Yunus Emre - We encountered the house of realization,

March 9, 2009

A poem sent by Ivan. His notes at the foot are always worth reading .AJ--- On Mon, 9/3/09, Poetry Chaikhana <ivan wrote:

Poetry Chaikhana <ivan[Poetry Chaikhana] Yunus Emre - We encountered the house of realization,alanadamsjacobsDate: Monday, 9 March, 2009, 4:02 PM

Here's your Daily Poem from the Poetry Chaikhana --

We encountered the house of realization,

By Yunus Emre(1238 - 1320)

English version by Kabir Helminski & Refik Algan

We encountered the house of realization,we witnessed the body.The whirling skies, the many-layered earth,the seventy-thousand veils,we found in the body.The night and the day, the planets,the words inscribed on the Holy Tablets,the hill that Moses climbed, the Temple,and Israfil's trumpet, we observed in the body.Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Quran --what these books have to say,we found in the body.Everybody says these words of Yunusare true. Truth is wherever you want it.We found it all within the body.

-- from The Drop That Became the Sea: Lyric Poems of Yunus Emre, Translated by Kabir Helminski / Translated by Refik Algan

Amazon.com / Photo by The Wandering Angel /

============

Thought for the Day:

Yearning is Union.

============

Here's your Daily Music selection --

Felix Maria Woschek & Ustad Sultan Khan

Karuna

Listen - Purchase

More Music Selections

Hi Alan -Not everyone received Friday's poem email, and those who did got it late. I apologize about that. I spent most of Friday trying to solve a major technical problem that is even now only partly resolved. But I think everyone should get today's poem email. If you didn't get Friday's email, you can still view it on the Poetry Chaikhana blog.Just a little peak behind the scenes. Now, for today's poem...==We encountered the house of realization,we witnessed the body.Not only is the sacred always present -- right here, right now -- but that holiness is actually felt within the body. It is perceived as an indescribable joy permeating all levels of awareness, including the physical body. Every cell feels awakened, alive, sanctified. The whole body, from the subtle to

the physical, vibrates with delight.I am reminded of Kabir, the great Indian poet, who sang:How could I ever expressHow blessed I feelTo revel in such vast ecstasyIn my own body?The touch of the Divine is tangible, it is FELT...==Yunus Emre is considered by many to be one of the most important Turkish poets. Little can be said for certain of his life other than that he was a Sufi dervish of Anatolia. The love people have for his liberating poetry is reflected in the fact that many villages claim to be his birthplace, and many others claim to hold his tomb.His poetry expresses a deep personal mysticism and humanism and love for God.He was a contemporary of Rumi, who lived in the same region. Rumi composed his collection of stories and songs for a well-educated urban circle of Sufis, writing primarily in the literary language of Persian. Yunus Emre, on the other hand, traveled and

taught among the rural poor, singing his songs in the Turkish language of the common people.A story is told of a meeting between the two great souls: Rumi asked Yunus Emre what he thought of his great work the Mathnawi. Yunus Emre said, "Excellent, excellent! But I would have done it differently." Surprised, Rumi asked how. Yunus replied, "I would have written, 'I came from the eternal, clothed myself in flesh, and took the name Yunus.'" That story perfectly illustrates Yunus Emre's simple, direct approach that has made him so beloved.Interestingly, the name Yunus means "dolphin" in Turkish.Have a beautiful day!Ivan

Share Your Thoughts on today's poem or my commentary...

New on the Poetry Chaikhana BlogIn addition to the daily poem, other recent blog posts include:

Video - Breathe - Comments (1) A reminder that our breath is part of the planet's breath. More

Mailing List Milestone - Comments (3) We now have more than 4,000 people on the Poetry Chaikhana email list... More

Iranian Painter Iman Maleki - Comments (3) One moment you're convinced you're looking at a photograph, then a switch is flipped in your brain, and you see a painting. But then you notice the fine filaments of each strand of hair, the delicate veins traced out beneath the skin, the caress of daylight upon a curving cheek, and you start to question again... More

Support the Poetry Chaikhana

Donations to the Poetry Chaikhana in any amount are always welcome. Thank you!

Click here

You can also support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Click here

A small amount each month makes a big difference. Become a voluntary Subscriber for just $2/mo.

Click here

Help the Poetry Chaikhana reach more people. Become a Supporter for just $10/mo.

www.Poetry-Chaikhana.com

Poetry ChaikhanaP.O. Box 2320Boulder, CO 80306

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.All other material is copyrighted by the respective authors, translators and/or publishers.

============

Plain Text: If you have any difficulty reading this HTML formatted email, please let me know and I can send you plain text emails instead. Cancelling: If you wish to stop receiving this Daily Poem email from the Poetry Chaikhana, simply reply to this email and change the Subject to "Cancel".