[Sunlight] "Union with you is the source of happiness"-- Ghazal 2756

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2756, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams",
in a version by Coleman Barks, and in the translation by A.J.
Arberry, upon which Barks based his version:

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

Only union with you gives joy.
The rest is tearing down one building
to put up another.
But don't break
with forms!

Boats cannot move without water.
We are misquoted texts
made right when you say us.

We are sheep in a tightening wolf-circle:
You come like a shepherd and ask,
"So how are you?"
I start crying.

This means something to anyone in a body,
but what means something to you?

You can't be spoken, though you listen
to all sound. You can't be written,
but you read everything.

You don't sleep, yet you're the source of dream-vision.

Your ship glides over nothing,
deep silence, praise for the ONE,
who told Moses on Sinai,

You Shall Not See Me

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"We Are Three,"
Maypop, 1987

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

Union with you is the source of happiness, for those are
but forms and this is reality.
Break not for a moment from your servant, for a ship
cannot sail without water.
I am a faulty Qur'an but am made correct when you recite.
A Joseph alone, and a hundred wolves, yet he escapes
when you are shepherd.
Every time you ask me, "How are you?" I am with tears
and pale cheeks.
For the vulgar these two are tokens; what are signs to
you who are without signs?
Unspoken you hear the discourse, unwritten you read the
deed.
Without sleep you show visions, without water you
drive on the ships.
Silence, have done with praises and petition, for from
the unseen has come "thou shall not see me".*

-- Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
The University of Chicago Press, 1979/1991

*When Moses asked to see God on the Mount, the answer was, "You will
never see me." Qur'an 7:143.

~

Archive for Sunlight can be accessed at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight /messages
To subscribe, please send an email to : sunlight-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To unsubscribe, please send an email to: sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/join

(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Sunlight-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Sunlight-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Sunlight] "Union with you is the source of happiness"-- Ghazal 2756

[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 Ramazan 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.

The media:

http://tinyurl.com/epfwy

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

~

Archive for Sunlight can be accessed at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight /messages
To subscribe, please send an email to : sunlight-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To unsubscribe, please send an email to: sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/join

(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Sunlight-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Sunlight-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Sunlight] “Celebrate! The month of fasting has come”

[Sunlight] Seek, and Ye shall find

~

Here, Sunlight offers an excerpt from the Mathnawi story of the
snakecatcher who thought the serpent was dead, and brought it to
Baghdad, in versions by Barks and Helminski, along with a Persian
transliteration, and in the translation by Nicholson from which the
versions were developed:

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

"Turning Toward Kindness"

Anyone who genuinely and constantly with both hands
looks for something, will find it.

Though you are lame and bent over, keep moving
toward the Friend. With speech, with silence,
with sniffing about, stay on track.

Whenever some kindness comes to you, turn
that way, toward the source of kindness.

Love-things originate in the ocean.
Restlessness leads to rest.

-- Mathnawi III: 978-981, 987-992
Version by Coleman Barks
"One-Handed Basket Weaving"
Maypop, 1991

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

Whether one moves slowly or with speed,
the one who is a seeker will be a finder.
Always seek with your whole self,
for the search is an excellent guide on the way.
Though you are lame and limping,
though your figure is bent and clumsy,
always creep toward the One. Make that One your quest.
By speech and by silence and by fragrance,
catch the scent of the King everywhere.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gar gerân o gar shetâbandeh bovad
ânke juyandeh-st yâbandeh bovad
Dar talab zan dâyeman to har do dast
kay talab dar râh niku rahbarast
Lang o luk o khofteh-shakl o bi adab
su-ye U mi ghizh va U-râ mi talab
Gah be-goft va gah be-khâmushi va gah
bui kardan gir har su bu-ye Shah

-- Mathnawi III: 978-981
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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

"Whether one be slow or speedy (in movement), he that is
a seeker will be a finder.
Always apply yourself with both hands (with all your
might) to seeking, for search is an excellent guide on the way.
(Though you be) lame and limping and bent in figure and
unmannerly, ever creep towards Him and be in quest of Him.
Now by speech and now by silence and now by smelling,
catch in every quarter the scent of the King."

