Tag: Interpretation

Rumi poem interpretation – Unnamed Poem
Poem · Poetry · Rumi

Rumi poem interpretation – Unnamed Poem

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s unnamed poem:

Which is worth more, a crowd of thousands,

or your own genuine solitude?

Freedom, or power over an entire nation?

A little while alone in your room

will prove to be more valuable than anything else

that could ever be given to you.

In this poem Rumi is trying to explain how important he thinks being alone with oneself is. It is only when we quiet the mouth as well as the mind’s chatter that revelations happen. These aha-moments which happen in a meditative state are priceless according to him.

He compares an extroverted leader who might have power – maybe over an entire nation to a mystic who has freedom and who is completely satisfied in his own solitude, and asks the reader which one they think is worth more? There is no right or wrong here, obviously. Leaders are just as important to the society as mystics. A person who is a good balance of extroversion and introversion, leadership and mysticism would indeed be like a dream come true.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : me

Rumi poem interpretation – Love is reckless
feel good · love · Poem · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – Love is reckless

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘Love is reckless’

Love is reckless; not reason.

Reason seeks a profit.

Love comes on strong,

consuming herself, unabashed.

Here the author is comparing logic and love. Love cannot be made to happen by a logical reasoning or conclusion. Love just happens – it is reckless. It can happen to anyone at any time – it does not see if this is in the person’s profit or not. When it happens it consumes the person – body, mind and soul. It is an all consuming feeling.

Yet, in the midst of suffering,

Love proceeds like a millstone,

hard surfaced and straightforward.

Love is also a very strong feeling – no matter how much suffering surrounds it – it keeps carrying on like a strong millstone.

Having died of self-interest,

she risks everything and asks for nothing.

Love gambles away every gift God bestows.

Once a person is in true love, the idea of selfishness does not occur to the person – for they start living only for the benefit of their beloved. In this love frenzy they don’t mind giving up anything valuable that God has bestowed upon them.

Without cause God gave us Being;

without cause, give it back again. 

The author says that God has given us this life and the many experiences it provides in a completely selfless manner – in true love for us. In exactly that manner, we can use our being to serve everyone with love and ultimately give our being back to God. It is not necessary to always do things with a profit in mind. This is akin to the idea – ‘Let all you do, be done in love’ 1 Corinthians 16:14

Masnavi: Teachings of Rumi

by Jelaluddin Rumi (Author), E. H. Whinfield (Editor, Translator)

Image Credit : https://hdwallpaperfx.com/lovers-in-nature/

Hafez poem interpretation – The Warrior
feel good · Hafez · love · Poem · Poetry · Spiritual

Hafez poem interpretation – The Warrior

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Hafez’s poem ‘The warrior’

The warriors tame

The beast in their past
So that the night’s hoofs
Can no longer break the jeweled vision
In the heart.

Hafez says that the warriors are the ones who introspect and heal all of the pains of their past. They do this healing so that they are no longer in the vibration of hurt. Once they have done this healing – no other pain from the world can break the beautiful love which lives in their heart. They know that all the important battles are fought inside oneself.

The intelligent and the brave
Open every closet in the future and evict
All the mind’s ghosts who have the bad habit
Of barfing everywhere.

He says the truly smart people are the ones who go into all their thoughts of the future and remove the expectations which live here. He calls these expectations as ghosts and say they basically ruin everything. The smart ones do not expect much from the future.

For a long time the Universe
Has been germinating in your spine

But only a Saint has the talent,
The courage to slay
The past-giant, the future-anxieties.

Hafez says that this strength has been building in the warrior’s spine – growing steadily. Spine because it is from the spine that the energy moves up the body. He says that only a Saint though has the guts to heal all of the past hurts and issues and calm all the future anxiety. He emphasizes that a true warrior is also a saint. He is like a Samurai who has his sword tucked away in it’s sheath – but he always has a hand on it and can wield it effortlessly when required.

