Wailing and Drunk Like a Reed Flute
Ghazal 27651
When the candle has become joy-increasing, you will be dancing
(like) those whose hearts are like moths.2
When the soul arrives [back after sleep]3 does the body not move?
When the soul has come [back after death],4 you will rise up from
the grave!
When the sound of the mystical concert falls upon the mountain, O
heavy mountain, you are decreased5 by the echo!
The spring breeze is delivering an invitation for dancing to the
branch.
29395 How can the mote (of dust)6 remain still (when) the sun (is)
dancing in a sky (of the heavens).7
Both fire and smoke (have) become contorted from the (luminous)
fire of the face of a soul-increasing one.
O moon! O idol (derived) from the spirit without body, you are
witty and mischievous, you are (sweet like) sugar, and you are a
trial of affliction!8
Sometimes we have become short, sometimes long, with the
shadow of the form of a (miraculous) phoenix (bird).9
We also became drunk at the lips of the Beloved, (having) become
wailing (and) drunk like a reed-flute.
29400 We are riding upon the wind, like a straw, moving from side
to side because (of the magnetism) of a (piece of) amber.10
O heart, we are drunk from our own blood like a gnat,11 and (made
into) a soup from the cauldron of the liver.12
(We are) in solitude with (ecstatic) outcries13 (and) in (among) the
crowd with (course) shouts.
In appearance, we are menial slaves; in secret, (we have) the
qualities of the One Divinity.14
29405 This (is) the gift of the great king, Shams-i Tabrîz: lacking
pride, and yet [full of God-given] magnificence.
--From The Dîwân-é Kabîr (also known as "Kulliyat-é Shams" and
"Dîwân-é Shams-é Tabrîz") of Jalâluddîn Rûmî.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard, 1/9/05
© Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration)
Notes on the text, with line number:
1Ghazal 2765: Compare to: the translation (from the Turkish
translation of Golpinarli) by Nevit Ergin, "Dîvân-i Kebîr," Volume
14, pp. 176--77.
2(29391) those whose hearts are like moths: refers to the image of
the moth (symbolizing the lover) flying around the candle flame
(symbolizing the beloved) and risking self-annihilation [fanâ] from
feeling helplessly attracted by love.
3(29392) When the soul arrives [back after sleep]: refers to the
ancient belief that the soul leaves the body during sleep.
4(29393) When the soul has come [back after death]: refers to the
Islamic belief in the Day of Resurrection when souls will be
reunited with bodies prior to the Judgment. Here, it may also refer
to "mystical death" and resurrection.
5(29394) you are decreased: Rumi uses a number of images in his
poetry depicting how a mountain may be shattered by Divine
influence.
6(29395) the mote (of dust): depicted as "dancing" in a beam of
sunlight.
7(29395) in a sky (of the heavens): refers to the ancient belief that
there are seven concentric skies or heavens, corresponding to the
seven "wandering stars" (the sun, moon, and planets).
8(29397) you are a trial of affliction: refers to how the beloved
"tests" the lover with trials of separation and difficulty until the
lover proves himself worthy of union.
9(29398) the shadow of the form of a (miraculous) phoenix (bird):
the homâ was a legendary bird in Persian mythology. It was
believed that if the shadow of this bird fell upon a man, he would
become a king or receive some magnificent good fortune.
10(29400) amber: refers to static electricity, how a piece of amber
may cause s piece of straw to move by means of magnetism.
11(29401) we are drunk from our own blood like a gnat: an image
used to explain the erratic and drunken-like flight of the insect
known as the gnat.
12(29401) a soup from the cauldron of the liver: images of burning in
the liver in Persian literature symbolize grievous suffering--here
the suffering of longing love for the beloved which "cooks" the
lover.
13(29403) an (ecstatic) outcry [hûy-é hûyê]. An ecstatic outcry of
dervishes is "Hû" (referring to God, the Only Beloved,"
as "He," meaning "worshipping and loving no one but Him").
14(29404) the qualities of the One Divinity: refers to the sufi
teaching about the annihilation of human qualities leading to a
deeply surrendered state of reflecting Divine attributes.
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ân sham`-é chô shod Tarab-fazâyî
parwâna-del-ân ba-raqS ây-î
chûn jân be-ras-ad na tan be-jonb-ad?
jân âmad, az laHad bar-ây-î
chûn bâng-é samâ` dar koh oftâd
ay kôh-é gerân, kam az Sadây-î
k-în bâd-é bahâr mê-rasân-ad
raqSânî shâkh-râ Salâyê
29395 dar Zarra ko-jâ qarâr mân-ad
khworshêd ba-raqS dar samâyê
ham âtash-o dûd gashta pêchân
az âtash-é rôy-é jân-fazâyê
mâh-î! Sanam-â, ze-rûH-é bê-jism
shôkh-î, shakar-î, yakî balây-î
gah kôta-wo gah darâz gasht-êm
bâ sâya-yé Sûrat-é hamâyê
ham bar lab-é dôst mast gasht-êm
nâlân shoda mast ham-chô nâyê
29400 bar bâd sawâr, ham-chô kâh-êm
andar jawlân ze kah-robâyê
chûn pashsha ze-khûn-é khwêsh mast-êm
w-az dêg-é jegar, del-â! abâyê
andar khalwat-é ba-hûy-é hûyê
dar jami`yyat-é ba-hây-é hâyê
dar Sûrat banda-yé kamîn-êm
dar sirr Sifat-é yakî-khodâyî
29405 în dâd-é khedêw-é shams-é tabrîz
bê-kibr wa-lîk kibriyâyî
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Meter: XXo oXoX oXX
(Hazaj akrab maqbûz mahzûf)
