{"id":4981,"date":"2016-09-23T09:24:35","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T16:24:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/?p=4981"},"modified":"2016-09-23T09:31:09","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T16:31:09","slug":"mevlana-jelaluddin-rumi-only-breath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/2016\/09\/23\/mevlana-jelaluddin-rumi-only-breath\/","title":{"rendered":"Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi – Only Breath"},"content":{"rendered":"

Only Breath
\nby Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

English version by Coleman Barks<\/font><\/p>\n

Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu
\nBuddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion<\/p>\n

or cultural system. I am not from the East
\nor the West, not out of the ocean or up<\/p>\n

from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not
\ncomposed of elements at all. I do not exist,<\/p>\n

am not an entity in this world or in the next,
\ndid not descend from Adam and Eve or any<\/p>\n

origin story. My place is placeless, a trace
\nof the traceless. Neither body or soul.<\/p>\n

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two
\nworlds as one and that one call to and know,<\/p>\n

first, last, outer, inner, only that
\nbreath breathing human being.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a> \u2014 from The Essential Rumi<\/a>, Translated by Coleman Barks<\/font><\/p>\n


\/ Image by FredG<\/a> \/<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

First, let me say how much I appreciate the warm response to my message on Wednesday. I have already received several donations, which are a huge help in covering my expenses necessary to keep the Poetry Chaikhana running smoothly, especially through this bumpy period when my personal income is down due to illness. More support is needed, but we have a good start. Thank you to everyone!<\/p>\n

Also, thank you for the many kind notes wishing me renewed health, often with good suggestions and advice. In the last 24 hours I have finally begun to feel some noticeable improvement, a trend that I hope to nurture and continue. So much adventure and drama to be had without even having to step out the front door\u2026 \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

=<\/p>\n

Now, on to today\u2019s poem.<\/p>\n

I was surprised to realize that I have never featured this poem by Rumi on the Poetry Chaikhana, especially given how well known and loved it is. Actually, I did feature this poem years ago, but in a different, less known translation by Bernard Lewis.<\/p>\n

This morning I read the two versions side-by-side, the one above by Coleman Barks, and the version below by Lewis. It occurred to me that this might a good opportunity to invite some discussion about the nature of poetry and translation.<\/p>\n

Here is the Lewis translation of the poem. Take a moment to read it, while the Barks version is fresh in your mind, and think about the differences, why they are different, how those differences affect our reading of the poem\u2026<\/p>\n

What can I do, Muslims? I do not know myself.
\nI am neither Christian nor Jew, neither Magian nor Muslim,
\nI am not from east or west, not from land or sea,
\nnot from the shafts of nature nor from the spheres of the firmament,
\nnot of the earth, not of water, not of air, not of fire.
\nI am not from the highest heaven, not from this world,
\nnot from existence, not from being.
\nI am not from India, not from China, not from Bulgar, not from Saqsin,
\nnot from the realm of the two Iraqs, not from the land of Khurasan.
\nI am not from the world, not from beyond,
\nnot from heaven and not from hell.
\nI am not from Adam, not from Eve, not from paradise and not from Ridwan.
\nMy place is placeless, my trace is traceless,
\nno body, no soul, I am from the soul of souls.
\nI have chased out duality, lived the two worlds as one.
\nOne I seek, one I know, one I see, one I call.
\nHe is the first, he is the last, he is the outer, he is the inner.
\nBeyond \u201cHe\u201d and \u201cHe is\u201d I know no other.
\nI am drunk from the cup of love, the two worlds have escaped me.
\nI have no concern but carouse and rapture.
\nIf one day in my life I spend a moment without you
\nfrom that hour and that time I would repent my life.
\nIf one day I am given a moment in solitude with you
\nI will trample the two worlds underfoot and dance forever.
\nO Sun of Tabriz, I am so tipsy here in this world,
\nI have no tale to tell but tipsiness and rapture.<\/p>\n

(version by Bernard Lewis)<\/i><\/p>\n

So, what do you think? Do you prefer one version over the other?<\/p>\n

The Barks version is much leaner. It\u2019s easier on the eyes, especially when grouped together into couplets with line breaks. The language arguably flows a bit more easily. But the biggest difference to me is that Barks is obviously taking huge liberties with the language, trimming out entire phrases and ideas, while significantly reformulating others.<\/p>\n

The Lewis version is generally using modern English, as well, but my impression is that he is sticking much closer to a literal translation of Rumi\u2019s original. He doesn\u2019t do as much to try to replicate the poetic flow that the original undoubtedly has, but the more literal the translation, the more difficult it becomes to also reproduce rhythm and rhyme. Still, there are some juicy bits that Lewis manages to keep which I miss in the Barks translation.<\/p>\n

There are always imperfect compromises in translation, especially so in poetry:<\/p>\n

\u2013 How literally should the poem be translated?<\/p>\n

\u2013 Should it be so literal that the poetry is lost?<\/p>\n

\u2013 When the original poem has meter and rhyme or alliteration, as most classic poetry does, should the translation attempt to reproduce it or create a new pattern suggestive of the original or completely abandon meter and rhyme?<\/p>\n

\u2013 How free should the translator be with introducing line breaks to make the poem flow more naturally to the modern eye or to emphasize specific words and ideas?<\/p>\n

\u2013 What should the translator do when even a strictly literal translation looses the poem\u2019s inner meaning? Metaphor and word play are culturally specific. A word-for-word translation often doesn\u2019t carry the same meaning in another culture or time. How much liberty should the translator take in order to convey the intended meaning by introducing new phrases and metaphors?<\/p>\n

