Find and read as much of the poet Rumi as you can (he's all over the Web). Pick some lines or a poem you like, and then post under Comments a) those lines, and b) at least 150+ words of commentary on them. Enjoy.
18 comments:
Kate
said...
I thought that the poem that starts out “I’ve said before that every craftsman searches for what’s not there to practice his craft” was really interesting because it sounded a lot like Zen. This poem emphasizes the importance of emptiness. At first Rumi gives a lot of metaphors for finding the joy in emptiness, depicting the craftsman, builder, carpenter, and water-carrier, all who see emptiness not as something bad but as something with which something beautiful can be made. The poem also seems sort of comforting because it says “their hope, though, is for emptiness, so don’t think you must avoid it. It contains what you need!” These lines seem comforting because anyone can achieve emptiness and it doesn’t make people feel inferior if they don’t have a lot of things. I also found these lines interesting: “the mother and father are your attachment to beliefs and blood ties and desires and comforting habits. Don’t listen to them! They seem to protect but they imprison . . . they make you afraid of living in emptiness.” They seem to sort of make sense because parents typically want what they think is best for their children, and often times parents see what is best as being material well-being or just their children always being comfortable and happy. In this poem, Rumi seems to be saying that the way parents treat their children, though they may have good intentions, causes children to feel a strong sense of self and ego, which is what those trying to achieve emptiness and nonattachment need to avoid. I also found it interesting how Rumi stresses patience. For example he says “patience expands your capacity to love and feel peace. The patience of a rose close to a thorn keeps it fragrant.” These lines seem to say that it’s not so much that we need to avoid anything that we might become attached to but that we just need to work to get ourselves to where we can be around desirable things but just not feel like we have to have them. By stressing patience, Rumi seems to be saying that it’s not so much that it’s bad to desire things but that those desires shouldn’t be so strong that one despairs if they don’t get what they desire right away.
The poem entitled “The Progress of Man” was very interesting, as it alluded to some type of evolution that us human beings supposedly underwent before “the wise Creator” lifted us to a better existence. It seems to me that Rumi glorified men above women, because he uses the word “Man” to represent all humankind. But it could just be that I interpreted the poem too literally. The first sentence of the poem is nine lines long (the longest sentence in the entire poem), and it focuses on humankind’s dreary and unintelligent existence before God’s intervention—basically men evolved from “inanimate” beings to “animal existence,” before God “uplifted [them] … to Man’s estate.” The poem implies that humans are above all other beings on Earth, and that God donned us with superior intelligence. Further on in the poem, Rumi says that God will never abandon us, even though we are technically “asleep” and “forgetful.” The second half of the poem focuses on our awakening in the future: God will open our eyes to reality, and we will understand the frivolity of the illusion of life in this world. When an “appointed Day” comes around, man will be free from “dark imaginings” and “phantom griefs”—man will exist for all of eternity in a peaceful, happy, intelligent state. When reading the poem, I saw that it not only presented Islamic beliefs, but that it also reflected many Christian beliefs about God, Creation, and the afterlife.
When a baby is taken from the wet nurse, it easily forgets her and starts eating solid food.
Seeds feed awhile on ground, then lift up into the sun.
So you should taste the filtered light and work your way toward wisdom with no personal covering.
That's how you came here, like a star without a name. Move across the night sky with those anonymous lights.
I read several poems by Rumi but "A Star without a Name" struck me. While I read this poem it just flowed. The wording, line breaks, and the tone made the poem. In the first stanza, “it easily forgets her and starts eating solid food”, the child has no remembrance of the first moments of there life. Certainly there going to forget and not remember the nurse. I think Rumi used a metaphor for the human body growing in the second stanza. “Seed feed awhile on ground,” resembles the food we eat. “Then lift up into the sun,” is an image of us human growing in height. Together this stanza metaphorically images the body in growth. The third stanza implies for us as individuals to realize our goals in life and try to reach them through our intelligence. Use what we have and don’t try to be like others. Don’t be ashamed if your not he best out there. Just work hard. Stanza four sums up the whole meaning of the poem and why it’s titled “A Star Without a Name.” Everyone comes into this world as a no body. No one knows who you are or that you even exist. You have to grow physically and mentally by yourself. You have to make a name for yourself.
