Friday, June 28, 2013

[Sunlight] If you serve God

~

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

Though you read a hundred volumes without a pause,
you won't remember a single point without the Divine decree;
but if you serve God and read not a single book,
you'll learn rare sciences within your own heart.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Var be-khvâni sad sohof bi sakteh-'i
bi Qadr yâdet na-mânad nokteh-'i
Var koni khedmat na-khvâni yek ketâb
`elm-hâ-ye nâdereh yâbi ze jayb

-- Mathnawi VI:1931-1932
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~



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Thursday, June 27, 2013

[Sunlight] "Surrender to the will of my Beloved" -- Ghazal 1512

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 1512, from Rumi's Diwan-e
Shams, in a translation by Kolin and Mafi, and a second translation
by Nader Khalili:

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

One day I feel confused and down,
the next I can reach the sky
without you I am never calm.
In your absence people ridicule me,
but when you come
I don't mind what they think or say.
I refuse to feast or be merry without my Beloved.
However he appears I will follow.
If he comes as a cupbearer, I'll become one too;
if he comes as an ascetic, I'll become a pious pilgrim.
If he pretends to be a madman, I'll become a perfect fool;
if he tries to escape, I will become a mighty hunter.
Yet, when I complain about my sleepless nights
He mocks me and says I do not pray enough,
when I ask him for a favor he sends me off.
What am I to do but to surrender
to the will of my Beloved.

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

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

restless
now i go to the door
now i go on the roof
till i see your face
i'll never know rest

neighbors speak of me
when you are away
as meek or mad
but when you return
everything subsides

this heart of mine
tears itself apart
and seeks no joy
but only wants to know
when you'll arrive

but when you return
and a wine-server is around
i hold a cup
fondle your hair and
caress your face

just come and see me
letting go of my wish
letting go of my pilgrimage
keeping one wish in my heart
making love to your desire

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

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

~



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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

[Sunlight] "Thou art wine and I am water" -- Ghazal 1695

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Before such spirit-bestowing Beauty, how should
I not die? How should I not go mad and seize hold of Thy
chainlike tresses?
When I drink Thy wine, how should I not be
obliterated? Thou art wine and I am water, Thou art honey
and I am milk.
Open Thy mouth, that infinite candy -- if Thou
acceptest not my excuses, well, I accept Thy blandishments!
Dost Thou know why I laugh? Because of my
own high aspiration -- in the city of Thy Love, I am the prince
of lovers!
I and eternal Love were born into the world
from a single womb -- though I appear as a new lover, by God I
am exceedingly ancient!
If you open your own eye, you will be fitting
only for yourself. But if you find this vision, you will know
that I am peerless.
Like Men, I fire up the stove of all those who
are cold; and within the stove of warm spirits, my dough is
cooked to the greatest perfection!
In my gentleness, I am like milk -- I never
become caught in the throat. Make no mistakes, though I be
salty like cheese!
In my love for Shams of Tabriz, I am a sultan
wearing a crown -- but when he comes to the throne, I am his
vizier*.

-- Ghazal 1695, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams"
Translation by Professor William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

*Sunlight note: A vizier is a high executive officer of various Muslim
countries and especially of the Ottoman Empire.

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

~


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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

[Sunlight] Everything in the world draws something to itself

~

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

Everything in the world draws something to itself:
infidelity draws the faithless,
and goodness, the one who is rightly guided.
Both magnet and amber attract:
whether you are iron or straw, you will be drawn.
If you are straw, you will be drawn to the amber;
and if you are iron, you will be pulled to the magnet.
When anyone is not associated with the good,
he inevitably becomes a neighbor to the corrupt.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dar jahân har chiz chizi mi kashad
kofr kâfer-râ va morshed-râ roshd
Kahrobâ ham hast va meqnâtis hast
tâ to âhan yâ kahi âyi be-shast
Barad meqnâtis ar to âhani
var kahi bar kahrobâ bar mi tani
n yeki chon nist bâ akhyâr yâr
lâ jaram shod pahlu-ye fojjâr jâr

-- Mathnawi IV:1633-1636
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra)

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

~




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Monday, June 24, 2013

[Sunlight] "Discipline me"

~

Today, Sunlight offers Rumi's Ode (Ghazal) 2083,
in a poetic version by Coleman Barks, and in translation
by A.J. Arberry.

