The Sages have no Light or Beauty outside the Self
Rumi, Ode 1247, Book of the Sun
Translated by Ali Arsanjani
Shahed = beautiful lover/beloved
Sham’= candle
Aref = Sage
Khoon = blood
Jahan = World
Leili = equivalent of Julliette, a beautiful beloved
Majnoon = Romeo equivalent; someone insanely/mad/uncommonly in love
For the Sage, there is no candle or pretty face outside the Self
Nor have they drunk the blood of a grape; wine is already in their blood
In this world, people become enraptured with a beloved;
Enraptured with every breath, the Sage’s beloved is the Self
Our values and assessment bases change; even by the hour!
From now on: use the unit of your actions to measure, so you can judge fairly
Ridding the Pharaoh of ego from the Egypt of your body
Inside, you will witness a state with your own Moses and Heron
The anchor of lowly treasure you have tied to your foot;
that takes you deeper into the depths every day
I saw a Jonas sitting at the seashore of the ocean of love,
I asked him: “How are you?” He replied. Using my own law !
He told me “I used to be a fish's meal, in this ocean
So I bent myself like the letter 'n' {Persian "nun") ; and now I command the fish!"
From now on, ask us not how we are: go beyond these "hows",
For how can someone speak of how they are, when they have gone beyond all descriptions of “how”?
Let the Sorrowful drink wine, our hearts are more joyous than thine!
Give the prisoners of sorrow their poison! Go, O bearer of wine!
Khoone gham bar ma halal o , khoone ma bar gham haram
Har ghami gerde ma shod, Shod andar khoon e khish!
He has encouraged us, sorrow to slay
He has banned sorrow from existing this way, from living another day
The sorrow that dares come our way, Will not live to see another day
Wine may flush their faces, those sick with sorrow,
We are rosy-cheeked from our own joy; we do not borrow
Xx
Xx
Xx
Xx
Yesterday the astrologer declared: I saw your horoscope; it was favorable
Yes, I told him, and yet this is due my Moon, waxing daily
But, then again, how can the moon compare to our Moon?
Whose face and horoscope determine
Great malefics, Great Benefics, who are governed by it[s majesty]
This blog includes excerpts from my book entitled The Lover's Gaze: Rumi's Guide for Lovers and Spiritual Seekers. In it I try to provide balanced (not too literal, yet not diverging from the original Persian) translations and commentary on the poetry and practical philosophy of Rumi, the Persian Sufi Mystic and Poet. The translations in this blog are copyrighted. If you wish to use them send me an email and I will need to verify usage then send you a formal email of permission of usage.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Reedflute has a tale to Tell
Listen to this reedFlute, it has a tale to tell
It is complaining of all separations
The story of the reedflute is that it was torn from the reedbed, it's source,
and so it wants to gain a way of recourse to its original state of union.
This is why it is complaining because it wants to return to the source.
sine khahan sharhe sharhe az feragh
ta begooyam sharhe darde eshtiagh
Give me a heart torn from being apart
So [they will understand when]
I can describe the pain of enthusiasm / longing
Only someone experiencing this pain of longting to be united with their source
will be able to comprehend what I am lamenting.
And then Rumi states one of his general rules:
Har kasi koo door mand az asle khish
Baz jooyad roozegare vasle khish
Whoever is left behing from their source
will seek to regain a way of recourse
will seek to gain the days of Union
Sere man az naleye man door nist
Lik chashm o goosh ra an noor nist
Rumi starts talking about "that light"
that this light is absent from "the eye and ear".
He delcares that
"my secret is not far from my cry
but they haven't that light, the ear and eye"
If the ear and eye, my sense would have "that light" the
ability to truly see and truly hear, they would know that
the key to my secret is not far from my wail, my cry, my moan
===============================================
It is complaining of all separations
The story of the reedflute is that it was torn from the reedbed, it's source,
and so it wants to gain a way of recourse to its original state of union.
This is why it is complaining because it wants to return to the source.
sine khahan sharhe sharhe az feragh
ta begooyam sharhe darde eshtiagh
Give me a heart torn from being apart
So [they will understand when]
I can describe the pain of enthusiasm / longing
Only someone experiencing this pain of longting to be united with their source
will be able to comprehend what I am lamenting.
And then Rumi states one of his general rules:
Har kasi koo door mand az asle khish
Baz jooyad roozegare vasle khish
Whoever is left behing from their source
will seek to regain a way of recourse
will seek to gain the days of Union
Sere man az naleye man door nist
Lik chashm o goosh ra an noor nist
Rumi starts talking about "that light"
that this light is absent from "the eye and ear".
He delcares that
"my secret is not far from my cry
but they haven't that light, the ear and eye"
If the ear and eye, my sense would have "that light" the
ability to truly see and truly hear, they would know that
the key to my secret is not far from my wail, my cry, my moan
===============================================
Reading on the night of Dec 17th, 2008
We had a reading at the University Library to commemorate the passage of Rumi, on the night of Dec 17th. We also started the Rumi Returns series which will be reading out the book that I am translating.
The program was as follows:
Introduction to Rumi
His Life and Times -- Significant milestones, meeting Shams, his master
Dec 17th – His Passage – Fanaa fe’Allah
Celebrating his life
Eid e Ghadir -- Ali
Starting Rumi Returns series
Masnavi
The Tale of the Reed Flute
Book of Shams
O You Lovers – the audience, who are lovers of Rumi
Little by little – you come into the refined attention you need
You soul is so close to mine – now that you can hear, hear this:
I am the moon -- now you can understand what Rumi is saying when he says...
How should I know? -- Once he is one with the Divine and the Divine is calling him, he responds...