In your light I learn how to love. In your beauty, how to make poems. You dance inside my chest, where no one sees you, but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.
The poem Art as Flirtation and Surrender was the poem from Rami that interested me. The poem is talking about how Ramis feelings when he finds his own love. The first lines means for me that he is trying to learn from his love how to leave the life and the right way to love back. The second line is for me that he is writing his poem from her beauty because that is his inspiration. The third line is the same as butterflies in your stomach. Even though he does not always see her his heart reminds him. But as he remember her he does not want to show that to people on line four and then he changes his mind on the fifth line. He still wants to show her for other people. His feeling of love makes up his art and poem. It is a beautiful poem but still simply in a way.
Rumis’ poem, “If a Tree could Wander”, changed my interpretation of the control one has over one’s life. The poem begins with the powerful imagery of a tree with the ability to fly and move, giving it the capability to avoid the pain of being chopped or sawed down. It then leads into how could the sun rise and brighten our day if it never goes down, how can we feel joy, if we never experience pain or sorrow, how can we truly love someone if we have never experienced anger or hatred. I found that this poem was completely true, and I felt captivated and read it a few more times and caught an interesting line at the end, “Then journey into yourself!... such a journey will lead you to your self, It leads to transformation of dust into pure gold!”, I interpreted this to mean that it is within our own capacity to make gold out of dust, to see the light in the dark, to make the best out of every or any situation, that our life is in our own control.
Katy This World Which Is Made of Our Love for Emptiness Praise to the emptiness that blanks out existence. Existence: This place made from our love for that emptiness! Yet somehow comes emptiness, this existence goes. Praise to that happening, over and over! For years I pulled my own existence out of emptiness. Then one swoop, one swing of the arm, that work is over. Free of who I was, free of presence, free of dangerous fear, hope, free of mountainous wanting. The here-and-now mountain is a tiny piece of a piece of straw blown off into emptiness. These words I'm saying so much begin to lose meaning: Existence, emptiness, mountain, straw: Words and what they try to say swept out the window, down the slant of the roof.
I thought this poem was interesting. Rumi identifies existence as a place that we create from our love. Out of nothing, we pull meaning that our existence is actually emptiness. We place significance on everything even though it means nothing. Rumi says he pulled his “own existence out of emptiness.” However, after he realizes truth, he frees himself of the material desires and daily feelings that he calls “dangerous.” Interestingly, he says he became free of hope, something I would consider a positive thing. However, he is emphasizing that everything in the world, even that we love and are connected too, is part of the emptiness and holds no long-term meaning. At the end he acknowledges that even this poem about the reality of emptiness is a part of it. The words of the poem “begin to lose meaning.” They are swept away, signifying the idea of impermanence and non-attachment.
“Come, come, whoever you are. Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times Come, yet again, come, come.”
I’ve always been a big fan of Rumi’s, of his words, his images, and the feelings he can create with both. Reading his poetry, no matter if the subject is a death or a festival, always embeds a calm in my soul unlike any other. His poems are simple in structure and vocabulary, but so much dept can be squeezed from each individual line. I chose the poem above because it is a perfect example of Rumi’s gift of saying much in few words. Only seven lines long, the poem, in its complexity, manages to serve to meanings. First, the poem could be read about a man (or any other being) that others are welcoming into a setting. No matter if he’s “broken your vow a thousand times,” their love is selfless and does not judge. No matter if he’s left before, perhaps many times before, he is always welcomed back. It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son, where a father rejoices upon the return of his son who has left him and spent all his money, in the Gospel of Luke. Second, however, the poem could be read as Allah calling to his people from his gate as if on the Day of Judgment, declaring all sins washed away, and loving his children.
Until the juice ferments a while in the cask, it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright, you must do a little work.These lines are from the poem “Be Lost in the Call” by Rumi. I found this passage very interesting because it stresses the importance of commitment in religion. Rumi shows how a man cannot simply become “right” with God. Reaching this point takes a lot of hard work and effort. This idea is definitely displayed in Islam. The Five Pillars require a considerable amount of commitment. Fasting and Alms certainly require commitment as they require sacrificing a necessity to become close to God. Prayer in Islam certainly displays dedication. Many Christians find it difficult to find time to attend church on Sundays; however, Muslims take 5 different times during their day and dedicate that time to God. The Hajj also represents a time during which Muslims take time from their everyday lives to worship Allah. These lines are an excellent representation of the commitment required of Muslims by the 5 pillars of Islam.
