God may be
separated from those who see (only) the present and the visible;
for (He created death and life) that He might try you, which of
you is most righteous in his works.~~

One dervish said to another, "Tell (me), what was thy vision
of the Presence of God?*
He replied, "My vision was ineffable*; but for the sake of
argument I will briefly declare a parable thereof.
I beheld Him with a fire on His left, and on the right a stream
(like) Kawthar:
One party put forth their hands towards the fire, (while)
another party were rejoicing and intoxicated (with desire) for
that Kawthar.
But 'twas a very topsy-turvy (mystifying) game in the path
of every one doomed to perdition or blessed with salvation*.
Whoever went from the middle towards the water, he was at
once found to be in the fire;
Whoever went towards the right (hand) and the limpid water
would put forth his head from the fire on the left;
And he who went towards the fiery left, would emerge on
the right.
Few were they who hit upon (understood) the mystery of this
occult (matter); consequently the people were swindled by
this game.
Troop by troop and rank by rank, (they were) one their guard
against the fire and fleeing greedily and in haste towards the
water.
Of necessity, they lifted up their heads (emerged) from (amidst)
the fire. Take warning, take warning, O heedless man!
The fire was crying, 'O crazy fools, I am not fire, I am a
delectable fountain.
A spell has been cast on thine eyes, O sightless one: come
into me and never flee from the sparks.
O (thou who art as) Khalil (Abraham), here are no sparks and
smoke: "tis naught but the sorcery and deceit of Nimrod.
If, like the Friend of God, thou art wise, the fire is thy water,
and thou art the moth.'"
The soul of the moth* is always crying, "Oh, alas, would that
I had a hundred thousand wings,
That they might be consumed without mercy by the fire,
to the blindness (confusion) of the eyes and hearts of the profane!
The ignorant man pities me from stupidity: I pity him from
clairvoyance.
Especially this fire (of Love), which is the soul of (all) waters
(delights); (but) the behavior of the (ignorant) moth* is contrary
to ours.
It sees the light and goes into a Fire; the heart (of the mystic)
sees the fire and goes into a Light."
Such (a deceptive) game is played by* the Glorious God in
order that you may see who belongs to the kin of Khalil
(Abraham).
A fire has been given the semblance of water, and in fire
a fountain has been opened.
A magician by his art makes a dish of rice (appear to be) a dish
full of (tiny) worms in the assembly;
(Or) by the breath (power) of magic he has caused a room to
appear full of scorpions, though in truth there were no scorpions.
When sorcery produces a hundred such illusions, how (much
greater) must be the cunning of the Creator of sorcery?
Of necessity, through the magic of God generation after
generation have fallen down (been vanquished), like a woman
(lying) flat beneath (sub marito).
Their magicians were slaves and servants, and fell into the
trap (of divine cunning) like wagtails.
Hark, read the Qur'an and behold lawful magic (in) the over-
throw of plots (huge) as the mountains*.
"I am not (like) Pharaoh that I should come to the Nile*;
"Tis not fire; (in reality) 'tis flowing water, (while) the other*,
through (Divine) cunning, is water whereof the (real) nature
is fire.
Excellently well said the complaisant* Prophet, "A mote of
intelligence is better for thee than fasting and performing the
ritual prayer,"
Because thy intelligence is the substance, (whereas) these two
(things) are accidents: these two are made obligatory in (the
case of persons who possess) the full complement of it*,
In order that the mirror (intelligence) may have (a bright)
lustre; for purity comes to the breast (heart) from piety.
But if the mirror is fundamentally depraved, (only) after a
long time does the polisher get it back* (to purity);
While (in the case of) the fine mirror, which is (like) a goodly
planting-ground, a little polishing is enough for it.

-- Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
"The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi"
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial," 1990

* "What was thy vision of God?": literally, "how didst thou behold
the Presence of God?"
* "My vision was ineffable": literally, "I beheld (Him) nohow."
* "in the path of every one doomed to perdition or blessed with salvation":
literally, "before the feet of every one (who was) damned or blessed."
* "The soul of the moth": "The lover of God."
* "The ignorant moth": "Lover of the World."
* "Such game is played by": "literally, came from."
* "Read the Qur'an": Cf. Qur'an, XIV, 47.
* "I am not Pharaoh that I should come to the Nile":
The speaker is the "moth" (V. 439) which typifies the lover of God.
* "tis the flowing water, (while) the other": "I.e., the water of
worldliness
in which Pharaoh was drowned."
* "Complaisant": literally, "passing easily from one thing to another";
hence, generous in dealing with others.
* "These two are made obligatory in the full complement of it": literally,
they are not obligatory in the case of madmen or young boys.
* "after a long time does the polisher get it back": literally, "bring it
to hand again."

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

~



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[Sunlight] A very topsy-turvy game

[Sunlight] Wholly devoted

~

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

The interpretation of a sacred text is true
if it stirs you to hope, activity, and awe;
and if it makes you slacken your service, know the real truth to be this:
that it's a distortion of the sense of the saying, not a true interpretation.
This saying has come down to inspire you to serve--
that God may take the hands of those who have lost hope
and deliver them.
Ask the meaning of the Qur'an from the Qur'an alone,
and from that one who has set fire to his idle fancy and extinguished it,
and has become a sacrifice to the Qur'an, bowing low in humbleness,
so that the Qur'an has become the essence of his spirit.
That essential oil has wholly devoted itself to the rose--
you can smell either that oil or the rose, as you please.

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

Haqq bovad ta'vil k-ân garmet konad
por-e omid o chost o bâ sharmet konad
Var konad sostet haqiqat in be-dân
hast tabdil o nah ta'vilast ân
In barâ-ye garm kardan âmadast
tâ be-girad nâ-omidân-râ do dast
Ma`nâ-ye Qor'ân ze Qor'ân pors o bas
vaz kasi k-âtesh zadast andar hus
Pish-e Qor'ân gasht qorbâni o past
tâ keh `ayn-e ruh-e u Qor'ân shodast
Rawghani ku shod fedâ-ye gol be-koll
khvâh rawghan bui kon khvâhi to gol

-- Mathnawi V: 3125-3130
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~






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[Sunlight] Wholly devoted

[Sunlight] The Core

~

The Core

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

Whoever planted this apple orchard hid it in a mist of
language, though some

fragrance comes through. Keep your nose subtle and clear
for that. Coarse companions

can clog you with mucus, so that you forget what's
concealed in word-fog.

Husamuddin's sunlight helps, that which burns in this
book. There is a being

named Quzuh, familiar of cloud and rainbow, snow-moon
and frozen grave mounds.

Leave Quzuh those coverings. Pierce to the core that the
seven blue spheres revolve

around. Venus touches her lute strings to lure out
essence from this poem.

Jupiter lays down money. Saturn, even he, bends to kiss
the hand, "I'm not worthy."

Mars cuts himself sharpening his sword. Astrologers
study the stars as they

die out. Philosophers talk about "thought," but what
does that mean? Mystical

poets make metaphors. Sensualists order dessert. Bread
dissolves in the

belly. Every face lifts toward light. As minerals move
in plants, as animals drink

from the wet grass, Khidr leans to the wisdom spring;
another being sets down his

load lightheartedly with the Friend; life never ends.

-- Mathnawi VI: 84-128
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperCollins, 2001

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

~

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[Sunlight] The Core

[Sunlight] Tired of hunting, I surrender -- Ghazal 1419

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1419, from Rumi's "Diwan-e
Shams" ("The Collection of Shams"), in translations by Nader
Khalili, and Azima Melita Kolin and Maryam Mafi:

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

i was ready to tell
the story of my life
but the ripple of tears
and the agony of my heart
wouldn't let me

i began to stutter
saying a word here and there
and all along i felt
as tender as a crystal
ready to be shattered

in this stormy sea
we call life
all the big ships
come apart
board by board

how can i survive
riding a lonely
little boat
with no oars
and no arms

my boat did finally break
by the waves
and i broke free
as i tied myself
to a single board

though the panic is gone
i am now offended
why should i be so helpless
rising with one wave
and falling with the next

i don't know
if i am
nonexistence
while i exist
but i know for sure
when i am
i am not
but
when i am not
then i am

now how can i be
a skeptic
about the
resurrection and
coming to life again

since in this world
i have many times
like my own imagination
died and
been born again

that is why
after a long agonizing life
as a hunter
i finally let go and got
hunted down and became free

