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.
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Thursday, December 31, 2009
I knocked at the Beloved's door
Friday, October 9, 2009
Rumi on Love: Part 4:
Love is apparent when there's a malady of heart;
No malady compares to that of the heart.
The malady of the Lover is beyond normal cause;
Love is the Navigator, through the mysteries of God.
Even if your love, shifts from this to that,
To that True love it will finally lead!
However hard, I strive, to describe,
elusive love;
When I come to it, I am still filled with shame.
Even if my words bring clarity,
Yet clearer indeed, is Speechless Love!
Hastening, in its path of writing, the Pen,
It broke in two when it came upon love!
[Hastening, the Pen, when in its path,
it came upon Love, it split in two!]
A stallion, thrashing in quicksand,
the Intellect in vain seeks to describe:
[for] the story of lovers and their love
can only be told through love itself!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The dawn and the faint crescent
the moon gazes down upon the light and smiles
smiling, takes its own shape
"how welcome the light, but only if it shines on me and through me", it thinks.
My light does not come from me but from the Sun,
I reflect the powerful light of the Sun
So in the grand presence of the Sun, I bow
and recede into the background....
Monday, October 5, 2009
Creation from that Faint Wisp of a Thought
The Ocean of Divine Mercy starts to Flow
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Full Moon
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Rumi is born
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Companion
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Painter
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Rumi on Love - part 3 - Love makes Mountains Dance
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Rumi on Love: Part 2, Love Heals all Ailments
The Sun appears as testimony to the Light
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Rumi on Love: Part 1, The Fire of Love
[10]Atashe esgh ast kandar ney fetadJoosheshe Esgh ast kandar mey fetad
The fire of Love found its way to the fluteWhat fell in wine, was the churning of Love
[13] Ney hadise rahe por khoon mikonadGhesehaye eshghe majnoon mikonadThe reedflute tells a story of a path full of tribulations... stories of those madly in love
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Our Actions Are Melodies That Echo Back
"Eeen jahan koohast o fe'le ma neda; sooye ma ayad nedaha ra seda"
Monday, June 29, 2009
Listen and Heed the Story of the Reed
On my birthday, I hear the faint sound of the reedflute murmuring:
(Masnavi Book 1; verses 1-6)
Listen and heed the Reed-flute’s narration
It’s longing for unison after separation,
Since ‘twas torn from the reedbed to play
A mystical melody day by day
"To one i'll tell this story of mine;
one whose heart is torn of longing
So it can fell the pain of my separation."
Whoever’s been cut from their source
Turns back to seek a way of recourse
Back , O back to the unity whither I came
I was brought into diversity, I have no blame
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Commentary on the Lion on the Flag
I am going to comment on this in response to your request for commentary on this poem.
Yours is the melody; we are but the flute
Yours is the the echo; we are but the mountain,
Rumi points to the true Nature of Life, emanating from the Divine.
We think we are in fact instrumental; yet we are but the instrument
out of which comes the melody of the flute; the mountain that serves
to reflect a sound; the sound is truly something, the mountain is passive
and serves again only as an instrument to convey the divine.
In victory and in defeat we are but chess pieces
You of noble virtues, decide our victory or defeat
We often attribute success or failure; victory or defeat to ourselves.
And yet, Rumi, says, we are but pawns on a chess board. And it is
the Divine that decides our victory or defeat. Note that although this may
seem as supporting total pre-destination; other parts of Molana's poetry
indicates that he believed in a delicate combination of Freewill and pre-destination,
or Fate. It is action and reaction: we choose to engage in action, that may be Freewill
but that will have consequences, that is the result of the action, or Fate.
Alone, we are nothing; You are the Self within our self,
As long as we are with Thee, we exist
One of the key themes within Rumi's poetry if the "Self within the self";
"jaan-e jaan", the life within life. This is not figurative but signifies a distinct
experience of an indweller in the body, an inner soul within our soul, within our being
that we can experience. The ability to perceive reality includes witnessing and
experiencing this inner Self. Thus, as long as we hold that experience of the Self within us and nothing overshadows it, we truly are alive.
We are Nothingness; for the source of our Being
Emanates from you, the Absolute Being, mortal-like
We [think we] are Lions, but only Lion[-emblems] on a flag
it is the wind which makes us flutter and feign attack!
Manifest is their attack, yet the wind is hidden,
He who is Unmanifest -- may he never be lost!
