inspirations from the Mathnawi
- Shemseddin Howson
Our Sheikh has asked that an ongoing article be started in Lovers of Mevlanadealing with personal reflections from the Mathnawi. This requestties in with Jelaluddin's encouragement that we read the Mathnawi everyday. The only complete Mathnawi in English is the Nicholson translation,which is hard to read because of its scholarly approach. Personally I'veworked through this barrier by accepting Nicholson's emphasis on accuracyand when a passage speaks to me, I try putting it into more common speech.Many of our favorite Mathnawi poems are from Coleman Barks' work.
The following passages offer one an opportunity to ask "What is action?"and "How do we know the Friend?"
If all the Divine Wisdom in any particular act were made known to one,that person would be so absorbed in contemplation of the benefits of thatact, that the act would never be performed.
For that reason, God only makes known a small part of that Wisdom, justenough for the person to act, because the motive for action is advantageto ourselves or others.
As God said: "There is nothing but We have the storehouses thereof, andWe do not send it down but in a certain measure."
Without water, earth cannot become brick, nor does it become brick withtoo much water.
From the preface to Book II of the Mathnawi,
Nicholson translation
- version by Shemseddin Howson
Friend:
intelligence,
sometimes the soul,
water, bread, a cave
where we sit with friends,
invisible bowl to drink from,
health coming back to a patient,
definite statement, pulsing spring,
cloud, I'll stop,
not because
words have become tedious,
but to keep that bird sitting on its branch.
- from The Illuminated Rumi, Coleman Barks and Michael Green, BroadwayBooks, N.Y. 1997
Labbayka , or, Here I am | - version by Salih Seth Bloombaum | |
| One night a certain man cried "Allah!" till his lips grew sweet with praising Him. The Devil said, "O man of many words, where is the response 'Here I am' to all this 'Allah, Allah, Allah'? Not a single response is coming from the Throne: how long will you say 'Allah' in such great sadness?" The man was broken-hearted, and lay down to sleep - in a dream he saw Khidr in the greenery. Khidr said, "You have held back from praising God, why have you stopped calling Him?" The man answered, "No 'Here I am' has come back to me in response, I am afraid that I have been turned away at the door, as one who is cast-off." | Khidr said, "Not so. God has said 'That "Allah" of yours is My "Here I am," and that worship, that sorrow, and that love of yours is my messenger to you. Your many attempts to find Me were really My drawing you towards Me, My loosening you from the bonds of the world. Your fear and your love are the net to catch My attention, Beneath every "O Lord" of your's is many a "Here I am" from Me.'" - Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi's Mathnawi, III:189
(Khidr, also known as the green man, |
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