A Sufi poem

Link to Original Document

Once a year I say a little

Open my mouth, am so smitten

Hope it helps even so slight

Let the world go into light

The Rubaiyat of Jalal Al-Din Rumi

Select translations into English Verse’ by A.J. Arberry, 1949.

Rumi was a 13th century Sufi

There is a story when Rumi was young boy he was following his father going to another village

A divine person saw This and laughed

He said. A sea is followed by an ocean

Meaning that Rumi has infinite wisdom even as a boy

Here is one of his poem

The heavenly rider passed;

The dust rose in the air;

He sped; but the dust he cast

Yet hangeth there.

Straight forward thy vision be,

And gaze not left or right;

His dust is here, and he

In the Infinite.

Interpretation

Heavenly rider – journey of soul

Dust rose in the air – ignorance or maya that blinds us leading us unsure where we head in life or life goal

He sped – life passes fast

Dust he cast – death eventually

Dust remained – the foolish ways of the world continues

What to do?

He guides

Look straight – the right way to see the world

Not left or right – don’t look for good or evil, pleasure or pain, right or wrong, ( like witness not interacting)

Dust is here – the ignorant ways of the world is here

He in the infinite – the person who no longer interacts – is in infinite. Or god is infinite or Akshar not tainted by maya or ignorance