'Tis said, the pipe and lute that charm our ears Derive their melody from rolling spheres; But Faith, o'erpassing speculation's bound, Can see what sweetens every jangled sound. We, who are parts of Adam, heard with him The song of angels and of seraphim. Out memory, though dull and sad, retains Some echo still of those unearthly strains. Oh, music is the meat of all who love, Music uplifts the soul to realms above. The ashes glow, the latent fires increase: We listen and are fed with joy and peace.
I found this poem really interesting. The poem describes the positive aspects of music. Rumi makes an allusion to Adam. “We, who are parts of Adam, heard with him The song of angels and of seraphim.” This specific line really caught my attention. I feel that the intention of Rumi in writing this line was to communicate to the reader that one must learn from other people’s mistakes as well their own personal mistakes. In doing so I understood the “songs of the angels” as other people’s mistakes. By learning from other people’s mistakes, one may save themselves a lot of grief and trouble. “Music uplifts the soul to realms above.” In addition to the line above, I also found this line intriguing. I felt through this greatly image emphasized line, Rumi once again tries and communicate to the reader that listening to others and learning from one’s mistakes will guide an individual towards heaven. “We listen and are fed with joy and peace.” This is an additional line that I reemphasizes the idea I described before.
Rumi's poem "The Marriage" is one of the most beautiful poems about marriage I've read. Although Rumi's poem was written centuries ago, his focus on Mohammed's progressive ideas makes his poem relevant in today's society as well as centuries ago. I love the imagery that Rumi uses to describe the support between the couple in marriage with the line, "May this marriage bring fruit and shade, like the date palm." It is truly a beautiful idea to put to the idea of marriage that marriage is like a fruitful oasis where you can take refuge.
I read "This Marriage." I love this poem because unlike most passages about marriage, it focuses more on the point of the marriage as opposed to the regulations. The idea of marriage is portrayed as a bond between two people, not because they have to stay together and stay faithful, but because they should want to be there for eachother in all circumstances. I believe this is how a marriage should be. It should be more than an obligation. As Rumi says,
"May this marriage be full of laughter, our every day a day in paradise."
In the same way, marriage should not be a stressful challenege for two people to overcome. It should be a joyous experience shared between two people with the deepest love and admiration possile for eachother.
I said, 'Thou art harsh, like such a one.' 'Know,' he replied, 'That I am harsh for good, not from rancor and spite. Whoever enters saying, "This I," I smite him on the brow; For this is the shrine of Love, o fool! it is not a sheep cote! Rub thine eyes, and behold the image of the heart.' Rumi uses this poem to talk about some people’s personality. In the poem he calls someone harsh or mean, and the person replies with “I know”. This makes the person seem unintelligent and mean, but he goes on to say that he is harsh for good reasons and not from hatred or spite. This is a good poem to describe how some people act. At first you think someone is just a mean person, but it turns out they may have underlying reasons for being mean. In the 4th line, I believe Rumi is criticizing whoever calls themselves mean. I think he’s trying to get the point across that it’s not a good thing to call yourself mean and know that you are mean to other people. It’s like being a smart ass. In the last few lines, Rumi expresses the idea that someone will never find love if they know that they are mean, and they don’t care that they are. He says, “rub thine eyes” so that the person will open them and see that he is actually being mean to himself by being mean to others and in turn, loosing love.
"Love is from the infinite, and will remain until eternity. The seeker of love escapes the chains of birth and death. Tomorrow, when resurrection comes, The heart that is not in love will fail the test." This Rumi poem explains true love. If a person goes into a relationship looking for love, he or she will never find it. If the person lets love take its course, they will find love and will forever be exempt from hurt and pain. Love is an essential part of human life. We all long to have a special bond with another person that resembles love. The line, " when ressurection day comes,..." means that the person that hasn't experienced love will fail the test of time. But for those people that are in love, their hearts will live on forever.
