Rumi's Ramadan Poem: The Month of Fasting Has Come

"O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed for those before you [for Jews and Christians] so that you may learn self-restraint."

The Quran~ Surat Al-Baqarah (Chapter~ The Cow) ~ 2:183.

"Ramadan (Muslims' Lent Season) is a special month of the year for Muslims throughout the world. It is a time for fasting, inner reflection, devotion to God and self-control. The daily period of fasting starts at the breaking of dawn and ends at the setting of the sun. In between- that is, during the daylight hours- Muslims totally abstain from food, drink, smoking, and marital sex. The usual practice is to have a pre-fast meal (suhoor) before dawn and a post-fast meal (iftar) after sunset. The end of Ramadan is marked by a three-day celebration called Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Fast-Breaking)."

Ramadan Advice - Where is Your Heart?

by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf

Tie Up some Tight Knots in Your Tablecloths!
by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

O moon-faced lover,

the fasting month of Ramadan has come.

Tie up some tight knots in your tablecloths,

the upward path towards reaching God

has just become wide open.

It doesn't matter if you're a clueless wanderer, 

or a spiritually detached individual,

this is the perfect month for you to come back to God.

How long will you keep on searching for some halwa-sweets?

Dig deeper, search for the actual halwa-maker [God].

The parched lips of a fasting and thirsty lover

stay dry for the sake of a glimpse of Beloved's wet lips.

The empty stomach of a fasting lover
groans and moans like a crying reed-flute

for the sake of being heard by Beloved's attentive ears.

Go empty yourself like a reed-flute.

Go become completely empty.

Place the flute just below your lower lip and blow hard into it. 
Go fill up your empty soul.

Then ask for some sweet divine red wine to break your fast!

You haven't lost anything by giving up on some food.

Just don't ask: Where is my soul-nourishing Beloved?
Where is the abundant divine meal on my tablecloth?

It's through pain and endurance that we become purified.

It's through purity that we reach spiritual self-sufficiency.

And it's precisely through spiritual self-sufficiency

that a mortal bird becomes the immortal phoenix bird.

Though hardship of fasting turns our faces yellow,

from that sacrifice we reach the soft white Hand of God.

Throughout the rest of the year, we never really get
to clear all the mud and debris clogging our inner streams.

It's during the fasting month of Ramadan

when we finally flush the clogged up streams 

to irrigate our beautiful inner gardens.

Go ahead and throw all your food into the flowing stream,

so every single part of your body is brought back to life

by the rejuvenating divine waters of life.

The Prophetic saying "We've closed the Gates of Hell"
actually means: Go and close your gates of gluttony!

The Prophetic saying "We've opened the Gates of Paradise"
actually means: Polish and purify your own heart!

You have been working so hard

taking loads of hay and straw to Christ's donkey,

It's high time for you to also offer 
your good services to Jesus.

Follow the shining examples of Jesus, 

so you can get to see the abundant divine meal 
being laid out on your tablecloth.

Follow the shining examples of Jesus,

so you can get to finally see

The Soul of all souls and the Soul of both worlds.

O Jesus who are ascended 
into the heavenly spheres,

take a look down here 
and pull us high up there with you.

O my dearest fasting friends 
who're seeking the blessings of Soul of both worlds, 

go and do something good for your own soul
and for your world.

Sacrifice your soul for the sake of well beings of others.

Never embrace the soulless habits of jealousy and envy.

The more your burn yourself like a bright candle
for the good of the others, 
the more the shining divine rays 

will be bestowed upon you from high above.

Go straight into the lion's den,

if you really want to hunt some wild deer.

Go straight into the King's reception hall,

if you really want to taste some genuine royal wine.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