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

If my words are not saying what You would say,
slap my face. Discipline me as a loving mother does
a babbling child caught up in nonsense.

A thirsty man runs into the sea,
and the sea holds a sword to his throat.

A lily looks at a bank of roses
and wilts and says nothing.

I am a tambourine. Don't put me aside
till the fast dancing starts.
Play me some all along.
Help me with these little sounds.

Joseph is most beautiful when he's completely naked,
but his shirt gives you an idea,
as the body lets you glimpse the glitter
on the water of the soul.

Even if the corpse washer binds my jaw shut,
you'll still hear this song
coming out of my dead-silence.

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

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

If my words were not worthy of your lips, then pick up a heavy
stone and shatter my mouth.
When a child speaks nonsense, does not the loving mother
prick his lips to teach him manners?
For the sake of the majesty of your lips, burn and tear and
rend and dash to pieces two hundred mouths and worlds.
When a thirsty man boldly runs to the seashore does not the
wave lift up its sword to his neck?
I am the slave of the lily which, having seen your rose bower
and been put to shame by your narcissus, its ten tongues became dumb.
But I am like a tambourine; when you strike you hand on me
I cry out.
Lay me not aside until the concert grows hot; draw your skirt
aside from the impure world.
Yes, the eyes are intoxicated from the rose bower of meaning,
yet the song of the bolbol is sweet in the rose bower.
If Joseph's beauty is fairer naked, yet the eyes are not opened
save by his shirt.
Though the glitter of the sun of the soul is the origin, no man
has reached that heaven without a body.
Silence! for if the corpse-washer binds my mouth, you will
hear this melody from the grave after I am dead.

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

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

~



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Friday, June 21, 2013

[Sunlight] "Look at the Water of the water"

~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Day and night there is movement of foam on the Sea.
You see the foam, but not the Sea. Amazing!
We are dashing against each other like boats:
our eyes are darkened though we're on clear water.
O you who've gone to sleep in the body's boat,
you've seen the water,
but look at the Water of the water.
The water has a Water that is driving it;
the spirit has a Spirit that is calling it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jonbesh-e kaf-hâ ze daryâ ruz o shab
kaf hami bini va daryâ ni `ajab
Mâ cho kashti-hâ be-ham bar mi zanim
tireh cheshmim va dar âb-e rawshanim
Ay to dar kashti-ye tan rafteh be-khvâb
âb-râ didi negar dar b-e âb
b-râ bist ku mi rânadesh
ruh-râ Ruhist ku mi-khvânadesh

-- Mathnawi III: 1271-1274
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


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

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Thursday, June 20, 2013

[Sunlight] "Love for aught besides Him is unreal"

~

Here, Sunlight offers a small selection from the Mathnawi, Book
VI, verses 969-971, in a version by Professor Barks, and in the
translation by Professor Nicholson, from which the version was
derived:

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

Dear Soul, when the condition comes
that we call being a lover,
there's no patience and no repenting.

Both become huge absurdities.
See regret as a worm
and love as a dragon.

Shame, changeable weather.
Love, a quality which wants nothing.

For this kind of lover
love of anything or anyone is unreal.

Here the source and object are one.

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

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

Loverhood and repentance or (even) the possibility of
patience - this, O (dear) soul, is a very enormous absurdity.
Repentance is a worm, while Love is like a dragon:
repentance is an attribute of Man, while that (other) is an attribute
of God.
Love is (one) of the attributes of God who wants nothing:
love for aught besides Him is unreal.

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

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

~



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Wednesday, June 19, 2013

[Sunlight] His Sun always shines within me

~

Today, Sunlight offers an interpretation of Quatrain 430:

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

You call him a moon,
yet moonlight fades.
You call him a king,
yet kingdoms fall.

How often you say,
Wake up, you'll miss the sunrise.
But His Sun always shines within me.
How can I miss the sunrise?

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

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

~



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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

[Sunlight] What is below comes from above

~

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

When you have seen your own cunning,
follow it back to its origin.
What is below comes from above.
Come on, turn your eyes to the heights.

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

Hileh-ye khvod-râ cho didi bâz raw
kaz kojâ âmad su-ye âghâz raw
Harcheh dar pastist âmad az `alâ
chashm-râ su-ye bolandi neh helâ


-- Mathnawi II: 1973-1974
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~


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

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Monday, June 17, 2013

[Sunlight] Are you buying, or just looking?