Note the sequence is designed to prepare the listener to first become a "Lover"
of the divine, then as a Lover, they come closer and closer to the "garden" the place of Truth. Then they are so close to their innermost Self that they know what their Friend is thinking; I am so close to you, I know your every thought". Once you are so close, you can then see that you are the Moon and in the Place of Noplace. And finally with being one with the Divine being so powerful, it changes ones world and shifts one's consciousness, to the extent that when in a beautiful dialog with the Beloved, Rumi responds, in total surrender, with "How would I know? How should I know? How can I Know? "; you are asking me questions that are intellectual, I have given up my intellect and mind and ego to be one with you -- "How would I know why?"
Masnavi
The Tale of the Lion and the Rabbit , Part 1
story: The Animals and the Lion enter an agreement
concepts: Tavvakkol vs Jahd (Trust and Faith in Providence vs. Action, Means and Trying)
concepts: The superiority we gain through Knowledge
concepts: Keeping your plans a secret
The program was as follows:
Introduction to Rumi
His Life and Times -- Significant milestones, meeting Shams, his master
Dec 17th – His Passage – Fanaa fe’Allah
Celebrating his life
Eid e Ghadir -- Ali
Starting Rumi Returns series
Masnavi
The Tale of the Reed Flute
Book of Shams
O You Lovers – the audience, who are lovers of Rumi
Little by little – you come into the refined attention you need
You soul is so close to mine – now that you can hear, hear this:
I am the moon -- now you can understand what Rumi is saying when he says...
How should I know? -- Once he is one with the Divine and the Divine is calling him, he responds...
Note the sequence is designed to prepare the listener to first become a "Lover"
of the divine, then as a Lover, they come closer and closer to the "garden" the place of Truth. Then they are so close to their innermost Self that they know what their Friend is thinking; I am so close to you, I know your every thought". Once you are so close, you can then see that you are the Moon and in the Place of Noplace. And finally with being one with the Divine being so powerful, it changes ones world and shifts one's consciousness, to the extent that when in a beautiful dialog with the Beloved, Rumi responds, in total surrender, with "How would I know? How should I know? How can I Know? "; you are asking me questions that are intellectual, I have given up my intellect and mind and ego to be one with you -- "How would I know why?"
Masnavi
The Tale of the Lion and the Rabbit , Part 1
story: The Animals and the Lion enter an agreement
concepts: Tavvakkol vs Jahd (Trust and Faith in Providence vs. Action, Means and Trying)
concepts: The superiority we gain through Knowledge
concepts: Keeping your plans a secret
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Ode 1518 - I am the moon - Rumi, Book of the Sun
Refined translation, thanks to Dr. Maryam Daftari, Parastoo and Sam Arsanjani.
I am the moon in the place of Noplace,
I am Life Itself -- don't search for me outside!
When people call you, they are summoning you to themselves
But when I call you, I will summon you only to your Self!
Whatever color you wish to bring upon me -- I won't mind:
Whether the brightness of hope or the gloom of shame,
Sometimes you are contrary and utter disloyal words
That's right! If you are like that, I will be thus!
In the presence of the blind, I am thus -- Nothingness
In the presence of the deaf ear, I am thus -- Speechless
Why are you washing your eyes with rosewater?
You can stop washing -- Look, I am the Flower!
[To see the clearly apparent flower, you do not need to wash your eyes with flowerwater]
You use Colorful flowers for your clothing and meals :
[Everything you put on and in you is from flowers [-- Thanks to Parastoo]]
You are a flower-eater -- you should not be my guest...!
This flower is *the* Flower! Look closely: you can see the presence of Grace!
With this Grace, I give back what was borrowed
Speech is a ship and meaning is the sea;
Make haste! Come out! I want to sail this vessel!
I am the moon in the place of Noplace,
I am Life Itself -- don't search for me outside!
When people call you, they are summoning you to themselves
But when I call you, I will summon you only to your Self!
Whatever color you wish to bring upon me -- I won't mind:
Whether the brightness of hope or the gloom of shame,
Sometimes you are contrary and utter disloyal words
That's right! If you are like that, I will be thus!
In the presence of the blind, I am thus -- Nothingness
In the presence of the deaf ear, I am thus -- Speechless
Why are you washing your eyes with rosewater?
You can stop washing -- Look, I am the Flower!
[To see the clearly apparent flower, you do not need to wash your eyes with flowerwater]
You use Colorful flowers for your clothing and meals :
[Everything you put on and in you is from flowers [-- Thanks to Parastoo]]
You are a flower-eater -- you should not be my guest...!
This flower is *the* Flower! Look closely: you can see the presence of Grace!
With this Grace, I give back what was borrowed
Speech is a ship and meaning is the sea;
Make haste! Come out! I want to sail this vessel!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Ode 509 -- Rise, For Today, the World is Ours
Khiz! ke emrooz jahan ane mast
jan o jahan Saghi o mehman e mast
az del o az dide ye div o pari
dabdabe ye fare soleiman e mast
Rise! For today, the world is ours!
our inner soul and the outer world are both our Master and guest
In the eyes and hearts of angels and demons [alike]
there is the sound of merriment; coming from the joy of Solomon's party
jan o jahan Saghi o mehman e mast
az del o az dide ye div o pari
dabdabe ye fare soleiman e mast
Rise! For today, the world is ours!
our inner soul and the outer world are both our Master and guest
In the eyes and hearts of angels and demons [alike]
there is the sound of merriment; coming from the joy of Solomon's party
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Rumi in Brief
"Molana" Jalaledin Rumi (1207-1273) was born in Balkh, Persia and died in Konya; R.A. Nicholson declared him “the greatest mystical poet of any age.” His spiritual and literary influence is pervasive. He composed over 70,000 verses of spontaneous (!) poetry of divine love and ecstatic illumination. He was an orthodox, sober professor until he met a wandering Sage – Shams of Tabriz (Persia) and was transformed into an enraptured lover of God.