ماه رمضان آمد ای یار قمر سیما

 بربند سر سفره بگشای ره بالا

ای یاوه‌ی هر جایی وقتست که بازآیی

بنگر سوی حلوایی تا کی طلبی حلوا

بر یاد لب دلبر خشکست لب مهتر

 خوش با شکم خالی می‌نالد چون سرنا

خالی شو و خالی به لب بر لب نابی نه

  چون نی زدمش پر شو وانگاه شکر می‌خا

گر توبه ز نان کردی آخر چه زیان کردی

 کو سفره‌ی نان‌افزا کو دلبر جان افزا

از درد به صاف آییم وز صاف به قاف آییم

 کز قاف صیام ای جان عصفور شود عنقا

صفرای صیام ارچه سودای سر افزاید

 لیکن ز چنین سودا یابند ید بیضا

هر سال نه جوها را می پاک کند از گل

  تا آب روان گردد تا کشت شود خضرا

بر جوی کنان تو هم ایثار کن این نان را

 تا آب حیات آید تا زنده شود اجزا

بستیم در دوزخ یعنی طمع خوردن

 بگشای در جنت یعنی که دل روشن

بس خدمت خیر کردی بس کاه و جوش بردی

 در خدمت عیسی هم باید مددی کردن

تا سفره و نان بینی کی جان و جهان بینی

 رو جان و جهان را جو ای جان و جهان من

جان‌بخش و مترس ای جان بر بخل مچفس ای جان

 مصباح فزون سوزی افزون دهدت روغن

ای عیسی بگذشته خوش از فلک آتش

از چرخ فرو کن سر ما را سوی بالا کش

در بیشه‌ی شیران رو تا صید کنی آهو

 در مجلس سلطان رو وز باده‌ی سلطان چش

You're a Guest of God during the Fasting Month of Ramadan

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

O heart, you're a guest of God 
during this holy month of fasting.

You'll get to taste His divine heavenly meals

throughout this holy month of fasting.

In the fasting month of Ramadan,

the gates of hell are closed

and the gates of paradise 
are a thousand fold open.

O Lord,

teach me how to properly behave and act

as the head of my own household.

O Lord,

my soul is humbly begging for Your forgiveness.

O Lord forgive me, 

You are the One who forgives all sinful believers.

O Lord, 

accept my sincere confessions in this holy month of fasting. 

O Lord, 

You are the Only One who is Perfect and Sinless.

O Lord forgive me, 

Forgive me O my Lord, for I have sinned.

I fast and envision my Lord smiling upon me and saying:

"I AM reaching out and grabbing your hand

during this holy month, since you're fasting.

I Know how unsettled and confused
you often feel about yourself. I KNOW.

Remember: I AM THE LORD, YOUR GOD.

I AM The Physician who prescribed you 
full abstinence during this holy month,

because I know how much you're 
suffering and deeply afflicted 
by your own fears, uncertainty and doubts."

I shall take a vow of silence now
and let Lord, my Beloved explains it all.

My All-Knowing Lord is the soul-stirring Soul of all souls.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

دلا در روزه مهمان خدایی

طعام آسمانی را سرایی

در این مه چون در دوزخ ببندی

هزاران در زجنت برگشایی

نخواهد ماند این یخ زود بفروش

بیاموزا خدا این كدخدایی

بیامد جان كه عذر خویش خواهد

كه عفوم كن كه جان عذرهایی

در این مه عذر ما بپذیر ای عشق

خطا كردیم ای ترك خطایی

بخنده گوید او: دستت گرفتم

كه می دانم كه بس بی دست و پایی

ترا پرهیز فرمودم، طبیبم

كه تو رنجور این خوف و رجایی

خمش كردم كه شرحش عشق گوید

كه گفت اوست جان را جانفزایی

Ramadan Mubarak! - Happy Ramadan!
by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

Ramadan Mubarak! Happy Ramadan!

The month of fasting has come.

O you who're on the fasting path, 

blessed be all your fasting.

I climbed up on top of the roof to see the new moon.

I've been impatiently waiting heart and soul to start fasting.

I kept on looking for so long that my hat fell off my head!

Now my head feels all intoxicated by the arrival of Ramadan.

O Muslims,

I've been God-intoxicated ever since that moon sighting.

What a good fortune! 
What a good luck is this holy month of fasting!

Beside this moon, there is a also another "Moon"

hiding like a glowing Turk inside the tent of fasting.

Anyone who wants to know more about that "Moon",

needs to come to the happy harvest month of fasting.

Anyone whose fasting face 
has turned yellow like a satin cloth,

is actually wearing the silk robes of honor
while fasting.

If you fast, all your prayers will be accepted 

during this fasting of month of Ramadan.

The skies will be torn apart 
by your sighs of impatience during fasting.

Just like Joseph who never gave up on Love

and ultimately became the Prince of Egypt,

you will also be rescued and elevated

if you patiently wait by the well of fasting.

Talk less and try remaining silent 

during the Suhur or Predawn-Meal in Ramadan,

so the ones who do fast can concentrate 

on starting another tough day of fasting.

