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Posted

Love is the cure, for your pain will keep giving birth to more pain until your eyes constantly exhale love as effortlessly as your body yields it's scent.

Posted
I have heard but not read anything by him. Would love to get some recommendations if anyone has any :)

"THe Essential Rumi" by Coleman Barks

Posted (edited)

Karuna thanks for enlightening us with Rumi...His vast poetry is recited everywhere in so many languages....Here is Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn colored in the colors of Rumi....

Some more Sufi Poetry, (voice of my mother tongue) Here is Abida Parveen singing Sufiana Kalam (Poetry) Baba Buelle Shah.... (Rumi was a mentor of Baba Bulle Shah as well)

(Translation by Me...in simple words) (Video is also translated....)

Do come to my premises, do come to my premises,

beloved day and night,..................

If god can be found being neat and clean, then the fish in the Ocean would have found him...

If god can be found faraway in the jungles then the wild would have find him.....

.

....Reading thousands of books, but you have never read yourself

....they enter the temples, but they never enter their hearts

....and you fight the others, but you never fight yourself........

Do come to my premises, do come to my premises,

beloved day and night,..................

Poetry of Rumi transcends in all official Languages of Indian-Subcontinent........

Edited by PlanetPage
Posted (edited)
Karuna thanks for enlightening us with Rumi...His vast poetry is recited everywhere in so many languages....Here is Late Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn colored in the colors of Rumi....

Some more Sufi Poetry, (voice of my mother tongue) Here is Abida Parveen singing Sufiana Kalam (Poetry) Baba Buelle Shah.... (Rumi was a mentor of Baba Bulle Shah as well)

(Translation by Me...in simple words)

Do come to my premises, do come to my premises,

beloved day and night,..................

If god can be found being neat and clean, then the fish in the Ocean would have found him...

If god can be found faraway in the jungles then the wild would have find him.....

.

....Reading thousands of books, but you have never read yourself

....they enter the temples, but they never enter their hearts

....and you fight the others, but you never fight yourself........

Do come to my premises, do come to my premises,

beloved day and night,..................

Poetry of Rumi transcends in all official Languages of Indian-Subcontinent........

I remember this one.

Abida Parveen Sings Bulleh Shah

;)

and the photos of the whirling dervishes are wonderful to see in the

Rumi's Poem - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Qawwali 1/2 video

:)

and I guess Nusrat's cousins were in Abu Dhabi for Womad this year...

but anyway, my all time favorite of Nusrat's rendition of Bulleh Shah's words to music so far is

and of course

laya barat laya, ghunghta uthane aaya

apna banane aya, vo

chanda bhi sath laya, taare bhi sath laya

pagal banane ayaa, vo

mera piya ghar aya, o Ramaji

mera piya ghar aya

meri payal chhanke chhan chhan

meri bindiya chamke chham chham

mera kangna khanke khan khan

mera nikala jaaye dam dam

deevani main deevanii, sharam ko chhod dungi

main ab nachungi itna, ki ghungru tod dungi

nazar ka vaar hogaa, jigar ke paar hoga

meri aankhon ke aage mera dildaar hoga

mera dhalta jaye anchal

mera bikhra jaye kajal

mujhe lagta hai ye pal pal

ho jaungi main pagal

kabhi ruthungi us se, kabhi hogi shararat

kabhi koi gussa uska, kabhi hogi mohabbat

dhadakta hai dil mera, na jane kya karun main

kuch hone vala hai jee, na jane kyun darun main

mera dhalta jaaye aanchal, mera bikhra jaye kajal

mera piya ghar aaya

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

This is a rough translation from "Mera Piya Ghar Aaya" (OSA CD Vol. 36 – Piya Ghar Aaya).

I didn't omit anything that he didn't sing, i.e. that between the *asterisks*).

It is from "Bulleh Shah" by JR Puri & TR Shangari (RSSB)

Mera Piya Ghar Aaya (Lyrics: Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah)

Come, dear friends and, felicitate me on my good fortune!

I have found my consort in my beloved!

Turn away the watchman!

My beloved has come home!

God has made this union possible.

O what a beautiful miracle!

Again and again lie strikes the gong,

And cuts he short the night of union.

If he were to find my heart's desire,

He would throw away the gong, O friends!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

The un-struck melody resounds sweetly.