There is nothing outside the Self -- The self-sufficient Self
Arefan ra shamm o shahed nist az biroone khish
ode 1247 -- book of the Sun by Rumi
Session Oct 30,2009
In this session we have explored a very unique concept of Rumi's philosophy which is called self sufficiency of the sage. The sage or Aref is one who is self-sufficient. This self-sufficiency the dependency on the light of the candle to provide you with the ability to gain knowledge from an external source. It also has to do with the practicalities of everyday life, including falling in love with another person. The proverbial Juliet of the Western culture, which corresponds to the Majnun of the Eastern culture is an embodiment of the desirable partner.
Rumi immediately starts this poem with an outspoken declaration of self-sufficiency of the sage. The candle is a symbol that the moth seeks to attain, in its quest for the light, only to be burned as it gets too near to its objective. The candle, Rumi says, is inside the self of the stage.
In the second stanza. Rumi firmly clarifies the illusion to wine in his poetry. he says this age has not drunk the blood of grapes, but that his wine, comes from the "blood" or essence of the self. The essence of the self is what intoxicates the stage with bliss, not the outward physical wine, which intoxicates other folk
Line 2:
Everyone in the world falls in love with some kind some kind of Juliette, (Majnun)
says Rumi, at this stage is beloved is the Self and breath by breath. He shares with his Beloved, which is his own Self.
note that this is not merely a state of superficial devotion or the attempt to appear virtuous or abide by religious principles necessarily. Rather, it is a state of existence, a state of experience where the stage is enraptured In the Bliss of the Self.
And here is the ode:
For the sage,there is no candle and no beauty outside the Self
they haven't drunk grapeblood for their own blood is the source
People become enraptured with a beautiful face; their Juliette
the sage has his own beloved; he enraptured in the Self
Our values tend to change by the hour
from now on: be your own value system! So you are in balance
If you are able to get rid of the Pharaoh of ego, -from the Egypt of the body
you will see inside yourself a state which experiences Moses and Heron inside the self
you've tied an anchor to your foot and anchor of the lowly treasure
this takes you deeper every day into the depths as you drown
I saw Jonas sitting at the seashore of the ocean of love
I called to him. He replied. I have secure in myself with my own set of laws
He told me, in this ocean, I was a fish's food,
so I kept saying the word bread, until I obtained bread from myself
Don't tell us "why are you like this?" -- go beyond "Why like this"?
How can someone , who has become without how, ask about "how?"
ode 1247 -- book of the Sun by Rumi
Session Oct 30,2009
In this session we have explored a very unique concept of Rumi's philosophy which is called self sufficiency of the sage. The sage or Aref is one who is self-sufficient. This self-sufficiency the dependency on the light of the candle to provide you with the ability to gain knowledge from an external source. It also has to do with the practicalities of everyday life, including falling in love with another person. The proverbial Juliet of the Western culture, which corresponds to the Majnun of the Eastern culture is an embodiment of the desirable partner.
Rumi immediately starts this poem with an outspoken declaration of self-sufficiency of the sage. The candle is a symbol that the moth seeks to attain, in its quest for the light, only to be burned as it gets too near to its objective. The candle, Rumi says, is inside the self of the stage.
In the second stanza. Rumi firmly clarifies the illusion to wine in his poetry. he says this age has not drunk the blood of grapes, but that his wine, comes from the "blood" or essence of the self. The essence of the self is what intoxicates the stage with bliss, not the outward physical wine, which intoxicates other folk
Line 2:
Everyone in the world falls in love with some kind some kind of Juliette, (Majnun)
says Rumi, at this stage is beloved is the Self and breath by breath. He shares with his Beloved, which is his own Self.
note that this is not merely a state of superficial devotion or the attempt to appear virtuous or abide by religious principles necessarily. Rather, it is a state of existence, a state of experience where the stage is enraptured In the Bliss of the Self.
And here is the ode:
For the sage,there is no candle and no beauty outside the Self
they haven't drunk grapeblood for their own blood is the source
People become enraptured with a beautiful face; their Juliette
the sage has his own beloved; he enraptured in the Self
Our values tend to change by the hour
from now on: be your own value system! So you are in balance
If you are able to get rid of the Pharaoh of ego, -from the Egypt of the body
you will see inside yourself a state which experiences Moses and Heron inside the self
you've tied an anchor to your foot and anchor of the lowly treasure
this takes you deeper every day into the depths as you drown
I saw Jonas sitting at the seashore of the ocean of love
I called to him. He replied. I have secure in myself with my own set of laws
He told me, in this ocean, I was a fish's food,
so I kept saying the word bread, until I obtained bread from myself
Don't tell us "why are you like this?" -- go beyond "Why like this"?
How can someone , who has become without how, ask about "how?"
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
O Infinite Grace
Ghazal 1; Ode 1; Divane Shams; Book of the Sun
Ey rastakhize nagaham, vey Rahmate bi montaha,
Ey Atashi afrookhte, dar bisheye andisheha
O sudden Day of Judgement and O Infinite Grace
O Blazestarter in the thicket of thought [you come]
Emrooz khandan amadi, meftahe zendan amadi
Bar mostamandan amadi, chon bakhshesh o fazle Khoda
With laughter, as Releaser of bondage, today, you come
Like the forgiveness and blessings of God, to the needy you come
Khorshid ra Hajeb toyii, Ommid ra vajeb toyii
Matlab toyii taleb toyii, ham montaha, ham ebteda
Veilholder of the Sun; and Proclaimer of Hope
You are the sought and the Seeker, the end and the start
Dar sineha barkhaste, andishe ra araste
ham khish hajat khaste, ham khish kardast rava
You arise in our hearts and adorn our thoughts
In prayer, it is You who are asking, and it is You too, who grant
Ey roohbakshe bi badal, vey lazate elm o amal
Baghis bahane ast o daghal, keen elat amad van dava
O Giver of vitality to the soul, beyond compare, O joy of knowledge and from action
all else are but excuses and trickery, that brought this ailment that you healed
Ma zan daghal kazhbeen shodeh, ba bee gonah dar keen shode,
gah maste hoor-ol-ein shodeh, gah maste nan o shoor ba
Engaging in trickery we see not straight, and start a feud with the innocent
one moment drunk with the beauty of the beloved, another moment drunk on bread and stew
--to be continued --
Special thanks to M. Daftari for discussions and insights into the translation.
