Muslim Poem
A poem by the Persian, Sufi sage and philosopher, Molana Jalal-e Din Rumi, very relevant and timely, given today’s world situation
Published in Disarming Times, May-July ‘08; Pax Christi: www.paxchristi.org.au; DisarmingTimes is printed by Arena Press, 2-14, Kerr St, Fitzroy, Australia, 3065
What is to be done,
O Moslems?
For I do not
recognise myself.
I am neither Christian, nor
Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.
I am not of the East, nor of
the West, nor of the land,
nor of the sea;
I am not of Nature’s mint,
nor of the circling heaven.
I am not of earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor of fire;
I am not of the empyrean,
nor of the dust, nor of existence, nor of entity.
I am not of India, nor of
China, nor of Bulgaria, nor
of Saqsin.
I am not of the kingdom of
‘Iragian, nor of the country
of Khorasan
I am not of this world, nor of
the next, nor of Paradise,
nor of Hell.
I am not of Adam, nor of
Eve, nor of Eden and
Rizwan.
My place is the Placeless;
my trace is the Traceless;
‘Tis neither body nor soul,
for I belong to the soul of the
Beloved.
I have put duality away; I
have seen that the two
worlds are one;
One I seek, One I know,
One I see, One I call.
He is the first, He is the
last, He is the outward, He
is the inward;
I am intoxicated with Love’s
cup, the two worlds have
passed out of my ken;
If once in my life I spent a
moment without thee,
From that time and from
that hour I repent of my life.
If once in this world I win a
moment with thee,
I will trample on both
worlds; I will dance in triumph for ever.
Tags: Human Rights, Religion