27 March 2010

I'm also This I'm also That - a Poem by Rumi






This is one of my favorite poems of Rumi. Maulana is at his best in conveying his melancholic and distressed state of mind in this very personal and heartfelt poem. Rumi's is simply letting all his frustrations out, and just ignoring any and all regards for the often painstakingly managed poetic rhyming formulas and methods of classical Persian poetry. Reading in between the lines, one can clearly sense Rumi's profound sadness, frustrations, and the ever growing pain of longing. Rumi's unorthodox, even revolutionary, poetic style of repeating the same line "I'm also this I'm also that" at the end of his poem is simply ground breaking. One can hardly find a Persian poet who could match Rumi's bold and deliberate challenging of the established writing style of classical or modern Persian poetry.








The old is I
the young is I
the arrow is I
the bow is I
the eternal wealth is I
I'm neither me 
nor me is I.

In my lawn
the cypress is He
in my body
the soul is He
in my mouth
the speech is He
I'm neither me
nor me is I.

I'm stupefied by this incident:
I'm also conscious and unconscious
I'm also the silent speaker
and the hushed wailing
of the silent ones.

Compared to His color
I'm so colorless
to His lock of hair
I'm so clinging
To that bright candle
I'm the moth.
O LORD,
I'm so distressed.

I'm also the wine-server
and the drunkard
I'm also the bad luck
and the good luck
I'm also the pain
and the remedy
I'm also the blood
and the blood-sucking lion
I'm also the infant
and the elderly
I'm also the servant
and the master.

I'm also this
I'm also that

I'm also this
I'm also that

I'm also this
I'm also that.

O LORD,
I'm so distressed.






حضرت مولانا جلال الدين بلخي رومي


پير منم جوان منم
تير منم كمان منم
دولت جاودان منم
من نه منم نه من منم
سرو من اوست در چمن
روح من اوست در بدن
نطق من اوست در دهن
من نه منم نه من منم
زين واقعه مدهوشم
با هوشم و بي هوشم
هم ناطق خاموشم
هم نوح خموشانم
زان رنگ چه بي رنگم
زان طره چه آونگم
زان شمع چو پروانه
يارب چه پريشانم
هم ساقي و هم مستم
هم فرقم و هم بختم
هم محنت و هم بختم
هم دردم و دمانم
هم خونم و هم شيرم
هم طفلم و هم پيرم
هم چاكر و هم ميرم

هم اينم هم آنم
هم اينم هم آنم
هم اينم و هم آنم
يارب چه پريشانم





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