|
|
|
|
| Poems That Are Declaimed During Banquet Khayyam IN SEARCH OF WISDOM I WAS ALWAYS BOLD THERE WERE FEW SECRETS THAT I COULDN'T UNFOLD AND YET I FOUND OUT THAT I KNOW NOTHING ALTHOUGH I AM SEVENTY TWO YEARS OLD IN MY CHILDHOOD, TO A TEACHER I WENT MY LATER DAYS, AS A PROFESSOR I SPENT GUESS WHAT WILL BEFALL US IN THE END FROM EARTH WE ROSE AND TO EARTH WE ARE SENT ONE BREATH, DIVIDES FAITH FROM DISBELIEF ONE BREATH, DIVIDES DOUBT FROM BELIEF ENJOY THIS ONE BREATH OF YOUR LIFE ONE BREATH, THAT'S YOUR EXISTENCE, SO BRIEF! ALIKE FOR THOSE WHO FOR TODAY PREPARE AND THOSE THAT AFTER SOME TOMORROW STARE A CALLER FROM THE TOP OF THE MINARET CRIES FOOLS! YOUR REWARD IS NEITHER HERE NOR THERE I WENT TO THE POTTER'S SHOP YESTERDAY MUTE AND TALKING I FOUND THE JUGS OF CLAY SUDDENLY A JUG IMPATIENTLY DECLARED WHERE ARE POTTERS, BUYERS, SELLERS, TODAY Sa'adi (from Golestan: Rose Garden) ADAM'S CHILDREN ARE MEMBERS OF EACH OTHER IN ESSENCE, FROM THE SAME FATHER AND MOTHER IF ONE FEELS PAIN IN ONE'S CHEST THE REST ARE RESTLESS AT BEST! THE PAINS OF A SISTER, YOU DON'T BOTHER? THOU SHAN'T BE CALLED A MAN OH! BROTHER Hafez I HAVE NOT HEARD A HAPPIER SOUND THAN THE SOUND OF WORD OF LOVE, A MEMORY THAT WOULD LAST UNDER THIS TURNING DOME SO MANY SIGNALS AROUND FORTUNATE THOSE WHO DECODE PLENTY OF HINTS TO BE FOUND WHERE DOES THE SECRET ABODE? Rumi (from Divan Shams Tabrizi) I AM PONDERING DAY AND NIGHT WHY I'M NEGLIGENT OF MY HEART WHERE DID I COME FROM, FOR WHAT PURPOSE IS THIS ROAD ? WHERE WILL I GO? YOU'RE NOT SHOWING MY ABODE MY LIFE AND DEATH IS BEYOND MY WILL THIS IS THE CODE WHOEVER BROUGHT ME HERE WILL TAKE ME TO MY ABODE I AM PUZZLED ABOUT MY CREATION WHY, HOW? I CAN'T STRETCH MY IMAGINATION I'M A BIRD OF THE HEAVEN'S NOT THIS STAGE THEY HAVE MADE MY BODY FOR A FEW DAYS AS A CAGE I CAN NOT WAIT TO FLY LIKE A DOVE TOWARDS HIM I WILL APPROACH WITH LOVE Rumi (from Divan Shams Tabrizi) IT IS ONLY FAIR, THIS SECRET I SHOULD SHARE WE CAME FROM NOWHERE, NOT HERE NOR THERE DO YOU KNOW WHAT IS MEANT? TO NOWHERE YOU SHALL BE SENT? ALAS! YOUR THOUGHTS AND EMOTION LOVE OF LIFE WITH DEVOTION FADES IN THE LAW'S POTION WE CAME FROM THE OCEAN WE'RE DROWNED BY THE MOTION WE CAME FROM THE SEA IN THE SEA SHALL WE END WE FELL FROM THE HEAVENS INTO IT SHALLL WE ASCEND WE CAME FROM THE EARTH IN THE EARTH SHALL WE REST WE CAME FROM THE GOD RETURN TO HIM IS THE BEST THIS WORLD IS A PLAY AND A TEST THESE TEARS, MY ONLY COMFORT THESE POEMS DO THEY SUPPORT MY CORPSE COLD & DRY NO HANDS, NO WINGS DO I CRY WE CAME FROM THE SKY, INTO IT SHALL WE FLY Rumi (from Masnavi) THROUGH LOVE BITTER THINGS SEEM SWEET THROUGH LOVE BITS OF COPPER ARE MADE GOLD THROUGH LOVE PAINS ARE AS HEALING HERBS THROUGH LOVE THORNS BECOME ROSES THROUGH LOVE VINEGAR BECOMES SWEET WINE THROUGH LOVE THE SCAFFOLD BECOMES A BED THROUGH LOVE MISHAP SEEMS GOOD FORTUNE THROUGH LOVE A PRISON SEEMS A ROSE GARDEN WITHOUT LOVE