The Musician is accomplished, the tune enchanting,

Prayers and fasting are all forgotten,

When the Distiller offers the cup, O friends!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

*****

Wondrous is the sight of His face!

The pain of my heart has all vanished,

How to extend the length of this night?

Place a wall against the day, O friends!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

I have no knowledge even of myself;

What do I know where I've reached!

How can this fact remain a secret?

Now has descended the perfect grace!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

I resorted to many a love-charm;

Magicians of great renown did I call.

Now the Beloved has come to my house.

May I live with Him for eternity!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

*****

Bulleh Shah's nuptial bed of the Spouse is dear.

O friends, the Savior has redeemed me!

With what an anguish my turn has come!

Now it is hard ever to leave Him.

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

Today my precious, my Beloved has come home.

punjabi.net

Edited by eternal light
Posted
I remember this one.

Abida Parveen Sings Bulleh Shah

;)

and the photos of the whirling dervishes are wonderful to see in the

Rumi's Poem - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Qawwali 1/2 video

:)

and I guess Nusrat's cousins were in Abu Dhabi for Womad this year...

but anyway, my all time favorite of Nusrat's rendition of Bulleh Shah's words to music so far is

and of course

laya barat laya, ghunghta uthane aaya

apna banane aya, vo

chanda bhi sath laya, taare bhi sath laya

pagal banane ayaa, vo

mera piya ghar aya, o Ramaji

mera piya ghar aya

meri payal chhanke chhan chhan

meri bindiya chamke chham chham

mera kangna khanke khan khan

mera nikala jaaye dam dam

deevani main deevanii, sharam ko chhod dungi

main ab nachungi itna, ki ghungru tod dungi

nazar ka vaar hogaa, jigar ke paar hoga

meri aankhon ke aage mera dildaar hoga

mera dhalta jaye anchal

mera bikhra jaye kajal

mujhe lagta hai ye pal pal

ho jaungi main pagal

kabhi ruthungi us se, kabhi hogi shararat

kabhi koi gussa uska, kabhi hogi mohabbat

dhadakta hai dil mera, na jane kya karun main

kuch hone vala hai jee, na jane kyun darun main

mera dhalta jaaye aanchal, mera bikhra jaye kajal

mera piya ghar aaya

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

This is a rough translation from "Mera Piya Ghar Aaya" (OSA CD Vol. 36 – Piya Ghar Aaya).

I didn't omit anything that he didn't sing, i.e. that between the *asterisks*).

It is from "Bulleh Shah" by JR Puri & TR Shangari (RSSB)

Mera Piya Ghar Aaya (Lyrics: Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah)

Come, dear friends and, felicitate me on my good fortune!

I have found my consort in my beloved!

Turn away the watchman!

My beloved has come home!

God has made this union possible.

O what a beautiful miracle!

Again and again lie strikes the gong,

And cuts he short the night of union.

If he were to find my heart's desire,

He would throw away the gong, O friends!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

The un-struck melody resounds sweetly.

The Musician is accomplished, the tune enchanting,

Prayers and fasting are all forgotten,

When the Distiller offers the cup, O friends!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

*****

Wondrous is the sight of His face!

The pain of my heart has all vanished,

How to extend the length of this night?

Place a wall against the day, O friends!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

I have no knowledge even of myself;

What do I know where I've reached!

How can this fact remain a secret?

Now has descended the perfect grace!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

I resorted to many a love-charm;

Magicians of great renown did I call.

Now the Beloved has come to my house.

May I live with Him for eternity!

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

*****

Bulleh Shah's nuptial bed of the Spouse is dear.

O friends, the Savior has redeemed me!

With what an anguish my turn has come!

Now it is hard ever to leave Him.

Turn away the watchman, O friends!

Today my precious, my Beloved has come home.

punjabi.net

Posted

Eternal Light,

...I love the Rumi verse that you posted....

and Nine, Glad you enjoyed Nusrat...

....and I am so glad that I am in company of so many poetic fans....As for Abida she gives voice to urdu Ghazals/poetry as well (as you probably know :D ). Robert Plant once compared Ghazal to the Blues and has said that Ghazal is lot like blues...(It is. and Robert is so right, we/all know that). It's been a while since I read that...

As for other Mera Piya Ghar Aya...it is foremost Punjabi ...."My beloved has come home"...It is the most copied line in so many songs...and this line belongs solely to B. Bulle Shah...to make a long story short...in case any one is wondering...it symbolizes the spiritual union of Bulle Shah and his mentor Shah Innayat...

