Wednesday, July 31, 2013

[Sunlight] In the company of lovers – Ghazal 2308

~

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

I am drunk and you are insane
tell me, who will lead us home?
How many times have I asked you not to drink so much
for I see no sober soul in town.
Come to the tavern my dearest and taste the wine of love
for the soul is joyous only in the company of lovers.
The tavern of love is your livelihood
your income and expenses, the wine.
Be careful, not to trust a sober soul
with even one drop of this wine.
Go on playing your lute, my drunken gypsy but tell me,
between the two of us, who is more drunk?
As I left my house a Sufi approached me,
in his glance I saw a hundred gardens.
He swayed from side to side like a ship without an anchor,
while a hundred reasonable men watched on enviously.
Where are you from? I asked him.
He replied, "Half from Turkistan and half from Farghaneh,
half from water and clay and half from soul and heart,
half from the edge of the sea and half from the depths of the coean."

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2398
Translated by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi
Rumi: Hidden Music
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, 2001

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

~


















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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

[Sunlight] Sweetness in proportion to pain

~

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

Your anguish is seeking a way to attain to Me:
yesterday evening I heard your deep sighs.
And I am able, without any delay,
to give you access, to show you a way of passage,
to deliver you from this whirlpool of time,
that you might set your foot upon the treasure of union with Me;
but the sweetness and delights of the resting place
are in proportion to the pain of the journey.
Only then will you enjoy your native town and your kinsfolk,
when you have suffered the anguish of exile.

^ ^

Châreh mi juyad pay-e Man dard-e to
mi shonudam dush âh-e sard-e to
Man tavânam ham keh bi in entezâr
rah deham be-namâyamet râh gozâr
Tâ azin gerdâb-e dawrân vâ rahi
bar sar-e ganj-e vesâlam pâ nehi
Lik shirini o lazzat-e maqarr
hast bar andâzeh-ye ranj-e safar
nkeh az shahr va ze khvishân bar-khvori
kaz gharibi ranj o mehnat-hâ bari

-- Mathnawi III:4154-4158
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~




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Monday, July 29, 2013

[Sunlight] "The Fragile Vial"

~

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

"The Fragile Vial"

I need a mouth as wide as the sky
to say the nature of a True Person, language
as large as longing.

The fragile vial inside me often breaks.
No wonder I go mad and disappear for three days
every month with the moon.

For anyone in love with you,
it's always these invisible days.

I've lost the thread of the story I was telling.
My elephant roams his dream of Hindustan again.
Narrative, poetics, destroyed, my body,
a dissolving, a return.

Friend, I've shrunk to a hair trying to say your story.
Would you tell mine?
I've made up so many love stories.
Now I feel fictional.
Tell me!
The truth is, you are speaking, not me.
I am Sinai, and you are Moses walking there.
This poetry is an echo of what you say.
A piece of land can't speak, or know anything!
Or if it can, only within limits.

The body is a device to calculate
the astronomy of the spirit.
Look through that astrolabe
and become oceanic.

Why this distracted talk?
It's not my fault I rave.
You did this.
Do you approve of my love-madness?

Say yes.
What language will you say it in, Arabic or Persian,
or what? Once again, I must be tied up.
Bring the curly ropes of your hair.
Now I remember the story.
A True Man stares at his old shoes
and sheepskin jacket. Every day he goes up
to his attic to look at his work-shoes and worn-out coat.
This is his wisdom, to remember the original clay
and not get drunk with ego and arrogance.

To visit those shoes and jacket
is praise.

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

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

-- Mathnawi V; 1884-1920; 1959-64
Poetic version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

~



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Friday, July 26, 2013

[Sunlight] “Rock Solid”

~

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

Everyone baked by the divine Sun
will become rock solid:
without dread or shame,
his features fiery and veil-rending,
like the face of the peerless Sun.
Every prophet was hard-faced in this world,
and beat single-handed against the army of kings,
and did not turn his face from fear or pain,
but single and alone
dashed against a whole world.
The stone is hard-faced and bold-eyed,
unafraid of the bricks thrown by the world.
For the bricks were made strong in the kiln,
but the rock was hardened by a Godly art.

