Thursday, February 14, 2008

Celebrating Love - Happy Valentine's Day!

Jalal al-Din Rumi's exquisite ode to the beauty of losing Self in love, the Sunrise Ruby.

Uploaded on October 8, 2005by *Tom* licensed under Creative Commons

In the early morning hour,
just before dawn, lover and beloved wake
and take a drink of water.

She asks, “Do you love me or yourself more?
Really, tell the absolute truth.”

He says, “There's nothing left of me.
I’m like a ruby held up to the sunrise.
Is it still a stone, or a world
made of redness? It has no resistance
to sunlight.”
The ruby and the sunrise are one.
Be courageous and discipline yourself.

Completely become hearing and ear,
and wear this sun-ruby as an earring.

Work. Keep digging your well.
Don’t think about getting off from work.
Water is there somewhere.

Submit to a daily practice.
Your loyalty to that
is a ring on the door.

Keep knocking, and the joy inside
will eventually open a window
and look out to see who’s there.

From "Rumi, the Book of Love, Poems of Ecstasy and Longing" Translations and Commentary by Coleman Barks

4 Comments:

At 5:29 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello Anne,

A friend sent me your Sunrise Ruby photo and accompanying text...something I needed to hear at this moment in my life.

Thanks,
Paul

 
At 8:44 PM, Blogger Anne said...

Thanks Paul! So glad you enjoyed it... Happy Valentine's Day!

 
At 8:46 PM, Blogger Dianna Woolley said...

Found you from Lucy's quote of the last lines of Rumi...I'll be back:)

SS

 
At 7:50 AM, Blogger Anne said...

Thanks Sunrise Sister! Glad you enjoyed it!

 

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