The warrior
Wisely sits in a circle
With other men
Gathering the strength to unmask
Himself,

A warrior is one who knows himself truly, who can completely unmask his own ego – not just in solitude but also in front of a group of men. It is someone who can be himself completely in front of any audience or when alone.

Then
Sits, giving,
like a great illumined planet on
The
Earth.

This warrior-saint then becomes like a light giving planet who spreads the light wherever he goes and keeps enlightening this world. He becomes a channel for the Divine’s service with the only purpose of giving. This is similar to what Krishna advices Arjuna in the battlefield – do your duty but do not be attached to the results. Become a channel for God’s divine energy to flow through you – whether it be in the battlefield or elsewhere. Follow your dharma.

Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Image credit : https://pixshark.com/spartan-warriors-in-battle.htm

Rumi poem interpretation – Cry out in your weakness
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – Cry out in your weakness

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘Cry out in your weakness’

A dragon was pulling a bear into its terrible mouth.
A courageous man went and rescued the bear.
There are such helpers in the world, who rush to save
anyone who cries out. Like mercy itself,
they run toward the screaming.
And they can’t be bought off.

If you were to ask one of those, 
“Why did you come so quickly?” he or she would say, 
“Because I heard your helplessness.”
Where lowland is, that’s where water goes. 
All medicine wants is pain to cure.

Rumi says that there are people on this Earth who are heroes. They are almost like an incarnation of Mercy itself. Such good-hearted, brave people as well as helpful beings like Angels, Ascended masters, Devdutas, and other light beings are always present to help anyone who needs help and asks for it. They gravitate towards anyone who asks for help. They cannot even be bought off by money or any other temptation – they are born with the purpose of lifting a person from a state of helplessness to empowerment.

And don’t just ask for one mercy.
Let them flood in. Let the sky open under your feet.
Take the cotton out of your ears, the cotton
of consolations, so you can hear the sphere-music.
Push the hair out of your eyes.
Blow the phlegm from your nose,
and from your brain.

Let the wind breeze through.
Leave no residue in yourself from that bilious fever.
Take the cure for impotence,
that your manhood may shoot forth,
and a hundred new beings come of your coming.
Tear the binding from around the foot
of your soul, and let it race around the track
in front of the crowd.

Loosen the knot of greed
so tight on your neck. 
Accept your new good luck.
Give your weakness to one who helps.

Rumi says open your arms to the Heavens and ask for all the mercies you need. Don’t be afraid to bow before God and ask for whatever you want. Do not keep any ego, which Rumi calls as ‘bilious fever’. Basically, Rumi says the authentic way of being completely strong is to surrender to consciousness, but this action of surrender however, has the opposite effect of unleashing more potential in a person. So accept this new fortune or luck which comes after giving up ego, which is given by consciousness/God and be grateful for it.

Crying out loud and weeping are great resources.
A nursing mother, all she does
is wait to hear her child.
Just a little beginning-whimper,
and she’s there.

God created the child, that is, your wanting,
so that it might cry out, so that milk might come.

Cry out! Don’t be stolid and silent with your pain. 
Lament! And let the milk
of loving flow into you.

Rumi compares this surrender and asking for mercies, help or wants to how a new born baby cries when born. The sound of the baby crying is what makes the mom’s body secrete the milk. Similarly, God is the mother and we are the child. Rumi says don’t suffer your pain in silence – but lament – not in front of humans – but in front of God and then let God send his love towards you.

The hard rain and wind
are ways the cloud has
to take care of us.

Be patient.
Respond to every call
that excites your spirit.
Ignore those that make you fearful
and sad, that degrade you
back toward disease and death.

God takes care of us in different ways – hard rain is like the pain which we get in life and winds are the relief that God gives us when facing difficulties. So even if it is not obvious, God is always taking care of us like a mother takes care of a child. This process might take some time to become clear to you, so be patient. In order to see this quicker, you must follow anything that makes you feel extremely happy from the inside – which excites your soul. Stay away from those who make your spirit weak and bring you down – because this will take you further away from seeing the mercies that God is laying upon you.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : http://thejacksonpress.org/?p=13507

Rumi poem interpretation – The Seed Market
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – The Seed Market

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘The Seed Market’

Can you find another market like this?