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

Har keh az khvorshid bâshad posht garm
sakht-ru bâshad nah bim u-râ nah sharm
Hamcho ru-ye âftâb bi hazar
gasht ruyesh khasm suz o pardeh-dar
Har payambar sakht-ru bod dar jahân
yek-sovâreh kuft bar jaysh-e shahân
Ru na-gardânid az tars o ghammi
yek-taneh tanhâ be-zad bar `âlami
Sang bâshad sakht-ru o cheshm-shukh
u na-tarsad az jahân par kolukh
K-ân kolukh az khesht-zan yek lakht shod
sang az son`-e Khodâyi sakht shod

-- Mathnawi III: 4139-4144
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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Thursday, July 25, 2013

[Sunlight] Champions in nonexistence – Ghazal 1601

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once again we have left our heart, intellect, and
spirit behind - the Friend has come into the midst and we
have disappeared.
We have turned back from annihilation and become
woven into subsistence; we have found the Traceless and
thrown away all traces.
Stirring up dust from the ocean and smoke from
the nine spheres, we have discarded Time, the earth, and
the heavens.
Beware, the drunkards have come! Clear the way! - no
I said that wrong, for we have been delivered from the way and
the travelers.
The spirit's fire has lifted its head from the body's
earth; the heart began to shout, and like a shout, we rose up.
Let us speak less, for if we speak, few understand. Pour
more wine, for we have entered the ranks of the self-deniers!
Existence is for women - the work of men is nonexistence.
Thanks be to God, for we have risen as champions in nonexistence!

-- Ghazal (Ode) 1601
Translation by Professor William C. Chittick*
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

*William C. Chittick, Ph.D. (University of Tehran, 1974) is Professor of
Comparative Studies at State University of New York, Stony Brook. He has
published numerous books, among them, Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-'Arabi and
the Problem of Religious Diversity; Faith and Practice of Islam: Three
Thirteenth Century Sufi Texts; The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn al-'Arabi's
Metaphysics of Imagination; The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of
Rumi; and A Shi'ite Anthology, all published by SUNY Press.

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

~


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

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Wednesday, July 24, 2013

[Sunlight] What a Blessing – Ghazal 451

~

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

WHAT A BLESSING

Don't hide – the sight of your face is a blessing.
Wherever you place your foot,
there rests a blessing.
Even your shadow,
passing over me like a swift bird,
is a blessing.

The great Spring has come.
Your sweet air,
blowing through the city, the country,
the gardens, and the desert
is a blessing.

He has come with love to our door;
His knock is a blessing.

We go from house to house, asking of him.
Any answer is a blessing.

Caught in this body,
we look for a sight of the soul.
Remember what the Prophet said:
"One sight is a blessing."

The leaf of every tree brings a message
from the Unseen world.
Look! Every falling leaf is a blessing.

All of Nature swings in unison –
singing without tongues,
listening without ears.
What a blessing!

O soul, the four elements are your face –
Water, wind, fire, and earth –
Each one is a blessing.

Once the seed of faith takes root
it cannot be blown away,
even by the strongest wind –
Now that's a blessing!

I bow to you,
for the dust of your feet
is the crown on my head.
As I walk toward you,
every step I take is a blessing.

His form appeared before me, just now,
as I was singing this poem. I swear.
What a blessing!
What a blessing!

Every vision born of earth is fleeting;
Every vision born of heaven is a blessing.

For people, the sight of Spring warms their hearts;
For fish, the rhythm of the ocean
is a blessing.
The brilliant Sun
that shines in every heart –
for the heavens, earth, and all creatures –
What a blessing!

The heart can't wait to speak of this ecstasy.
The soul is kissing the earth saying,
O God, what a blessing!

Fill me with the wine of your silence.
Let it soak my every pore
For the inner splendor it reveals
is a blessing,
is a blessing.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 451
Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~








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Tuesday, July 23, 2013

[Sunlight] Bury your own selfhood in His

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bury your own selfhood in His

Don't strive so much to complete your worldly affairs;
don't strive in any affair that's not sacred.

Otherwise at the end, you'll leave incomplete,
your spiritual affairs damaged and your bread unbaked.

The beautifying of your grave isn't done
by means of wood and stone and plaster;

no, but by digging your grave in spiritual purity
and burying your own selfhood in His,

and by becoming His dust, buried in love of Him,
so that from His breath, yours may be replenished.

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

Dar tamâmi kâr-hâ chandin ma-kush
joz be-kâri keh bovad dar din ma-kush
`qebat to raft khvâhi nâ-tamâm
kâr-hâyet abtar va nân-e to khâm
Vân `emârat kardan gur o lahd
ni be-sangast va be-chub va ni labd
Balke khvod-râ dar safâ guri koni
dar mani-ye U koni dafn mani
Khâk-e U gardi va madfun-e ghamash
tâ damet bâyad madad-hâ az damesh

-- Mathnawi III: 128-132
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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Monday, July 22, 2013

[Sunlight] "Keep Moving" – Ghazal 304

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 304, in an interpretive version by Coleman Barks, and a translation by A.J.Arberry:

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

"Keep Moving"

Do you hear what the violin
says about longing?