Come, O Shamsuddin, 

O the Sun of Faith and the pride of Tabriz,

You're the commander-in-chief of
The devout army of fasting.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

مبارک باد آمد ماه روزه

رهت خوش باد ای همراه روزه

شدم بر بام تا مه را ببینم

که بودم من به جان دلخواه روزه

نظر کردم کلاه از سر بیفتاد

سرم را مست کرد آن شاه روزه

مسلمانان سرم مست است از آن روز

زهی اقبال و بخت و جاه روزه

بجز این ماه ماهی هست پنهان

نهان چون ترک در خرگاه روزه

بدان مه ره برد آن کس که آید

در این مه خوش به خرمنگاه روزه

رخ چون اطلسش گر زرد گردد

بپوشد خلعت از دیباه روزه

دعاها اندر این مه مستجاب است

فلک‌ها را بدرد آه روزه

چو یوسف ملک مصر عشق گیرد

کسی کو صبر کرد در چاه روزه

سحوری کم زن ای نطق و خمش کن

ز روزه خود شوند آگاه روزه

بیا ای شمس دین و فخر تبریز

تویی سرلشکر اسپاه روزه

Reap the Blessings of Fasting during Ramadan
by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

When you close your mouth to food while fasting,

your spiritual mouth opens to take generous bites 
of secret divine meals sent down from above.

Close your mouth to food and drink, 

rush towards the spread out divine meal 

being set up on the heavenly dining table.

Once you completely empty your inner warehouse 
from all the material things accumulated,

it will be filled up all the way to the top 

with the precious divine pearls and jewels.

Get your soul's baby off the breast milk of Satan,

and let it comfortably rest in the arms of
its motherly Angel.

How long will you keep on gluttoning 

on all these fattening foods?

How long will you keep on staying captive

by your own spiritual sleepiness?

Test your fasting resolve for a few days

during this fasting month of Ramadan.

Awaken out of your spiritual sleepiness for just one night,

so you can reap the wealth and blessings of fasting.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

 این دهان بستی دهانی باز شد

تا خورندهء لقمه‌های راز شد

لب فروبند از طعام و از شراب

سوی خوان آسمانی کن شتاب

گر تو این انبان ز نان خالی کنی

پر ز گوهرهای اجلالی کنی

طفل جان از شیر شیطان باز کن

 بعد از آنش با ملک انباز کن

چند خوردی چرب و شیرین از طعام؟

 امتحان کن چند روزی در صیام

چند شبها خواب را گشتی اسیر؟

 یک شبی بیدار شو دولت بگیر

The Mother of Fasting Has Come

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

Fasting has come like a kind mother
warmly embracing her children. 

Hey kiddos, don't act so weak,
hang on tight to your mother's veil of fasting!

Gaze upon her beautiful fasting face,
suck her delicious breast milk, 

fast exactly as she fasts, 

and wait patiently by her door of fasting.

Look how fasting makes you
generously give a helping hand to a charity.

Look how fasting fully blossoms
like Lord's beautiful Spring season.

Look how the garden of your soul

gets filled up with the heavenly
narcissus flowers of fasting.

Come on now,
stop acting so fragile like a flower bud

while you are fasting!

So what if you happen to feel a bit weak while fasting? 
So what if you had to give up your daily routine for a while?

You are the fearless falcon of Spring season,
fly up high and join the circles of fasting.

You look like a blood dripping rose,
how come you are so happy and smiling?
Don't tell me you are Issac son of Abraham
happily smiling under the knife of fasting!

Why are you so in love with eating?
Why are you so addicted to food?
Look at this new world of fasting 

unfolding right in front of your eyes. 

Go collect some wheat grains

for your starving and fasting soul.
Hurry Up! 
Go down the wheat fields of your own soul,

and keep on searching for your soul's harvest

in the haystacks of fasting.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

سوی اطفال بیامد به کرم مادر روزه
مهل ای طفل به سستی طرف چادر روزه
بنگر روی ظریفش بخور آن شیر لطیفش
به همان کوی وطن کن بنشین بر در روزه
بنگر دست رضا را که بهاری است خدا را
بنگر جنت جان را شده پرعبهر روزه
هله ای غنچه نازان چه ضعیفی و چه یازان
چو رسن باز بهاری بجه از چنبر روزه
تو گلا غرقه خونی ز چیی دلخوش و خندان
مگر اسحاق خلیلی خوشی از خنجر روزه
ز چیی عاشق نانی بنگر تازه جهانی
بستان گندم جانی هله از بیدر روزه

Don't Let Satan Deceives You into Not Fasting!

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

There is no worshiping practice in this world

that could brighten your darkened heart

or awaken your soulless existence

like the illuminating practice of the fasting.

Fasting does indeed bring physical hardship

and makes a fasting believer feel really weak,

but the very inner essence of a fasting believer 

gets perfected through fasting.

Since in this material-obsessed world

our materialistic lives get constantly darkened 

by the thick black smoke coming out of 

our souls' worn-out kitchens,

a brand-new kitchen can be built through fasting!