Where,

with your one rose

you can buy hundreds of rose gardens?

Where,

for one seed

you get a whole wilderness?

For one weak breath,

the divine wind?

In this poem Rumi compares human life to a seed. He says that it is a truly wonderful creation this world – where a tiny seed of rose can ultimately grow into a multiple rose gardens. Similarly, a whole forest must’ve once started from one small seed eons ago. Similarly, for a human being – a single weak breath of a human can be enough for the human to get awakened and enlightened. If the last breath is taken with an intention to achieving Moksha – even the weak one can be converted into divine.

You’ve been fearful

of being absorbed in the ground,

or drawn up by the air.

Now your waterbed lets go

and drops into the ocean,

where it came from.

But humans in general are fearful of death, they are attached to existence. The thought of this body being taken away scares them. But in the end, once the body has stopped living – every part is going to disintegrate into elements and will go back to it’s source.

It no longer has the form it had,

but it’s still water.

The essence is the same.

The body disintegrates, it disappears but the soul and spirit lives on. It moves from this 3 dimensional reality into another dimension.

This giving up is not a repenting.

It’s a deep honoring of yourself.

When the ocean comes to you as a lover,

marry, at once, quickly,

for God’s sake?

Don’t postpone it!

Existence has no better gift.

Rumi says that live your life in such a way, that when death is upon you and comes to take you as a lover – go with it. Happily, non-attached to this existence. Marry death. This will set you free – since you have no attachments and hopefully you are free of karma by then. This is the best gift existence can give you – the gift of liberation, Moksha, Nirvana.

No amount of searching

will find this.

A perfect falcon, for no reason,

has landed on your shoulder,

and become yours. 

You cannot really achieve this freedom. It is not a thing to be achieved – it can only be reached by letting go and then letting go some more. It is symbolically, like a Falcon which has chosen you to land on – the Falcon symbolizes the third-eye chakra. This falcon i.e., your third-eye chakra opening is simply God’s grace. Use it wisely to achieve the ultimate human goal of liberation.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : http://earthsky.org/science-wire/plants-do-math-to-get-through-the-night

Rumi poem interpretation – The Guest House
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – The Guest House

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘The Guest House’

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

Rumi says that being a human being  and returning to this state of being in the body of a human is like coming to a guest house. We sleep every night and in the deep dreamless sleep state we get in touch with our true nature, i.e., we become pure consciousness. But in the morning – we wake up again and come back to this illusionary world.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

In this illusionary state, we will go back to being who we were before we slept. We will experience various feeling that come to us. Some due to our own accord, some due to others. Rumi says enjoy all of these feelings. These are simply vibrations – feel them and entertain them as guests in your house.

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

If these feelings are uncomfortable, away from your true nature of joy and peace – still honor them. They might feel overwhelming and shake you to your core. However, such feelings are necessary too. We need to experience the whole spectrum of life in order to live it fully. Creation gives it all to us. Once we have fully enjoyed and experienced a feeling, we are clearing space for a new feeling to take it’s place. A new experience, a new energy, a new vibration. We need to experience it all.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Similarly for any other so called ‘bad thoughts/feelings/energy’ go through them. Feel them. Stay with them.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

Gratitude is an alchemic quality. So use it. It will alchemize your being. Whatever you feel in this human form is a message that Universe, Creation is trying to send to you. Listen to it, understand it, interpret it. It is a guide for you to walk in this human path, so use it as it is meant to shape you and take you to your ultimate purpose.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : https://parade.com/7476/viannguyen/top-10-cities-with-the-greenest-homes/

Rumi poem interpretation – Unnamed Poem
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – Unnamed Poem

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s unnamed poem

In your light I learn to love.

In your beauty, how to make poems.

Rumi says that once we go into the light – here light means, our true nature – which is love and light. A pure, clear frequency of love and light – he learns how to truly love. Once a person finds this kind of real/divine love – one can start observing beauty. This beauty will then move the person to such a degree that they would want to write a poem about this beauty.

