Rumi

Guide Note

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad popularly known as Rumi was one great poet of the Persian lIterature. He had also influenced the philosophy of Sufism through his poems and dance . He was considered as the most popular poet in America in line with Shakespeare and others. ¹

Fast Facts

1. Date of Birth: September 30, 1207
2. Given Name: Jalal ad-Din Muhammad
3. Place of Birth: Balkh (Afghanistan)
4. Father: Bahau-d Din Veled Sultan-I-Ulema²
5. Spouse: Gevher Khatun ²
6. He was a Sufi ³
7. made most of his works in Konya, Sultanate of Rum located in Turkey.
8. considered by some as the most popular poet in America. ¹
9. composed 70,000 poetry verses in a period of 25 years. ¹
10. Date of Death: December 16, 1273

Rumi's Poetry

Moving Water

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.

When actions come from another section, the feeling disappears. Don't let

others lead you. They may be blind or, worse, vultures. Reach for the rope

of God. And what is that? Putting aside self-will. Because of willfulness

people sit in jail, the trapped bird's wings are tied, fish sizzle in the skillet.

The anger of police is willfulness. You've seen a magistrate inflict visible punishment. Now

see the invisible. If you could leave your selfishness, you would see how you've

been torturing your soul. We are born and live inside black water in a well.

How could we know what an open field of sunlight is? Don't insist on going where

you think you want to go. Ask the way to the spring. Your living pieces will form

a harmony. There is a moving palace that floats in the air with balconies and clear

water flowing through, infinity everywhere, yet contained under a single tent.

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