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

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

I was going to tell you my story
but waves of pain drowned my voice.
I tried to utter a word but my thoughts
became fragile and shattered like glass.
Even the largest ship can capsize
in the stormy sea of love,
let alone my feeble boat
which shattered to pieces leaving me nothing
but a strip of wood to hold on to.
Small and helpless, rising to heaven
on one wave of love and falling with the next
I don't even know if I am or I am not.
When I think I am, I find myself worthless,
when I think I am not, I find my value.
Like my thoughts, I die and rise again each day
so how can I doubt the resurrection?
Tired of hunting for love in this world,
at last I surrender in the valley of love
and become free.

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

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

~



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[Sunlight] Tired of hunting, I surrender -- Ghazal 1419

[Sunlight] “A step toward the Beloved” -- Quatrain 161

~

Today, Sunlight offers an interpretation of Quatrain 161:

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

A step toward your own heart
is a step toward the Beloved.

In this house of mirrors
you see a lot of things –
Rub your eyes.
Only you exist.

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

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

~



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[Sunlight] “A step toward the Beloved” -- Quatrain 161

[Sunlight] Burnt Kabob -- Ghazal 2738

~

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

"Burnt Kabob"

Last year I admired wines. This,
I'm wandering inside the red world.

Last year I gazed at the fire.
This year I'm a burnt kabob.

Thirst drove me down to the water
where I drank the moon's reflection.

Now I am a lion staring up,
totally lost in love with the thing itself.

Don't ask questions about longing.
Look in my face.

Soul-drunk, body-ruined, these two
sit helpless in a wrecked wagon.
Neither knows how to fix it.

And my heart, I'd say it was more
like a donkey, sunk in a mudhole,
struggling and miring deeper.

But listen to me: For one moment
quit being sad. Hear blessings
dropping their blossoms around you.
God.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2738
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1997

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

~

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[Sunlight] Burnt Kabob -- Ghazal 2738

[Sunlight] The heart that is the axis of the world

~

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

If a wealthy person brings a hundred sacks of gold,
God will only say,
"Bring the Heart, you who are bent double.
If the Heart is pleased with you, I am pleased;
and if the Heart is opposed to you, I am opposed.
I don't pay attention to 'you;' I look to the heart:
bring it, poor soul, as a gift to My door!
Its relation to you is also mine:
Paradise is at the feet of mothers."*
The heart is the mother and father and origin of all creatures:
the one who knows the heart from the skin is blessed.
You will say, "Look, I have brought a heart to You":
God will respond: "The royal service is full of these hearts.
Bring the heart that is the axis of the world
and the soul of the soul of the soul of Adam."
The Ruler of all hearts is waiting
for a heart filled with light and goodness.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sad jovâl-e zar biyâri ay ghani
Haqq be-guyad "Del biyâr ay monhani
Gar ze to râzist Del Man râziyam
var ze to mo`rez bovad a`râziyam
Na-negaram dar 'to' dar ân del be-negaram
tohfeh u-râ âr ay jân bar daram
Bâ to u chonast hastam man chonân
zir-e pâ-ye mâdarân bâshad Jenân"*
Mâdar o bâbâ o âsel-e khalq ust
ay khonok ânkas keh dânad del ze pust
To be-guyi "Nak del âvordam be-To"
guyadet "Porast azin del-hâ qotu
n deli âvor keh qotb-e `âlam ust
jân-e jân-e jân-e jân-e dam ust"
Az barâ-ye ân del por-e nur o berr
hast ân Soltân-e del-hâ montazer

-- Mathnawi V: 881-888
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

*Hadith

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

~


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[Sunlight] The heart that is the axis of the world

[Sunlight] Mining the riches of men

~

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

Remember the adage: Men are mines.
One mine may be worth a hundred thousand.
One mine of lurking ruby and carnelian
has more value than countless mines of copper.
O Ahmad, here riches are of no use!
What is wanted is a heart full of love and pain and sighs.

