
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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Saturday, October 9, 2010
If you are feeling low come towards my Friend
گر تو ملولی ای پدر جانب یار من بیا
If you are feeling melancholy come towards my Companion
تا که بهار جانها تازه کند دل تو را
the Spring of All Life will refresh Your heart and mind
بوی سلام یار من لخلخه بهار من
my Companion's greetings has the fresh fragrance of spring
باغ و گل و ثمار من آرد سوی جان صبا
The spring garden and flowers will bestow you soul with the life giving breeze
مستی و طرفه مستیی هستی و طرفه
هستیی
Freshly drunken but not drunk, Being always with a fresh sense of Being
ملک و درازدستیی نعره زنان که الصلا
Come forth as a king who extends his hands calling for all to rise in prayer
پای بکوب و دست زن دست در آن دو
شست زن
Dance, clap, rejoice ( and express your joy)
پیش دو نرگس خوشش کشته نگر دل مرا
In the presence of His two vibrant beautiful flowers my heart is enraptured
زنده به عشق سرکشم بینی جان چرا
کشم
I live only for love rebellious; now you see why I take such pains
پهلوی یار خود خوشم یاوه چرا روم چرا
I am joyful At my companion's side; tell me why would I go astray?
جان چو سوی وطن رود آب به جوی من
رو
تا سوی گولخن رود طبع خسیس ژاژخا
دیدن خسرو زمن شعشعه عقار من
سخت خوش است این وطن مینروم از این سرا
جان طرب پرست ما عقل خراب مست ما
ساغر جان به دست ما سخت خوش است ای خدا
هوش برفت گو برو جایزه گو بشو گرو
روز شدشت گو بشو بیشب و روز تو بیا
مست رود نگار من در بر و در کنار من
هیچ مگو که یار من باکرمست و باوفا
آمد جان جان من کوری دشمنان من
رونق گلستان من زینت روضه رضا
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Layers of Light
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
There is no quest outside the Self
عاشقان را جست و جو از خویش نیست
For true lovers there is no searching beyond the Self
در جهان جوینده جز او بیش نیست
There is no seeker beyond him in this world
این جهان و آن جهان یک گوهر است
This world and the one beyond are one intrinsic gem
در حقیقت کفر و دین و کیش نیست
In the presence of Truth faith and blasphemy and kinship disappear
ای دمت عیسی دم از دوری مزن
You with Jesus-like life giving breath; do not even breath of leaving me
من غلام آن که دوراندیش نیست
I am the servant of Him who is not plotting for the future
گر بگویی پس روم نی پس مرو
If you say i will follow the trail back; beware, there is no trail behind you
ور بگویی پیش نی ره پیش نیست
And if you say you will proceed forth, know that there is no road ahead
دست بگشا دامن خود را بگیر
Open your arms and rely on your self (take ownership of your actions and rely on your self)
مرهم این ریش جز این ریش نیست
The remedy of this ailment is none other (and hidden within) than this ailment
جزو درویشند جمله نیک و بد
They are all from us dervish, both the good and the bad
هر کی نبود او چنین درویش نیست
The one who doesn't believe this is not a dervish like us
هر که از جا رفت جای او دلست
Anyone who goes beyond space and place the heart is their home and place
همچو دل اندر جهان جاییش نیست
in this world, no place compares with being in the Heart ( wherein lies the Self)
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Whirling sparks of love unite
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
Fallen from their source a day
They won't rest till they find a way
To reunite; they remember the day
So they choose to wind right back on course
To Be united with their source!