~

Mathnawi VI: 831-45 -- a poetic version from Coleman Barks,
and a literal translation from Reynold A. Nicholson.

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

These spiritual windowshoppers,
who idly ask, "How much is that?" "Oh, I'm just looking."
They handle a hundred items and put them down,
shadows with no capital.

What is spent is love and two eyes wet with weeping.
But these walk into a shop,
and their whole lives pass suddenly in that moment,
in that shop.

Where did you go? "Nowhere."
What did you have to eat? "Nothing much."

Even if you don't know what you want,
buy something, to be part of the exchanging flow.

Start a huge, foolish, project,
like Noah.

It makes absolutely no difference
what people think of you.

-- Poetic version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three"
Maypop, 1987

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

Ye (worldly folk) also (who are engaged) in commerce - how
should your hands move (to sell anything) when there is no
buyer?
How should (idle) looking-on be capable of buying? The
fool's looking-on is (not for buying, but merely for) loitering.
(He strolls about) continually asking, "How much is this?"
and "How much is that?" for the sake of pastime and mockery.
('Tis only ) from boredom (that) he asks you (to show him)
your goods: that person is not a buyer and customer.
He inspects the article a hundred times and hands it back
(to you): when did he (ever) measure a piece of cloth? He
measured wind (and nothing else).
What a distance between the approach and bargaining of a
purchaser and the pleasantries of a silly joker?
Since there is not a mite in his possession, how should he seek
(to buy) a coat except in jest?
He has no capital for trading: what, then, is the difference
between his ill-favoured person and a shadow?
The capital (required) for the market of this world is gold;
there (in the next world) the capital is love and the two eyes wet
(with tears).
Whoever went to market without any capital, his life passed
and he speedily returned in disappointment.
"Oh, where hast thou been, brother?" "Nowhere." "Oh,
what hast thou cooked to eat?" "No (good) soup."
Become a buyer, that my hand may move (to sell to thee), and
that my pregnant mine may bring forth the ruby.
Though the buyer is slack and lukewarm, (yet) call (him) to
the (true) religion, for the (command to) call hath come down
(from God).
Let the falcon fly and catch the spiritual dove: in calling (to
God) take the way of Noah.
Perform an act of service for the Creator's sake; what hast
thou to do with being accepted or rejected by the people?

-- Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi
E.J. W. Gibb Memorial Trust, 1926, 1990.

* "That person is not a buyer and customer": "literally, "seeker of
goods."
* "What a distance between . . .": "literally, where is . . . and
where is ..."
* "the approach and bargaining": "literally, the advance and retreat"

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

~







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

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Friday, June 14, 2013

[Sunlight] Fly only with the shaykh's wings

~

Here, Sunlight offers a set of Mathnawi verses
in two presentations -- one in a version by Kabir Helminski,
developed from the translation by Nicholson (accompanied by a transcription of the original Persian), and one a translation
by William Chittick:

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

The Prophet said, "I am like a Ship in the Flood of Time.
I and my companions are like the Ark of Noah:
whoever clings to us will gain spiritual graces."
When you are with the Shaykh you are far removed from evil:
day and night you are a traveler in a ship.
You are under the protection of a life-giving spirit:
you are asleep in the ship and proceeding on the way.
Don't break with the prophet of your day;
don't rely on your own skill and footsteps.
Lion though you are, to go on the way without a guide
is arrogant, foolish, and contemptible.
Step aboard the ship and set sail,
like the soul going toward the soul's Beloved.
Without hands or feet, travel toward Timelessness
just as spirits flee from nonexistence.

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

Bahr-e in farmud Payghambar keh "Man
hamcho kashti'am beh tufân-e zaman
Mâ o as'hâbim cho ân kashti-ye Nuh
har keh dast andar zanad yâbad fotuh"
Chonkeh bâ shaykhi to dur az zeshtiyi
ruz o shab sayyâri va dar kashtiyi
Dar panâh-e jân-e jân-bakhshi tuyi
kashti andar khofteh-ye rah mi ravi
Ma-shekan az payghambar-e ayyâm-e khvish
takyeh kam kon bar fann o bar kâm-e khvish
Garcheh shiri chon ravi rah bi dalil
khvish-bin va dar zalâli o zalil
Pâ be-kash dar kashti va mi raw tâ ravân
chon su-ye Ma`shuq-e jân jân ravân
Dast nah va pây nah raw tâ Qedam
ânchonânkeh tâkht jân-hâ az `adam

