Life is Too Short, Live for Today! - a Poem by Rumi

There are a hundred drums constantly beating
inside our hearts everyday,

but we barely care to hear their beating sounds
the next day or after.

We all have cottons stuffed in our ears
and hair stuck in our eyes,

all we do today is either worry about tomorrow,

or plot some absurd futuristic ideas.

Go and burn your cottons in the fire of love
like Hallaj* and other pure-hearted Sufis.

Did I make you ponder a bit over my cotton and fire analogy?

They're basically antagonists,
two opposites always fight each other to death.

If you notice that your day of reunion
with Love [God] is getting closer,

go and get yourself a stunning facial makeover
for that special occasion!

Death for us simply means an immense joy,
and a highly anticipated mystical reunion.

If you're already mourning while still alive,
you might as well just leave now!

This materialistic world is like a prison for us,

it's truly a blessing to finally tear these prison walls down.

But how could a pacified prisoner
who is so happy to still live in this prison

possibly grasp our dying desires
to meet up with the Designer of this World [God]?

Don't expect to find any loyalty in this prison,

in this savage world,
even the most loyal prisoners back-stab each other.

Rumi


*By Hallaj, Rumi is referring to the passionate and truly God-intoxicated 10th century Persian Sufi poet known as the 'Sufi Martyr of Love', Mansur Hallaj who was charged with blasphemy for uttering in a moment of pure mystical intoxication and ecstasy:  Ana ul-Haq or I'm God...
Hallaj was subsequently imprisoned, tortured, and burned at the stake.

غزل شماره 246 ازديوان شمس تبريزي يا ديوان كبير حضرت مولانا جلال الدين بلخي رومي

بانگ آن بشنويم ما فردا 

صد دهل مي‌زنند در دل ما

غم فردا و وسوسه سودا

پنبه در گوش و موي در چشمست

همچو حلاج و همچو اهل صفا

آتش عشق زن در اين پنبه

اين دو ضدند و ضد نکرد بقا

آتش و پنبه را چه مي‌داري

خوش لقا شو براي روز لقا

چون ملاقات عشق نزديکست

گر تو را ماتمست رو زين جا

مرگ ما شادي و ملاقاتست

عيش باشد خراب زندان‌ها

چونک زندان ماست اين دنيا

چون بود مجلس جهان آرا

آنک زندان او چنين خوش بود

تو وفا را مجو در اين زندان

که در اين جا وفا نکرد وفا