Your blessing to us is our breath; our being
You made it all -- All of our Being!
Our breath, our Being is Your blessing;
Our entire Being is created by You!
You allowed Nothingness
to taste the sweetness of Being
and let it fall in love with You!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
We are all lions-- but only on a flag
Book One -- Daftar e Avval -- 602 -- We are all lions-- but only on a flag!
Molana tends to erupt in expressions of Divine gratitude from time to time in the midst of this Couplets. I like to combine these in some cases and the resulting compilation is what I have grown to refer to as the Monajat Naam-e of Rumi: Expressions of Divine Gratitude.
Here is a very famous piece which I had the great pleasure and honor of co-translating with the great poet Dr. Maryam Daftari.
Yours is the melody; we are but the flute
Yours is the the echo; we are but the mountain,
In victory and in defeat we are but chess pieces
You of noble virtues, decide our victory or defeat
Alone, we are nothing; You are the Self within our self,
As long as we are with Thee, we exist
We are Nothingness; for the source of our Being
Emanates from you, the Absolute Being, mortal-like
We [think we] are Lions, but only Lion[-emblems] on a flag
it is the wind which makes us flutter and feign attack!
Manifest is their attack, yet the wind is hidden,
He who is Unmanifest -- may he never be lost!
Your blessing to us is our breath; our being
You made it all -- All of our Being!
Our breath, our Being is Your blessing;
Our entire Being is created by You!
You allowed Nothingness
to taste the sweetness of Being
and let it fall in love with You!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Ode 1047 - In this cold, I seek refuge in the sweet Lover
[Even] in this [bitter] rainy cold weather, the beloved is sweeter still; the lover is at my side and I’m in love .
This beauty is at my side and what a beauty! Gentle, kind, supple and fresh!
In this cold, I seek refuge in the Lover, to whom noone to compare has been born
In the snow we kiss those lips, who refreshes our heart
I can’t wait any longer, I am lost; they took me and brought me back again
When the thought of the beloved suddenly appears in the heart, we are blown away- [in awe we say] God is Greater!
Ode 1046 - My Sweet, Never shall I grow weary of you
My sweet, Never, shall I grow weary of you;
I grow weary, only when I don't see you.
I can see that is contentment in our being sad
how will the heartless grow weary of sadness?
What a bloodthirsty and cold one is this heart! that
of tears, my eyes have not grown weary
If you have had it with this world, come,
for noone has grown weary of my world!
As I witness your love inspired consent,
I grow weary of saying "no, nay and not!"
The master of my pains is the angel of resurrection of the worlds;
Coming half from the soul-breath and half from low and high pitches of sound!
When that sweet smell of soulwine hit my brain,
O inner Self, Of worldy power I grew weary
With every moment, as this madness grows,
[know that] those who don’t tire of "more and less" are misers
As soon as I saw the dice and cup, I become Him
And grew weary of the overturned cup
As the Thought of Shams came upon me and
filled with me with love, of my own existence I grew weary!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Ode 1045 : Don't make me wait any longer
Ode 1045 : Saghi be Quick! I can't Wait Any Longer
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For the next round, give me from that other cup of wine
which will sooth my inner self forevermore
Seeing me like this, I swear,
you’ll believe that I just can’t wait anymore
If [you think ] I deserve a grain of your mercy,
don’t make me wait any longer
Set me free, set me free- free!
For I have badly fallen into that other trap
If you close the house door on me now;
I’ll climb to roof and try to get in
Don’t leave me at the mercy of thoughts;
Thoughts are all-consuming, bloodthirsty creatures
Saghi, if you don’t bring another round of raw wine;
These hundred raw ones will continue to annoy me
Even if I already have a loan to bear, quick!
take this mantle and I need another loan!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Ode 1502 -- The Way of Love - Tarigh e Eshgh
Sunday, March 22, 2009
The Coming of Spring
Friday, February 27, 2009
The Seven Stages
- talab, seeking
- eshgh, love
- maarefat, knowledge
- esteghnaa, fulfillment
- tohid, unity
- heirat, wonder and awe
- fanaa, oblivion
The Alchemy of this Moment
He describes a lover who, when united with the beloved, proceeds to take a out a love letter and starts reading it out to the beloved. The beloved asks if he is a true lover, or does he love the state of loving and his own poetry!
