Rumi: God's wisdom through His destiny and decree
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Right to left; a Hausa, Fulani and Betinchobé woman. Dosso, Niger, ca. 1928-1939.
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God’s wisdom through His destiny and decree
made us lovers one of another.
That foreordainment paired all the world’s parts
and set each in love with its mate . . . The female inclines towards the male
so that each may perfect the other’s work. God placed inclination in man and woman
so the world may subsist through their union.
(Rumi, Mathnawi)
made us lovers one of another.
That foreordainment paired all the world’s parts
and set each in love with its mate . . . The female inclines towards the male
so that each may perfect the other’s work. God placed inclination in man and woman
so the world may subsist through their union.
(Rumi, Mathnawi)
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Recommended Reading:
'Mystical Poems of Rumi'
By Rumi (Author), A. J. Arberry (Translator)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
My verse resembles the bread of Egypt—night passes over it, and you cannot eat it any more.
'Mystical Poems of Rumi'
By Rumi (Author), A. J. Arberry (Translator)
Purchase Book:
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Description:
My verse resembles the bread of Egypt—night passes over it, and you cannot eat it any more.
Devour it the moment it is fresh, before the dust settles upon it.
Its place is the warm climate of the heart; in this world it dies of cold.
Like a fish it quivered for an instant on dry land, another moment and you see it is cold.
Even if you eat it imagining it is fresh, it is necessary to conjure up many images.
What you drink is really your own imagination; it is no old tale, my good man.
Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207–73), legendary Persian Muslim poet, theologian, and mystic, wrote poems acclaimed through the centuries for their powerful spiritual images and provocative content, which often described Rumi’s love for God in romantic or erotic terms. His vast body of work includes more than three thousand lyrics and odes. This volume includes four hundred poems selected by renowned Rumi scholar A. J. Arberry, who provides here one of the most comprehensive and adept English translations of this enigmatic genius. Mystical Poems is the definitive resource for anyone seeking an introduction to or an enriched understanding of one of the world’s greatest poets.
“Rumi is one of the world’s greatest lyrical poets in any language—as well as probably the most accessible and approachable representative of Islamic civilization for Western students.”
(James W. Morris, Oberlin College)
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