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shadesofblack
Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 1
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 Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 1:45 pm Post subject: The Rubaiyat |
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WAKE! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight
The Stars before him from the Field of Night,
Drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes
The Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light.
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Before the phantom of False morning died,
Methought a voice within the Tavern cried,
"When all the Temple is prepared within,
Why nods the drowsy Worshiper outside?"
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And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted--"Open then the Door!
You know how little while we have to stay,
And, once departed, may return no more."
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My intepretation seems to be quite superficial. I really need some help with these quatrains. I will post the rest of them later.
Thank you.
_________________
In the heart of this moment lies eternity. |
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Sitaram
Site Admin
Joined: 14 Sep 2005
Posts: 1079
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| Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:04 am Post subject: Re: The Rubaiyat |
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| wrote: | WAKE! For the Sun, who scatter'd into flight
The Stars before him from the Field of Night,
Drives Night along with them from Heav'n, and strikes
The Sultan's Turret with a Shaft of Light.
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Notice that the translation starts with a COMMAND, an imperative. It would be nice to have to original language to compare. But since we do not have a knowledge of the original, let us treat the English translation as if it were the original for purposes of interpretation.
We are commanded to wake up, and it seems we are given the sun as our model or example or reason for awakening. We are asked to imitate the sun. And in the next lines we see that the sun rules even over the Sultan or King.
We are commanded to awaken, dispel or scatter or drive away darkness, and to be lordly; a king of kings.
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| wrote: | Before the phantom of False morning died,
Methought a voice within the Tavern cried,
"When all the Temple is prepared within,
Why nods the drowsy Worshiper outside?"
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We are presented with the phrase "false morning", which implies that our awakening above is a true morning.
Notice how these Sufi concepts greatly resemble the Sikh concepts expressed by Guru Nanak in the Adi Granth. The temple, the sacred tirth or holy land, is no where geographical but is within each of us. It is we who are God and King, since there is non difference. Awakening resembles the Buddhist notion of enlightement, and also the Adwaita notion, that we already are perfect and complete and universal, but it is illusion which keeps us asleep in the dark.
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| wrote: | And, as the Cock crew, those who stood before
The Tavern shouted--"Open then the Door!
You know how little while we have to stay,
And, once departed, may return no more."
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http://www.sandoth.com/newsletter/v4n1/v4n1.htm
Here is a lovely Rumi verse for you
| wrote: |
A certain person came to the Friend's door and knocked.
"Who's there?"
"It's me."
The Friend answered, "Go away. There's no place for raw meat at this table."
The individual went wandering for a year. Nothing but the fire of separation can change hypocrisy and ego. The person returned completely cooked, walked up and down in front of the Friend's house, gently knocked.
"Who is it?"
"You."
"Please come in, my Self. There's no place in this house for two."
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| wrote: | My intepretation seems to be quite superficial. I really need some help with these quatrains. I will post the rest of them later.
Thank you.
|
Hallaj was the first Sufi marty, executed by orthodox Muslims for his blasphemy in exclaiming, "I am one with Allah." As Hallaj was led to his execution, he stated, "If I had had your experiences, I could do nothing other than condemn Hallaj to execution, and if you had had my experiences, then you could do nothing other than exclaim "I am one with Allah!' "
We must look to the book by Leo Strauss entitled "Persecution and the Art of Writing."
The mystical movement which arose in Persia was always in danger of persecution by orthodox Islam. Remember that Muhammed hated poetry and said that it is better to have a belly filled with pus than a heart filled with poetry. Muhammed even had a famous woman poet executed.
Omar Khayyam, under the threat of persecution, could not speak openly of teachings and doctrines, but had to conceal them as poetry.
His poem is famous for that verse "A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and Thou", yet alcohol was forbidden, haram.
Think of the paths in Hinduism of Bhakti, and Jnana (knowledge), and Karma (action). The Pushti path of grace is also spoken of.
OrthoDOXY means, correct belief/knowledge/understanding. OrthoPRAXY means correct actions/deeds. Islam has for the most part, over the centuries, been more concerned with orthoPRAXY of correct actions, and avoiding what is forbidden, rather than orthoDOXY of believing or understanding in the correct way. But the third area of bhakti, of transcendent vicarious participation with the energies of the Godhead, is the path taken by Khayyam and Rumi and the Sufis.
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