A Wedding Celebration Dec. 17th

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

No, this post doesn't belong in the Lounge. The Wedding (Urs) I am referring to is what Sufis call the day one leaves this life and joins with God, Who is called The Beloved. The Urs of Jelaladin Rumi, the famous poet, are celebrated every Dec. 17th. Sufis gather to read his poetry, do the zikar (recitation of remembrance), or perform the Sema, in which the world describes the participants as "whirling dervishes".

To find out more about the ceremony, and to find where the Sema will be performed in the US, go to http://www.hayatidede.org There are links to getting tickets to the Shebi Arus (the whirling dervish ceremony) in San Rafael CA this Friday.

For those who aren't familiar with the poetry of this Sufi master, here's a translation of one of them:

The Reed

Harken to this reed forlorn
Weeping ever since 'twas torn
From its rushy bed of flame
Of compassion's joy and pain

The secret of my song so near
None can see and none can hear
Oh for a friend who knows the sign
Who'll mingle all their soul with mine....

[burythehatchet]

1. I probably would have picked the same passage

:)

What's your favorite translation? Mine is The Essential Rumi

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Anything translated by Coleman Barks

I like his style. The Sufis in Kansas City put the poem I quoted to music and sing it during the Dec. 17th celebration there.

[burythehatchet]

3. He recites very well also

the PBS special they did on him was great.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. My husband met him once

and Coleman said it was refreshing to talk to someone without an accent! (Barks is from GA; my husband from TX)