Alas that beautiful beloved where hence?
Alas that graceful Goddess where hence?
In our midst like a candle brightly shone
Where hence, alas, without us where hence?
Like a shivering leaf my heart constantly moan
Beloved left at midnight, where hence?
Ask wayfarers to have the path shown
That soul-pleasing companion, where hence?
In the garden ask the gardener alone
That unequalled King has gone, where hence?
In the watch towers ask the guards who have known
That beautiful rose stem, where hence?
In madness roaming the desert sand and stone
That dear lost in this pasture, where hence?
My eyes from tears into a river have grown
In this ocean, that Pearl where hence?
Although is with others, is our very own
From us has flown, where to? Where hence?

You who seek God apart, apart,
The thing you seek, thou art, thou art;
Why then search for what you have not lost?
Searching for what’s not lost, distrust, distrust!
Thou art the letters, names and the book
Prophets and angels your word undertook;
Just sit still, this futile search let go
You are the house, master and foe
Essence and form, celestial and from earth
Always eternal, in death and at birth.
If you want to see the beloved’s face
Polish the mirror, gaze into that space
In these truths, the secrets you weave
Are your punishments, yourselves deceive.
Shams-e Tabrizi, is the world Emperor
Seekers of his grace are behind which door?
This graceful King showers you with gifts
Unbeknownst to you, your souls uplifts.

Thou art my King, Thou art my King
To my heart and soul faith Thou shalt bring
With Thy loving breath infuse me with life
Not just one single soul, my every soul Thou string.
Without Thee taking bread, is of poison being fed
Thou art water and bread to which with life I cling.
Poison if Thou willed, into elixir will turn
Thy abundant sweetness in my mouth sweetly sting.
My grass and orchard, and my Paradise
My herb and my tree, thy joy in me ring.
Thou art my monarch, Thou art my moon too;
Thou art the jewel and the mine that gave it wing.
Silence I choose, best Thou givest the news
Thou art the reason for which I speak and sing.

Interpreting the teacher's couplet...



In the land of the Soul, endless skies
Lord of the earth and skies, kind and wise
Ups and downs of the path, pain and ease
Climbing mountains high, sailing wide seas.

In the unseen, rain and cloud of different kind
Different sun and sky confound the mind
None is seen, save by the chosen few
Others in awe of the Creator’s view.
Rain’s purpose is to help plants to grow
Rain’s purpose is to help decay’s flow.
Growth and life spring from the spring rain
Autumn rain will only bring decay and pain;
The spring nurture the seed, water and feed
In the fall, feverish, yellow, tree and weed.
And so is cold and the wind, even the sun
Though different, from one source are all spun;
So it is, different, varied, in the unseen
Profit, loss, gainful, baneful, wise and green.
This is the eternal breath of the spring
In the heart and soul, green fields will bring;
What the spring shower does for the tree
Breath of life brings to the soul, fortunate, free.
If in place you find a tree of dry fame
Know that life-giving wind is not to blame
Wind fulfilled its purpose and blew
He who had soul, his own soul slew.

Happy the moment when we are seated in the palace,
thou and I,
With two forms and with two figures but with one soul,
thou and I.
The colors of the grove and the voice of the birds
will bestow immortality
At the time when we come into the garden, thou and I.
The stars of the heaven will come to gaze upon us;
We shall show them the moon itself, thou and I.
Thou and I, individuals no more, shall be mingled in ecstasy,
Joyful and secure from foolish babble, thou and I.
All the bright-plumed birds of heaven will devour their
hearts with envy,
In the place where we shall laugh in such a fashion,
thou and I.
This is the greatest wonder, that thou and I, sitting
here in the same nook,
Are at this moment both in Iraq and Khorasan, thou and I.

First
He
pampered me
with
a hundred favors.

Then
He
melted me
with
the fires of sorrows.

After
He
sealed me
with
the Seal of Love,

I became Him.

Then
He
threw my self
out of me.

- Rumi

Omar And The Harper

There was once a harper who was far-famed for his melodious voice and together with his harp, could produce mellifluous notes. The harper's music was a part of every feast that took place. As time passed with old age embracing him, the harper's voice took to trembling and could no more charm the crowd.

One day the old musician took his harp and retired that night to the burial ground of Yathrub, to make music for God. He looked forward for some recompense from the almighty in the graveyard. Having made melody, he fell asleep and dreamt that he was in heaven. That same night God instructed Omar, the caliph to relieve the old harper in the burial ground.

Omar on reaching the burial ground, found the harper and handed him some money and said that he could always look up to him if he needed more. The old harper put aside his harp saying that it had in fact kept him away from God. He started lamenting in contrition of his past sins. Omar then instructed the harper that he was about to complete the long arduous worldly journey of life. His contrition could do more harm than his very sins He awoke his awareness to the fact that he at one time adored the music of his harp and at other times embraced wailing and weeping. After having attained the ecstasy of union with God, he is not to yield to contrition, as past and the future are to be disregarded.
Omar's words made its mark and the heart of the harper saw emancipation to the fullest

Omar's words made its mark and the heart of the harper saw emancipation to the fullest with an ecstasy whose essence escapes the mere frame of words. From then on the harper harped no more .