The same as the stick, "I was once
a green branch in the wind."

We are all far from home.
Language is our caravan bell.

Don't stop anywhere.
The moment you're attracted to a place,
you grow bored with it.

Think of the big moves you've already made,
from a single cell to a human being!

Stay light-footed, and keep moving.
Turkish, Arabic, Greek, any tongue
is a wind that was formerly water.

As a breeze carries the ocean inside it,
so underneath every sentence is,
"Come back to the source."

A moth doesn't avoid flame.
The king lives in the city.

Why should I keep company with an owl
out here in the empty buildings?

If your donkey acts crazy and won't work,
apply the bullwhip to his head.
He'll understand.

Don't try to love him
back to his senses. Whack him!

-- Version by Coleman Barks, from a
translation by John Moyne
"Say I am You"
Maypop, 1994

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

Do you not know what the rebeck says concerning tears of the
eyes and burning hearts?
"I am a skin far sundered from the flesh; how should I not
lament in separation and torment?"
The stick also says, "I was once a green branch; that cavalcade
broke and tore to pieces my saddle."*
We are exiles in separation; O kings, give ear to us-"To God
is the returning."
From God in the first place we sprang in the world; to Him
likewise we revert from the revolution.
Our cry is like the bell in the caravan, or as thunder when the
clouds travel the sky.
Wayfarer, set not your heart upon a lodging-place, becoming
weary at the time of attraction;
For you have departed from many a stage, from the sperm
until the season of youth.*
Take it lightly, that you may escape easily; give up readily,
and so find the reward.
Take hold of Him firmly, for He has taken firm hold on you;
first He and last He-go, discover Him.*
Gently He draws the bow, for that arrow of His quivers in the
hearts of the lovers.
Be the lover Turk or Greek or Arab,* this cry right enough is
fellow-tongue with him.
The wind is lamenting and calling to you, "Come in my wake,
even to the river of water.
I was water; I became wind; I have come to deliver the thirsty
ones from this mirage."
Speech* is that wind which was formerly water; it becomes
water when it casts off the veil.
This shout arose from without the six directions: "Flee from
direction, and turn not your face from Us."
O lover, you are not less than the moth; when does the moth
ever avoid the flame?
The King is in the city; for the sake of the owl how should I
abandon the city and occupy the ruin?
If an ass has gone mad, strike the ox-whip upon its head until
its senses return.
If I seek his heart, his worthlessness increases still more; God
said regarding the unbelievers, "Strike their necks".*

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


Arberry's notes:

Comparison of this poem with the opening verses of the Mathnawi
is relevant
* "To God": cf. Koran 3:12
* "For you have departed, etc.": see Math. III:3901; IV:3637; and
cf. Qur'an 23:13.
* "Take hold...": see Qur'an 31:21
* "Turk or Greek or Arab": The language of Divine Love is international.
* "Speech": the Logos mediating between God and man.
* "If I seek, etc.": Qur'an 47:4. The only course with deniers of spiritual values
is, not tenderness, but outright rejection.

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

~


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

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Friday, July 19, 2013

[Sunlight] Turn your face toward your own face

~

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

The medicine of all intellects is just a picture of Love,
the faces of all sweethearts are but His veil.
You who are devoted to Love, turn your face toward your own face:
you have no kinsman but yourself, you who are distraught.
The faqir made a qiblah of his heart and began to pray:
The human being has nothing but that for which he labors.*
Before he heard any answer to his prayer
he had been praying many years.
He prayed intently without receiving any overt response,
but in secret from Divine grace he was hearing I am here.
Since that sickly man was always dancing without a tambourine,
in reliance upon the bounty of the Almighty Creator,
though neither a heavenly voice nor Divine messenger
was ever seen to be near,
yet the ear of his hope was filled with Here I am.
His hope was saying, without tongue, "Come!"
and that call was sweeping all weariness from within his heart.

