Rumi: The Language of Life 1

The moon has become a dancer
at this festival of love.
  -- Rumi

Today's guidance from The Rumi Card Book:

Category Love: -- Fall into his hands and you'll weep like a cloud; Run from him and you'll freeze over like snow.  You have to choose love knowing clearly its conditions.

Category explanation from the book:  Rumi wrote, "Wherever you may be, in whatever situation or circumstance you may find yourself, strive always to be a lover, and a passionate lover.  Once you possess your heart in love, you will always be a lover, in the tomb, at the Resurrection, and in paradise forever and ever."  -- from The Rumi Card Book

Now that you have been thoroughly introduced to Rumi, perhaps you would like to know more about how Coleman Barks was introduced to the 13th century poet.  The story is told well here and includes excerpt:

Now, to return to Coleman Barks and his discovery of Rumi - the Professor was handed over A. J. Arberry's translations of Rumi in 1976 with the plea (from Robert Bly) that 'these poems need to be released from their cages'. He had never heard of Rumi till that date! He sent some of his works to a friend who taught law at Rutgers-Camden. He, without any specific reason, read them aloud to his law students in class! One student asked him for Coleman's address and requested him to meet his teacher at Philadelphia. Thus, Coleman Barks met the Srilankan saint and learned teacher - Bawa Muhaiyaddeen. Coleman realized that he had seen Bawa's face in a dream an year before! Quote, "I can't explain such an event, nor can I deny that it did happen." Bawa asked Coleman to work on Rumi, telling him, "It has to be done." Rumi, Coleman Barks discovered, was all about love and tolerance. "Love is the religion, and the universe is the book."

This is from the Bill Moyers Series "The Language of Life" and includes a series of small poems and the interview between Moyers and Barks.





Listen to presences inside poems,
Let them take you where they will.
Follow those private hints,
And never leave the premises."
- Rumi (The Tent)