-- Mathnawi IV, 538-543; 557-558
version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

The Prophet said, "I am like a ship in the storm
of Time.
I and my Companions are like the ark of Noah:
Whoever seizes hold will find illumination."
When you are with a shaykh, you are far from
ugliness, traveling night and day in a ship.
Protected by the spirit of a spirit-bestower, you
sleep in the ship and travel forward.
Do not break with the prophet of your time! Do
not rely on your own skills and footsteps!
Though you be a lion, if you travel the Path
without a guide, you will be a self-seer, astray and
contemptible.
Beware! Fly only with the shaykh's wings so
that you may behold the aid of his armies!
At one moment the wave of his gentleness
becomes your wing; at the next, his severity's fire carries you
forward.
Do not imagine that his severity is the opposite
of his gentleness – behold the unity of these two in their
effects!

-- Mathnavi IV, 538-546
Translation by William C. Chittick
The Sufi Path of Love
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

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

~


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Thursday, June 13, 2013

[Sunlight] Now! -- Quatrain 171

~

Today, Sunlight offers Quatrain 171:

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

I circle your nest tonight,
around and around until morning
when a breath of air says, Now,
and the Friend holds up like a goblet
some anonymous skull.

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

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

~


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

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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

[Sunlight] "Let's adore one another" -- Ghazal 1535

~

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

come on sweetheart
let's adore one another
before there is no more
of you and me

a mirror tells the truth
look at your grim face
brighten up and cast away
your bitter smile

a generous friend
gives life for a friend
let's rise above this
animalistic behavior
and be kind to one another

spite darkens friendships
why not cast away
malice from our heart

once you think of me
dead and gone
you will make up with me
you will miss me
you may even adore me

why be a worshiper of the dead
think of me as a goner
come and make up now

since you will come
and throw kisses
at my tombstone later
why not give them to me now
this is me
that same person

i may talk too much
but my heart is silence
what else can i do
i am condemned to live this life

-- Ghazal 1535
Translation by Nader Khalili
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Burning Gate Press, 1994.

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

~



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

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

[Sunlight] Only that which is worth bringing

~

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


If you're lugging a heavy bag,
don't fail to look inside it
to see whether what is inside is bitter or sweet.
If it's really worth bringing along, bring it;
otherwise, empty your sack
and redeem yourself from fruitless effort and disgrace.
Only put into your sack
that which is worth bringing to a righteous sovereign.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chon jav�li bas ger�n mi bari
z�n na-b�yad kam keh dar vay be-negari
Keh cheh d�ri dar jav�l az talkh o khvosh
gar hami arzad kashidan-r� be-kash
Var nah kh�li kon jav�let-r� ze sang
b�z khar khvod-r� azin big�r o nang
Dar jav�l �n kon keh mi b�yad kashid
su-ye solt�n�n o sh�h�n-e rashid

-- Mathnawi IV: 1574-1577
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahy� Monastra

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

~






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Monday, June 10, 2013

[Sunlight] Ready for Silence -- Ghazal 931

~

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

Ready for Silence


The devotional moon looks into
the heart and is in the heart.

When the heart has a Friend like
you, the universe cannot contain

their pleasure. Anyone warmed
by sun feels courage coming in.

If grief arrives, you enjoy it.
Generosity: that's your hand in

my pocket giving your wealth away.
Yet you run from me like one

raised in the wild. Here comes
this strange creature: me, in a
hands-and-feet shape! The formless
tries to satisfy us with forms!

A transparent nakedness wearing
pure light says, Blessed are those

who put on gold brocade! You may
not see him, but Moses is alive,

in this town, and he still has his
staff! And there's water and thirst,

wherever and however water goes, and
the one who brings water. The morning

wind broke off a few branches in the
garden. No matter. When you feel

love inside you, you hear the
invitation to be cooked by God.