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

Tebb-e jomleh-ye `aql-hâ manqush-e Ust
ru-ye jomleh-ye delbarân rupush-e Ust
Rui dar rui khvod ârâ-ye `Eshq kish
nist ay maftun torâ joz khvish khvish
Qebleh az del sâkht âmad dar do`â
Laysa lil-insân illâ mâ sa`â*
Pish az ân ku pâsokhi be-shenideh bud
sâl-hâ andar do`â pichideh bud
Bi ejâbat bar do`â-hâ mi tanid
az karam Labbayk-e penhân mi shenid
Chonkeh bi daff raqs mi kard ân `alil
ze e`temâd-e jud-e Khallâq-e Jalil
Su-ye u nah hâtef o nah payk bud
gush-e umidesh por az Labbayk bud
Bi zabân mi goft umidesh "Ta`âl"
az delesh mi ruft ân da`vat malâl

*Âl `Imrân, 25

-- Mathnawi VI: 1982-1989
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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Thursday, July 18, 2013

[Sunlight] The Shining Hero –- Ghazal 1502

~

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

THE SHINING HERO

Every prisoner, I freed.
Every lover's soul, I made happy.
The mouth of the dragon – I tore it open.
The path of love – I made it smooth.

Out of water I weaved the world.
Then I filled it with the power of life.
Out of water I brought forth living images
that cannot be carved from ivory or box wood.

Water bursts forth, surging
with the ecstasy of creation –
That is its nature,
That is its addiction.

I pulled Joseph out of a well,
And summoned the whole world
to remember his name.

I am the King
who enjoys the sight of every Queen.
I am the shining hero
who cut through a mountain of stone
for the sake of love.

I have caused great gardens to bloom;
I have built great empires.
The universe is my witness –
I am a King who gives away land
and rules with perfect justice.

I am merely a guest, born in this world
to know the secrets
that lie beyond it.

What masters I have checkmated!
What novices I have turned to masters!

Many lions have roared at me,
Yet like a fox,
I tamed them and made them helpless.

Enough with your doubts!
Enough with your sorrows!
Let them all go,
and I will show you the way.

Everyone swept up by the storm of misery
Will be brought to solid ground –
all they must do is call out to me.
I'll bring them from the center of the whirlwind
Just as I brought this whole creation
out of Emptiness . . .

Now my master has bade me to keep silent –
He has struck me with his sword
and turned my tongue to steel.
Now all I can do is cut.

-- Ode 1502
Poetic translation by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992

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

~


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

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Wednesday, July 17, 2013

[Sunlight] "All the precious words" -- Quatrain 1112

~

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

all the precious words
you and I have exchanged
have found their way
into the heart of the universe
one day they'll pour on us
like whispering rain
helping us arise
from our roots again


-- Quatrain 1112
Translation by Nader Khalili
Rumi, Dancing the Flame
Cal-Earth Press, 2001

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

~


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

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Tuesday, July 16, 2013

[Sunlight] "Say Yes Quickly" -- Ghazal 2933

~

Ghazal (Ode) 2933 - a poetic version by Coleman Barks and
a literal translation by A.J. Arberry:

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

"Say Yes Quickly"

Forget your life. Say "God is Great." Get up.
You think you know what time it is. It's time to pray.
You've carved so many little figurines, too many.
Don't knock on any random door like a beggar.
Reach your long hands out to another door, beyond where
you go on the street, the street
where everyone says, "How are you?"
and no one says "How aren't you?"

Tomorrow you'll see what you've broken and torn tonight,
thrashing in the dark. Inside you
there's an artist you don't know about.
He's not interested in how things look different in moonlight.

If you are here unfaithfully with us,
you're causing terrible damage.
If you've opened your loving to God's love,
you're helping people you don't know
and have never seen.

Is what I say true? Say yes quickly,
if you know, if you've known it
from before the beginning of the universe.

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

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

You who are Imam of love, say Allah Akbar*, for you are drunk;
shake you two hands, become indifferent to existence.
You were fixed to a time, you made haste; the time of prayer
has come. Leap up - why are you seated?
In hope of the qibla of God you carve a hundred qibla; in hope
of that idol's love you worship a hundred idols.
Fly upwards, O soul, O obedient soul; the moon is above, the
shadow is low.
Do not like a beggar knock your hand at any door; knock at
the ring of the door of heaven, for you have a long hand.
Since the flagon of heaven has made you like that, be a
stranger to the world, for you have escaped out of self.
I say to you, "How are you?" No one ever says to the "how-
less" soul, "How are you?"
Tonight you are drunk and dissolute, come tomorrow and you
will see what bags you have torn, what glasses you have broken.
Every glass I have broken was my trust in you, for myriadwise
you have bound up the broken.
O secret artist, in the depths of your soul you have a thousand
forms, apart from the moon and the Lady of the Moon [Mahasti].*
If you have stolen the ring, you have opened a thousand
throats; if you have wounded a breast, you have given a hundred
souls and hearts.
I have gone mad; whatever I say in madness, quickly say,
"Yes, yes," if you are privy to Alast.

