Rumi thanksgiving part 2

this is part of a story about a clan of rabbits and the kind of the jungle, the lion.
Rumi begins by defining power as our attempt or our trying to give thanks for the blessings we have received. Even the attempt, the trying is defined by him as power.
سعی شکر نعمتش قدرت بود
Trying to give thanks
for blessings bestowed
is considered power
جبر تو انکار آن نعمت بود
If you consider them inevitable
You will negate them
شکر قدرت قدرتت افزون کند
Giving thanks for power,
Will increase your power
جبر نعمت از کفت بیرون کند
Thinking you are entitled
the blessings slip away


Rumi gives us an example of a blessing: power. The ability to do something to have some station in life, wherever that maybe, however high or low.
He says giving thanks for your blessings will increase them, not giving thanks will dissolve them.

A thanksgiving supplication

We begin our thanksgiving with a supplication and an exchange of secrets between Rumi and God as he describes it in the Masnavi.
ای خدا جان را تو بنما آن مقام
Oh Lord grant my life essence that stature
کاندرو بیحرف میروید کلام
So it can grow speech without words
تا که سازد جان پاک از سر قدم
So the pure untainted life essence
Can one again start its dance
سوی عرصهی دور و پنهای عدم
Towards the far and unbounded field of Nonbeing
عرصهای بس با گشاد و با فضا
fields unbounded and spacious
وین خیال و هست یابد زو نوا
That grant the musical waves of thought and being
تنگتر آمد خیالات از عدم
Narrower still than Nonbeing are thoughts
زان سبب باشد خیال اسباب غم
Thus thoughts become the means of sorrow
باز هستی تنگتر بود از خیال
From thoughts narrower still is this material world
زان شود در وی قمر همچون هلال
Which makes a crescent out of the moon
باز هستی جهان حس و رنگ
Tighter still is this prison
تنگتر آمد که زندانیست تنگ
the world of senses and colors
علت تنگیست ترکیب و عدد
Number and mixture cause this tightness
جانب ترکیب حسها میکشد
The senses pull you to the mixtures
زان سوی حس عالم توحید دان
Beyond the senses resides the realm of Unity
گر یکی خواهی بدان جانب بران
Drive there if you seek the One
امر کن یک فعل بود و نون و کاف
The command "be!" is one verb and an "e" and "b"
در سخن افتاد و معنی بود صاف
Falters and falls in speech
But it's meaning is smooth and clear
این سخن پایان ندارد باز گرد
Return : this is an unending discourse
تا چه شد احوال گرگ اندر نبرد
Let's return to the story of the wolf in battle

The Men of God -- from Foroughi Bastami

Another famoud Persian Poet writes about the characteristics of the men of God.

فروغی بسطامی

مردان خدا پردهٔ پندار دریدند
The men of God rent the veil of thought
یعنی همه جا غیر خدا یار ندیدند
which means they saw noone but God anywhere

هر دست که دادند از آن دست گرفتند
They received from the same hand they gave
هر نکته که گفتند همان نکته شنیدند
they heard back whatever points they had made to others

یک طایفه را بهر مکافات سرشتند
they chose one crowd to be punished
یک سلسله را بهر ملاقات گزیدند
and another to reach communion

یک فرقه به عشرت در کاشانه گشادند
one group are happy and having a great time
یک زمره به حسرت سر انگشت گزیدند
another crowd are biting their fingers in envy and regret

جمعی به در پیر خرابات خرابند
one group are smashed behind the winehouse
قومی به بر شیخ مناجات مریدند
another are praying, followers of the spiritual guide

یک جمع نکوشیده رسیدند به مقصد
one group reached their destination without effort
یک قوم دویدند و به مقصد نرسیدند
another crowd ran long and did not arrive

فریاد که در رهگذر آدم خاکی
Hear my shout hear my cry: in this passageway on earth
بس دانه فشاندند و بسی دام تنیدند
many have poured seeds and many have laid traps

همت طلب از باطن پیران سحرخیز
seek motivation from the hearts of those early rising wise ones
زیرا که یکی را ز دو عالم طلبیدند
for they sought to uncover one or two secrets of the two worlds

زنهار مزن دست به دامان گروهی
beware -- don't fall in with that group
کز حق ببریدند و به باطل گرویدند
who broke apart from Truth and joined False

چون خلق درآیند به بازار حقیقت
when the people come to the market of Truth
ترسم نفروشند متاعی که خریدند
i fear they will not sell the food they had bought

کوتاه نظر غافل از آن سرو بلند است
that myopic one who looks only at his feet can't see the tall pine
کاین جامه به اندازهٔ هر کس نبریدند
for they didn't cut this cloth to fit everyone's size

مرغان نظرباز سبک‌سیر فروغی
those keen light-flying birds of light
از دام گه خاک بر افلاک پریدند
flew away from the traps of dust into the blue heavens