It's that creation the heart loves.
For three winter months the ground

keeps quiet. But each piece of earth
knows what's inside waiting: beans,

sugarcane, cypress, wildflowers. Then
the spring sun comes talking plants

into the open. Anyone who feels the
point of prayer bends down like

the first letter of pray. Anyone who
walks with his back to the sun is

following his shadow. Move into your
own quietness. This word-search poem

has found you, ready for silence.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 931
Version by Coleman Barks, with Nevit Ergin
"The Glance"
Viking-Penguin, 1999

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

~



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Friday, June 07, 2013

[Sunlight] Imitating spirituality

~

Here, Sunlight offers two versions of an excerpt from the
Mathnawi, Book II -- a short version by the Helminski, and a longer
one by Coleman Barks:

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

The Jesus of your spirit is within you:
ask his aid, for he is a good helper.
Don't seek from your Jesus the comforts of the body.
Don't ask from your Moses the wish of a Pharaoh.
Don't burden your heart with thoughts
of livelihood; livelihood will not fail.
Be constant in attendance at the Divine court.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

`Isâ-ye ruh-e to bâ to hâzer ast
nosrat azu khvâh ku khvosh nâser ast
Zendagi-ye tan ma-ju az `Isâ'et
kâm-e fer`awni ma-khvâh az Musâ'et
Bar del-e khvod kam neh andisheh-ye ma`âsh
`aysh kam na-âyad, to bar dargâh bâsh


-- Mathnawi II: 450; 453-454
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

"The Lion's Shoulder"

The Jesus of your spirit is inside you now.
Ask that one for help, but don't ask for body-things,
like the foolish young man in the story,
who insisted that Jesus put a body back
around some bones that he had found.

Don't ask Moses for provisions
that you can get from Pharoah.

Don't worry so much about livelihood.
Your livelihood will turn out as it should.
Be constantly occupied instead
with listening to God.

Jesus pronounced the Name over the pile of bones,
and a black lion sprang back into being, swung once
with its paw, and tore the young man's skull open.
The brain-kernel was scattered and smashed.

Jesus asked the lion, "Why did you maul him
so quickly?"
"Because he was troubling you."
"Why didn't you drink the blood?"

Many people are like this lion. They rage
with hunger and then they leave the world
without having eaten what they killed.

They have the material means,
but they stay unsatisfied.

The lion explained, "Killing this man
was a warning to others. I have been dead.
There is no food now for me in this place."

The lion's swift attack is the right punishment
for those who insult the spirit, for those
who find a pure stream and then urinate in it.

If you know the nature of the stream,
bow your head down inside it.

A person meets a prophet
and somehow doesn't say,
"Lord, help me to Be."

How is it that you ask for physical comfort,
and not for a true existence?

Are you dogs that you love bones so?
Are you leeches that you want only blood?

Why are you so blind to what the soul needs?
Weep for yourself as when a cloud weeps,
and then the branch freshens. As when a candle
releases tears and gets brighter.

Wherever people grieve over anything,
you should sit with them and grieve louder,
because you have an even better right to moan.

They lament for what passes away. You cry
for your forgetting what doesn't.

You have been imitating spirituality.

Imitation is a lock on your chest.
Dissolve it with tears.

Imitation may be as small as a piece of straw,
or as huge as a mountain. Imitation
is a blind man describing a landscape
with beautiful words. There's no heart-knowledge.

The blind man gets excited with the words,
but you feel the distance between him and the beauty.

The imitator is a riverbed.
He doesn't drink the water.

It just passes through him on its way
to the water-drinkers. The riverbed
is not thirsty. Nothing stays there.

The imitator is a flute
that sounds pitiful
in order to be bought.

The imitator is a professional mourner,
with no motive but money. The words burn,
but there's no warmth, and no broken-open-ness.

The difference between being with a true knower
and being with an imitator is like
the difference between being
in the actual presence of the prophet David
and being outside somewhere hearing
a vague echo sound.

David is a source. The imitator
has just memorized some psalms.

Do not be fooled. The ox pulls the load,
while the cart makes a creaking noise.

Though even the imitator gets some reward,
as professional mourners get their wages.

But if the imitation-saint could distinguish
between God as God is, and "God" as he says the word,
he would dissolve all interest in self-interest.

For years he carries the Qur'an around,
hoping to make a living by being holy.

Had those words been written inside him,
his body would have shivered into particles.

In sorcery there are demonic helpers
who find ways to make you successful.

You have been doing such things
with the name of God.

A farmer once tied his ox in the stable.
A lion came and ate the ox
and lay down in its place!

The farmer went out late at night
to check on the ox. He felt in the corner
and rubbed his hand along the flank of the lion,
up the back, feeling the shoulder, and around
the chest to the other shoulder.