A GARDEN IS A DESOLATE PLACE THROUGH LOVE BURNING FIRE IS PLEASING LIGHT THROUGH LOVE THE DEVIL BECOMES AN ANGEL THROUGH LOVE HARD STONES MELT LIKE BUTTER WITHOUT LOVE SOFT WAX HARDENS LIKE IRON THROUGH LOVE POISON TURNS INTO HONEY THROUGH LOVE LIONS ARE HARMLESS AS MICE THROUGH LOVE WRATH TURNS INTO MERCY THROUGH LOVE THE DEAD RISES TO LIFE THROUGH LOVE THE KING BECOMES A SLAVE Rumi ( from Masnavi) LISTEN TO THE REED BREATHING COMPLAINING ABOUT ITS SEPARATION EVER SINCE THEY TORE ME FROM MY OSIER BED MY PAINFUL CRIES HAVE MOVED MEN AND WOMEN TO TEARS I BURST MY BREAST TO VENT MY SIGHS AND TO EXPRESS THE PAINS OF MY YEARNING FOR MY HOME HE WHO IS SEPARATED FROM HIS ROOTS IS EVER LONGING FOR THE DAY HE SHALL RETURN MY WAILING IS HEARD BY EVERYONE SOME REJOICE FROM IT AND SOME WEEP EACH INTERPRETS MY NOTES IN HARMONY WITH HIS OWN FEELINGS BUT NONE UNDERSTANDS THE SECRETS OF MY HEART MY SECRETS ARE NOT ALIEN FROM MY PAINFUL NOTES AND YET THEY ARE NOT MANIFEST TO THE SENSUAL EYE AND EAR BODY IS NOT VEILED FROM SOUL, NEITHER SOUL FROM BODY YET NO MAN HAS EVER SEEN A SOUL THE SOUND OF THE FLUTE IS FIRE OF LOVE, NOT MERE AIR LET HIM WHO LACKS THIS FIRE BE ACCOUNTED DEAD THIS IS THE FIRE OF LOVE THAT INSPIRES THE FLUTE Rumi (Masnavi) I DIED AS A MINERAL AND BECAME A VEGETABLE I PASSED AWAY AS VEGETATION AND BECAME ANIMAL LEAVING THE ANIMAL STATE, I BECAME MAN WHY SHOULD I FEAR? WHEN WAS I LESS THROUGH DEATH? I SHALL ONCE MORE DIE: FROM MANHOOD, TO SOAR WITH ANGELS: AND I MUST PASS BEYOND ANGLEHOOD--ALL PERISH BUT GOD. WHEN I HAVE GIVEN UP MY ANGEL SELF, I SHALL BE WHAT NO MIND HAS CONCEIVED. Rumi (Masnavi) IN THE EARLY MORNING, A LOVER ASKED HER BELOVED, "DO YOU LOVE ME MORE THAN YOURSELF?" "MORE THAN MYSELF? FOR SURE I HAVE NO SELF ANYMORE --I AM YOU ALREADY THE "I" HAS GONE, THE "YOU" HAS COME ABOUT. EVEN MY IDENTITY IS GONE. THE ANSWER IS TAKEN FOR GRANTED. YOU AND I HAS NO MEANING. THE "I" HAS VANISHED LIKE A DROP INTO AN OCEAN OF HONEY." Rumi (Masnavi) MAYBE YOU CANNOT DRINK THE WHOLE OXUS RIVER BUT DON'T DENY YOU'RE THIRSTY! YOU WANT A SPIRIT CLEANSING? DIG A HOLE IN THIS BOOK, THE MASNAVI, THIS ISLAND. MAKE HOLES, SO THE OCEAN CAN FLOW UP THROUGH. DIG AND MAKE IT POROUS UNTIL IT IS ALL SEAWATER. WIND MOVES WORD-LEAVES OFF THE SURFACE, SHOWING ONE COLOUR, CLEARNESS. BENEATH YOU, CORAL BRANCHES, AND OCEAN-PEACHES! WHEN MASNAVI SINKS, WITH YOUR DIGGING, IT LOSES ITS WORDS. SPEAKER, LISTENER, LANGUAGE. BREAD, BREAD-GIVER, BREAD-WINNER. THE CATEGORIES DISSOLVE INTO ONE WATER. Rumi (Masnavi) THOSE WHO LIVE IN UNION BECOME PREGNANT WITH THE FEELINGS AND WORDS OF INVISIBLE FORMS! THEIR AMAZED MOUTHS OPEN, THEIR EYES WITHDRAW. CHILDREN ARE BORN OF THAT ILLUMINATION WE SAY "BORN," BUT THAT'S NOT RIGHT. IT ONLY POINTS TO A NEW UNDERSTANDING BE QUIET AND LET THE MASTER OF SPEECH TALK. DON'T TRY TO DRESS UP YOUR OWN NIGHTINGALE-SONG TO SELL TO THIS ROSE! BE ALL EAR.
|
|