“So I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart; its darkened back, the world; The back would please you if you've never seen the face.”
In Rumi’s poem, “Be Lost In the Call,” he talks about how mortals on earth often question why they were created at all when it is so evident that we are inclined to do evil and are inevitably flawed. Rumi suggests here that in order to make God’s greatness known to man in order that they might be persuaded to change, God created a “mirror” of himself, suggesting that we might reflect his qualities if we so choose. Although this mirror has the capability of reflecting God’s great qualities, seemingly exemplified through those “enlightened beings” or just through good deeds in general, it is impossible to fully understand God for most of us on earth because we are simply a reflection of his greatness. Rumi also suggests that if we were never to realize the mirror quality on earth, the necessity for good to exist, we would be contented with the “back side of the mirror,” because we had not yet realized the need for good. But once we have seen the light, or the reflection for that matter, we can never again be contented with the back.
The first stanza of "Ode 314" goes like this: Those who don't feel this Love pulling them like a river, those who don't drink dawn like a cup of spring water or take in sunset like supper, those who don't want to change,
let them sleep.
This poem fully describes the mind of the passionate who is tired of those around him who are not passionate. There are so many people who take things for granted-- whether it be the idea of god, passion, love, or just sheer appreciation for what is around us. Those people who just sit there staring at their phones, computers, and work loads and make a conscious effort not to look up once in a while deserve to stay in their own little world. There is only so much that the appreciative people around them can do to try to shake them out of this impersonal, materialistic and unnatural world. The point is, visually “drinking dawn like a cup of spring water” once in a while feeds the soul. It brings you back to earth to realize how much is around, and how small you are on the scale of things. It’s simply a slice of humble pie offered every day for anyone (and everyone) to taste.
The first stanza of "Spring Giddiness" Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
Rumi is so profound in these lines. He seems to be saying that pouring over scriptures, and becoming a devoted scholar of religious doctrine does not necessarily make you more immersed in the mystery of the universe and in the religion. He tells us to instead do something we love, to discover a passion in life that brings us joy, like play a musical instrument; he explains that we bring ourselves closer to God when we find and acknowledge beauty, and participate in our activities and hobbies as a way of worship or payment of reverence. "There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground" is such a beautiful line. There are so many ways to connect ourselves to God, and we should not try to limit them to strict orthodox religious practices.
These spiritual window-shoppers, who idly ask, 'How much is that?' Oh, I'm just looking. They handle a hundred items and put them down, shadows with no capital.
What is spent is love and two eyes wet with weeping. But these walk into a shop, and their whole lives pass suddenly in that moment, in that shop.
Where did you go? "Nowhere." What did you have to eat? "Nothing much."
Even if you don't know what you want, buy _something,_ to be part of the exchanging flow.
Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah.
It makes absolutely no difference what people think of you.
- 'We Are Three', Mathnawi VI, 831-845
This poem reminds me of the chapel speaker Wendell Berry. When he came he talked a lot about supporting the local economy. I think in Rumi’s poem he is talking about this as well. The poem might have a deeper meaning of which I am not aware of, but to me this poem supports Wendell Berry’s idea of the local economy. This line, “They handle a hundred items and put them down, shadows with no capital”, reminds me of how many times I have walked into those weird local art shops where everything in the store is cool looking but has really no function. I am that person that picks up everything to look at and then doesn’t buy any thing. By doing this, according to Rumi, I make the store owner a shadow, a nothing, a background, that has no income.
"Look and you will see my form whether you are looking at yourself or toward that noise and confusion." This is from the middle of one of the LIfe and Death poems. It didn't have a name. I thought this was interesting because in many of his poems, Rumi talks directly to god, but in this poem, he talks to humans as if he is god. It's god's words through Rumi's poems. The poem is about one's death process and how is will happen. It tells us not to be afraid and to look for God and he will be there. This passage is God telling us he will be there when we look. It doesn't matter where we look, God will be there in ourselves and in everything else. This can be interpreted by itself to mean that God is always there for us during life and afterwards. Saying that he will be there if we look at ourselves also says that god is within us. When put into context of the poem, God is telling us he will be there when we die to help us and not to scare us. Death shouldn't be scary, but just a new experience.