The lion thinks, "If a light were lit
and this man could suddenly see,
he would die of the discovery.

He's stroking me so familiarly,
because he thinks I'm his ox."

So the imitator doesn't realize
what he's fooling with. God thinks,
"You fake. Sinai crumbled and split
with jets of blood streaming from it
for the sake of the name
that you say so thoughtlessly.

You learned it from your mother and father,
not from your own experience."

If you are not an imitator,
your ego will dissolve, and you
will become a voice in the air.

-- Mathnawi, II, 450-512
Version by Coleman Barks
"Feeling the Shoulder of the Lion"
Threshold Books, 1991

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

~



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

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Thursday, June 06, 2013

[Sunlight] "Drawn by Soup" -- Ghazal 2809

~

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

"Drawn by Soup"

I try to imagine the most sumptuous
meal: Bugra Khan, general of the

armies east of here, has an autumn
night banquet celebrating himself!

The archangel Gabriel arrives as
Abraham's guest, fatted calf roasting.

Then the perfect setting, unimaginary:
your voice at dawn and the fragrance

of soup. I follow the simmering that
pulls me into a light-filled kitchen.

I ask the cook for a taste. "This is
not for human beings." Please. You

strike my head with a skimming spoon;
mind drops away: true hospitality.

-- Ghazal 2809
Version by Coleman Barks
"The Soul of Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 2001

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

~


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

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Wednesday, June 05, 2013

[Sunlight] "The Rhythm of Our Hearts" -- Ghazal 2209

~

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


"The Rhythm of Our Hearts"

The Light of your Face
illumines the universe;
And from that Light, in all ages,
you have taken form.

You are the Saaqi
and the wine of victory -
That is what you will always be.
Can blown glass return to the fire?
Can aged wine turn back into grapes?

You shape the destiny of every soul,
renewing this weary world.
Every night you bring another joy,
every night a celebration.

Love and ecstasy is our calling now -
O Beloved, you will dance forever
as the rhythm of our hearts.

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2209
Version by Jonathan Star
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Bantam Books, 1992


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

~



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

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Tuesday, June 04, 2013

[Sunlight] You are the consumer and the consumed

~

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

The mystery of "Poverty is my pride"* is sublime:
it cautions you to take refuge from the covetous
with the One who is Self-Sufficient.
Treasures are buried in ruined, forgotten places,
hidden from the greed of those who dwell in affluence.
If you can't tear out your own beautiful feathers,
go, adopt a life of solitude;
don't let yourself be dissipated by others.
For you are both the morsel of food and the eater of that morsel:
you are the consumer and the consumed. Understand this, dear one!

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

"Faqr fakhri"* bahr-e ân âmad sani
tâ ze tama`ân gorizam dar Ghani
Ganj-hâ-râ dar kharâbi zân nehand
tâ ze hers-e ahl-e `omrân vâ rahand
Par na-dâni konad raw khalvat gozin
tâ na-gardi jomleh kharj-e ân o in
Zânke to ham loqmeh-'i ham loqmeh khvâr
âkel o ma'kuli ay jân hush dâr

*Prophet's hadith.

-- Mathnawi V: 715-718
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

~



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

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Monday, June 03, 2013

[Sunlight] The Mathnawi story of the Lion of no parts

~

The Mathnawi story of the Lion of no parts – a poetic version by
Barks and a literal translation from Nicholson

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

In Qazwin, they have a custom of tattooing themselves
for good luck, with a blue ink, on the back
of the hand, the shoulder, wherever.

A certain man goes to his barber
and asks to be given a powerful, heroic, blue lion
on his shoulder blade. "And do it with flair!
I've got Leo ascending. I want plenty of blue!"

But as soon as the needle starts pricking,
he howls,
"What are you doing?"
"The lion."
"Which limb did you start with?"
"I began with the tail."
"Well, leave out the tail. That lion's rump
is in a bad place for me. It cuts off my wind."

The barber continues, and immediately
the man yells out,
"Ooooooooo! Which part now?"
"The ear."
"Doc, let's do a lion with no ears this time."

The barber shakes his head, and once more the needle,
and once more the wailing,
"Where are you now?"
"The belly."
"I like a lion without a belly."

The master lion-maker
stands for a long time with his fingers in his teeth.
Finally he throws the needle down.
"No one has ever
been asked to do such a thing! To create a lion
without a tail or a head or a stomach.
God himself could not do it!"