Rumi points out that
Kimiaye Haal bashad daste oo
dast jonbanad shavad mes maste oo
The magic of the moment is at his fingertips
should he but decide to move those fingers, he can even make copper drunk and transform to gold
He is saying that we have far more, indeed perhaps all we need, right at this moment, and to seek another place and time but now is shortsighted and in doing so we don't realize that we are indeed sitting next to the Beloved at this moment, and all the blessings and power that this brings for us.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
From Rumi, with Love on Valentine's Day
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Book of Manners -- Adabname ye Molana
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
People are Like RiverWater -- Polish the Mirror
So eventhough if, like iron, your body is dark,
polish it, polish it, polish it well
Until Your heartsoul becomes a mirror full of images
of wealth-carrying beauties coming from every side
Even if iron is dark and without light,
polishing will remove that darkness
Iron, even if dark and without light –
has darkness removed when polished bright
Iron, when polished, shows its good face
So in it can be seen, many a face
Polish the earthly body -- dark and dense,
Polish -- for it tends to retain [this sense] [its luster]
So that, in it, images from the unmanifest, arise
images of heavenly beauties and Angels
Know! The Divine has already polished your mind [intellect];
So from it, every day, light can pour into your heart
Without namaz you have closed the door of polishing [your soul],
And have opened up both sides of the door of wanton desire
But if those wanton desires are bound;
You will have uncuffed your ability to polish
The metal which was in fact the divine mirror of the Unmanifest;
will then manifest all appearances within it
You have darkened, you have rusted, your insides;
This is what is meant by ”propagating corruption on the earth”
So far you have done thus, now cease;
Having muddied the water, do no more – please !
Stir not chaos, so this water can clear;
And behold within the revolving moon and stars
This is why people are like river water;
When the water is clouded, you can’t see into its depths
Yet the riverbed [depths] is jewel filled and pearl-laden;
Beware! Don’t darken it! It’s nature is to be Unperturbed and Free
The life of people is like air [desire?]
It guides you so you take the way of liberation [rescue]
Friday, January 2, 2009
Tadvir e Ghadr - The Circling of Destiny Masnavi 6:916-91
Then the boiling and turning of the elements behold !
For the churning of the sea debris and froth
arises from the sea; seething, magnanimous
Behold the wandering wind in its rage
look how it commands and makes the ocean waves seethe
the sun and the moon as two cows at the mill
circumvent and guide [the milling of flour]
the stars also from house to house do run
as they become the carrier of good fortune and bad fortune
the stars, in constant motion, like a wheel
are yet weak of foundation and lazy
the stars are the eyes, ears and intelligence of ours
behold they are here at night and then suddenly gone with daylight
at times in a benefic sign bringing people together and happy
at times in the malefic sign of separation and senslessness
To the house, To the house! Ode 2345
Calling all of our friends: homewards, homewards!
Like the owls; how much longer this deprivation?
Wandering about the ruins; to the house, to the house!
Calling all bright-hearted friends: make haste
In spite of the sore eyes of all the blind (of heart)
to the house, to the house!
Calling you O wise and vigilant; full of concern
Don’t make us worry; to the house, to the house!
Enough of loveplay with these ogre-like appearances
So-called beauties; to the house, to the house!
You are seeing the grain and not the harvest
Such is the way ants are. To the house, to the house!
Don’t argue: let it go , o good friend
Grazing is for horses! To the house, to the house!
In that house there is dance (sama) and celebration
But only with the pure; so to the house, to the house!
Shams Al-din of Tabriz has built this house
So the "one-eyed" ones can get together;
Thus, to the house, to the house!
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To the house, to the house! I opted for that instead of possible alternatives such as “ homewards, homewards!” or “to home, to home” or “come on in” or “come inside the house” or even the simple and error-prone interpretation of the literal “home, home” or “the house, the house”.
I like and will keep Arberry’s interpretation of “roshan del” to be bright-hearted; (less appealing: heart-aglow or heart-lit)
Rumi contrasts, “rosham –del” with “kooran”. Today, in fact they are considered synonymous; but when he contrasts them he is contrasting the bright-hearted friends who have the inner divine light inside with those that are “blind” inside and do not have this inner light.
Don’t debate, don’t ask why or how…
Play on the word “chera”. Rumi starts with “chum o chera”, most likely pronounced in his time, “chara”, and uses the pun or double meaning of the word “chara” which is also to graze, and jokes with the image of a four-footed animal (
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