Wedding Night

In the numerous multi-cultural festivities of December—Buddha’s Enlightenment Day (Dec. 8^th), Virgin of Guadalupe (Dec. 12^th), Santa Lucia Day (Dec. 13^th), Winter Solstice (Dec. 21^st), Christmas (Dec. 25^th), Hanukkah (moveable), Kwanzaa (Dec. 26^th), there is one most Americans don’t know about and it is today, December 17^th, the night that the Persian/Turkish Medieval poet Rumi died and united with his Beloved. He called his death his “Wedding Night” and that is still how it is referred to today. The Sufi sect of Islam, whose “whirling dervish meditative dance” was inspired by Rumi pay particular attention to this Holiday. 

 

Thanks to English translations by Robert Bly, John Moyne and especially Coleman Barks, Rumi’s poetry has become somewhat known to seekers worldwide. If you’re looking for a gift for your literate friends this Holiday Season, may I recommend Coleman Barks The Essential Rumi? Meanwhile, two short poems (from over a thousand quatrains) to introduce him to folks who might not know his work. (Enjoy the contradiction that Rumi suggests you buy your friend a musical instrument instead!)

 

            NO. 89

        Today like every other day we wake up empty

       and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study

        and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument instead. 

      

      Let the beauty we love be what we do.

      There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

 

 

 

     NO. 1504

   Do not sit with a sad friend.

   When you go to a garden,

   Do you look at thorns or flowers?

   Spend more time with roses and jasmine.