And in exchange, gain the Ocean! -- Rumi

[Guest guest]

Listen, O drop, give yourself up without regret,

and in exchange gain the Ocean.

Listen, O drop, bestow upon yourself this honor,

and in the arms of the Sea be secure.

Who indeed should be so fortunate?

An Ocean wooing a drop!

In God's name, in God's name, sell and buy at once!

Give a drop, and take this Sea full of pearls.

>

> ~ ~ ~

-- Mathnawi, IV: 2619-2622

"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"

Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski

Threshold Books, 1996

>

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

"Don't Postpone Your Yes!"

>

Muhammed is said to have said,

"Whoever belongs to God, God belongs to."

>

Our weak, uneven breathings,

these dissolving personalities,

were breathed out by the eternal

Huuuuuuuu, that never changes!

A drop of water constantly fears

that it may evaporate into the air,

or be absorbed by the ground.

>

It doesn't want to be used up

in those ways, but when it lets go

and falls into the ocean it came from,

it finds protection from the other deaths.

>

Its droplet form is gone,

but its watery essence has become

vast and inviolable.

>

Listen to me, friends, because you

are a drop, and you can honor yourselves

in this way. What could be luckier

than to have the ocean come

to court the drop?

>

For God's sake, don't postpone your yes!

Give up and become the giver.

>

-- Mathnawi IV, 2613-2622

Version by Coleman Barks

"One-Handed Basket Weaving"

Maypop, 1991

>

LoveAlways,

Mazie

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