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

Yâd-e "al-nâs ma`âden" hin biyâr
ma`dani bâshad fozun az sad hazâr
Ma`dan-e la`l o `aqiq moktanes
behtarast az sad hazârân kân-e mess
Ahmadâ injâ na-dârad sâl sud
Sineh bâyad por ze `eshq o dard o dud

-- Mathnawi II: 2077-2079
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra


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

~

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[Sunlight] Mining the riches of men

[Sunlight] Nurture me from Thine own self -- Ghazal 1407

~

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

What didst Thou drink last night? Tell me, my
sugar-sweet idol, so that I may drink the same -- day and night,
all year long, for the rest of my life.
If Thou misleadest me, Thy color will tell the
tale -- ever since I saw Thy color, my head has been stunned.
For a time, pull up Thy reins -- leave me not in
haste! Let my heart light up, let me gaze upon Thee to the
full.
My heart is beating wildly -- stay still for a
moment! The blood keeps dripping from my eyes -- leave not
my gaze in haste!
When I am far from Thee, I teach the earth to
be dark and dismal; but when I see Thee for an instant, I light
up the azure heavens.
When the sun's cheek moves far from the
earth's countenance, night must pull down a black cloth of
separation.
But when the sun shows itself in the morning,
the earth dons white garments -- oh, Thy Face is the spirit's
sun! Do not go far from me!
Be not a tyrant, oh Idol! Spill not my blood
without cause! Close not Thy heart toward me, oh Idol, smash
not my gem!
Last night the cup placed Thy Image in my
hand -- before I saw Thee there, I had no desire for wine.
Thou hast given the heavens and earth a potion
through which they have grown fat -- nurture me from Thine
own Self, for I am emaciated!
Oh quarrelsome Idol, Thy quarrelling has made
even sugar drunk! Thy Spirit is my spirit, Thy Star my star!
I keep on telling my heart, "Drink blood and
stay silent!" But it just shrugs its shoulders: You be silent,
I'm deaf."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1407
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, 1983

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

~



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[Sunlight] Nurture me from Thine own self -- Ghazal 1407

[Sunlight] "When compassion fills my heart" -- Quatrain 1115

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 1115:

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

I am happy
when I am sad
I am together
when fallen apart
like earth
when I am silent
I have thunder
hidden inside

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

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

When compassion fills my heart,
free from all desire,
I sit quietly like the earth.
My silent cry echoes like thunder
throughout the universe.

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

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

~




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[Sunlight] "When compassion fills my heart" -- Quatrain 1115

[Sunlight] I have no inclination for mankind

~

Today, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ode (Ghazal) number 1620, from the
"Diwan-e Shams" -- the "Collection of Shams", in a poetic version* by
Coleman Barks, and in translation by A.J. Arberry.

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

There is a passion in me
that doesn't long for anything
from another human being.

I was given something else,
a cap to wear in both worlds.
It fell off. No matter.

One morning I went to a place beyond dawn.
A source of sweetness that flows
and is never less.

I have been shown a beauty
that would confuse both worlds
but I won't cause that uproar.

I am nothing but a head
set on the ground
as a gift for Shams.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~~

There is a passion in my head that I have no inclination for
mankind, this passion makes me so that I am unaware of myself.
The king of love bestows every moment two thousand kingdoms;
I desire nothing from him save his beauty.
The girdle and cap of his love are enough for me in both worlds;
what matter if my cap falls? What care I if I have no girdle?
One morning his love transported my wounded heart to a
place where I transcended day and night, and have no knowledge
of dawn.
A journey befell my soul to the kingdom of realities, such that
the sky and the moon say, "I have no such journey."
Through separation if my soul scatters pearls from my eyes,
think not that I have not a heart full of pearls from him.
What sugar-seller have I to sell sugar to me! Never on any
day he said, "Go, for I have no sugar."
I would have shown a token of his beauty, but the two worlds
would be confounded; I have no inclination for such clamour
and riot.
Tabriz, I have sworn that after Shams-I Din comes I will in
gratitude lay down this head, for I have nothing but a head.