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18 comments:
I thought that the poem that starts out “I’ve said before that every craftsman searches for what’s not there to practice his craft” was really interesting because it sounded a lot like Zen. This poem emphasizes the importance of emptiness. At first Rumi gives a lot of metaphors for finding the joy in emptiness, depicting the craftsman, builder, carpenter, and water-carrier, all who see emptiness not as something bad but as something with which something beautiful can be made. The poem also seems sort of comforting because it says “their hope, though, is for emptiness, so don’t think you must avoid it. It contains what you need!” These lines seem comforting because anyone can achieve emptiness and it doesn’t make people feel inferior if they don’t have a lot of things. I also found these lines interesting: “the mother and father are your attachment to beliefs and blood ties and desires and comforting habits. Don’t listen to them! They seem to protect but they imprison . . . they make you afraid of living in emptiness.” They seem to sort of make sense because parents typically want what they think is best for their children, and often times parents see what is best as being material well-being or just their children always being comfortable and happy. In this poem, Rumi seems to be saying that the way parents treat their children, though they may have good intentions, causes children to feel a strong sense of self and ego, which is what those trying to achieve emptiness and nonattachment need to avoid. I also found it interesting how Rumi stresses patience. For example he says “patience expands your capacity to love and feel peace. The patience of a rose close to a thorn keeps it fragrant.” These lines seem to say that it’s not so much that we need to avoid anything that we might become attached to but that we just need to work to get ourselves to where we can be around desirable things but just not feel like we have to have them. By stressing patience, Rumi seems to be saying that it’s not so much that it’s bad to desire things but that those desires shouldn’t be so strong that one despairs if they don’t get what they desire right away.
The poem entitled “The Progress of Man” was very interesting, as it alluded to some type of evolution that us human beings supposedly underwent before “the wise Creator” lifted us to a better existence. It seems to me that Rumi glorified men above women, because he uses the word “Man” to represent all humankind. But it could just be that I interpreted the poem too literally.
The first sentence of the poem is nine lines long (the longest sentence in the entire poem), and it focuses on humankind’s dreary and unintelligent existence before God’s intervention—basically men evolved from “inanimate” beings to “animal existence,” before God “uplifted [them] … to Man’s estate.” The poem implies that humans are above all other beings on Earth, and that God donned us with superior intelligence. Further on in the poem, Rumi says that God will never abandon us, even though we are technically “asleep” and “forgetful.”
The second half of the poem focuses on our awakening in the future: God will open our eyes to reality, and we will understand the frivolity of the illusion of life in this world. When an “appointed Day” comes around, man will be free from “dark imaginings” and “phantom griefs”—man will exist for all of eternity in a peaceful, happy, intelligent state. When reading the poem, I saw that it not only presented Islamic beliefs, but that it also reflected many Christian beliefs about God, Creation, and the afterlife.
A Star Without a Name
When a baby is taken from the wet nurse,
it easily forgets her
and starts eating solid food.
Seeds feed awhile on ground,
then lift up into the sun.
So you should taste the filtered light
and work your way toward wisdom
with no personal covering.
That's how you came here, like a star
without a name. Move across the night sky
with those anonymous lights.
I read several poems by Rumi but "A Star without a Name" struck me. While I read this poem it just flowed. The wording, line breaks, and the tone made the poem. In the first stanza, “it easily forgets her and starts eating solid food”, the child has no remembrance of the first moments of there life. Certainly there going to forget and not remember the nurse. I think Rumi used a metaphor for the human body growing in the second stanza. “Seed feed awhile on ground,” resembles the food we eat. “Then lift up into the sun,” is an image of us human growing in height. Together this stanza metaphorically images the body in growth. The third stanza implies for us as individuals to realize our goals in life and try to reach them through our intelligence. Use what we have and don’t try to be like others. Don’t be ashamed if your not he best out there. Just work hard. Stanza four sums up the whole meaning of the poem and why it’s titled “A Star Without a Name.” Everyone comes into this world as a no body. No one knows who you are or that you even exist. You have to grow physically and mentally by yourself. You have to make a name for yourself.
In your light I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest,
where no one sees you,
but sometimes I do,
and that sight becomes this art.