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

*Allah-o Akbar (God is great) is the call for prayer.
*Mahasti means "you are a moon," or "the lady of the moon," or simply a lady.

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

~






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Monday, July 15, 2013

[Sunlight] "The Story of Sahuri"

~

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

"The Story of Sahuri"*

A certain man was drumming at a certain gate to announce
the "Sahir"*: 'twas a court-house and the pavilion of a grandee.
(Whilst) he was beating his drum vigorously at midnight,
some one said to him, "O thou who art seeking (the means of)
support,
Firstly, give this call to the "Sahir" at daybreak: midnight is not
the time for (making) this disturbance;
And secondly, observe, O man of vain desire, whether in fact
there is any one inside this house at midnight.
There is nobody here except demons and spirits: why art thou
trifling thy time away?
Thou art beating thy tambourine for the sake of an ear: where
is the ear? Intelligence is needed in order to know (thy purpose):
where is the intelligence?"
He replied, "You have said (your say): (now) hear the answer
from your (humble) servant, that you may not remain in be-
wilderment and confusion.
Although in your opinion this moment is midnight, in my view
the dawn of delight is near at hand.
In my sight every defeat has been turned to victory, in my
eyes all nights have been turned to day.
To you the water of the river Nile seems blood; to me it is not
blood, 'tis water, O noble man.
As for your saying, "There is nobody in this house and palace:
why art thou beating this drum?"--
(I reply that) this (Moslem) people are giving (large) sums of
gold for God's sake, founding hundreds of pious institutions and
mosques,
And, like intoxicated lovers, gladly risking their property and
lives* on their way to (perform) the distant Pilgrimage:
Do they ever say, "The House (Ka'ba) is empty"? Nay, (they
know that) the Lord of the House is the Spirit invisible.
Do they (the pilgrims) ever say, "We are crying Labbayka
without (receiving) any response. Pray, why (is this)"?
Nay, the Divine blessing which causes (their cries of)
Labbayka is (in truth) a response (coming) from the One (God)
at every moment.
I know by intuition* that this pavilion and palace is the banquet
of the soul, and that its dust is an elixir.
I will strike my copper on its elixir unto everlasting in the mode
of treble and bass*.
That, from (my) playing the Sahir tune in this fashion, the
seas (of Divine mercy) may surge (and be roused) to scatter
(their) pearls and (lavish their) bounty.
Men hazard their lives in the line of battle and in fighting for
the Creator's sake.
One is like Job in tribulation; another like Jacob in patience.
Hundreds of thousands of people, thirsty and sorrowful, are
doing some sore toil for God's sake in desire (of pleasing Him).
I too, for the merciful Lord's sake and in hope of Him, am
drumming the Sahir-call at the gate."

-- Mathnawi, VI, 846-55, 861-78
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"

*"Sahuri" -- the drum-caller for the sahir, in the early morning
during the month of Ramadan)
* "Sahir" -- The meal taken just before daybreak during the month
of Ramadan.
* "Lives" -- Literally, "body".
* "Intuition" -- Literally, "scent."
* "I will strike my copper, etc...." -- I.e. "I will strike every
chord (employ every means) in seeking spiritual transmutation, like
the lute-player whose plectrum moves up and down the
strings." The elixir was supposed to turn copper into gold.

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

~




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Friday, July 12, 2013

[Sunlight] He is the Lord of hidden grace

~

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

What wisdom was this, that the Object of all desire
caused me to leave my home joyously on a fool's errand,
so that I was actually rushing to lose the way
and at each moment being taken farther from what I sought--
and then God in His beneficence made that very wandering
the means of my reaching the right road and finding wealth!
He makes losing the way a way to true faith;
He makes going astray a field for the harvest of righteousness,
so that no righteous one may be without fear
and no traitor may be without hope.
The Gracious One has put the antidote in the poison
so that they may say He is the Lord of hidden grace.