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

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

~






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[Sunlight] I have no inclination for mankind

[Sunlight] This world is a sorcerer

~

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

This world is a sorcerer,
and we are the merchants who buy
yards of measured moonbeams.
When it takes the money of our life,
our purse is emptied, and we are left without linen.
You must recite, Say, I take refuge,
crying "O You who are One, come,
save me from those who cast knotted spells."*
But invoke Him with the tongue of deeds as well,
for the tongue of words is weak.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In jahân jâdust mâ ân tâjerim
keh azu mahtâb-e paymudeh kharim
Chon setad u sim-e `omret ay rahi
sim shod kerbâs ni kiseh tahi
Qul a`ûdhet khvânad bâyad k-"Ay Ahad
hin ze naffâthât afghân vaz `uqad"*
Lik bar khvân az zabân-e fe`l niz
keh zabân-e qawl sostast ay `aziz

*al-Falaq, 1; 4

-- Mathnawi V:1039; 1041-1042; 1044
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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[Sunlight] This world is a sorcerer

[Sunlight] The bounty of the Sea is poured through our jar

~

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

A human being is essentially an eye;
the rest is merely flesh and skin:
whatever the eye has beheld, he is that.
A jar will submerge a mountain with its water
when the eye of the jar is open to the Sea.
When the interior of the jar has a channel to the Sea,
that jar will overwhelm a river as great as the Oxus.
In the same way whatever speech Muhammad utters,
those words are really uttered by the Sea.
All his words were pearls of the Sea,
for his heart had a passage into that Sea.
Since the bounty of the Sea is poured through our jar,
why should anyone be amazed that the Sea itself
should be contained in a Fish*?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

dami didast bâqi gusht o pust
har cheh cheshmesh dideh ast ân chiz ust
Kuh-râ gharqeh konad yek khom ze nam
cheshm-e khom chon bâz bâshad su-ye yamm
Chon beh-Daryâ râh shod az jân-e khom
khom bâ Jayhun bar ârad oshtolom
Z-ân sabab qol gofteh-ye Daryâ bud
har cheh notq-e Ahmadi guyâ bud
Gofteh-ye u jomleh dar Bahr buz
keh delesh-râ bovad dar Daryâ nofuz
Dâd Daryâ chon ze khom-e mâ bovad
cheh `ajab dar Mâhiyi* Daryâ bovad

*The Perfect Human Being.

-- Mathnawi VI:812-817
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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[Sunlight] The bounty of the Sea is poured through our jar

[Sunlight] "Look inside, and seek That" -- Quatrain 45

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 45:

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

There is a force within
Which gives you life –
seek That.
In your body
Lies a priceless gem –
seek That.
O wandering Sufi,
if you want to find
the greatest treasure
Don't look outside,
Look inside, and seek That.

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

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

there is a soul
within your soul
seek it out
there is a tresure
in your mountain
seek it out
a mystic in motion
if that's what you are
don't seek out there
seek inside

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

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

~



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[Sunlight] "Look inside, and seek That" -- Quatrain 45

[Sunlight] Cry Out Your Grief -- Ghazal 2208

~

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

Cry Out Your Grief

Cry out all your grief, your
disappointments! Say them in

Farsi, then Greek. It doesn't
matter whether you're from Rum

or Arabia. Praise the beauty
and kindness praised by every

living being. You hurt and have
sharp desire, yet your presence

is a healing calm. Sun, moon,
bonfire, candle, which? Someone

says your flame is about to be
dowsed, but you're not smoke or

fire. You're infinitely more
alive. Say how that is! This

fluttering love will not stay
much longer in my chest. Soon it

will fly like a falcon to its
master, like an owl saying HU.