Who else could be more dangerous  

than the blood-thirsty and heart and soul betraying Satan 

who is roaming around this material-worshiping world,

constantly deceiving you into not fasting?

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

هيچ طاعت در جهان آن روشنی ندهد تو را

چونک بهر ديده دل کوری ابدان صيام

چونک هست اين صوم نقصان حيات هر ستور

خاص شد بهر کمال معنی انسان صيام

چون حيات عاشقان از مطبخ تن تيره بود

پس مهيا کرد بهر مطبخ ايشان صيام

چيست آن اندر جهان مهلکتر و خون ريزتر

بر دل و جان و جا خون خواره شيطان صيام

Fasting Turns Your Worthless Inner Stones into Precious Rubies

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

Offering your sincere fasting services, 

quickly reaping the rewards of fasting,

and receiving the eternal divine blessings

are all possible by patiently waiting 
by the Gate of King of all fasting believers [God].

Even a poor fish in the water doesn't get refreshed ,

the way the heart and soul of a fasting believer

gets totally refreshed by the waters of the fasting!

None of us pays even the slightest attention 

to hundreds of regular stones laying around us.

The worthless stones of your inner mines 

will turn into the precious red rubies 

by the rays of sunlight brightly shining through fasting.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

خدمت خاص نهانی تيزنفع و زودسود

چيست پيش حضرت درگاه اين سلطان صيام

ماهی بيچاره را آب آن چنان تازه نکرد

آنچ کرد اندر دل و جان های مشتاقان صيام

سنگ بی قيمت که صد خروار از او کس ننگرد

لعل گرداند چو خورشيدش درون کان صيام

Fasting is Perfect Strainer for Your Corroded Soul

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

Fasting puts your soul in a strainer,

rinsing it hard to get rid of all your 

accumulated rusty and corroded impurities.

This thick veil which has darkened 

the shining moon of your soul,

gets shredded to pieces through your fasting.
Fasting even illuminates the Saturn high up in the Sky.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

این روزه چو به‏ غربیل ببیزد جان را

پیدا آرد قراضه پنهان را

جامه ی که کند تیره مه تابان را

بی پرده شود نور دهد کیوان را

Stop Talking about Water Jugs or Pot and Pans during Ramadan!

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

Hurry up, get yourself ready, 

The time for patience has come!

The fasting month of Ramadan has come.

For a day or two, stop talking about
Water Jugs or pot and pans!

Go rise up high into the Sky,
Go roam around His heavenly dinner-table!
Go and humbly beg Him
For some Iftar-meal high up in the Sky,

So the cotton of your soul can be 
Finally released from its cotton boll.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

هین نوبت صبر آمد و ماه روزه

روزی دو مگو ز کاسه و از کوزه

بر خوان فلک گرد پی در یوزه

تا پنبه جان باز رهد از غوزه

The Holy Month of Fasting Has Come
by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

The holy month of fasting has come.

The inner-struggle signal from our King has come.

Refrain from eating, the spiritual nourishment
source of your soul has just come.

During the fasting month of Ramadan,

my soul rescues itself from my mundane life

by twisting the hand of my otherwise abstract lifestyle.

My heart shatters its darkness to pieces

now that the backup forces of my faith has come.

Fasting is our sacrifice and the new life to our soul.

We shall sacrifice our body now that our guest has come.

Patience is a thick cloud pouring down rain of mercy

upon the fasting ones.

This is the holy month of fasting and patience

when the holy Quran was sent down.

This is the month when our ego gets crushed 

and our soul ascends high up into the heavens.

This is the month when we break
the gates of our inner prisons

and our soul finally joins the Soul of all souls.

This is the month when we shred
to pieces the veils of darkness

and our purified heart flies high into the sky.

My heart belongs to the pure Angels high up there,

so it's basically joining its own kind!

Pull yourself up from the dark well of your own being.

Stand on top of the water well and shout out loud:

Joseph of Canaan has come.

Jesus let go of his donkey and his prayers were accepted.

Go wash your hands clean, the divine dining-table 
has just been sent down from the heavens.

Just wash your hands and rinse your mouth,

but neither eat yet nor say a word!

Seek the divine blessings first,
now go ahead and break your fast.

Take generous bites of heavenly meals
which have been sent down 

to the silently fasting ones from above.