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

In cheh hekmat bud keh Qebleh-ye morâd
kardam az khâneh berun gomrâh o shâd
Tâ shetâbân dar zalâlat mi shodam
har dam az matlab jodâ-tar mi bodam
Bâz ân `ayn-e zalâlat-râ beh-jud
Haqq vasilat kard andar roshd o sud
Gomrahi-râ manhaj-e imân konad
kazh ruy-râ mahsad-e ehsân konad
Tâ na-bâshad hich mohsen bi vajâ
tâ na-bâshad hich khâyen bi rajâ
Andarun-e zahr teryâq ân Hafi
kard tâ guyand Zu al-Lotf al-Khafi

-- Mathnawi VI: 4339-4344
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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Thursday, July 11, 2013

[Sunlight] Throw away your intellect –- Ghazal 182

~

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

Do not remain a man of intellect among the lovers,
especially if you love that sweet-faced Beloved.
May the men of intellect stay far from the lovers,
may the smell of dung stay far from the east wind!
If a man of intellect should enter, tell him the way
is blocked; but if a lover should come, extend him a
hundred welcomes!
By the time intellect has deliberated and reflected,
love has flown to the seventh heaven.
By the time intellect has found a camel for the
hajj, love has circled the Kaaba.
Love has come and covered my mouth: "Throw
away your poetry and come to the stars!"

--Ode 182
Translation by William C. Chittick
The Sufi Path of Love - The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi
State University of New York Press, Albany, 1983

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

~



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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

[Sunlight] "One day" -- Quatrain 720

~

Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 720:

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


Your love has filled me
with a madness
no one could ever know.

Your gaze has enchanted my heart
with a poem
no one could ever write.

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

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

One day
You will take my heart completely
and make it more fiery than
a dragon.
Your eyelashes will write on my heart
the poem
that could never come from the pen
of a poet.

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

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

~



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Tuesday, July 09, 2013

[Sunlight] "Celebrate! The month of fasting has come"

~

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

Celebrate! The month of fasting has come.
Pleasant journey to the one
Who is the company of the fasting.

I climbed the roof to see the Moon,
Because I really missed fasting
By heart and soul.

I lost my hat while looking at the Moon.
the Sultan of fasting made me drunk.

O Muslims, I have been drunk
since that day I lost my mind.
What a beautiful fortune fasting has.
What a wonderful glory.

There is another secret moon
Besides this one.
He is hiding in the tent of fasting
Like a Turk.

Anyone who comes
To the harvest of fasting in this month
Finds the way to this Moon.

Whoever makes his face
Resemble pale satin
Wears the silk clothes of fasting.

Prayers will be accepted in this month.
Sighs of the one fasting pierce the sky.

The person who sits patiently
At the bottom of fasting's well
Owns the love of Egypt, like Joseph.

O the word which eats the Sahur* meal,
Be silent so that anyone
Who knows fasting will enjoy fasting.

Come, O Shems, the brave one
Of whom Tebriz is proud.
You are the commander of fasting's soldiers.

*Sahur: Meal before dawn during Ramadan fast.

-- Ghazal No. 2344 from the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi
Translated by Nevit Ergin
(from the Turkish translation of the original
Persian by Golpinarli)
"Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi: Divan-i Kebir,"
Volume 18, 2002.


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

~



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Monday, July 08, 2013

[Sunlight] The Level of Words

~

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

The Level of Words

God has said, "The images that come
with human language
do not correspond to me,
but those who love words
must use them to come near."

Just remember,
it's like saying of the King,
"He is not a weaver."

Is that praise?

Whatever such a statement is,
words are on that level of God-knowledge.

-- Mathnawi II: 1716-1719
Poetic version by Coleman Barks
"Rumi: One-Handed Basket Weaving"
Maypop, 1991

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

He has said, "Although I far transcend your commemoration
(of Me), (and although) the pictorial ideas (of human speech) are
not suitable to Me,
Yet he that is intoxicated with (pictorial) imagination and
fancy will never apprehend My essence without (the help of)
similitude."
Bodily commemoration is an imperfect fancy: the Kingly
attributes are remote from those (forms of speech).
If any one say of a king, "He is not a weaver," what praise
is this? He (that person) is surely ignorant.

-- Mathnawi II: 1716-1719
Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
"The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi"
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial"

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

~











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Friday, July 05, 2013

[Sunlight] The treasure inside

~

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

Man is concealed beneath his tongue;
this tongue is the curtain over the door of the soul.
When a gust of wind has pushed aside the curtain,
the secret of the interior of the house is disclosed.
We see whether in that house there are pearls
or grains of wheat, a treasure of gold,
or all scorpions or snakes; or whether a treasure
is there and a serpent beside it,
since a treasure of gold is never
without someone to keep watch.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

dami makhfist dar zir-e zabân
in zabân pardeh ast bar dargâh-e jân
Chonke bâdi pardeh-râ darham kashid
serr-e sahn-e khâneh shod bar mâ padid
K-andar ân khâneh gohar yâ gandomast
ganj-e zar yâ jomleh mâr o kazhdomast
Yâ daru ganjist mâri bar karân
zânke na-bovad ganj-e zar bi pâsbân

-- Mathnawi II: 846-848
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~




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Thursday, July 04, 2013

[Sunlight] Uprooting the previous joy

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

If the thought of sorrow spoils your joy, yet it prepares
you for joy.
Sorrow sweeps the house fiercely, emptying it of
everything, then, coming from the Source of goodness,
a new joy enters.
Sorrow chases away the withered leaves in the heart,
then new green leaves can grow.
Sorrow uproots the previous joy, then a new delight
springs from beyond.

