Rumi

On the bank of the river

16 February 2010
Comments (1)
On the bank of the river,
water is grudged by that one alone
who is blind to the flowing stream.
~~~~~~~~~~
Bar lab-e ju bokhl-e âb ân-râ bovad
ku ze ju-ye âb nâ-binâ bovad
– Mathnawi II:894
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
“Rumi: Daylight”
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

On the bank of the river,water is grudged by that one alonewho is blind to the flowing stream.
~~~~~~~~~~
Bar lab-e ju bokhl-e âb ân-râ bovadku ze ju-ye âb nâ-binâ bovad
– Mathnawi II:894Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski”Rumi: Daylight”Threshold Books, 1994Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

Who is looking out?

4 February 2010
Comments (1)

Who sees inside from outside?
Who finds hundreds of mysteries
even where minds are deranged?

See through his eyes what he sees.
Who then is looking out from his eyes?

– Version by Coleman Barks
Open Secret
Threshold Books, 1984

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

who is the one
who sees the external
right from within
who is the one
who casts a hundred magic spells
when watching the insane in love
try your own eyes
see how they see
who is the one
who is looking out
through your eyes for you

–Translation by Nader Khalili
Rumi, Dancing the Flame
Cal-Earth Press, 2001

I have returned, like the new year (Rumi)

3 February 2010
Comments (1)
I am posting Sunlight translations of Rumi’s  Ghazal (Ode) 1375, from  ”Diwan-e-Shamsi” (“The Collection of Shams”), rendered by Nader Khalili, and Prof. William Chittick:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i’ve come again
like a new year
to crash the gate
of this old prison
i’ve come again
to break the teeth and claws
of this man-eating
monster we call life (more…)

Love is a mirror

28 November 2009
Comments (1)

With love you cannot bargain
there, the choice is not yours.
Love is a mirror, it reflects
only your essence,
if you have the courage
to look in its face.

– Translation by Azima Melita Kolin
and Maryam Mafi (more…)

To that Beloved

16 October 2009
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To that Beloved,
flower and thorn are one;
A verse of the Koran
And a Brahmin’s thread are one.
Don’t try to impress Him –
To that Beloved,
hero and fool are one.
– Version by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva
A Garden Beyond Paradise
Bantam Books, 1992

On Rumi’s birthday

1 October 2009
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I am addicted to the translations of Rumi that appear on the Sunlight group’s website. My evening became quite delightful when I found out the new post on Rumi’s birthday. I am therefore posting all these translations here, thanks to Sunlight.
Mawlana Jalal-ad-Din Muhammad Rumi was born on September 30, 1207
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In memory of the birth of Maulaana Jalalludin Balkhi, known as Rumi, Sunlight has published the first verses from his Mathnawi, the story of The Song of the Reed, in an interpretive version by Jonathan Star, in translation by Dr. Franklin Lewis, and in translation by Dr.
Ibrahim Gamard, accompanied by a Persian transliteration.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Song of the Reed
Listen to the song of the reed,
How it wails with the pain of separation:
“Ever since I was taken from my reed bed
My woeful song has caused men and women to weep. (more…)

Journey in yourself, journey out of self

29 September 2009
Comments (2)
Sunlight has compiled a several version of Ghazal (Ode) 1142, from Rumi’s “Diwan-e-Shams-e Tabrizi”*, in a version by Star, a translation by Schimmel, a version by Barks, and a translation by Nicholson (from which the Barks version is derived).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a tree could run or fly
it would not suffer from the teeth of a saw
or the blows of an axe.
If the Sun did not run across the sky
the world would not see
the colors of morning.
If water did not rise from the sea
plants would not be quickened
by rivers or rain. (more…)

Don’t talk about the journey (Rumi)

28 September 2009
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come come come
my endless desires
come come come
come my beloved
come my sweetheart (more…)

Take simplicity as your companion

26 September 2009
Comments (1)
O, how often have knowledge and wit
become as deadly to the wayfarer as any demon or bandit!
Most of those destined for Paradise are simple-minded,
so that they escape from the mischief of philosophy.
Strip yourself of useless learning and vanity,
so that every moment Divine mercy may descend upon you. (more…)

Ramadan came to the heart’s temple

22 September 2009
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Rumi on Eid

Ramadan came, but Bairam is with us.
The lock came, but the key is with us.

Mouth is closed. Eyes are opened.
That brilliance that the eyes see is with us. (more…)

What a fine, broad kingdom

15 September 2009
Comments (1)

Another fine poem by Rumi – translation followed by the original

In the world there are invisible ladders,

leading step by step to the summit of heaven.

There is a different ladder for every group,

a different heaven for every path.

Each one is ignorant of the other’s condition in this wide kingdom which

has no end or beginning. (more…)

A Sacred Blasphemy

27 August 2009
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Rumi once again…

Be off and know
That the way of lovers is opposite all other ways.
Lies from the Friend
Are better than truth and kindness from others.

For Him
The impossible is commonplace,
Punishment is reward,
Tyranny is justice,
Slander is the highest praise. (more…)

Live a fresh story

10 August 2009
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A quatrain by Rumi
happiness is to reach
the next post every day
like flowing water
free from stillness
and melancholy
yesterday is gone and
took away its talk
today we must live
a fresh story again (more…)

Spinning with your love

15 June 2009
Comments (3)

I am filled with splendor,
spinning with your love.

It looks like I’m spinning around you,
but no – I’m spinning around myself!

Rumi’s Quatrain 1118

– Version by Jonathan Star and Shahram Shiva
A Garden Beyond Paradise
Bantam Books, 1992

All the precious words

12 June 2009
Comments (0)

all the precious words
you and I have exchanged
have found their way
into the heart of the universe
one day they’ll pour on us
like whispering rain
helping us arise
from our roots again

– Quatrain 1112
Translation by Nader Khalili
Rumi, Dancing the Flame
Cal-Earth Press, 2001

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