The poem Art as Flirtation and Surrender was the poem from Rami that interested me. The poem is talking about how Ramis feelings when he finds his own love. The first lines means for me that he is trying to learn from his love how to leave the life and the right way to love back. The second line is for me that he is writing his poem from her beauty because that is his inspiration. The third line is the same as butterflies in your stomach. Even though he does not always see her his heart reminds him. But as he remember her he does not want to show that to people on line four and then he changes his mind on the fifth line. He still wants to show her for other people. His feeling of love makes up his art and poem. It is a beautiful poem but still simply in a way.
Steffen Getsinger
Rumis’ poem, “If a Tree could Wander”, changed my interpretation of the control one has over one’s life. The poem begins with the powerful imagery of a tree with the ability to fly and move, giving it the capability to avoid the pain of being chopped or sawed down. It then leads into how could the sun rise and brighten our day if it never goes down, how can we feel joy, if we never experience pain or sorrow, how can we truly love someone if we have never experienced anger or hatred. I found that this poem was completely true, and I felt captivated and read it a few more times and caught an interesting line at the end, “Then journey into yourself!... such a journey will lead you to your self, It leads to transformation of dust into pure gold!”, I interpreted this to mean that it is within our own capacity to make gold out of dust, to see the light in the dark, to make the best out of every or any situation, that our life is in our own control.
Katy
This World Which Is Made of Our Love for Emptiness
Praise to the emptiness that blanks out existence. Existence:
This place made from our love for that emptiness!
Yet somehow comes emptiness,
this existence goes.
Praise to that happening, over and over!
For years I pulled my own existence out of emptiness.
Then one swoop, one swing of the arm,
that work is over.
Free of who I was, free of presence, free of dangerous fear, hope,
free of mountainous wanting.
The here-and-now mountain is a tiny piece of a piece of straw
blown off into emptiness.
These words I'm saying so much begin to lose meaning:
Existence, emptiness, mountain, straw:
Words and what they try to say swept
out the window, down the slant of the roof.
I thought this poem was interesting. Rumi identifies existence as a place that we create from our love. Out of nothing, we pull meaning that our existence is actually emptiness. We place significance on everything even though it means nothing. Rumi says he pulled his “own existence out of emptiness.” However, after he realizes truth, he frees himself of the material desires and daily feelings that he calls “dangerous.” Interestingly, he says he became free of hope, something I would consider a positive thing. However, he is emphasizing that everything in the world, even that we love and are connected too, is part of the emptiness and holds no long-term meaning. At the end he acknowledges that even this poem about the reality of emptiness is a part of it. The words of the poem “begin to lose meaning.” They are swept away, signifying the idea of impermanence and non-attachment.
MARY ADAMS says...
“Come, come, whoever you are.
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow
a thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come.”
I’ve always been a big fan of Rumi’s, of his words, his images, and the feelings he can create with both. Reading his poetry, no matter if the subject is a death or a festival, always embeds a calm in my soul unlike any other. His poems are simple in structure and vocabulary, but so much dept can be squeezed from each individual line. I chose the poem above because it is a perfect example of Rumi’s gift of saying much in few words. Only seven lines long, the poem, in its complexity, manages to serve to meanings. First, the poem could be read about a man (or any other being) that others are welcoming into a setting. No matter if he’s “broken your vow a thousand times,” their love is selfless and does not judge. No matter if he’s left before, perhaps many times before, he is always welcomed back. It reminds me of the story of the Prodigal Son, where a father rejoices upon the return of his son who has left him and spent all his money, in the Gospel of Luke. Second, however, the poem could be read as Allah calling to his people from his gate as if on the Day of Judgment, declaring all sins washed away, and loving his children.
Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.These lines are from the poem “Be Lost in the Call” by Rumi. I found this passage very interesting because it stresses the importance of commitment in religion. Rumi shows how a man cannot simply become “right” with God. Reaching this point takes a lot of hard work and effort. This idea is definitely displayed in Islam. The Five Pillars require a considerable amount of commitment. Fasting and Alms certainly require commitment as they require sacrificing a necessity to become close to God. Prayer in Islam certainly displays dedication. Many Christians find it difficult to find time to attend church on Sundays; however, Muslims take 5 different times during their day and dedicate that time to God. The Hajj also represents a time during which Muslims take time from their everyday lives to worship Allah. These lines are an excellent representation of the commitment required of Muslims by the 5 pillars of Islam.