-- Mathnawi V, 3678/3681
Translated by Muriel Maufroy
Breathing Truth - Quotations from Jalaluddin Rumi
Sanyar Press - London, 1997

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





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Wednesday, July 03, 2013

[Sunlight] Seek delicious and sweet company

~
Today, Sunlight offers two interpretations of Quatrain 1504:

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

Don't sit with a sad person,
Only sit with those who are sweet and kind-hearted.
When you've entered a beautiful garden
Why spend your time with the weeds?
Stay with the jasmine and the jonquil.

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

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

i told you don't sit around
with unhappy folks
don't seek the company of any
but those delicious and sweet
when you're in a garden
make your way
around the thorns
seek the company
of narcissus and jasmine
every flower and more

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

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

~




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Tuesday, July 02, 2013

[Sunlight] Leaving this present intelligence behind

~

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

Just as the human being does not recall its earlier forms of intelligence,
this present intelligence also must be left behind and forgotten
in order to escape this self-serving greed
and witness a hundred thousand new forms of intelligence.
Though one falls asleep and becomes oblivious of the past,
how can they leave him in that state of self-forgetfulness?
From that sleep they will bring him back again to wakefulness,
to mock at his present state, saying,
"What was the sorrow I was suffering in my sleep?
How did I forget the states of truth, of real experience?"

And so with this world, which is the sleeper's dream:
the sleeper imagines it is enduring,
until suddenly the dawn of Death arises,
and she is delivered from the obscurity of distorted opinion.
She will laugh at those sorrows of hers
when she sees her permanent abode and resting place.
Everything good or evil that you see in your sleep
will be manifest, one by one, on the Day of Reckoning.
That which you did during your sleep in this present world
will become manifest to you at the time of wakening.
Take care not to imagine that the hurtful acts made during this sleep
will find no interpretation there.

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

`Aql-h�-ye avvalinesh y�d nist
ham azin `aqlesh tahavvol kardanist
T� rahad zin `aql por-e hers o talab
sad haz�r�n `aql binad bu al-`ajab
Gar cheh khofteh gasht va shod n�si ze pish
kay goz�randesh dar �n nesy�n-e khvish
B�z az �n khv�besh bid�ri keshand
keh konad bar h�let khvod rish khand
Keh "Cheh ghamm bud �nkeh mi-khvordam be-khv�b
chon far�musham shod ahv�l-e sav�b?"

Hamchon�n dony� keh holm-e n�yemist
khofteh pend�rad keh in khvod d�yemist
T� bar �yad na-gah�n sobh-e ajal
v� rahad az zolmat-e zann o daghal
khandeh-'esh girad az �n ghamm-h�-ye khvish
chon be-binad mostaqarr o j�-ye khvish
Har cheh to dar khv�b bini nik o bad
Ruz-e Mahshar yek be-yek payd� shavad
ncheh kardi andarin khv�b-e jah�n
gardadet hang�m-e bid�ri `iy�n
T� na-pend�ri keh in bad gardanist
andarin khv�b va tor� ta`bir nist

-- Mathnawi IV: 3648-3652; 3654-3659
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahy� Monastra)

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

~



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

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Monday, July 01, 2013

[Sunlight] Abandon being loved by people, and practice loving God

~

Today, Sunlight offers a Mathnawi passage from Volume V,
verses 3189, et.seq., in versions by Barks and Helminski, and in
Persian transliteration:

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

You Are the Only Student You Have

You are the only faithful student you have.
All the others leave eventually.

Have you been making yourself shallow
with making others eminent?

Just remember, when you're in union,
you don't have to fear
that you'll be drained.

The command comes to speak,
and you feel the ocean
moving through you.
Then comes, Be silent,
as when the rain stops,
and the trees in the orchard
begin to draw moisture
up into themselves.

