Solomon and Sheba .............................Rumi

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Solomon and Sheba

Rumi

 

 

Sheba's Gifts to Solomon

 

Queen Sheba loads forty mules with gold bricks

as gifts for Solomon. When her envoy and his party

reach the wide plain leading to Solomon's palace,

they see that the top layer of the entire plain

is pure gold. The travel on gold

for forty days!

 

What foolishness to take gold

to Solomon, when the dirt of his land

is gold. You who think to offer

your intelligence, reconsider. The mind

is less than road dust.

 

The embarrassing commonness they bring only

slows them down. They argue. They discuss

turning back, but they continue,

carrying out the orders of their queen.

 

Solomon laughs when he sees them unloading gold bars.

 

"When have I asked you

for a sop for my soup? I don't want gifts

from you. I want you to be ready

for the gifts I give.

 

 

 

 

Solomon to Sheba

 

Solomon says to the messengers from Sheba,

"I send you back as messengers to her.

 

Tell her this refusal of her gift

of gold is better than acceptance,

 

because with it she can learn what we value.

She loves her throne, but actually it keeps

 

her from passing through the doorway

that leads to true majesty.

 

Tell her, one surrendering bow is sweeter

than a hundred empires, is itself a kingdom.

 

 

 

Imagine that you are Sheba

trying to decide whether to go to Solomon!

You're haggling about how much to pay

 

for shoeing a donkey, when you could be seated

with one who is always in union with God,

who carries a beautiful garden inside himself.

 

 

When the Queen of Sheba came to Solomon,

she left behind her kingdom and her wealth

the same way lovers leave their reputations.

 

 

She came to Solomon with nothing, except

her throne! As the writer's pen becomes

 

a friend, as the tool the workman uses

day after day becomes deeply familiar, so

her filigreed throne was her one attachment.

 

I would explain more about this phenomenon,

but it would take too long.

 

It was a large throne and difficult to transport,

because it couldn't be taken apart, being as

cunningly put together as the human body.

 

Solomon saw that her heart was open to him

and that this throne would soon be repulsive

to her. "Let her bring it, " he said. "It will

 

become a lesson to her like the old shoes

and jacket are to Ayaz. She can look at

that throne and see how far she's come."

 

 

 

When you see a pearl on the bottom,

you reach through the foam and broken sticks

on the surface. When the sun comes up, you forget

about locating the constellation of Scorpio.

 

When you see the splendor of union,

the attractions of duality seem poignant

and lovely, but much less interesting.