-- Ghazal 2208
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperCollins, 2001

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

~



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[Sunlight] Cry Out Your Grief -- Ghazal 2208

[Sunlight] The truth is, your head will be lost

~

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


Many talents run through your head
that urge you to fame.
The truth is that
your head will be lost.
If you don't wish to lose your head,
make yourself lowly like a foot.
Put yourself under the protection
of the axis who has discernment.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ay basâ dânesh keh andar sar davad
tâ shavad sarvar bedân khvod-sar ravad
Sar na-khvâhi keh ravad to pây bâsh
dar panâh-e qotb sâheb-e rây bâsh

-- Mathnawi II: 1983-1984
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra


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

~



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[Sunlight] The truth is, your head will be lost

[Sunlight] Wandering in search of His Pleasure

~

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

Seek God in self-abasement and self-extinction,
for nothing but forms is produced by thinking.
And if you derive no comfort except from form,
then the form that comes to birth within you involuntarily is best.
Suppose it is the form of a city to which you are going:
you are drawn there by a formless feeling of pleasure, O dependent one;
therefore, you are really going to that which has no location,
for pleasure is something different from time and place.
Suppose it is the form of a friend to whom you would go:
you are going for the sake of enjoying his company;
therefore, in reality you go to the formless world,
though you are unaware of that being the object of your journey.
In truth, then, God is worshiped by all,
since all wayfaring
is for the sake of the pleasure of which He is the source.

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

Dar tazarro` juy o dar efnâ-ye khvish
kaz tafakkor joz sovar n-âyad be-pish
Var ze ghayr-e suratet na-bovad fareh
surati k-ân bi to zâyad dar to beh
Surat-e shahri keh ânjâ mi ravi
zawq-e bi suratet keshidet ay ravi
Pas be-ma`nâ mi ravi tâ lâ makân
keh khvoshi ghayr-e makânast o zamân
Surat-e yâri keh su-ye u shavi
az barâ-ye mo'nesi'esh mi ravi
Pas be-ma`nâ su-ye bi surat shodi
garcheh ze ân maqsud ghâfel âmadi
Pas haqiqat Haqq bud ma`bud-e koll
kaz pay-e zawqast sayrân-e sobol

-- Mathnawi VI: 3749-3755
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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[Sunlight] Wandering in search of His Pleasure

[Sunlight] "A treasure of gold in this dust bowl"

~

Here, Sunlight offers four presentations of Rumi's Ghazal (Ode)
996 -- a version from Coleman Barks, and translations from Jonathan
Star, Annemarie Schimmmel, and A.J. Arberry.

(Note on Sunlight practices: When comparative presentations are
offered, versions and translations are placed in what the the
Sunlight editors generally consider to be the ascending order of
reliability and accuracy. Versions [interpretations of previously
existing translations done by others] are placed first, and, when
possible, the translations from which the versions were derived are
placed last.)

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

Someone says, Sanai is dead.
No small thing to say.

He was not bits of husk,
or a puddle that freezes overnight,
or a comb that cracks when you use it,
or a pod crushed open on the ground.

He was fine powder in a rough clay dish.
He knew what both worlds were worth:
A grain of barley.

One he slung down, the other up.

The inner soul, that presence of which most know nothing,
about which poets are so ambiguous,
he married that one to the beloved.

His pure gold wine pours on the thick wine dregs.
They mix and rise and separate again
to meet down the road. Dear friend from Marghaz,
who lived in Rayy, in Rum, Kurd from the mountains,
each of us returns home.

Silk must not be compared with striped canvas.

Be quiet and clear now
like the final touchpoints of calligraphy.

Your name has been erased
from the roaring volume of speech.

-- Poetic version by Coleman Barks
(From a translation by A.J. Arberry)
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1997

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

Someone said, "Master San'ai is dead."

The death of such a master is no small thing.
He was not chaff blown about by the wind,
Nor a puddle frozen over in winter.
He was not a comb broken in the hair,
Nor a seed crushed on the ground.

He was a piece of gold in a pile of dust.
The value he put on both worlds
was equal to one barleycorn.

He let his body fall back into the earth
and bore the witness of his soul to heaven.
But there is a second soul
of which common men are not aware.
I tell you before God,
That one merged straight with the Beloved!

