Yesterday I went to Borders Bookshop, Chermside with a friend who is also my working colleague at the Prince Charles ICU. Eventhough he is very much younger than me by age, he has a very interesting character. He has a great passion in books and his advantage is being able to appreciate both Arabic and English literature.
While enjoying our breakfast (I had vegie roll), he went to the book shelves and brought back a pile of books to our table. I saw two books on Poems of Rumi. One of them entitled The Soul of Rumi and translation by the famous Coleman Barks. Coleman is also the author of the bestselling 'The Essential of Rumi". My friend asked me why most of the muslims are so ignorant? Yes, I admitted that I was ignorance of this man. His work has been translated in many languages. His poet is the most read in America. Why as a muslim I haven't heard about him at all and only acknowledged the existence of his books yesterday? Thank you my dear friend for letting me know and introducing me to his books.
Rumi's full name is Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi or also known as Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi but known to the english speaking world simply as Rumi. He was a 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, theologian and mystic. Rumi means 'The Roman" since he lived most of his life in an area called Rum which was once ruled by Byzantine Empire.
Rumi is one of the great spiritual masters and poetical geniuses of mankind and was the founder of the Mawlawi Sufi order, a leading mystical brotherhood of Islam.
Eventhough his name is new to me, I am going to read his poems with an open heart and mind. There are few that I found through the net..
Read this:
On The Day I die
The day I've died, my pall is moving on
But do not think my heart is still on earth!
Don't weep and pity me: "Oh woe, how awful!"
You fall in devil's snare - woe, that is awful! Don't cry "Woe, parted!" at my burial
For me this is the time of joyful meeting! Don't say "Farewell!" when I'm put in the grave
A curtain is it for eternal bliss.
You saw "descending" - now look at the rising!
Is setting dangerous for sun and moon?
To you it looks like setting, but it's rising;
The coffin seems a jail, yet it means freedom.
Which seed fell in the earth that did not grow there?
Why do you doubt the fate of human seed?
What bucket came not filled from out the cistern?
Why should the Yusof "Soul" then fear this well?
Close here your mouth and open it on that side
So that your hymns may sound in Where- no-place!
The translation done by Coleman is more precise and impressive than above. I will write his version later.
I want to read his books to appreciate his literature and legacy. I can't believe that Rumi's work has been translated into many of the world's languages, including Russian, German, Urdu, Turkish, Arabic, French, Italian, and Spanish, and is being presented in a growing number of formats, including concerts, workshops, readings, dance performances, and other artistic creations. I am not sure if there is any translation in Malay though. I know, we are very sceptical with this sort of thing...sufism. Why don't we just appreciate Rumi's remarkable poetry? The English interpretations of Rumi's poetry by Coleman Barks have sold more than half a million copies worldwide ( I think must be that " The essential Rumi"). Rumi is one of the most widely read poets in the United States! Yes, unbelievable..I read that recordings of Rumi poems have made it to Billboard's Top 20 list as well.
A selection of Deepak Chopra's editing of the translations by Fereydoun Kia of Rumi's love poems has been performed by Hollywood personalities such as Madonna, Goldie Hawn, Phillip Glass and Demi Moore. Shahram Shiva's CD, Rumi: Lovedrunk, has been very popular in the Internet's music communities. Yes, this extra infomartion I obtained from my internet search on Rumi.
Read this:
I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not.
With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Caucasus and found there only 'anqa's habitation.
Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from ibn Sina but found Him not within his range.
I fared then to the scene of the Prophet's experience of a great divine manifestation only a "two bow-lengths' distance from him" but God was not there even in that exalted court.
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.
Interesting isn't it? I will find the title of the above poem, one day.
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