....Sufi's often pretend that God is a woman and they are men...then they worship God as man loves a woman passionately....such is the case of Mera Piya Ghar Aya....

Oh Yes...Madhuri was a faboulous dancer...too bad, she got married and gone... :D

and thanks for posting all the poetry... :D :D

not edited for spelling...

(computer is so slow)

Posted (edited)
Eternal Light,

...I love the Rumi verse that you posted....

and Nine, Glad you enjoyed Nusrat...

....and I am so glad that I am in company of so many poetic fans....As for Abida she gives voice to urdu Ghazals/poetry as well (as you probably know :D ). Robert Plant once compared Ghazal to the Blues and has said that Ghazal is lot like blues...(It is. and Robert is so right, we/all know that). It's been a while since I read that...

As for other Mera Piya Ghar Aya...it is foremost Punjabi ...."My beloved has come home"...It is the most copied line in so many songs...and this line belongs solely to B. Bulle Shah...to make a long story short...in case any one is wondering...it symbolizes the spiritual union of Bulle Shah and his mentor Shah Innayat...

....Sufi's often pretend that God is a woman and they are men...then they worship God as man loves a woman passionately....such is the case of Mera Piya Ghar Aya....

Oh Yes...Madhuri was a faboulous dancer...too bad, she got married and gone... :D

and thanks for posting all the poetry... :D:D

not edited for spelling...

(computer is so slow)

Thank you, PlanetPage :D

I guess maybe the Sufi element somehow connected with the Hebrew Old Testament, Solomon's Canticle of Canticles because they are similar in the way they refer to a spouse.

1:1. Let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth: for thy breasts are better than wine,

Let him kiss me... The church, the spouse of Christ, prays that he may love and have peace with her, which the spouse prefers to every thing delicious: and therefore expresses (ver. 2) that young maidens, that is the souls of the faithful, have loved thee.

1:2. Smelling sweet of the best ointments. Thy name is as oil poured out: therefore young maidens have loved thee.

tldm.org/bible/Old%20Testament/canticle

A book in the Old Testament of the Bible, the Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs or the Canticles, is a collection of lyric poetry celebrating human love. The tradition of Solomonic authorship does not stand scrutiny. The milieu of the poetry is heavily northern Israelite and the imagery rural, although it may have been among sophisticated urbanites. A reasonable hypothesis is that love lyrics from the period 950 - 750 BC were collected and supplemented in postexilic times and accepted among religious Jews as an allegory of the relationship of God and Israel. The early Christian church accepted this explanation, with the allegory becoming that of Christ and his church. Other scholars interpret the song as a collection of hymns to true love, sanctified by union. The poetry describes nature and the male and female bodies with an ardent and unjaded eroticism.

mb-soft.com/believe/txs/songsolo

Bulleh Shah

(1680 - 1758)

Mir Bulleh Shah Qadiri Shatari, often referred to simply as Bulleh Shah (a shortened form of Abdullah Shah) lived in what is today Pakistan. His family was very religious and had a long tradition of association with Sufis. Bulleh Shah's father was especially known for his learning and devotion to God, raising both Bulleh Shah and his sister in a life of prayer and meditation.

Medieval Islamic Civilization By Josef W. Meri, Jere L Bacharach

books.google.com/books

talks about the history of Persian Jews, saying

There were contacts between Sufis and Qabbalists in Morocco as related by the great Moroccan sixteenth-century Qabbalist David ha-Levi. Hebrew transcriptions of the poetry of Rumi and Sa'di contributed to the diffusion of Sufi ideas among Persian Jews, foreshadowing the exquisite rub'ayyat of Sarmad (d. 1661), a Persian Jew who became a wandering dervish in India.

Josef Meri also notes that

Chronologically, it was Jewish mysticism that initially influenced Sufism. Although they recognize Neoplatonic and Christian influence on the evolution of early Sufi practice and doctrine, scholars have neglected the considerable impact of Jewish spirituality and piety on its formative period in Baghdad, the contemporary seat of great centers of Talmudic learning. Sufi hagiography has preserved many isra'iliyyat, edifying tales involving "the pious men from among the Children of Israel," which are traceable to rabbinic sources. These were supposedly transmitted through interreligious contacts or Jewish conversions to Islam, some of which took place precisely in Sufi circles in Baghdad, where Jews would attend lectures.