What was once mixed is now separate:
The pure wine rose to the top,
The dregs settled to the bottom.

During their travels, everyone walks together -
people from Marv and Rayy, the Kurds and Romans.
But soon each returns to his homeland.
How can fine silk stay bound to rough wool?

He has reached the final stage.
The King has erased his name
from the book of words . . . .
O Master, now that you're gone from this world,
How can we reach you
but in silence?

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

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

Said someone: "Look! Master Sana'i is
dead!"
Ah, such a man's death is no small affair!
He was no straw that is gone with the
wind,
He was no water that froze in the cold,
He was no comb that broke in the hair,
He was no grain that was crushed by the
earth,
He was a golden treasure in the dust
As he considered both the worlds a grain.
He cast the dust form back into the dust,
He carried heavenward both soul and mind.
The dregs were mixed here with the purest
wine;
The wine then rose; the dregs were settling
down.
The second soul, which people do not
know -
By God! he gave it to the Friend, to God!
They all meet during travel, O my friend -
From Marw and Rayy, and Kurds, and
Byzantine,
But ev'ryone returns to his own home -
Why should fine silk become a friend of
wool?
Be quiet, quiet! For the King of Speech
Erased your name now from the book of
speech!

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

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

Someone said, "Master Sana'i is dead." The death of such a
master is no small thing.
He was not chaff which flew on the wind, he was not water
which froze in the cold;
He was not a comb that split on a hair, he was not a seed
crushed by the earth.
He was a treasure of gold in this dust bowl, for he reckoned
both worlds as one barleycorn.
The earthly mould he flung to the earth, the soul of reason he
carried to the heavens.
The second soul of which men know nothing - we talk ambig-
uously - he committed to the Beloved.
The pure wine mingled with the wine-dregs, rose to the top of
the vat and separated from the dregs.
They meet together on the journey, dear friend, native of
Marghaz, of Rayy, of Rum, Kurd;
Each one returns to his own home - how should silk be com-
pared with striped cloth?
Be silent, like (a letter's) points, inasmuch as the King has
erased your name from the volume of speech.

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

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

~








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[Sunlight] "A treasure of gold in this dust bowl"

[Sunlight] Bravery, compassion and pain -- Ghazal 2206

~

Today, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2206, from Rumi's "Diwan-e
Shams" ("The Collection of Shams), in a version by Professor Coleman
Barks, and in translation by Professor William Chittick:

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

"Not Here"

There's courage involved if you want
to become truth. There is a broken-

open place in a lover. Where are
those qualities of bravery and sharp

compassion in this group? What's the
use of old and frozen thought? I want

a howling hurt. This is not a treasury
where gold is stored; this is for copper.

We alchemists look for talent that
can heat up and change. Lukewarm

won't do. Halfhearted holding back,
well-enough getting by? Not here.

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

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brother! To be a lover you must have pain!
Where is your pain? Sincerity and patience require
a man. Where is the man?
How much longer will your invocation be
congealed and your meditation paralyzed? Where
are passionate cries and a yellow face?
I am not looking for the elixir or gold. Where
is a receptive piece of copper? How can even a
lukewarm disciple attain passionate love? What
then if he's cold?

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

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

~


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[Sunlight] Bravery, compassion and pain -- Ghazal 2206

[Sunlight] There is a friend within your soul -- Quatrain 181

~

Today, Sunlight offers three interpretations of Quatrain 181:

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

you see no center
you're so ego ridden
within your shell
your senses are
the brain of your body
and your brain
the sense of your soul
remember
that there is a friend
within your soul
once you surpass
the body sense and soul
there is nothing but the friend

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

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

Don't forget the nut, being so proud of the shell,
The body has its inward ways,

the five senses. They crack open,
and the Friend is revealed.

Crack open the Friend, you become
the All-One.

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"Unseen Rain"
Threshold Books, 1986

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

Deafened by the voice of desire
you are unaware the Beloved
lives in the core of your heart.
Stop the noise,
and you will hear His voice
in the silence.

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


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

~



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[Sunlight] There is a friend within your soul -- Quatrain 181