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

آمد شهر صیام سنجق سلطان رسید

دست بدار از طعام مایده جان رسید

جان ز قطیعت برست دست طبیعت ببست

قلب ضلالت شکست لشکر ایمان رسید

روزه چو قربان ماست زندگی جان ماست

تن همه قربان کنیم جان چو به مهمان رسید

صبر چو ابریست خوش حکمت بارد از او

زانک چنین ماه صبر بود که قرآن رسید

نفس چو محتاج شد روح به معراج شد

چون در زندان شکست جان بر جانان رسید

پرده ظلمت درید دل به فلک برپرید

چون ز ملک بود دل باز بدیشان رسید

زود از این چاه تن دست بزن در رسن

بر سر چاه آب گو یوسف کنعان رسید

عیسی چو از خر برست گشت دعایش قبول

دست بشو کز فلک مایده و خوان رسید

دست و دهان را بشو نه بخور و نه بگو

آن سخن و لقمه جو کان به خموشان رسید

Be Patient While Fasting &Stand Steadfast in Your Faith

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

Be patient while fasting and stand steadfast in your faith.

Breath by breath, patiently wait to be empowered by God.

Remember that the Forbearing and Righteous God

always bestows generous gifts upon His patient believers.

Any fasting believer who's spiritually fed, needs no food.

To the spiritually full and proudly fasting believer,

it doesn't matter if days are dragging on too long 

or the daily tasks seeming so daunting.

O fasting man of the house, man up and wait up!

Patiently wait for the heavenly dinning-table

to be sent down from the heavens above.

Any fasting believer who's exhausted and hungry, 

shall receive the divine strengths from high above

to make it until the end of the fasting day.

The shining bright lights of divine sun

shall illuminate the starving ones 
who are patiently fasting.

Any fasting and starving believer who breaks the fast

by eating just a few spoons of soup out of moderation,

shall get to taste the most delicious divine soup

especially made by the Soup-Maker Himself (God).

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

باش در روزه شکیبا و مصر

دم به دم قوت خدا را منتظر

که آن خدای خوب‌کار بردبار

هدیه‌ها را می‌دهد در انتظار

انتظار نان ندارد مرد سیر

که سبک آید وظیفه یا که دیر

ای پدر الانتظار الانتظار

از برای خوان بالا مردوار

هر گرسنه عاقبت قوتی بیافت

آفتاب دولتی بر وی بتافت

ضیف با همت چو ز آشی کم خورد

صاحب خوان آش بهتر آورد

Finding Salvation in Fasting is Deep Within You
by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

The fasting month of Ramadan has come
but the Eid Festival is also with us.

The fasting lock has come

but the salvation key is also with us.

By fasting, our mouths get closed 

and our inner spiritual eyes widely opened.

The shining Light of God
that our eyes are seeking is also with us.

The Fasting month of Ramadan has come 
for the purposes of purification of our heart,

but the Righteous Owner of our heart is also with us.

Even if we face challenging difficulties during our fasting,

the treasure of our solid perseverance is also with us.

No matter how impure and sin-filled our body might be,

fasting will help us deeply purifying our heart and soul.

Fasting silently teaches us these lessons:

Go become nothing! 

Go crush your own ego!

Go become disciple of a fasting Sufi master!

Since my Sufi master, Salahuddin Zarkub
is present in our Iftaar-gathering tonight,

I feel that Mansoor Hallaj and 
Bayazid of Bestam are also with us!

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

آمد رمضان و عید با ماست

قفل آمد و آن کلید با ماست

بربست دهان و دیده بگشاد

وان نور که دیده دید با ماست

آمد رمضان به خدمت دل

وان کش که دل آفرید با ماست

در روزه اگر پدید شد رنج

گنج دل ناپدید با ماست

کردیم ز روزه جان و دل پاک

هر چند تن پلید با ماست

روزه به زبان حال گوید

کم شو که همه مرید با ماست

چون هست صلاح دین در این جمع

منصور و ابایزید با ماست

Drink some "Wine of Meaning" on Your Empty Stomach!

by Rumi ~ My Translation ~

The Month of Ramadan has come.

The closing of mouth has come.

The mouth has been shut 
so it could only taste the pleasure of its dry lips.

The fasting-jar came and broke all other wine jars,

so those who still deny the spiritual pleasures of fasting

can watch for themselves how joyous our Iftar-gathering is 

even without a single drop of earthly wine around!

During the fasting month of Ramadan,

drink a full jar of that special "Wine of Meaning"

on your empty stomach!

Only an intoxicated and fasting lover
can get a private rendezvous
with the ever secluded Beloved (God)!

شعرعرفاني مولانا در تجليل رمضان و روزه

ماه رمضان آمد آن بند دهان آمد

زد بر دهن بسته تا لذت لب بیند

آمد قدح روزه بشکست قدح‌ها را

تا منکر این عشرت بی‌باده طرب بیند

سغراق معانی را بر معده خالی زن

معشوقه خلوت را هم چشم عزب بیند