Commentary
==========
This is the first ode to the Book of Shams, the Book of the Sun. Shams (Sun) being Molana's (Rumi's) Master and Friend (doost -- which has a special meaning in Erfan). Note that the way of evolution towards the Divine requires a master according to Sufi tradition.
Rumi starts with a tumultuous prelude: invoking the dichotomy of the Supreme Being: being the apocalypse and Infinite Grace.
Rumi calls upon and invokes the Supreme : O Apocalypse (Day of Judgement) and O Infinite Grace. He is invoking and seeking the Supreme in this ode.
he goes on to describe attributes of the Divine that are permeating outside and inside our being.
line 1 second stanza: O who has blazed a fire in the bramblewoods of thought. O who has set fire to the jungle of dry thoughts. His Presence burns thoughts and thoughts disappear in His Presence.
He also sets ablaze the convolutions and contortions of unnecessary thoughts entwined into one another. As we observe our thoughts, we can see why Rumi calls this a bramblewood of dry thoughts: we not only have many of them every second, and they do not seem to cease in ever increasing number, but they are intertwined in endless density at times. And at times there is a clearing in the forest.
Line 2: Today you come smiling, a Opener of the gates of my prison; as Releaser of my bondage you come today smiling.
Once you set fire to the thoughts bothering us, you appear to come smiling ready to release us from the bondage we have to our incessant and seemingly endless foliage of thoughts.
"you come onto the bereaved and sad, the needy and the wanting, as does the forgiveness and magnificence of God."
you come with joy and smiles to the melancholy who need it most; you bring with you forgiveness and bounty to the needy.
Line 3: You are the keeper of the curtain or veil. You control the veil . You are the veilkeeper of the Sun. You control whether it shines or not. You have made Hope a mandatory element for us. You have decreed that above all we we must have Hope.
Line 3 part 2: [matlab toyii, taleb toyii] you are the desired (object of the search), you are the seeker too. The End of things and also the Start. All things end in You and start in You.
Ey rastakhize nagaham, vey Rahmate bi montaha,
Ey Atashi afrookhte, dar bisheye andisheha
O sudden Day of Judgement and O Infinite Grace
O Blazestarter in the thicket of thought [you come]
Emrooz khandan amadi, meftahe zendan amadi
Bar mostamandan amadi, chon bakhshesh o fazle Khoda
With laughter, as Releaser of bondage, today, you come
Like the forgiveness and blessings of God, to the needy you come
Khorshid ra Hajeb toyii, Ommid ra vajeb toyii
Matlab toyii taleb toyii, ham montaha, ham ebteda
Veilholder of the Sun; and Proclaimer of Hope
You are the sought and the Seeker, the end and the start
Dar sineha barkhaste, andishe ra araste
ham khish hajat khaste, ham khish kardast rava
You arise in our hearts and adorn our thoughts
In prayer, it is You who are asking, and it is You too, who grant
Ey roohbakshe bi badal, vey lazate elm o amal
Baghis bahane ast o daghal, keen elat amad van dava
O Giver of vitality to the soul, beyond compare, O joy of knowledge and from action
all else are but excuses and trickery, that brought this ailment that you healed
Ma zan daghal kazhbeen shodeh, ba bee gonah dar keen shode,
gah maste hoor-ol-ein shodeh, gah maste nan o shoor ba
Engaging in trickery we see not straight, and start a feud with the innocent
one moment drunk with the beauty of the beloved, another moment drunk on bread and stew
--to be continued --
Special thanks to M. Daftari for discussions and insights into the translation.
Commentary
==========
This is the first ode to the Book of Shams, the Book of the Sun. Shams (Sun) being Molana's (Rumi's) Master and Friend (doost -- which has a special meaning in Erfan). Note that the way of evolution towards the Divine requires a master according to Sufi tradition.
Rumi starts with a tumultuous prelude: invoking the dichotomy of the Supreme Being: being the apocalypse and Infinite Grace.
Rumi calls upon and invokes the Supreme : O Apocalypse (Day of Judgement) and O Infinite Grace. He is invoking and seeking the Supreme in this ode.
he goes on to describe attributes of the Divine that are permeating outside and inside our being.
line 1 second stanza: O who has blazed a fire in the bramblewoods of thought. O who has set fire to the jungle of dry thoughts. His Presence burns thoughts and thoughts disappear in His Presence.
He also sets ablaze the convolutions and contortions of unnecessary thoughts entwined into one another. As we observe our thoughts, we can see why Rumi calls this a bramblewood of dry thoughts: we not only have many of them every second, and they do not seem to cease in ever increasing number, but they are intertwined in endless density at times. And at times there is a clearing in the forest.
Line 2: Today you come smiling, a Opener of the gates of my prison; as Releaser of my bondage you come today smiling.
Once you set fire to the thoughts bothering us, you appear to come smiling ready to release us from the bondage we have to our incessant and seemingly endless foliage of thoughts.
"you come onto the bereaved and sad, the needy and the wanting, as does the forgiveness and magnificence of God."
you come with joy and smiles to the melancholy who need it most; you bring with you forgiveness and bounty to the needy.
Line 3: You are the keeper of the curtain or veil. You control the veil . You are the veilkeeper of the Sun. You control whether it shines or not. You have made Hope a mandatory element for us. You have decreed that above all we we must have Hope.
Line 3 part 2: [matlab toyii, taleb toyii] you are the desired (object of the search), you are the seeker too. The End of things and also the Start. All things end in You and start in You.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Another Round of Lovewine, Winemaster! [Keep Passing the Wine of Love] (Bade Begardan Saghia)
Book of Shams - Ode 9
Man az koja, Pand az Koja, Bade Begardan Saghiah
An jame jan afzay ra bar jan beriz, Saaghia!