So they dance in sparks of love
Whirling round us from above
Waiting till the time is ripe
Clouds unite in a spark of light
Patient be, till you hear
The sound of thunder very near
Forgetting what may seem dear
You might, mistaken, gasp of fear
The calm breeze will soothe you down
As the storm is rolling past your town
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
Those fallen from their Source
See their plight; have no remorse
Just stand up tall and shine with light
Or sit deep in bliss a spark of light
Or take the pen let the soul gush
Feelings flow no need to rush
Then Let it go don't push with might
It'll come to you if it's your right
Hear the flute the tale it tells
Hear the tale that it laments
From the reedbed since torn was I
People have heard this forlorn cry
We've fallen back from our source
Since that day, we've felt remorse
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
It deeply yearns to get back on course
to find it's way back to it's Source
Winding back it seeks recourse
Seeking union with every resource
Going back in time to seek
Union with it's source to keep
The Flute tells this tale to make you weep
To make you long and make you seek
Choose to light up, whirl and dance
Look deep inside your secret trance
Light up and twirl; sing and dance
Rise again you have a chance
Be friend to all but your secrets keep
Secure inside that mirror deep
Theyll sit with you; laugh and weep
But still inside your secrets keep
Not far from my moan
Do My secrets roam
Not far from this cry
Do My secrets lie
Yet they haven't that light
the ear and eye
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
You know quite well
What you sow, you reap
Don't give up the light; this is not your fight
Don't venture outwards; keep your might
Just let go; if it's your right
Stand up bright, shine inside, it's your right
Keep inside, just let go, it's alright
Stand up; shine bright;
Don't give up your right
Show all your might
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
Fallen from their source a day
They won't rest till they find a way
To reunite; they remember the day
So they choose to wind right back on course
To Be united with their source!
So they dance in sparks of love
Whirling round us from above
Waiting till the time is ripe
Clouds unite in a spark of light
Patient be, till you hear
The sound of thunder very near
Forgetting what may seem dear
You might, mistaken, gasp of fear
The calm breeze will soothe you down
As the storm is rolling past your town
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
Those fallen from their Source
See their plight; have no remorse
Just stand up tall and shine with light
Or sit deep in bliss a spark of light
Or take the pen let the soul gush
Feelings flow no need to rush
Then Let it go don't push with might
It'll come to you if it's your right
Hear the flute the tale it tells
Hear the tale that it laments
From the reedbed since torn was I
People have heard this forlorn cry
We've fallen back from our source
Since that day, we've felt remorse
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
It deeply yearns to get back on course
to find it's way back to it's Source
Winding back it seeks recourse
Seeking union with every resource
Going back in time to seek
Union with it's source to keep
The Flute tells this tale to make you weep
To make you long and make you seek
Choose to light up, whirl and dance
Look deep inside your secret trance
Light up and twirl; sing and dance
Rise again you have a chance
Be friend to all but your secrets keep
Secure inside that mirror deep
Theyll sit with you; laugh and weep
But still inside your secrets keep
Not far from my moan
Do My secrets roam
Not far from this cry
Do My secrets lie
Yet they haven't that light
the ear and eye
Whirling sparks of love unite
Dancing flames of light combine
Those who fell apart : unite
You know quite well
What you sow, you reap
Don't give up the light; this is not your fight
Don't venture outwards; keep your might
Just let go; if it's your right
Stand up bright, shine inside, it's your right
Keep inside, just let go, it's alright
Stand up; shine bright;
Don't give up your right
Show all your might
Whirling sparks of love divide
Dancing flames of light unfold
Those who fell apart : untold.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Flute and The Fire of Love
Listen to the flute; how it is complaining,
It has a tale to tell of separations
“I was torn from the reedbed, and ever since,
You have heard people sigh when they hear my cry”
Give me one who is hurt with separation
And I will recount the pain of my longing
[Know this principle: ]
Whosoever has strayed far from their source,
Will seek to regain their day of union
With every community, I empathized much
I befriended with the happy and with the sad
Each befriended me, thinking I shared their view
Yet I did not reveal those secrets deep
My secret is not too far from my cry
Yet they haven’t that light, the ear and eye
The body from the soul is not hidden
Yet noone commands that inner vision
The sound of this flute; is not wind but pure fire
Those who haven’t this fire, should go expire!
It is the fire of love that fell in the flute
The boiling of love that fell into wine
A friend to you when cut from a friend, the flute
Its veils do rend these veils of ours asunder
Both poison and remedy: behold the flute!
Haven’t seen a more eager friend than the flute!
The tale of a bloody path, the flute recounts
Telling us stories of those madly in love
The confidant of this awareness is no-
-awareness; the tongue’s customer is the ear
Wallowing in our sorrow; the days go by
With burning and smoldering longing they go
If the days go by, tell them “Go, no fear!”
“The One Pure, to whom none compares, you stay here!”
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