The Neoplatonist Roots of Sufi Philosophy

Kamuran Godelek

ABSTRACT: Neoplatonism strongly influenced the development of Sufism. Neoplatonism, as developed by Plotinus conceives God to be the source and goal of everything. Islam qua institution is closed to all critical and philosophical thought, but Sufism enjoys a more liberal and critical approach. It is probable that the translations of Plotinus have provided the necessary philosophical ground for Sufism. An examination of both Sufism and Neoplatonism reveals close similarities with regard to the nature of God, the soul, the body, concepts such as goodness, evil and beauty, death and life, and creation.

Islamic thought was influenced by Greek philosophy, especially the ideas of Aristotle and Plato. Sufism is a sect of Islam which has rather a different way of thought. "Sufi" is applied to Muslim mystics who, as a means of achieving union with Allah, adopted ascetic practices including wearing a garment made of coarse wool called "sf". The term "sufism" comes from "sf" meaning the person, who wears "sf". But in the course of time, sufi has come to designate all Muslim believers in mystic union.

muslimphilosophy.com/ip/CompGode

He then moves on to discuss the Golden Age of Spain and how

Andalusia was a fertile terrain of intercultural exchange where Sufism flowered early during the tenth century, notably through the teachings of Ibn Masarrah (886-931), whose system involved the "science of letters." These arithmological speculations, known as gematriyah, were also a central part of Jewish exegesis and esotericism since Talmudic times (third to fourth centuries).

'Gematriyah' looks like 'geometry'.

I remember briefly examining Sufism when I studied world history in high school, including Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyyat.

Sufism, which is a general term for Muslim mysticism, sprang up largely in reaction against the worldliness which infected Islam when its leaders became the powerful and wealthy rulers of multitudes of people and were influenced by foreign cultures. Harun al-Rashid, eating off gold and silver, toying with a harem of scented beauties, surrounded by an impenetrable retinue of officials, eunuchs and slaves, was a far cry from the stern simplicity of an Umar, who lived in the modest house, wore patched clothes and could be approached by any of his followers.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism

Harun al-Rashid (also spelled Haroun ar-Rashid, Harun al-Raschid or Haroon al Rasheed) was the fifth Abbasid caliph. He and his fabulous court at Baghdad are immortalized in The Thousand and One Nights.

Born to the caliph al-Mahdi and the former slave-girl al-Khayzuran, Harun was raised at court and received the bulk of his education from Yahya the Barmakid, who was a loyal supporter of Harun's mother. Before he was out of his teens, Harun was made the nominal leader of several expeditions against the Eastern Roman Empire; his success (or, more accurately, the success of his generals) resulted in his earning the title "al-Rashid," which means "the one following the right path" or "upright" or "just." He was also appointed governor of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Syria and Tunisia, which Yahya administered for him, and named second in line to the throne (after his older brother, al-Hadi).

Al-Mahdi died in 785 and al-Hadi died mysteriously in 786 (it was rumored that al-Khayzuran arranged his death), and Harun became caliph in September of that year. He appointed as his vizier Yahya, who installed a cadre of Barmakids as administrators. Al-Khayzuran had considerable influence over her son until her death in 803, and the Barmakids effectively ran the empire for Harun. Regional dynasties were given semi-autonomous status in return for considerable annual payments, which enriched Harun financially but weakened the power of the caliphs. He also divided his empire between his sons al-Amin and al-Ma'mun, who would go to war after Harun's death.

Harun was a great patron of art and learning, and is best known for the unsurpassed splendor of his court and lifestyle. Some of the stories, perhaps the earliest, of The Thousand and One Nights were inspired by the glittering Baghdad court, and King Shahryar (whose wife, Scheherazade, tells the tales) may have been based on Harun himself.

historymedren.about.com/library/who/blwwrashid

In a way, Scheherazade symbolizes the turning away from death and excess to eternal life for the soul, because King Shahryar stops killing and womanizing and finds true love and happiness with Scheherazade. It is as if she is the signature of the Creator working to redeem King Shahryar from his path of self-destruction. She brings an element of grace into his murder-prone existence, and he turns away from his dark past to a path of hope and renewal. She becomes symbolic of his redemption from the abyss.

