The one who is not harmed by poison
drinks poison like wine, O cupbearer.
When existence disappears, Absence comes.
The person who is saved from the self
drinks wine in the sea of abundance, cup after cup.
The Rubaiyat of Rumi, The Ergin Translations, Volume 4, rubai 1484, page 55.
There is neither question nor answer on the way to Love,
but only a mystery.
The lover never answers to any human order.
This is a matter of Absence, not existence.
The Rubaiyat of Rumi, The Ergin Translations, Volume 3, rubai 1314, page 203.
With the wings of Your heart,
You flew to this desert plain of existence,
which melted in the greatness of Your heart’s expanse.
What is this small plain in comparison with Your heart?
All seven layers of the sky
are only the open palm of Your hand.
The Rubaiyat of Rumi, The Ergin Translations, Volume 3, rubai 1305, page 199.
Lovers, keep working hard.
When you become free from the soul and flesh,
your heart will become free from the heavy burden of your body.
It will fly to the sky. Continue reading “The Real Sky (12/17/2023)”
If I had known my own value,
I would not have fooled around with this dirty world.
I would have emptied myself from self and ascended quickly.
I would have raised my head above the ninth level of the sky.
Rubailer (2016), Rubai 1, page 475.
The Rubaiyat of Rumi, The Ergin Translations (apprx.pub.fall2023), Rubai 1456, Volume 4.
O one whose heart is full of words, yet remains silent,
Read the chapter, Hel Eta, in the Quran.*
Read the epigram, La Feta.**
Put on the tent of soul at the top of the sky.
Raise the waves from the sea of the heart.
Tear the bag of existence.
Let those two or three water carriers go. Continue reading “Tell Us (7/16/2023)”
Man’s heart is like a candle; It should be lit and allowed to shine.
There is a void in your soul because of the separation from the Beloved.
That void needs repair.
Know, O ignorant one
who knows none of what makes or breaks a heart, who avoids pain and burning,
Love is something to be encountered, not knowledge to be learned.
Rubailer (2016), Rubai 4, page 468
The Rubaiyat of Rumi, The Ergin Translations (apprx.pub.fall2023), Rubai 1002, Volume 3.
I have this burning desire to reach You, to meet You.
That desire is making me stubbornly insistent.
In order to reach Your fervor, I offer this unfaithful soul. Continue reading “Stubbornly Insistent (6/18/2023)”
A letter came for me from the other world.
It said, “Get ready for return.
Carry all your belongings to the sky.” Continue reading “I Will Be Free (2/5/2023)”
O one who wants to experience the world and everything in it,
you are a day laborer.
O one who dreams of heaven, you are far from the Truth.
O one who enjoys both those worlds because of ignorance,
you haven’t tasted the pleasure of His sorrow.
You are excused, and you may leave.
Rubailer (2016), Rubai 2, page 438.
The Rubaiyat of Rumi, The Ergin Translations (apprx.pub. 7/2023), Rubai 933, volume 3.