You dance inside my chest,

where no one sees you,

Rumi says that this love stays inside one’s heart – where no one else can see it. It is only felt by the person who has it in their heart and is a very personal, private experience.

but sometimes I do,

and that becomes this art.

Sometimes however, this love can give a person supernatural and surreal experiences which can inspire true art. This is God’s grace to this human being.

 

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : https://www.guardian-angel-reading.com/blog-of-the-angels/seeing-flashes-light-spiritual/

Rumi poem interpretation – A Just Finishing Candle
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – A Just Finishing Candle

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘A Just Finishing Candle’

A candle is made to become entirely flame.

Here candle is a metaphor for a human life. Humans are put through a lot of pain.

In that annihilating moment it has no shadow.

Through this pain there comes a point of enlightenment where the ego completely disappears. We become one with consciousness again. We become our true self.

It is nothing but a tongue of light

describing a refuge.

We become simply love and light. Which is where our soul wants to be. In love and light.

Look at this

just-finishing candle stub

As someone who is finally safe

From virtue and vice,

The pride and the shame

We claim from those.

Rumi says that even though we might be going through very difficult times, we can see this as a positive. Because soon we will reach a safe heaven where we will not experience any duality, where there is no judgement. We will be whole again. In our true state, in our soul.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : https://www.housingunits.co.uk/accessories/candles/candle-holders

Rumi poem interpretation – The Lame Goat
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – The Lame Goat

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘The Lame Goat’.

You’ve seen a herd of goats

going down to the water. 

The lame and dreamy goat

brings up the rear.

Here Rumi compares humans in society to a herd of goats. He says in society the dreamers, philosophers, poets and other creatively inclined people are considered as lame. These folks do not climb the social ladder much and are often at the bottom of the society.

There are worried faces about that one,

but now they’re laughing,

because look, as they return,

that goat is leading!

Family, friends and well wishers often worry about such creative people, wondering what are they going to amount to? Sometimes though, someone who is creative will turn the tables and become very successful in their field. They may lead the others in the society towards happiness and bliss through their art or just their demeanor.

There are many different kinds of knowing.

The lame goat’s kind is a branch

that traces back to the roots of presence.

We all know and believe different things. Ambitious people know goals. While the dreamers know what lies beyond. They are more in touch with their soul, Universe or the true self.

Learn from the lame goat,

and lead the herd home.

Rumi urges creative people to learn from the lame goat and be who you are and be indifferent to what society thinks of you. Because it is these dreamers who have the power to bring about a revolution and lead the others to their ultimate home, i.e., to their source, soul, universe, consciousness.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : Google Images

Rumi poem interpretation – Quietness
Poem · Poetry · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – Quietness

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem called ‘Quietness’

Inside this new love, die.

Your way begins only on the other side. 

Become the sky.

Take an axe to the prison wall.

Escape.

This poem is for someone who has had a spiritual awakening. Rumi says that in this love that you have for your true self, die. Because only after dying i.e., killing your ego will your journey truly begin. You have to become a new you, the ‘real’ you. Your real self is limitless like the Cosmos. Break down all the barriers and the conditioning that you have. Let go of who you are. Run away.

Walk out like someone suddenly born into color.

Do it now.

You’re covered with thick cloud.

Slide out the side. Die,

Now that you are in the state of awareness, try to do the needful right away. All our beliefs and ideas are conditioned to us since our birth. They make us hazy as if we are covered by a cloud, going through life aimless – following them. Slip through this haze of society and escape.

and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign

that you’ve died.

Your old running was a frantic running

from silence.

Kill your old ‘ego’ or ‘conditioned’ self. And remain still. Remain in that state of bliss, wisdom and silence. As that is the best way to get more wisdom and clarity. The old ego-self was just an attempt of avoiding what our true nature holds.

The speechless full moon

comes out now.

The real soul will come out now after the awakening.

Taken from The Essential Rumi
translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : me 🙂