Someone's poem

From a blog post of a dead blog. I don't know if the poem is original but either way its incredibly beautiful!

http://gayathri.blogspot.com/

TO MY DEAR FRIEND 

IF WE NEVER FOUGHT 
DEAR FRIEND.. 
HOW WOULD I NEVER KNOW 
THAT YOU CARE ENOUGH 
TO BE THE FIRST ONE 
TO COMPROMISE 
AND APOLOGISE.................? 

IF I NEVER TURNED 
MY FACE OFF FROM YOU 
HOW WOULD I EVER KNOW 
THAT IN ALL YOUR ANGER 
YOU WOULD STILL 
THROW ME THAT ELUSIVE GLANCE? 
.............MY GREATEST JOY! 

IF I HADN'T DISRUPTED 
THE GENTLE FLOW OF YOUR DAY 
HOW WOULD I EVER KNOW 
THAT YOU WOULDN'T FLOW ALONG 
THE RUSH THAT IS LIFE 
AND STOP BY.....ONE MOMENT 
JUST ONE MOMENT FOR ME? 

IF ALL THAT WE SHOWED 
WAS PLASTIC SMILES FOR EACH OTHER 
HOW WOULD I EVER HAVE KNOWN 
THE BEAUTY OF EMOTIONS WITHIN 
WOULDN'T WE BE DOLLS POSING....? 
BUT NOW WE LIVE..... 
AND LET A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP THRIVE! 


gaya3 
(8/8/2002) 

read and almost forgotten on the metro

Some russian poet's translated poem goes something like this. The words may not be exact, just what I remember from a NY metro advertisement of Barnes & Nobles.

If there is desire there will be regret
If there is regret there will be memories
If there are memories there will be no regret
If there are no regrets then there will be no desire

In every breath

in every breath
if you’re the center
of your own desires
you’ll lose the grace
of your beloved

but if in every breath
you blow away
your self claim
the ecstasy of love
will soon arrive

in every breath
if you’re the center
of your own thoughts
the sadness of autumn
will fall on you

but if in every breath
you strip naked
just like a winter
the joy of spring
will grow from within

all your impatience
comes from the push
for gain of patience
let go of the effort
and peace will arrive

all your unfulfilled desires
are from your greed
for gain of fulfillments
let go of them all
and they will be sent as gifts

fall in love with
the agony of love
not the ecstasy
then the beloved
will fall in love with you

Rumi

Translation by Nader Khalili
“Rumi, Fountain of Fire”
Cal-Earth Press, 1994

Crossposted from Jahane Rumi

Brave New World

"O wonder!

How many goodly creatures are there here!

How beautious mankind is!

O brave new world,

That has such people in't!"

-William Shakespeare

Was Shakespeare a sufi after all?

Rumi

It is the 800th aniversary of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a mystic poet. More on this great poet and his philosophy and work, can be found here. Also I found this beautiful work of his from the new group blog which I have blogrolled.

"I Died as a Mineral" by Maulana Rumi

I died as a mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was Man.

Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar
With angels blest; but even from angelhood
I must pass on: all except God doth perish.
When I have sacrificed my angel-soul,
I shall become what no mind ever conceived.

Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence
Proclaims in organ tones, 'To Him we shall return.'

Beautiful!