Rumi

Love, in Rumi’s vision, is when the ego or carnal self (nafs) is naught; and such love is realized when the heart is open and the mind is awakened to the reality of life beyond the fictional ego.

Rumi, Jalaluddin. Rumi: The Art of Loving (p. 24). Rumi Poetry Club. Kindle Edition.

On The Pain and Joy of Longing

I am madly in love with you. What good is advice and preaching?
I have drunk the killing water of love. What good is a little sugar?
They say, “Put chains on his feet.”
The madness is in my heart. What use is the chain on my feet?

dar esh’ģ-e to’am, nasiihat o pand che suud?
zah’râb cheshide’am, marâ ģand che suud?
guuyand marâ ke: band bar pâsh nehid divâne del ast,
pâm bar band che suud?

You’re gone, and in my longing I shed tears of blood.
This ever-increasing grief of you makes me cry more.
No, I’m not saying it right! When you left, my eyes went after you.
Since my eyes have gone with you, how can I cry?

rafti vaz raftan-e to, man khuun migeryam
vaz ghosse-ye afzuun-e to, afzuun migeryam
nay, khod cho to rafti, pe-ye to diide beraft
chon diide beraft, baa’d az ân chun geryam?

The Search

Within your living being, there is a spirit. Search for it!
In the mountain of your body, there is a jewel. Search for it!
O, wandering Sufi! If you are looking for it, don’t seek it outside; it is to be found within you.

dar jân-e to jâniist, bejuu ân jân
râ dar kuuh-e to, dorriist, bejuu ân kân râ
Sufi-ye ravande, gar to ân mi’juuyii
biiruun to majuu, ze khod bejuu to ân râ

O pious seekers who are wandering in the world:
Why are you perplexed by a mental idol?
What you are seeking the whole world for,
seek within yourself. You are already that.

ey ahl-e safâ ke dar jahân gardâniid
az bahr-e boti cherâ chonin heyrâniid?
uu râ ke shomâ dar-in jahân juuyâniid
dar khod cho be-juuyiid; shoma khod âniid

In the streets of your own mind, what are you seeking?
Why are you washing your eyes with tears of blood?
From head to toe, you are possessed by Truth.
Yet, you remain so ignorant of yourself: What else are you seeking?

dar ku-ye khyâl-e khod che mi’puuyii to?
vin diide be khuun-e del, che mi’shuuyii to?
az farg-e sarat tâ be ģadam, haģģ dârad
ey bi’khabar az khiish, che mi’juuyii to?

You have severed our relationship, but I do not despair.
You have chosen another lover, but I do not despair.
As long as I live, your grief will be my food.
There is much hope even in hopelessness; I do not even despair.

niyam, garche ze man bobridii
yâ bar sar-e man yâr-e degar
tâ jân dâram, gham-e to khâham khordan
besiyâr omiid hast dar nomiidii

If your quest is the soul’s home, you are that soul.
If your search is for a loaf of bread, you are that bread.
If you know this secret, you know the secret:
That you are seeking, you are that.

gar dar talab-e manzel-e jâni, jânii
gar dar talab-e loģ’me-ye nâni, nânii
in nokte-ye ramz agar bedâni, dânii:
har chiiz ke dar jostan-e âni, ânii

Who Am I?

I am not concerned with to be or not to be.
I am detached from them both. Yet, that is not bravery.
The wonders in my heart don’t drive me crazy.
This is bravery and the real madness!

bâ hasti o niisti-yam, bi’gânegist
vaz har do boridanam, na
gar man ze ajâyebi ke dar del dâram
divâne nemishavam, ze divânegist

When your chest is washed clean from the ego,
you will see your true self and your first love.
You cannot see your own face without a mirror.
Look at the Beloved; He is your mirror.

chon pâk shod ze khodi-ye to, siine-ye to khod-bin gardi, ze yâr-e diiriine-ye to
bi âyiine ruuye khiish natvâni diid
dar yâr negar, ke uust âyiine-ye to

The Beloved's Face

As long as the face of that enviable angel is imprinted in my heart,
in the whole world, who is as joyous in heart as I?
O God, to live this happy life is all I know.
I keep hearing about sorrow; what it is, I don’t know.

tâ dar del-e man suurat-e ân rashk pariist
delshâd cho man, dar in hame âlam kiist?
vallah ke be-joz shâd nemidânam ziist
gham mishenavam, vali nemidânam chiist

Die To Yourself

If you want your soul to be nourished and fulfilled;
don’t go to sleep. Let the loving fire of the Beloved burn you;
don’t go to sleep. For hundreds of nights you have slept; you know the outcome.
Do yourself a Divine favor: Tonight until dawn don’t go to sleep.

gar miikhâhi baģâ vo piruuz,
az âtash-e eshģ-e duust, misuuz,
sad shab khofti o hâsel-e ân diidii az bahr-e khodâ
emshab tâ ruuz makhosp

The secret of madness is the wellspring of wisdom.
Love’s madman is also a man of refined knowledge.
One who becomes the heart’s friend through the path of pain,
becomes a stranger to himself in a thousand ways.

sar’mây-ye aģl, serre diivânegist
diivâne-ye eshģ, mard-e farzânegist
ân kas ke shod ashenâ-ye del dar rah-e dard
ba khiishtanash hezâr biiganegist

So full of yourself, you cannot taste drunkenness;
attached to your Flesh, you cannot be devoted to the Soul.
In the path of love, you will not reach the real being
until you let go of yourself like water and fire.

tâ hosh’yâri, be taa’me masti
tâ tan nadahi, be jân parasti
tâ dar rah-e eshģ-e duust chon âtash o âb
az khod nashavi niist, be hasti naresi

Art of Living

We are lovers of love. Submission to a creed is something else.
We are poor ants, collecting love.
Solomon’s kingly life is something else.
In our longing, we have pale faces and torn hearts to offer. If you desire a fashion market, go somewhere else.

mâ asheģ-e eshģiim o mosalmân degar ast
mâ muur-e za’iifiim o Soleymân degar ast
az mâ rokh-e zard o jegar-e pâre talab
bâzârche-ye ģasab foruushân degar ast