-- Translation by Reynold A. Nicholson
Mathnawi II, verses 978-982
"The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi"
Published and Distributed by
The Trustees of The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial"

The media:

http://tinyurl.com/2zsnw7

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

~

Archive for Sunlight can be accessed at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight /messages
To subscribe, please send an email to : sunlight-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To unsubscribe, please send an email to: sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/join

(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Sunlight-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Sunlight-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Sunlight] Seek, and Ye shall find

[Sunlight] "The idol of your self"

~

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

The idol of your self is the mother of all idols.
The material idol is only a snake;
while this inner idol is a dragon.
It is easy to break an idol,
but to regard the self as easy to subdue is a mistake.

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

Mâdar-e bot-hâ bot-e nafs-e shomâst
zânke ân bot mâr va in bot azhdahâst
Bot shekastan sahl bâshad nik sahl
sahl didan nafs-râ jahlast jahl

-- Mathnawi I: 772-778
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

The media:
http://tinyurl.com/222b8l

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

~

Archive for Sunlight can be accessed at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight /messages
To subscribe, please send an email to : sunlight-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To unsubscribe, please send an email to: sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/join

(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Sunlight-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Sunlight-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Sunlight] "The idol of your self"

[Sunlight] I would explain this, but it would break your heart

~

Here, Sunlight offers Ghazal (Ode) 2155, from Rumi's Diwan-e
Shams, in a version by Coleman Barks, and in translation by A.J.
Arberry:

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

How does a part of the world leave the world?
How can wetness leave water?

Don't try to put out a fire
by throwing on more fire!
Don't wash a wound with blood!

No matter how fast you run,
your shadow more than keeps up.
Sometimes, it's in front!

Only full, overhead sun
diminishes your shadow.

But that shadow has been serving you!
What hurts you, blesses you.
Darkness is your candle.
Your boundaries are your quest.

I can explain this, but it would break
the glass cover on your heart,
and there's no fixing that.

You must have shadow and light source both.
Listen, and lay your head under the tree of awe.

When from that tree, feathers and wings sprout
on you, be quieter than a dove.
Don't open your mouth for even a cooooooo.

When a frog slips into the water, the snake
cannot get it. Then the frog climbs back out
and croaks, and the snake moves toward him again.

Even if the frog learned to hiss, still the snake
would hear through the hiss the information
he needed, the frog voice underneath.

But if the frog could be completely silent,
then the snake would go back to sleeping,
and the frog could reach the barley.

The soul lives there in the silent breath.

And that grain of barley is such that,
when you put it in the ground,
it grows.
Are these enough words,
or shall I squeeze more juice from this?
Who am I, my friend?

-- Version by Coleman Barks
"The Essential Rumi"
Castle Books, 1997

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

Say, how shall a part of the world depart from the world? How
shall moisture escape from water, one leap from two?
No fire dies from another fire, my son; O my heart bleeding of
love, wash not my blood in blood.
However much I fled, my shadow did not leave me; shadow
must be in charge of me, even though I become as the thread of
a hair.
Only the sun has the power to drive away shadows, the sun
increases and diminishes them; seek this from the sun.
Though for two thousands years you are running in the back of
the shadow, in the end you will see that you are behind and the
shadow before.
Your sin has become your service, your pain your blessing,
your candle your darkness, your bounds seeking and questing.
I would explain this, only it would break the back of your
heart; when you break the glass of the heart, repairs are of no
avail.
You must have both shadow and light together; listen to me,
lay your head down and prostrate yourself before the tree of the
fear of God.*
When from the tree of His grace wings and feathers sprout
for you, be silent as a dove, do not open your mouth for cooing.
When a frog enters water, the snake cannot reach it; the frog
croaks and gives information so that the snake knows where
he is.
Even though the cunning frog should hiss like a snake, the
feeble frog-sound of his betrays the true voice.
If the frog were silent, the snake would be his prey: when it
retires into its corner, the barleycorn and grain become a treasure.
When the golden barleycorn has become a treasure, it does
not diminish in the earth; the barleycorn of the soul becomes a
treasure when it attains the treasure of Hu.
Shall I finish these words, or shall I squeeze them again?
Yours is the decree; what am I, O gracious king?

-- Ghazal (Ode) 2155, from Rumi's "Diwan-e Shams"
Translation by A.J. Arberry
"Mystical Poems of Rumi 2"
University of Chicago Press, 1979

* I.e. "O you who believe! Fear God as He should be feared, and die
not except in a state of Islam." Qur'an 3: 102.

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

~

Archive for Sunlight can be accessed at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight /messages
To subscribe, please send an email to : sunlight-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To unsubscribe, please send an email to: sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sunlight/join

(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:Sunlight-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:Sunlight-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Sunlight-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:

http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Sunlight] I would explain this, but it would break your heart