Rumi, ghazal 598Rumi, ghazal 598Arberry 74Arberry 74 Barks 40Barks 40

Morn-arising Morn-arising friends, who is friends, who is there that there that discovers the discovers the dawn, who dawn, who discovers us discovers us dancing in dancing in Confusion like Confusion like atoms? atoms?

Who gets up early Who gets up early to discover the to discover the moment light moment light begins? begins?

Who finds us here Who finds us here circling, circling, bewildered, bewildered, like atoms? like atoms?

Ghazal 598/2Ghazal 598/2

Who has the Who has the luck to come to luck to come to the brink of a the brink of a river to drink river to drink water from that water from that river, and to river, and to discover the discover the reflection of reflection of the moon?the moon?

Who comes to a Who comes to a spring thirsty spring thirsty

and sees the moon and sees the moon reflected in reflected in it? it?

598/3598/3

Who is there Who is there that like Jacob that like Jacob from the shirt from the shirt of Joseph seeks of Joseph seeks the scent of the scent of his son, and his son, and instead instead discovers the discovers the light of his light of his eyes? eyes?

Who, like Jacob Who, like Jacob blind with blind with grief and age, grief and age,

smells the shirt smells the shirt of his lost son of his lost son

and can see and can see again?again?

598/4598/4

Or athirst like Or athirst like the bedouin the bedouin casts a bucket casts a bucket into the well, into the well, and in the and in the bucket bucket discovers a discovers a beauty like an beauty like an ass-load of ass-load of sugar? sugar?

Who lets a bucket Who lets a bucket down and brings up down and brings up

a flowing prophet?

598/5598/5

Or like Moses Or like Moses seeking fire, seeking fire, who seeks out a who seeks out a bush, comes to bush, comes to gather the gather the fire, and fire, and discovers a discovers a hundred dawns hundred dawns and sunrises? and sunrises?

Or like Moses Or like Moses goes for fire goes for fire

and finds what and finds what burns inside burns inside the sunrise?the sunrise?

598/6598/6

Jesus leaps Jesus leaps into the house into the house to escape from to escape from the foe; the foe; suddenly from suddenly from the house he the house he discovers a discovers a passage to passage to heaven. heaven.

Jesus slips into Jesus slips into a house to a house to escape enemies, escape enemies,

and opens a door and opens a door to the other to the other world.world.

598/7598/7

Or like a Or like a Soloman he Soloman he splits a fish, splits a fish, and in the and in the belly of that belly of that fish he fish he discovers a discovers a ring of gold.ring of gold.

Solomon cuts open Solomon cuts open a fish, and a fish, and there's a gold there's a gold ring. ring.

598/8598/8

Sword in hand, Sword in hand, 'Umar comes 'Umar comes intending to intending to slay the slay the Prophet; he Prophet; he falls into falls into God's snare, God's snare, and discovers a and discovers a kindly regard kindly regard from fortune.from fortune.

Omar storms in to Omar storms in to kill the kill the prophet prophet

And leaves with And leaves with blessings. blessings.

598/9598/9

Or like Adham's Or like Adham's son he drives son he drives towards a deer towards a deer to make the to make the deer his prey, deer his prey, and instead and instead discovers discovers another prey. another prey.

Chase a deer and Chase a deer and end up end up everywhere! everywhere!

598/10598/10

Or like a Or like a thirsty oyster thirsty oyster shell he comes shell he comes with gaping with gaping mouth to take a mouth to take a drop of water drop of water into himself, into himself, and discovers a and discovers a pearl within pearl within himself.himself.

An oyster opens An oyster opens his mouth to his mouth to swallow one swallow one drop.drop.

Now there's a Now there's a pearl.pearl.

598/11598/11

Or a man Or a man foraging who foraging who turns towards turns towards desolations, desolations, and suddenly in and suddenly in desolation he desolation he discovers news discovers news of a treasure.of a treasure.

A vagrant wanders A vagrant wanders empty ruins. empty ruins.

Suddenly he's Suddenly he's wealthy.wealthy.

598/12598/12 Traveller, have Traveller, have done with done with legends, so that legends, so that intimate alike intimate alike and stranger may and stranger may discover without discover without your exposition your exposition the light of the light of Did Did We not open.We not open.

But don't be satisfied But don't be satisfied with stories, how with stories, how things have gone with things have gone with others. Unfold your own others. Unfold your own myth, without myth, without complicated complicated explanation, so explanation, so everyone will everyone will understand the passage, understand the passage, We have opened you. We have opened you.

598/13598/13

Whoever strides Whoever strides sincerely sincerely towards Shams towards Shams al-Din, though al-Din, though his foot may his foot may grow weary, he grow weary, he will discover will discover two wings from two wings from Love.Love.

Start walking Start walking toward Shams. toward Shams. Your legs will Your legs will get heavyget heavy

and tired. Then and tired. Then comes a moment comes a moment

of feeling the of feeling the wings you've wings you've grown,grown,

lifting.lifting.