Where am I and where is wisdom? Give us a round of lovewine, O Winemaster!
Pour that life-giving cup onto my Soul, O Winemaster!
Bar daste man neh jame jan, ey dastgire asheghan
Door az labe biganegan, pish ar penhan, Saaghia!
Place the lifecup in my hand, O Savior of lovers
Far from the lips of strangers, bring it forth in secret, O Winemaster!
Nani bede nankhare ra, an tame-e bichare ra
an ashege nanbare ra, konji bekhosban Saaghia!
Give some bread to the breadeater, that poor breadseeker
that lover raised on bread, give him a corner to sleep - O Winemaster!
Ey Jane Jane Jane Jan, ma namadim az bahre nan
barje, geda rooi makon, dar bazme soltan, Saaghia!
O Life of Life of Life of Life [the innermost dwelling soul within my soul] we haven't come for bread!
Rise up! Don't make that beggarface at the king's party, O Winemaster!
Aval begir an jame meh, bar kafeye an Pir neh
Chon mast gardad an Pire deh, ro sooye mastan Saaghia!
First pick up that grand cup,give it to the Master there,
When he becomes lovedrunk, to the lovedrunk then, O Winemaster!
Roo sakht kon ey mortaja, mast az koja, sharm az koja
var sharm daram yek ghadah, bar sharm afsham Saaghia!
Make a stern face, O seeker, shame and lovedrunk do not mix!
for if i have a vat of shame, pour that on shame, O Winemaster!
Barkhiz ey Saghi bia! Ey doshman e sharm o haya!
Ta bakhte ma khandan shavad, pish a khandan Saaghia!
Rise and come O Winebearer! Enemy of shame and guilt!
So our fate becomes joyous, come forth in joy -- O Winemaster!
==============================================
Commentary
==============================================
soulwine. the wine refrred to here is the wine of the soul, or "soulwine". That which nourishes the soul of the seeker of Truth and is thus dubbed, "soulwine".
The Winebearer or Saghi . Is the one who gives you the soulwine and thus has a very special and esteemed stature in the mystical poetry of Rumi and other mystics. This entire ode addresses the Winemaster or Saghi. He (She) is more than a cupbearer, a winebearer a bartender; He is the Master who will give you the soulwine to transform your soul and experience into pure bliss and you should have no qualms or reservations or guilt or shame in experiencing this bliss and joy coming from deep within you; deep within your soul. Notice that Rumi does not refer to the "soul" directly and we are bringing this metaphor out for explanations purposes only.
Jaan -- the Essence, the Soul. Rumi refers to "Jaan"; Jaan means Life, the life force, the essence of a thing, the Atma, the Soul.
"Jaan afza" in life 1, refers to that which increases Jaan, or the lifeforce. He has the winemaster to pour that which increases his life-essence on his life-essence.
"Jaam" -- the Cup and "Jaan" -- Life or essence. should not be confused. One ends in "m" and the other in "n" . Jaam is the cup and Jaan is the essence or lifeforce or soul of a human being. He asks the winemaster to pour the cup of life-elixir onto his soul (life essence).
He asks the winemaster to pour the soulwine onto his Jaan, his Self, his Soul. Notice Rumi does not ask FOR a cup but asks the winemaster to POUR the cup of life onto his soul. In line 2 Rumi, representing the seeker of Love and Life and the Spiritual Seeker, asks to be given this cup of life-essence.
"The bread-seeker" He then extends the metaphor of wine to that of bread. He says in verse 3, give some bread to the bread eaters, those seeking bread, those hungry for nourishment of the soul.
"give him a corner to sleep". He then extends this metaphor yet again to giving the seeker a place to rest/sleep. Give soulwine, give lifebread and then a corner to rest and sleep and rejuvenate.
"Jaane Jaane Jaane Jaan" -- "the Life of Life of Life of Life" -- The soul within the soul within the soul within the soul.
This is not Rumi's first reference to the soul within the soul, akin to Atma, the "Dweller within the body" or the Self (see Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Baghavad Gita). He is addressing the Winemaster all along, and he then refers to the Winemaster as the Essence of Life itself, the Life of life. And says, we are not here for bread!
At the King's party all is plentiful. But he is referring to his own Self within the Self and asking it to Get up and don't put on that beggar's face at the King's Party, where all is Abundance and there is plenty for all. No need to have that same countenance or attitude of wanting: there is abundance for all.
Mr.Parviz Shahbazi has posted two wonderful performances of this ode
Shajarian 1
Shajarian 2
Man az koja, Pand az Koja, Bade Begardan Saghiah
An jame jan afzay ra bar jan beriz, Saaghia!
Where am I and where is wisdom? Give us a round of lovewine, O Winemaster!
Pour that life-giving cup onto my Soul, O Winemaster!
Bar daste man neh jame jan, ey dastgire asheghan
Door az labe biganegan, pish ar penhan, Saaghia!
Place the lifecup in my hand, O Savior of lovers
Far from the lips of strangers, bring it forth in secret, O Winemaster!
Nani bede nankhare ra, an tame-e bichare ra
an ashege nanbare ra, konji bekhosban Saaghia!
Give some bread to the breadeater, that poor breadseeker
that lover raised on bread, give him a corner to sleep - O Winemaster!
Ey Jane Jane Jane Jan, ma namadim az bahre nan
barje, geda rooi makon, dar bazme soltan, Saaghia!
O Life of Life of Life of Life [the innermost dwelling soul within my soul] we haven't come for bread!
Rise up! Don't make that beggarface at the king's party, O Winemaster!
Aval begir an jame meh, bar kafeye an Pir neh
Chon mast gardad an Pire deh, ro sooye mastan Saaghia!
First pick up that grand cup,give it to the Master there,
When he becomes lovedrunk, to the lovedrunk then, O Winemaster!