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

"Jalaluddin Rumi was born in 1207 C.E. ( i.e. Common Era aligned with A.D.) in Balkh. This city was then in the Persian province of Khorasan but is now in Afghanistan. Balkh was then a prominent city and his family had a tradition of service there in legal and religious offices. Despite this background he moved, in his youth and with his family about 1218 C.E., away from Balkh in order to avoid the warlike Mongols who were then conquering extensively under the leadership of their Khans. The family travelled to Baghdad, to Mecca on pilgrimage, and to Damascus and eventually settled at Karaman near Konya in what is now western Turkey.

Following this move to Konya, then the capital of the western Seljuk Turks Jalaluddin's father was busy as an Islamic theologian, teacher and preacher. Jalaluddin followed in this tradition and, upon his father's demise in 1231 C.E. succeeded to his post as a prominent religious teacher.This part of the world was then known to its inhabitants as Rum, a name derived from the Byzantine Roman Empire that had formerly held it. Jalaluddin's name in religion and literature - Rumi - is itself derived from Rum.

Rumi is today thought of being a Persian mystic and poet and is closely identified with Sufism and Sufi mysticism. This Sufism being a mysticism within Islam where devotees sought a mystical union with God.

From around 1232 C.E. and the arrival of one of his fathers former Balkh students in Konya Rumi was thoroughly familiarised with doctrines of Sufism that had emerged in Persia and in 1240 C.E. he was recognised as being a Shaykh in his own right."

age-of-the-sage.org/sources/rumi_biography

"Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight

There moves a thread that has no end"

-Led Zeppelin

Edited by eternal light
Posted

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of it's furniture, still,

treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

Always check your inner state

with the lord of your heart.

Copper doesn't know it's copper,

until it's changing to gold.

Your loving doesn't know majesty,

until it knows its helplessness.

Posted

I feel Rumi is best with music but always wonderful any way he comes. My young brother is going to Afghanistan in July and I am giving him Rumi to carry with him. I've heard it said that though many are literate in Afghanistan most can quote Rumi from memory and that the Afghans are very proud of the fact that Rumi is perhaps the greatest mystic poet in the world and quoted more often than not during western weddings.

Posted
I feel Rumi is best with music but always wonderful any way he comes. My young brother is going to Afghanistan in July and I am giving him Rumi to carry with him. I've heard it said that though many are literate in Afghanistan most can quote Rumi from memory and that the Afghans are very proud of the fact that Rumi is perhaps the greatest mystic poet in the world and quoted more often than not during western weddings.

Can anyone suggest some CD's for background when reading him?

Posted
My (joint) favourite poet . xx

Mine too!

Your avatar just kills me LoL (I grew up with a full cadaver skeleton in the home-all joints wired and articulating-which I made good use of to scare my younger brothers any chance I could).

Posted
In Through The Out Door

I like that album lots but I was thinking of something of middle eastern origin perhaps. Something soft with tabla drums and moody. I will try your suggestion tonite however. :) Thanks

Posted (edited)
Can anyone suggest some CD's for background when reading him?

here are some songs...these are my post-zep '83ish memories...passing of Bonzo and arrival of The Police as I would listen to this very persian/arabic music...

Soundtrack of Indian Film Razia Sultan...composer Khayam...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwuzcB-aXTw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOMGia12yYw...feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBsOarocfwU...feature=related

You can also search some Afghani artists as well.... :D :D

Edited by PlanetPage
Posted
Thank you, PlanetPage :D

I guess maybe the Sufi element somehow connected with the Hebrew Old Testament, Solomon's Canticle of Canticles because they are similar in the way they refer to a spouse.

"Within the glow that weaves a cloak of delight

There moves a thread that has no end"

-Led Zeppelin

...Eternal Light thank you so much for bringing this up...I think so...I agree...I will have to read your post once again...thank lot again...cheers :D

Posted
Can anyone suggest some CD's for background when reading him?

The Soundtrack to Suleyman the Magnificant by Brian Keane and Omar Faruk Tekbilek. Middle Eastern music and very ethereal.

Posted (edited)
Lovely. I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Rumi's work after reading this thread!

Indeed :yesnod: I may add that to my fave quotes on FB. As threads often do, this touches upon Karuna's other one about Aladdin/universe manifesting our thoughts, etc. I was reading a book on writing, and it had that quote, and then I came on here and K had just started that thread so there you go. A lovely coincidence where we could share verses that are so simple yet intriguing.

Edited by Patrycja

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