The Tale of the Flute

Listen to how this flute complains 

Telling us tales of separations,

“Ever since I was cut from the reedbed  

 men and women have moaned from my cry

I seek one whose heart is torn with separation

So I can tell them the tale of the pain of longing.

Whoever is left far from their source

Will seek again the day of reunion 

I empathized with many groups

I paired with the happy and the sad

Each befriended me from their angle

But none sought out the secret within me

You will find my secret not far from my cry

Yet they haven’t that light, the ear and eye

Body and soul can’t be hidden long from each other

Yet people have no command over this inner vision

The sound of the flute is not from wind, but fire

May those without this fire; cease to exist!

It is the fire of love that fell in the flute

It is the bubbling of love that fell into wine

The flute’s a companion to those parted with a friend

Whose veils have cut asunder our own veils

Who has seen poison and antidote in one, like the flute?

Who has seen a companion and eager friend like the flute?

The flute tells a tale of a much bloodied way

Tells us stories of insane love 

The confidant of this awareness is no-awareness

the tongue’s best customer is the ear

In our sorrow; the days go by

The days are coupled with painful longing

Tell the passing days, “Go, I have no fear!”

stay with me– besides whom there is none pure 

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

Hear The Voice of Love, eloquently speaking -- Hafez Ode 178

We have a guest appearance by Hafez, in his ode 178, entitled as above.

To extend the colloquial religious connotation, Mahram, is a word used to denote those who are in our intimate trusted circle; our circle of trust, those who can know our secrets, though whom we trust our secrets. "Mahram e Del" Are those who are are close to our heart (del). "Haram" is the variation of the English Harem; but the meaning of the word itself is a protected domain, a protected area , a sacred area, "holy ground" is the closest English equivalent.

هر که شد محرم دل در حرم یار بماند
Whoever gains the status of a one trusted by the heart
will remain safe on the holy ground of Love
وان که این کار ندانست در انکار بماند
And those who do not know how to accomplish this
will forever remain in the realm of rejection

اگر از پرده برون شد دل من عیب مکن
Don't find fault with me for showing my Love
If my heart springs out from behind the curtain
شکر ایزد که نه در پرده پندار بماند
thank the Lord it did not remain behind
that veil forever just continuing to think about love

صوفیان واستدند از گرو می همه رخت
دلق ما بود که در خانه خمار بماند

محتسب شیخ شد و فسق خود از یاد ببرد
قصه ماست که در هر سر بازار بماند

هر می لعل کز آن دست بلورین ستدیم
آب حسرت شد و در چشم گهربار بماند

جز دل من کز ازل تا به ابد عاشق رفت
جاودان کس نشنیدیم که در کار بماند

گشت بیمار که چون چشم تو گردد نرگس
شیوه تو نشدش حاصل و بیمار بماند

از صدای سخن عشق ندیدم خوشتر
Have you ever heard a better legacy in this whirling dome
یادگاری که در این گنبد دوار بماند
than the voice of Love, eloquently speaking

داشتم دلقی و صد عیب مرا می‌پوشید
خرقه رهن می و مطرب شد و زنار بماند

بر جمال تو چنان صورت چین حیران شد
که حدیثش همه جا در در و دیوار بماند

به تماشاگه زلفش دل حافظ روزی
شد که بازآید و جاوید گرفتار بماند

Hafez uses the metaphor of the "circling dome" to refer to the sky and the world as a whole.
The sound of Love, speaking -- that utterance is the sweetest legacy we can leave in this world.

"How am I ?" you ask -- How would I know anymore?