Roo sakht kon ey mortaja, mast az koja, sharm az koja
var sharm daram yek ghadah, bar sharm afsham Saaghia!
Make a stern face, O seeker, shame and lovedrunk do not mix!
for if i have a vat of shame, pour that on shame, O Winemaster!
Barkhiz ey Saghi bia! Ey doshman e sharm o haya!
Ta bakhte ma khandan shavad, pish a khandan Saaghia!
Rise and come O Winebearer! Enemy of shame and guilt!
So our fate becomes joyous, come forth in joy -- O Winemaster!
==============================================
Commentary
==============================================
soulwine. the wine refrred to here is the wine of the soul, or "soulwine". That which nourishes the soul of the seeker of Truth and is thus dubbed, "soulwine".
The Winebearer or Saghi . Is the one who gives you the soulwine and thus has a very special and esteemed stature in the mystical poetry of Rumi and other mystics. This entire ode addresses the Winemaster or Saghi. He (She) is more than a cupbearer, a winebearer a bartender; He is the Master who will give you the soulwine to transform your soul and experience into pure bliss and you should have no qualms or reservations or guilt or shame in experiencing this bliss and joy coming from deep within you; deep within your soul. Notice that Rumi does not refer to the "soul" directly and we are bringing this metaphor out for explanations purposes only.
Jaan -- the Essence, the Soul. Rumi refers to "Jaan"; Jaan means Life, the life force, the essence of a thing, the Atma, the Soul.
"Jaan afza" in life 1, refers to that which increases Jaan, or the lifeforce. He has the winemaster to pour that which increases his life-essence on his life-essence.
"Jaam" -- the Cup and "Jaan" -- Life or essence. should not be confused. One ends in "m" and the other in "n" . Jaam is the cup and Jaan is the essence or lifeforce or soul of a human being. He asks the winemaster to pour the cup of life-elixir onto his soul (life essence).
He asks the winemaster to pour the soulwine onto his Jaan, his Self, his Soul. Notice Rumi does not ask FOR a cup but asks the winemaster to POUR the cup of life onto his soul. In line 2 Rumi, representing the seeker of Love and Life and the Spiritual Seeker, asks to be given this cup of life-essence.
"The bread-seeker" He then extends the metaphor of wine to that of bread. He says in verse 3, give some bread to the bread eaters, those seeking bread, those hungry for nourishment of the soul.
"give him a corner to sleep". He then extends this metaphor yet again to giving the seeker a place to rest/sleep. Give soulwine, give lifebread and then a corner to rest and sleep and rejuvenate.
"Jaane Jaane Jaane Jaan" -- "the Life of Life of Life of Life" -- The soul within the soul within the soul within the soul.
This is not Rumi's first reference to the soul within the soul, akin to Atma, the "Dweller within the body" or the Self (see Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Baghavad Gita). He is addressing the Winemaster all along, and he then refers to the Winemaster as the Essence of Life itself, the Life of life. And says, we are not here for bread!
At the King's party all is plentiful. But he is referring to his own Self within the Self and asking it to Get up and don't put on that beggar's face at the King's Party, where all is Abundance and there is plenty for all. No need to have that same countenance or attitude of wanting: there is abundance for all.
Mr.Parviz Shahbazi has posted two wonderful performances of this ode
Shajarian 1
Shajarian 2
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Little by Little the Lovedrunk Arrive (Andak Andak)
Little by little, the group of the lovedrunk arrive
Little by little, the worshipers of wine arrive
They are on their way; Comforting and gentle
Like flowers from the flowerfield they arrive
Little by little, from this world of Being and non-Being
The non-existent leave and the existent arrive
They come with hands and clothes full of gold
For the poor and hungry they arrive
The gaunt, exhausted from the trials of Love
Strong and healthy they arrive
Like the rays of the Sun , the lives of the Pure
From those heights to the lowly valley they arrive
Green and fresh the garden for the pure
With new fruits from the love drunk they arrive
Their essence is grace and grace they unfold and expand
From the garden towards the garden they arrive
819 – Divane Shams
Little by little, the worshipers of wine arrive
They are on their way; Comforting and gentle
Like flowers from the flowerfield they arrive
Little by little, from this world of Being and non-Being
The non-existent leave and the existent arrive
They come with hands and clothes full of gold
For the poor and hungry they arrive
The gaunt, exhausted from the trials of Love
Strong and healthy they arrive
Like the rays of the Sun , the lives of the Pure
From those heights to the lowly valley they arrive
Green and fresh the garden for the pure
With new fruits from the love drunk they arrive
Their essence is grace and grace they unfold and expand
From the garden towards the garden they arrive
819 – Divane Shams
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
O You Lovers! (Ey Asheghan!)
Divane Shams -- Ode 1954
Eysh hatan noosh bada har zaman, ey asheghan!
Vaz shoma, kame shekar bad een jahan, ey asheghan!
May you always enjoy your pleasures : O You Lovers,
For it is from you that sweetness comes into this world : O You Lovers
The sweetness and bubbling of the Lovers reaches high heaven
This caravan has moved beyond the heavens and the earth : O You Lovers
What can I say from the shore of the sea for the sea of Life has no shore
It is way beyond space and no-space: O You Lovers
We are the example of waves, rising and prostrating
Until a sign is seen from the unseen : O You Lovers
If they ask you all: who you are ? O those who can’t keep your heads up
Go tell them we are the life of the life of the life : O You Lovers
The sea of Life is forgiving to those who cannot swim in its depths
For He gives away jewels for free : O You Lovers
Complaining “This happened and that happened “ puts people in a chest
We are free again from this way and that way: O You Lovers
“You thought you shot the arrow but we shot the arrow” comes from the unmanifest hunting ground
Sends bowless arrows flying: O You Lovers
When I was dismayed from searching in my heart, I came
And saw my beloved asleep with the Beloved : O You Lovers
I said to my heart: good choice and my heart laughed and said
The flower sits in the field of flowers: O You Lovers
Under my feet are flowers, under theirs is mud
When I march in the midst of the non believers : O You Lovers
Auspicious times it is when we, from the drunkenness of the beloved
Are also drunk and cannot tell the heavens from a thread: O You Lovers
This sea of love is in a delicate state of suspension
Not under, not over and not in between : O You Lovers
As soon as we saw the ray of Light of the Sun of Tabriz from the East
The earth and the heavens become pure absolute Life : O You Lovers
Eysh hatan noosh bada har zaman, ey asheghan!