'Tis said, the pipe and lute that charm our ears
Derive their melody from rolling spheres;
But Faith, o'erpassing speculation's bound,
Can see what sweetens every jangled sound.
We, who are parts of Adam, heard with him
The song of angels and of seraphim.
Out memory, though dull and sad, retains
Some echo still of those unearthly strains.
Oh, music is the meat of all who love,
Music uplifts the soul to realms above.
The ashes glow, the latent fires increase:
We listen and are fed with joy and peace.
I found this poem really interesting. The poem describes the positive aspects of music. Rumi makes an allusion to Adam. “We, who are parts of Adam, heard with him
The song of angels and of seraphim.” This specific line really caught my attention. I feel that the intention of Rumi in writing this line was to communicate to the reader that one must learn from other people’s mistakes as well their own personal mistakes. In doing so I understood the “songs of the angels” as other people’s mistakes. By learning from other people’s mistakes, one may save themselves a lot of grief and trouble. “Music uplifts the soul to realms above.” In addition to the line above, I also found this line intriguing. I felt through this greatly image emphasized line, Rumi once again tries and communicate to the reader that listening to others and learning from one’s mistakes will guide an individual towards heaven. “We listen and are fed with joy and peace.” This is an additional line that I reemphasizes the idea I described before.
Rumi's poem "The Marriage" is one of the most beautiful poems about marriage I've read. Although Rumi's poem was written centuries ago, his focus on Mohammed's progressive ideas makes his poem relevant in today's society as well as centuries ago. I love the imagery that Rumi uses to describe the support between the couple in marriage with the line, "May this marriage bring fruit and shade, like the date palm." It is truly a beautiful idea to put to the idea of marriage that marriage is like a fruitful oasis where you can take refuge.
I read "This Marriage." I love this poem because unlike most passages about marriage, it focuses more on the point of the marriage as opposed to the regulations. The idea of marriage is portrayed as a bond between two people, not because they have to stay together and stay faithful, but because they should want to be there for eachother in all circumstances. I believe this is how a marriage should be. It should be more than an obligation. As Rumi says,
"May this marriage be full of laughter,
our every day a day in paradise."
In the same way, marriage should not be a stressful challenege for two people to overcome. It should be a joyous experience shared between two people with the deepest love and admiration possile for eachother.
I said, 'Thou art harsh, like such a one.'
'Know,' he replied,
'That I am harsh for good, not from rancor and spite.
Whoever enters saying, "This I," I smite him on the brow;
For this is the shrine of Love, o fool! it is not a sheep cote!
Rub thine eyes, and behold the image of the heart.'
Rumi uses this poem to talk about some people’s personality. In the poem he calls someone harsh or mean, and the person replies with “I know”. This makes the person seem unintelligent and mean, but he goes on to say that he is harsh for good reasons and not from hatred or spite. This is a good poem to describe how some people act. At first you think someone is just a mean person, but it turns out they may have underlying reasons for being mean. In the 4th line, I believe Rumi is criticizing whoever calls themselves mean. I think he’s trying to get the point across that it’s not a good thing to call yourself mean and know that you are mean to other people. It’s like being a smart ass. In the last few lines, Rumi expresses the idea that someone will never find love if they know that they are mean, and they don’t care that they are. He says, “rub thine eyes” so that the person will open them and see that he is actually being mean to himself by being mean to others and in turn, loosing love.
"Love is from the infinite, and will remain until eternity.
The seeker of love escapes the chains of birth and death.
Tomorrow, when resurrection comes,
The heart that is not in love will fail the test."
This Rumi poem explains true love. If a person goes into a relationship looking for love, he or she will never find it. If the person lets love take its course, they will find love and will forever be exempt from hurt and pain. Love is an essential part of human life. We all long to have a special bond with another person that resembles love. The line, " when ressurection day comes,..." means that the person that hasn't experienced love will fail the test of time. But for those people that are in love, their hearts will live on forever.
“So I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you've never seen the face.”