Brother, stand the pain.
Escape the poison of your impulses.
The sky will bow to your beauty, if you do.
Learn to light the candle. Rise with the sun.
Turn away from the cave of your sleeping.
That way a thorn expands to a rose.
A particular glows with the universal.

What is it to praise?
Make yourself particles.

What is it to know something of God?
Burn inside that presence. Burn up.

Copper melts in the healing elixir.
So melt yourself in the mixture
that sustains existence.

You tighten your two hands together,
determined not to give up saying "I" and "we."
This tightening blocks you.

-- Mathnawi I: 2981-3021
Poetic version by Coleman Barks
(Derived from Nicholson's translation)
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

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

***How the man of Qazwin was tattooing the figure of
a lion in blue on his shoulders, and (then) repenting
because of the (pain of the) needle-pricks.***

Hear from the narrator this story about the way and custom
of the people of Qazwin.
They tattoo themselves in blue with the point of a
needle on body and hand and shoulders, so as to suffer no
injury.
A certain man of Qazwin went to a barber and said, "Tattoo
me (and) do it charmingly (artistically)."
"O valiant sir," said he, "what figure shall I tattoo?" He
answered, "Prick in the figure of a furious lion.
Leo is my ascendant: tattoo the form of a lion. Exert your-
self, prick in plenty of the blue dye."
"On what place," he asked, "shall I tattoo you? Said he,
"Prick the design of the beauty* on my shoulder-blade."
As soon as he began to stick in the needle, the pain of it
settled in the shoulder,
And the hero fell a-moaning--"O illustrious one, you have
killed me: what figure are you tattooing?"
"Why," said he, "you bade me do a lion," "What limb (of
the lion)," asked the other, "did you begin with?"
"I have begun at the tail," said he. "O my dear friend*,
he cried, "leave out the tail!
My breath is stopped by the lion's tail and rump: his rump
has tightly closed (choked) my windpipe.
Let the lion be without a tail, O lion-maker for my heart
is faint from the blows of the prong (the tattooer's needle)."
That person commenced to prick in (the blue) on another
part (of the man's shoulder) without fear, without favour,
without mercy.
He yelled--"Which of his members is this?" "This is his
ear, my good man," the barber replied.
"O Doctor," said he, "let him have no ears: omit the ears
and cut the frock short."
The barber began to insert (his needle) in another part: once
more the man of Qazwin set out to wail,
Saying, "What is the member (you are pricking in) now on
this third spot?" He replied, "This is the lion's belly, my dear
sir."
"Let the lion have no belly," said he: "what need of a belly
for the picture that is (already) sated*?"
The barber became distraught and remained in great be-
wilderment: he stood for a long time with his fingers in his
teeth;
Then the master flung the needle to the ground and said,
"Has this happened to anyone in the world?
Who (ever) saw a lion without a tail and head and belly? God
himself did not create a lion like this."
O brother, endure the pain of the lancet, that you may escape
from the poison of your miscreant self (nafs),
For sky and sun and moon bow in worship to the people who
have escaped from self-existence.
Anyone in whose body the miscreant self has died, sun and
cloud obey his command.
Since his heart has learned to light the candle (of spiritual
knowledge and love), the sun cannot burn him.
God hath made mention of the rising sun as turning aside--
like that*--from their cave.
The thorn becomes entirely beautiful, like the rose, in the
sight of the particular that is going towards the Universal.
What is (the meaning of) to exalt and glorify God? To deem
yourself despicable and (worthless) as dust.
What is (the meaning of) to learn the knowledge of God's
unity? To consume yourself in the presence of the One.
If you wish to shine like day, burn up your night-like self-
existence.
Melt away your existence, as copper (melts away) in the
elixir, in the being of Him who fosters (and sustains) existence.
You have fastened both your hands tight on (are determined
not to give up) "I" and "we": all this (spiritual) ruin is caused
by dualism*.

-- Mathnawi I: 2981 - 3021
Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
"The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi"
E.J.W. Gibb Memorial, 1990

* "The beauty": literally, "idol".
* "O my dear friend": literally "O my two eyes."
* "The picture that is already sated": I.e., "It has already
imbibed as much of the blue dye as I can bear."
* "Turning aside like that": I.e., "towards the right hand,"
as stated in Qur'an, XVIII, 16.
* "Dualism": literally, "by two existents."

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

~




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

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