Vaz shoma, kame shekar bad een jahan, ey asheghan!
May you always enjoy your pleasures : O You Lovers,
For it is from you that sweetness comes into this world : O You Lovers
The sweetness and bubbling of the Lovers reaches high heaven
This caravan has moved beyond the heavens and the earth : O You Lovers
What can I say from the shore of the sea for the sea of Life has no shore
It is way beyond space and no-space: O You Lovers
We are the example of waves, rising and prostrating
Until a sign is seen from the unseen : O You Lovers
If they ask you all: who you are ? O those who can’t keep your heads up
Go tell them we are the life of the life of the life : O You Lovers
The sea of Life is forgiving to those who cannot swim in its depths
For He gives away jewels for free : O You Lovers
Complaining “This happened and that happened “ puts people in a chest
We are free again from this way and that way: O You Lovers
“You thought you shot the arrow but we shot the arrow” comes from the unmanifest hunting ground
Sends bowless arrows flying: O You Lovers
When I was dismayed from searching in my heart, I came
And saw my beloved asleep with the Beloved : O You Lovers
I said to my heart: good choice and my heart laughed and said
The flower sits in the field of flowers: O You Lovers
Under my feet are flowers, under theirs is mud
When I march in the midst of the non believers : O You Lovers
Auspicious times it is when we, from the drunkenness of the beloved
Are also drunk and cannot tell the heavens from a thread: O You Lovers
This sea of love is in a delicate state of suspension
Not under, not over and not in between : O You Lovers
As soon as we saw the ray of Light of the Sun of Tabriz from the East
The earth and the heavens become pure absolute Life : O You Lovers
The Flute Sings
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The Masnavi - first 12 lines
Session 1: The Masnavi: The Flute wails in LongingThe Masnavi (couplets) Maanavi (spiritual, inner) was almost fully the result of a gushing forth of Divine inspiration motivated by Love; coming from deep within Rumi's (Molana Jalaedin Mohammad Molavi) consciousness....
However, the first 12 lines were actually deliberately written by himself in response to a request to write a text book about the principles of mysticism that were yet applicable to practical life.
Here are the first four couplets for our discussion today.Heed the Reed, how it tells the tale,and complains of separationsThey cut me from the reedbed. Since then,men and women have wailed from my cryI need a heart separated [from its lover]only then can I recount the pain of Love (Enthusiasm for the Lover)Whosoever is kept of their sourceseeks, to return; a way of recourseCommentaryThe reed's sound has driven men and women to experience the same longign that the flute has since it was cut from the reed bed to become a flute.
This is reminiscent of humans being distant and separated from their/our origin and Source. Both the Dao De Jing and Bhagavad Gita speak about this eloquently: returning is the motion of the Dao.
Meaning it seeks recourse; to return to the source. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says that "He curves back on Himself and creates again and again." This curving back, returning, recourse to the Source is the goal and motivation of many seekers and is fundamental to the longing in humans of becoming one with the Lover; whether worldly (initially) or Divine.Later in the Masvani, in the Tale of the King and the Handmaiden, Rumi describes Love.
This is the first occurrence of the definition and discourse on Love. And it is beautiful. And we will get to it in due course.
The Masnavi - first 12 lines
Session 1: The Masnavi: The Flute wails in LongingThe Masnavi (couplets) Maanavi (spiritual, inner) was almost fully the result of a gushing forth of Divine inspiration motivated by Love; coming from deep within Rumi's (Molana Jalaedin Mohammad Molavi) consciousness....
However, the first 12 lines were actually deliberately written by himself in response to a request to write a text book about the principles of mysticism that were yet applicable to practical life.
Here are the first four couplets for our discussion today.Heed the Reed, how it tells the tale,and complains of separationsThey cut me from the reedbed. Since then,men and women have wailed from my cryI need a heart separated [from its lover]only then can I recount the pain of Love (Enthusiasm for the Lover)Whosoever is kept of their sourceseeks, to return; a way of recourseCommentaryThe reed's sound has driven men and women to experience the same longign that the flute has since it was cut from the reed bed to become a flute.
This is reminiscent of humans being distant and separated from their/our origin and Source. Both the Dao De Jing and Bhagavad Gita speak about this eloquently: returning is the motion of the Dao.
Meaning it seeks recourse; to return to the source. In the Gita, Lord Krishna says that "He curves back on Himself and creates again and again." This curving back, returning, recourse to the Source is the goal and motivation of many seekers and is fundamental to the longing in humans of becoming one with the Lover; whether worldly (initially) or Divine.Later in the Masvani, in the Tale of the King and the Handmaiden, Rumi describes Love.
This is the first occurrence of the definition and discourse on Love. And it is beautiful. And we will get to it in due course.
The King Falls in Love with the Handmaiden
The Story of the King Falling in Love with a Handmaiden
A King went out of town on a hunting trip with his men. On his way he encountered a beautiful Handmaiden and fell in love with her. He wanted to own her so he could take her with him. He paid a huge sum and bought her. Back in the palace, it did not take long before she fell ill. The King called forth his most renowned physicians from all over his realm so they would cure his beloved.
Each physician claimed they would be able to cure her with their deep knowledge of medicine. They thus ignored the Power of God’s will, which transcends the mundane means of obtaining cures. So, try and they would they failed to cure the King’s beloved and she indeed got worse with every attempt to cure her.
