The Festival of Spring, from the Díván of Jeláleddín: Rendered in English Gazels after Rückert's Versions, with an Introduction and a Criticism of the Rubáiyát of Omar KhayyámJalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana
PhilosophySufism
The Festival of Spring, from the Díván of Jeláleddín: Rendered in English Gazels after Rückert's Versions, with an Introduction and a Criticism of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana
Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat; Sufi poetry, Persian
Clean be kept thy Garment, and
Clean be kept thy Mouth and Hand.
Clean thy Garment from false Gawds
Clean from all Earth's Filth thy Hand.
Clean thy Heart from earthly Spite;
Clean thy Lips from Greed's Demand.
Outer Threshhold ever clean,
Clean within let all Things stand.
House all clean, might entertain
Angel from the Heavenly Land.
Clean the Food, and clean the cup,
Clean the Wall from smoking Brand.
Son! Thy outward Cleanliness
Pledge of inward is, when scanned.
Clean let Hand and Mouth be kept;
Clean thy Garment's every Strand.
Where is He?
XXV.
I ask all I meet: Where is He?
In me incomplete: Where is He?
The Tree of my Thought stretch'd on high,
Reach'd not to His Seat: Where is He?
I ask of the Wanderers by Day:
My loved One, most sweet, Where is He?
I ask of the Keepers of Vines:
My loved One, most sweet, Where is He?
I rush through the Woods and the Fields,
And ask the Stag fleet: Where is He?
At Night when in Darkness He hides,
In Fear I repeat: Where is He?
I ask of the Sun and the Moon,
And Stars in retreat: Where is He?
He is not with me. Who has seen
The Path of His Feet? Where is He?
O Master, if thou hast Him found,
O tell, I entreat: Where is He?
Love's Slavery
XXVI.
Come, and be Love's willing Slave;
Thee Love's Slavery will save.
Leave the Slavery of the World,
Take Love's Service, sweet and brave.
The Free, the World makes enslaved;
Aye to Slaves, Love Freedom gave.
As the Bird freed from the Egg,
From the World release I crave.
Free me from the Shell that clings;
Give me Life as from the Grave.
O Love, the Quail in Spring's Free Fields,
In Songs of wildest Joy must rave.
Psyche in Tears
XXVII.
Psyche sits, and lovelier seems;
Ah! she of her Lover dreams!
Still his Kiss she softly feels;
Still his Smile in Fancy gleams.
But in Light she fain would see
Love's own Self, nor wrong it deems.
Trembling her white Hand hath ta'en
Lamp to light, as Fancy schemes.
There by flickering Flame she scans
Beauty which she Heaven esteems.
But the fluttering Oil did shake,
Shamed to find eclipsed its Beams.
Fell one hot Drop on Love's Hand:
Oh! the Lover waken'd screams!
Love light-pinion'd flies away;
Psyche's Wings, Tears drench in Streams.
Substitutional
XXVIII.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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