مرا گویی: «چه سانی؟» من چه دانم؟

«کدامی وز کیانی؟» من چه دانم؟

مرا گویی: «چنین سرمست و مخمور

ز چه رطلِ گرانی؟» من چه دانم؟

مرا گویی: «در آن لب او چه دارد

کز او شیرین زبانی؟» من چه دانم؟

مرا گویی: «در این عُمرت چه دیدی

بِه از عمر و جوانی؟» من چه دانم؟

بدیدم آتشی اندر رخِ او

چو آبِ زندگانی، من چه دانم؟

اگر من خود توام پس تو کدامی؟

تو اینی یا تو آنی؟ من چه دانم؟

چنین اندیشه‌ها را من که باشم؟

تو جانِ مهربانی، من چه دانم؟

مرا گویی که «بر راهش مقیمی؟»

مگر تو راهبانی! من چه دانم؟

مرا گاهی کمان سازی گهی تیر

تو تیری یا کمانی، من چه دانم؟

خُنُک آن دم که گویی: «جانت بخشم؟»

بگویم من: «تو دانی، من چه دانم؟»

ز بی‌صبری بگویم: «شمس تبریز،

چنینی و چنانی» من چه دانم؟

"How am I?" you ask? -- What can I say?

You ask me how I’m doing? --What can I say?
 

You ask me where do I come from? From which community?" you ask-- What can I say?

"From what wine-vat did you become this drunk?" you ask -- What can I say?

You ask me:

"What did the beloved have in those the lips --
from which your speech flows sweet?" -- What can I say?

You ask me:

“What have you seen in your lifetime that is better than life and youth?"-- What can I say?

I spotted a fire in the Beloved's face
that looked like the fountain of life—

What can I say?

If I myself, am you, then which one are You?
I ask : Are You This One or that one?—

What can I say?

Who am I to think these thoughts?
You being that kind essence of my life –

What can I say?

  

You ask me:

"Are you steadfast on the Beloved's Way? If so, are you a guide?" -- What can I say?

You craft me sometimes, into a bow, and sometimes into an arrow
But which one are You: the arrow or the bow?
What can I say?

When you tell me you’ll give me life , in that happy moment I’ll reply
"You know best -- What can I say?"

When I’m impatient I call on Him upon [My Guide] Shams of Tabriz:
“Are you going to be this way?”
What can I say?

Walk the Waves like Jesus

گفت هان ای سخرگان گفت و گو
He said beware those of you
mesmerized by idle talk

وعظ و گفتار زبان و گوش جو
who seek lessons and sermons,
speech and sound,

پنبه اندر گوش حس دون کنید
Put cotton in the ear
of the lower senses

بند حس از چشم خود بیرون کنید
break the bonds of the senses that come through your eyes

پنبه‌ی آن گوش سر گوش سرست
The cotton in the ear of secrets is the external ear

تا نگردد این کر آن باطن کرست

Until that external ear is not deaf the spiritual one remains deaf

بی‌حس و بی‌گوش و بی‌فکرت شوید
Become without senses, without ears, without thought

تا خطاب ارجعی را بشنوید
so you can hear the call from above

تا به گفت و گوی بیداری دری
Until you can open the door to awakened conversation

تو زگفت خواب بویی کی بری
How can you feel that inner conversation of sleep

سیر بیرونیست قول و فعل ما
Speech and actions are our outer journey

سیر باطن هست بالای سما
The inner journey happens above the heavens

حس خشکی دید کز خشکی بزاد
One born on dry land only senses dryness

عیسی جان پای بر دریا نهاد
The Jesus inside steps upon the ocean

سیر جسم خشک بر خشکی فتاد
The journey of our earthly body is on earth 

سیر جان پا در دل دریا نهاد
The spiritual journey encourages us to step into the sea

چونک عمر اندر ره خشکی گذشت
When you spend your life in the way of earth

گاه کوه و گاه دریا گاه دشت
Sometimes on the mountain, sometimes on the sea and in the fields

آب حیوان از کجا خواهی تو یافت
But where can you find the fountain of Life?

موج دریا را کجا خواهی شکافت
Where are you going to pierce the waves of the ocean?

موج خاکی وهم و فهم و فکر ماست
The earthly wave comes from our thought, illusions and understandings 

موج آبی محو و سکرست و فناست
The water wave is evanescent, drunk, annihilating

تا درین سکری از آن سکری تو دور
If you are drunk here, you are far from that Other Drunkenness
تا ازین مستی از آن جامی نفور
Until you are drunk from this, you are kept away from that Other Cup

گفت و گوی ظاهر آمد چون غبار
Outward conversation settles on us like dust

مدتی خاموش خو کن هوش‌دار
 Be silent-natured for a while and carefully guard your thoughts.