"Open your eyes a little"

Oh sir, you are mistaken in the ways of my
Friend. You and a hundred like you are bewildered by me
and my business.
Every neck is not worthy for Love's sword--
how should my blood-drinking Lion swallow down the blood
of dogs?
How should my Ocean support the planks of
every ship? How should your salt-flat drink from my Clouds
raining down pearls?
Do not nod your head like that, do not shake your
snout-how should an ass like you reach the oats in my
Warehouse?
Oh sir, come to yourself for a moment! Open
your eyes a little-even though you are not equal to anything
I say.
The man says, "Why does the lover become
drunk and shameless?" When did wine ever leave shame,
especially when poured by my Saki?
He who is deceived by a wolf learns the same
deception and depravity-my artful Hunter makes him the
snare of his own self.
How should they want to buy the ancient wolf
in His bazaar? In my bazaar a living Joseph is displayed in
every corner.
How should an owl like you be fit for the Garden of
Iram? Not even the spirit's nightingale has found its way to
my Rosery!
Pride of Tabriz! Sun of God and the religion! Tell
me: Are not all these words of mine thy voice?

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2056
Translation by William C. Chittick
"The Sufi Path of Love"
SUNY Press, Albany, 1983

The media:
http://tinyurl.com/hstd4

"Open your eyes a little"

Spirit and awareness

What is soul? Soul is conscious of good and evil,
rejoicing over kindness, weeping over injury.
Since consciousness is the inmost nature and essence of the soul,
the more aware you are the more spiritual you are.
Awareness is the effect of the spirit:
anyone who has this in abundance
is a man or woman of God.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jân cheh bâshad bâ khabar az khayr o sharr
shâd bâsh bâ ehsân o geryân az zarar
Chon serr o mâhiyat-e jân makhbarast
har keh u âgâh-tar bâ jân-tarast
Ruh-râ ta'sir-e âgâhi bud
har keh-râ in pish-e Allâhi bud

-- Mathnawi VI: 148-150
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyل Monastra)

The media:
http://tinyurl.com/fpjze

Spirit and awareness

"Lost and found"

your sudden journey
from our city
my beloved
filled you with sweetness
and left me in the dark

you went along
with your own sweetheart
the one for whom
every soul is ready
to leave the body and fly

it was that spectrum
the one who came
first as a light
brightened your path
then took you away in limelight

you were ready
happy to leave this lowly earth
while filled with ecstasy
you flew away with rapture
to the ultimate and beyond

now that you're gone
you've forever found
the ultimate paradise
free from bread
free from bread givers

now you are
like a pure soul
like a dream
every moment
taking a new form

send me some words
of your tender journey
my beloved and
if you don't
i know for sure
you're forever immersed
like a precious pearl
in the endless sea

-- Ghazal 2565, from the Diwan-e Shams
Translation by Nader Khalili.
"Rumi, Fountain of Fire"
Cal-Earth Press, 1995

The media:
http://tinyurl.com/j3xbq

"Lost and found"

"True repentance flashes inside and rains tears"

Beware! Don't allow yourself to do
what you know is wrong, relying on the thought,
"Later I will repent and ask God's forgiveness. "
True repentence flashes inside and rains tears.
Such lightning and clouds are needed.
Without the lightning of the heart
and the rain storms of the eyes,
how shall the fire of Divine wrath be calmed?
How shall the greenery grow
and fountains of clear waters pour forth?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hin be-posht ân ma-kon jorm o gonâh
keh konam tawbeh dar âyam dar panâh
Mi biyâyad tâb o âbi tawbeh-râ
shart shod barq o sahâbi tawbeh-râ
آtesh o âbi biyâyad miveh-râ
vâjeb âyad abr o barq in shiveh-râ
Tâ na-bâshad barq-e del o abr-e do chashm
kay neshinad âtesh-e tahdid o khashm
Kay be-ruyad sabzeh-ye zawq-e vesâl
kay be-jushad chashm-hâ ze âb-e zolâl

-- Mathnawi II: 1652-1656
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyل Monastra

The media:
http://tinyurl.com/gefnn

"True repentance flashes inside and rains tears"

"Rushing topsy-turvey toward the sea"

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal 1910, from the Diwan-e Shams,
in a version by Coleman Barks (derived from Arberry's translation) ,
translated by Arberry, and more recently translated by Dr. Ibrahim
Gamard:

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

Notice how each particle moves.
Notice how everyone has just arrived here
from a journey.
Notice how each wants a different food.
Notice how the stars vanish as the sun comes up,
and how all streams stream toward the ocean.

Look at the chefs preparing special plates
for everyone, according to what they need.
Look at this cup that can hold the Ocean.
Look at those who see the Face.
look through Shams' eyes
into the Water that is
entirely jewels.

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

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

See how every particle of the world is passing by, see how
everyone has arrived from a journey;
See how everyone desirous of his own sustenance has bowed
his head before his king.
See how, like the stars, for the sake of its glow, are all fallen
helpless at the foot of the sun;
See how, like torrents in a quest of water, all are tumbling head-
long toward their sea.
See how for each from the king's kitchen a table is prepared
according to his needs.
See how the sea of the world is contracted before this sea-
drinking cup.
And as for those whose sustenance is the king's countenance,
see how their mouths are filled with sugar of the king's beauty.
Behold with the eyes of Shams-i Tabrizi; see another ocean
filled with pearls.

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979

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

See (how) every part of the world passes on,
(and yet) see (how) everyone has arrived from a journey.
See (how) everyone, in desire for his daily bread,
has bowed his head (in obeisance) to his king.
See (how everyone) has fallen helplessly at the feet of the sun,
like stars, because of (the power of) its glow.
See (how) everyone is rushing topsy-turvey toward their sea,
like flood waters in search of (other) water.
See (how) an honorable table cloth (is spread) for everyone
from the (Divine) Kitchen of the King according to his (fixed)
measure.
See (how, for the dervishes,) the ocean of the world (is) shrunk
before their ocean-drinking cups.
See (how), for those whose daily sustenance is the king's face,
their mouths are full of sugar* from the king's beauty.
(And) see one other ocean full of pearls: look with the eyes of
Shams-e Tabrizi!

-- Translation by Ibrahim Gamard
Copyright 10/24/98

*an idiom meaning a wide smile, or a laugh of happiness

The media:
http://tinyurl.com/kdpmb

"Rushing topsy-turvey toward the sea"