When the King was disappointed from all the earthly ways of curing his beloved, he turned to the Divine. He engaged in sincere and wholehearted prayer. He was in the midst of prayer and confessing his weaknesses that he fell asleep.
He dreamt of a enlightened sage who said to him: “ Tomorrow we will send you a capable physician.”
Next day, the King found the physician he had been told. He took the new physician to his beloved’s bed. The physician started his diagnosis and found that the cause of her ailment is not related to the body, but the soul. He found she had the sickness of love.
Yes, the Handmaiden was in love with a young goldsmith from Samarghand. The King heeded the enlightened physician’s advice and sent messengers to Samarghand to bring the goldsmith to his court.
When they returned with the goldsmith, the King, as recommended by the enlightened physician, wed the goldsmith and the Handmaiden. They lived in happiness for six months. After this period, the physician was inspired by a divine message to give the goldsmith a potion that would decrease his physical appeal. The Handmaiden gradually lost interest in the Goldsmith as his physical appearance declined. This divine order to give the potion is comparable to the divine order given to Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael his son for the Lord.
These affairs are not as they seem on the surface and have deeply hidden secrets which are not easily known to mankind.
After the Handmaiden realized that the King loved her so dearly that he would facilitate the wedding his beloved to another if that made her happy. After that, the Handmaiden truly saw the King’s deep love and joined him in matrimony.
A King went out of town on a hunting trip with his men. On his way he encountered a beautiful Handmaiden and fell in love with her. He wanted to own her so he could take her with him. He paid a huge sum and bought her. Back in the palace, it did not take long before she fell ill. The King called forth his most renowned physicians from all over his realm so they would cure his beloved.
Each physician claimed they would be able to cure her with their deep knowledge of medicine. They thus ignored the Power of God’s will, which transcends the mundane means of obtaining cures. So, try and they would they failed to cure the King’s beloved and she indeed got worse with every attempt to cure her.
When the King was disappointed from all the earthly ways of curing his beloved, he turned to the Divine. He engaged in sincere and wholehearted prayer. He was in the midst of prayer and confessing his weaknesses that he fell asleep.
He dreamt of a enlightened sage who said to him: “ Tomorrow we will send you a capable physician.”
Next day, the King found the physician he had been told. He took the new physician to his beloved’s bed. The physician started his diagnosis and found that the cause of her ailment is not related to the body, but the soul. He found she had the sickness of love.
Yes, the Handmaiden was in love with a young goldsmith from Samarghand. The King heeded the enlightened physician’s advice and sent messengers to Samarghand to bring the goldsmith to his court.
When they returned with the goldsmith, the King, as recommended by the enlightened physician, wed the goldsmith and the Handmaiden. They lived in happiness for six months. After this period, the physician was inspired by a divine message to give the goldsmith a potion that would decrease his physical appeal. The Handmaiden gradually lost interest in the Goldsmith as his physical appearance declined. This divine order to give the potion is comparable to the divine order given to Abraham to sacrifice Ishmael his son for the Lord.
These affairs are not as they seem on the surface and have deeply hidden secrets which are not easily known to mankind.
After the Handmaiden realized that the King loved her so dearly that he would facilitate the wedding his beloved to another if that made her happy. After that, the Handmaiden truly saw the King’s deep love and joined him in matrimony.
Prelude to the Masnavi - The Tale of the Flute
Masnavi Maanavi of Rumi, Lines 1-16, Translated on 4-22-2008
The Inner Couplets by Rumi
The Tale of the Flute
Listen to the flute; it has a tale to tell,
It complains of all separations,
Since I was torn from my reedbed,
Men and women have moaned from my cry
Give me someone torn in separation
So I can tell them of the pain of longing
Whoever is left far from their source
Will seek to regain their time of union
[Will seek to regain a way of recourse]
My secret is not far from my cry
Yet they haven’t that light, the ear and eye
Body from soul; soul from body are not hidden
People have no command of this inner vision
The air in the flute is really fire
Those without this fire; go expire!
Into the flute fell the fire of love,
The bubble of wine is the bubble of love
Those cut from their love should sit with the flute
And have its tales rend asunder their veils
Who has ever seen: as one, poison and antidote, as the flute?
Who has beheld a more eager friend, as the flute?
The flute sings of the way with tribulations
It tells us tales of insane love
The secret keeper of this mind is none other than no-mind
Did you know: the tongue’s best customer is the ear
In this sorrow of ours; the days go by
The days go by with burning longing
But as the days go by, utter “Begone! No fear!
Stay with me, who besides you, there is Pure."
[Gar rooz ha raftand, goo ro, baak nist!
To beman, ey anke joz to, pak nist!]
The Inner Couplets by Rumi
The Tale of the Flute
Listen to the flute; it has a tale to tell,
It complains of all separations,
Since I was torn from my reedbed,
Men and women have moaned from my cry
Give me someone torn in separation
So I can tell them of the pain of longing
Whoever is left far from their source
Will seek to regain their time of union
[Will seek to regain a way of recourse]
My secret is not far from my cry
Yet they haven’t that light, the ear and eye
Body from soul; soul from body are not hidden
People have no command of this inner vision
The air in the flute is really fire
Those without this fire; go expire!
Into the flute fell the fire of love,
The bubble of wine is the bubble of love
Those cut from their love should sit with the flute
And have its tales rend asunder their veils
Who has ever seen: as one, poison and antidote, as the flute?
Who has beheld a more eager friend, as the flute?
The flute sings of the way with tribulations
It tells us tales of insane love
The secret keeper of this mind is none other than no-mind
Did you know: the tongue’s best customer is the ear
In this sorrow of ours; the days go by
The days go by with burning longing
But as the days go by, utter “Begone! No fear!
Stay with me, who besides you, there is Pure."
[Gar rooz ha raftand, goo ro, baak nist!
To beman, ey anke joz to, pak nist!]
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