-- Mathnawi, V, 3195-3219)
Version by Coleman Barks
"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion,"
Threshold Books, 1991

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

Abandon being loved by people and practice loving God,
you who have such a high opinion of yourself.
You are really more silent than the night;
how long will you seek a buyer for your words?
Your hearers nod their heads in your presence,
but you waste your time in your passion to draw them near.
You say to me, "Don't be so envious,"
but how should I envy one who possesses nothing?
Instruction given to the worthless is like sketching in dust.
Instruct yourself in love of God and spiritual insight--
that endures like a pattern carved on solid stone.
Your own self is the only pupil ever really faithful to you.
All the others perish: where will you seek them, where?
While trying to make others erudite and eminent,
you are ruining yourself and draining what knowledge you have.
But when your heart is one with Reality,
you may speak, and not be afraid of becoming empty.
And so the Divine command, "Recite!" came to the Prophet,
saying, "O righteous one, this will not fail: it is an infinite
ocean."

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

Tark-e ma`shuqi kon va kon `asheqi
ay goman bordeh keh khub o fayeqi
Ay keh dar ma`na ze shab khamosh-tari
goft-e khvod-ra chand juyi moshtari
Sar be-jonbanand pishet bahr-e to
raft dar sawda-ye ishan dahr-e to
To mera guyi "Hasad andar ma-pich"
cheh hasad arad kasi az fawt-e hich
Hast ta`lim-e khasan ay cheshm-e shukh
hamcho naqsh-e khord kardan bar kolukh
Khvish-ra ta`lim kon `eshq o nazar
k-an bovad chon naqsh fi jerm al-hajar
Nafs-e to ba tost shagerd-e vafa
ghayr fani shod koja juyi koja
Ta koni mar ghayr-ra habr o sani
khvish-ra bad-khu o khali mi koni
Mottasel chon shod delet ba an `adn
hin be-gu ma-heras az khali shodan
Amr-e qol zin amadesh k-"Ay rastin
kam na-khvahad shod be-gu daryast in"

-- Mathnawi, V:3189-3198
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá MonastraPosted last on:
07/01/13


Abandon being loved by people, and practice loving God


~

Today, Sunlight offers a Mathnawi passage from Volume V, verses
3189, et.seq., in versions by Barks and Helminski, and in Persian
transliteration:

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

You Are the Only Student You Have

You are the only faithful student you have.
All the others leave eventually.

Have you been making yourself shallow
with making others eminent?

Just remember, when you're in union,
you don't have to fear
that you'll be drained.

The command comes to speak,
and you feel the ocean
moving through you.
Then comes, Be silent,
as when the rain stops,
and the trees in the orchard
begin to draw moisture
up into themselves.

-- Mathnawi, V, 3195-3219)
Version by Coleman Barks
"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion,"
Threshold Books, 1991

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

Abandon being loved by people and practice loving God,
you who have such a high opinion of yourself.
You are really more silent than the night;
how long will you seek a buyer for your words?
Your hearers nod their heads in your presence,
but you waste your time in your passion to draw them near.
You say to me, "Don't be so envious,"
but how should I envy one who possesses nothing?
Instruction given to the worthless is like sketching in dust.
Instruct yourself in love of God and spiritual insight--
that endures like a pattern carved on solid stone.
Your own self is the only pupil ever really faithful to you.
All the others perish: where will you seek them, where?
While trying to make others erudite and eminent,
you are ruining yourself and draining what knowledge you have.
But when your heart is one with Reality,
you may speak, and not be afraid of becoming empty.
And so the Divine command, "Recite!" came to the Prophet,
saying, "O righteous one, this will not fail: it is an infinite
ocean."

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

Tark-e ma`shuqi kon va kon `asheqi
ay goman bordeh keh khub o fayeqi
Ay keh dar ma`na ze shab khamosh-tari
goft-e khvod-ra chand juyi moshtari
Sar be-jonbanand pishet bahr-e to
raft dar sawda-ye ishan dahr-e to
To mera guyi "Hasad andar ma-pich"
cheh hasad arad kasi az fawt-e hich
Hast ta`lim-e khasan ay cheshm-e shukh
hamcho naqsh-e khord kardan bar kolukh
Khvish-ra ta`lim kon `eshq o nazar
k-an bovad chon naqsh fi jerm al-hajar
Nafs-e to ba tost shagerd-e vafa
ghayr fani shod koja juyi koja
Ta koni mar ghayr-ra habr o sani
khvish-ra bad-khu o khali mi koni
Mottasel chon shod delet ba an `adn
hin be-gu ma-heras az khali shodan
Amr-e qol zin amadesh k-"Ay rastin
kam na-khvahad shod be-gu daryast in"

-- Mathnawi, V:3189-3198
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


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

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