\u2013 At what point does a translation become so loose that it is more the work of the translator than the original poet?<\/p>\n

\u2013 Barks or Lewis? (Or both?)<\/p>\n

I have my own answers to these questions, but I am particularly interested in your thoughts. Post a comment on the blog or send me an email. These are issues I find myself weighing in my work with the Poetry Chaikhana. What do you think?<\/p>\n

=<\/p>\n

Once again, thank you for all of the heartfelt messages you have been sending me lately. I\u2019m sending all of you love in return.<\/p>\n

And\u2026 Have a beautiful day!<\/p>\n

Ivan<\/p>\n


\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Recommended Books: Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Longing in Between: Sacred Poetry from Around the World (A Poetry Chaikhana Anthology)<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nPoetry for the Spirit: Poems of Universal Wisdom and Beauty<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nMusic of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nPerfume of the Desert: Inspirations from Sufi Wisdom<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nOpen Secret: Versions of Rumi<\/a><\/small><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
More Books >><\/a><\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/center>
\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\"Mevlana<\/a>\n<\/td>\n\nMevlana Jelaluddin Rumi<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Afghanistan & Turkey (Persia) (1207 \u2013 1273) Timeline<\/a>
\nMuslim \/ Sufi<\/a><\/a>
\n<\/a><\/a><\/em>\n<\/td>\n

<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t yet sketched out a short biography about Rumi. It always feels a bit foolish to try to distill a rich, full life into just a few paragraphs, but it\u2019s especially difficult with Rumi since so much has been written about him and his life.<\/p>\n

How about just a few interesting details about Rumi:<\/p>\n

Rumi was born in Balkh, in what is today Afghanistan. While he was still a child his family moved all the way to Konya in Asia Minor (Turkey). They moved to flee from Mongol invaders who were beginning to sweep into Central Asia. Konya, far to the west of the invaded territories, became one of the major destinations for expatriates to settle, turning the city into a cosmopolitan center of culture, education, and spirituality. (These lands were part of the Persian Empire, so, while he lived most of his life in what is today called Turkey, culturally he was Persian.) <\/p>\n

In fact, Rumi wasn\u2019t the only famous Sufi teacher living in Konya at the time. The best known spiritual figure in Konya at the time was not Rumi, but the son-in-law of the greatly respected Sufi philosopher ibn \u2018Arabi. The wonderful Sufi poet Fakhruddin Iraqi also lived in Konya at the same time as Rumi.<\/p>\n

\u201cRumi\u201d was not his proper name; it was more of a nickname. Rumi means literally \u201cThe Roman.\u201d Why the Roman? Asia Minor (Turkey) was referred to as the land of the Rum, the Romans. The Byzantine Empire, which had only recently fallen, was still thought of as the old Eastern Roman Empire. Rumi was nicknamed the Roman because he lived in what was once the Eastern Roman Empire. \u2026But not everyone calls him Rumi. In Afghanistan, where he was born, they call him Balkhi, \u201cthe man from Balkh,\u201d to emphasize his birth in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

Rumi\u2019s father was himself a respected religious authority and spiritual teacher. Rumi was raised and educated to follow in his father\u2019s footsteps. And, in fact, Rumi inherited his father\u2019s religious school. But this was all along very traditional lines. Rumi was already a man with religious position when he first started to experience transcendent states of spiritual ecstasy. This created a radical upheaval, not only in himself, but also within his rather formal spiritual community as everyone tried to adjust to their leader\u2019s transformation.<\/p>\n

One more note about Rumi\u2019s father: It was only after his death that some of the father\u2019s private writings were discovered, revealing that he himself was also a profound mystic, though he had kept this part of himself private, apparently even from his son Rumi.<\/p>\n

Many of Rumi\u2019s poems make reference to the sun. This always has layered meaning for Rumi since he was deeply devoted to his spiritual teacher Shams of Tabriz\u2026 as the name Shams means \u201cthe sun.\u201d The sun for Rumi becomes the radiance of God shining through his beloved teacher.<\/p>\n

The spiritual bond between Rumi and Shams was profound, but the two individuals were very different. Rumi was a member of the educated elite within the urban expatriate community, while Shams was a poor wandering mystic who rarely stayed in one place long. Shams would often disappear unexpectedly, then return months later. Many of Rumi\u2019s family and students were jealous of Shams, resenting the closeness he shared with their master. Finally, Shams disappeared, never to return. Some believe that he was actually kidnapped and murdered, possibly by Rumi\u2019s own sons! Or he may have simply followed his dervish nature and journeyed on, never to return to Konya.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve heard of \u201cwhirling dervishes,\u201d right? Not all Sufis practice that spinning meditative dance. That is specific to the Mevlana Sufis, founded by \u2014 yes, Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi. The story is told that Rumi would circle around a column, while ecstatically reciting his poetry. The spinning is a meditation on many levels. It teaches stillness and centeredness in the midst of movement. One hand is kept raised to receive from heaven, the other hand is kept lowered to the earth, thus the individual becomes a bridge joining heaven and earth.<\/p>\n

More poetry by Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Only Breath by Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi English version by Coleman Barks Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu Buddhist, sufi, or zen. Not any religion or cultural system. I am not from the East or the West, not out of the ocean or up from the ground, not natural or ethereal, not composed of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1434,88,1992,19],"class_list":["post-4981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry","tag-poetry-translation","tag-rumi","tag-rumi-translation","tag-sufi-poetry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4981"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4985,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4981\/revisions\/4985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}