In Rumi’s poem, “Be Lost In the Call,” he talks about how mortals on earth often question why they were created at all when it is so evident that we are inclined to do evil and are inevitably flawed. Rumi suggests here that in order to make God’s greatness known to man in order that they might be persuaded to change, God created a “mirror” of himself, suggesting that we might reflect his qualities if we so choose. Although this mirror has the capability of reflecting God’s great qualities, seemingly exemplified through those “enlightened beings” or just through good deeds in general, it is impossible to fully understand God for most of us on earth because we are simply a reflection of his greatness. Rumi also suggests that if we were never to realize the mirror quality on earth, the necessity for good to exist, we would be contented with the “back side of the mirror,” because we had not yet realized the need for good. But once we have seen the light, or the reflection for that matter, we can never again be contented with the back.
The first stanza of "Ode 314" goes like this:
Those who don't feel this Love
pulling them like a river,
those who don't drink dawn
like a cup of spring water
or take in sunset like supper,
those who don't want to change,
let them sleep.
This poem fully describes the mind of the passionate who is tired of those around him who are not passionate. There are so many people who take things for granted-- whether it be the idea of god, passion, love, or just sheer appreciation for what is around us. Those people who just sit there staring at their phones, computers, and work loads and make a conscious effort not to look up once in a while deserve to stay in their own little world. There is only so much that the appreciative people around them can do to try to shake them out of this impersonal, materialistic and unnatural world. The point is, visually “drinking dawn like a cup of spring water” once in a while feeds the soul. It brings you back to earth to realize how much is around, and how small you are on the scale of things. It’s simply a slice of humble pie offered every day for anyone (and everyone) to taste.
The first stanza of "Spring Giddiness"
Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
Rumi is so profound in these lines. He seems to be saying that pouring over scriptures, and becoming a devoted scholar of religious doctrine does not necessarily make you more immersed in the mystery of the universe and in the religion. He tells us to instead do something we love, to discover a passion in life that brings us joy, like play a musical instrument; he explains that we bring ourselves closer to God when we find and acknowledge beauty, and participate in our activities and hobbies as a way of worship or payment of reverence. "There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground" is such a beautiful line. There are so many ways to connect ourselves to God, and we should not try to limit them to strict orthodox religious practices.
These spiritual window-shoppers,
who idly ask, 'How much is that?' Oh, I'm just looking.
They handle a hundred items and put them down,
shadows with no capital.
What is spent is love and two eyes wet with weeping.
But these walk into a shop,
and their whole lives pass suddenly in that moment,
in that shop.
Where did you go? "Nowhere."
What did you have to eat? "Nothing much."
Even if you don't know what you want,
buy _something,_ to be part of the exchanging flow.
Start a huge, foolish project,
like Noah.
It makes absolutely no difference
what people think of you.
- 'We Are Three', Mathnawi VI, 831-845
This poem reminds me of the chapel speaker Wendell Berry. When he came he talked a lot about supporting the local economy. I think in Rumi’s poem he is talking about this as well. The poem might have a deeper meaning of which I am not aware of, but to me this poem supports Wendell Berry’s idea of the local economy. This line, “They handle a hundred items and put them down, shadows with no capital”, reminds me of how many times I have walked into those weird local art shops where everything in the store is cool looking but has really no function. I am that person that picks up everything to look at and then doesn’t buy any thing. By doing this, according to Rumi, I make the store owner a shadow, a nothing, a background, that has no income.
"Look and you will see my form
whether you are looking at yourself
or toward that noise and confusion."
This is from the middle of one of the LIfe and Death poems. It didn't have a name. I thought this was interesting because in many of his poems, Rumi talks directly to god, but in this poem, he talks to humans as if he is god. It's god's words through Rumi's poems. The poem is about one's death process and how is will happen. It tells us not to be afraid and to look for God and he will be there. This passage is God telling us he will be there when we look. It doesn't matter where we look, God will be there in ourselves and in everything else. This can be interpreted by itself to mean that God is always there for us during life and afterwards. Saying that he will be there if we look at ourselves also says that god is within us. When put into context of the poem, God is telling us he will be there when we die to help us and not to scare us. Death shouldn't be scary, but just a new experience.
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