RUMI’S VIEW OF LOVE

 

RUMI’S  VIEW  OF  LOVE

Rumi is the short name of the Persian poet Mawlana Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi. He was born in Balkh (now in Afghanistan) on 30 September 1207 and passed away in Konya, Turkiye on 17 December 1273. The greatest Sufi mystic and poet in the Persian language, he is famous for his most  didactic epic Masnavi –yi Manavi .  It is a great book in spiritual couplets which have influenced mystical thought all over the world either in the original Persian language or translated versions. Here is an example from Coleman Barks ‘ The Big Red Book, a masterpiece, celebrating Rumi’s mystical love and friendship :

                                    The soul comes every day at dawn

                                     Good to see you again, my friend

                                    The peace of God be with you.

 

In a Persian couplet Rumi says:

 

Bar Shah-e-khub—ruyan

Wajib wafa na bashad,

Ai zard-ruye ashiq !

Tu sabr kun, wafa kun

This is a short view of Rumi’s love philosophy . A slightly wider view is available in the following  liberal English version:

                                    The King of Beauty owes no duty,

                                    Of fidelity to a single one !

                                    Thou pale-faced lover ! do thou cover

                                    Thy love with resignation !

                                    Be faithful ever, and forget never,

                                    His constancy is to every one;

                                    As to every dew-drop, of the Sun !

                                    He loveth all; do thou love all;

                                    So thy smallness shall be all undone,

                                    His greatness shall by thee  be won,

                                    And thou shall gain All of the One !

                                                **********

G.R. Kanwal

2^nd July 2023