Listening to Rumi

 

“Whoever Brought Me Here,” by Rumi, is a poem I first heard 26 years ago and one that continues to resonate. I keep returning to it to remind myself of the deep mystery and wonder of being human in the world.  Coleman Barks read his translation of Rumi’s poem at the Dodge Poetry Festival in 1995. Bill Moyers was there to film it for PBS and that is how I first came to hear the words of a 13th-century Sufi mystic.

Poetry and Me

My love for poetry began early. I wrote my first poem in the second grade and as I grew older, the reading of poetry and the writing of poetry became increasingly important. In college, I majored in English primarily because of my love for language and literature. As I tested my vocation in life, I trained for a few careers, trying my hand at teaching, ministry, and social services before entering the medical field as a registered nurse. Throughout my searches and career changes poetry kept me grounded. My writing of poetry came to serve as a kind of spiritual journal. The loves and losses, the darkened days and the times of hope all took poetic form. I could later look back at what I had written to remember where I had been.

Pulling Me In

It must have been my interest in poetry and spirituality that pulled me into Coleman Barks’ reading of Rumi. His rich, resonant southern voice conveyed an oceanic sense of wonder as he read. In the poem, Rumi asks deep questions about life and about his own existence. Where did he come from? What should he be doing? He says he has no idea, yet in that uncertainty, he can say, My soul is from elsewhere, I am sure of that. Who has not felt that way? Perhaps not everyone is bold enough to say it, so Rumi says it for us. Life is such a remarkable thing – our humanity so amazing and precious – we cannot help telling ourselves stories of wonder to explain our origins and our destiny.

As Rumi ponders his life, he compares himself to a bird from another country trapped in an aviary dreaming of the day when he can fly home. So many of us find ourselves thinking there must be some higher calling even though we are stuck here in this workstation, this gray cubicle, this factory line. Surely my life was meant for more than this workaday drudgery. Rumi dares us to imagine that somehow we will find a way to live in life’s grandeur.

Living with the Questions

This short poem asks immense questions about the essence of our nature, questions in which the poet hints that the divine is perhaps knit within his own being, yet he realizes he is far from knowing. If I could taste one sip of an answer, I could break out of this prison for drunks. He declares that when he finds himself back where he came from, he will be awake and sober.

I treasure this poem because Rumi finds transcendence within the limitations of his surroundings. He encourages me with his capacity to trust the mystery of life. He reminds me that I had nothing to do with my arrival in this world, and I can rest in the hope that the outcome will be buoyed by the same creative beginnings. Rumi demonstrates how we can live with the questions, tap into the wonder, and trust the mystery.

I didn't come here of my own accord, and I can't leave that way.

Whoever brought me here, will have to take me home.

* Note: tomorrow I will post a video of Coleman Barks reading this poem by Rumi. To read "Whoever Brought Me Here." follow this link. For a brief article on Rumi, go here.

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Coleman Barks interview with Bill Moyers

I had a truncated version of this interview in my previous post. On YouTube, we find an extended version of  Bill Moyers' interview with Coleman Barks in the PBS series, The Language of Life. He talks about Rumi, mysticism, poetry, and those oceanic experiences of life and poetry. I have posted it in four parts below.

Part 1  

 

 Part 2

  

Part 3 

    

Part 4

    

 

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Love’s Confusing Joy: Coleman Barks on Poet Jelaluddin Rumi

I first heard of Coleman Barks in 1995 while watching Bil Moyers' poetry series, The Language of Life on PBS (filmed on location at the fifth biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival in Waterloo, New Jersey).

Here is an excerpt featuring Moyers' interview with Coleman Barks as he discusses the Persian poet Jelaluddin Rumi. For me, this was the most captivating moment of the series.*

 

* My next post has an extended version of this interview found on YouTube.

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What Was Said to the Rose (Coleman Barks)

 One of my favorite renditions of a Rumi poem by Coleman Barks. 

 

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Celebrating the Spoken Word: Rumi and the Mystery that Cannot Be Said

Coleman Barks has been a primary translator/interpreter of the poetry of the 13th-century Persian poet, Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi. Here we have three short poems from Barks' translation which he recites with musical accompaniment. He also offers a brief commentary on how Rumi's poetry is understood "with some deeper part of our being."

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Poetry Out Loud

During the month of April, in celebration of National Poetry Month, I highlighted poetry as an oral art form – the spoken word delivered to an audience. I noted that “the speaking and the hearing of poetry have always been central to its beauty and its effect upon people.”

Throughout the month, I shared video presentations of poets reading or reciting their works as well as other people reading the works of poets. I was able to share oral presentations of nine poets from diverse backgrounds. There were well over 1,000 views of those blog posts. The work of local spoken word artist Michael Harriot, “My Mama's So Black” received the most views, followed closely by Helen Mirren's reading of Tennyson's “Ulysses.”

All of the presentations seemed to be well received. Particularly effective was Bill Murray's reading of “What the Mirror Said,” by Lucille Clifton, and, of course, Maya Angelou's own presentation of “And Still I Rise.” I was glad to hear some Native American perspective with Joy Harjo's presentation.

Some told me that my reading of “Conscientious Objector,” by Edna St. Vincent Millay, was their first time to even hear about that poem. Others remarked that “Digging,” by Seamus Heaney was their all time favorite poem. One of my favorites was to be able to sit and listen to an evening with Coleman Barks reading from his translations of Rumi.

I am happy to have done some small part in presenting poetry in its oral form, and glad to have introduced some new voices as well as some old favorites to the readers of my blog. Thank you all for taking time to appreciate poetry as a spoken art form this month.

In case you missed any of them, you will find them listed below, with a hyperlink to take you to each presentation.

Coleman Barks Presents Works by Persian Poet, Rumi

Helen Mirren Reads “Ulysses” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

“My Mama’s So Black,” by Michael Harriot

“The Lanyard,” by Billy Collins

“And Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou

"Nearly Unbearable Grace," the poetry of Joy Harjo, Native American Poet

Bill Murray Reads “What the Mirror Said,” by Lucille Clifton

“Digging,” by Seamus Heaney

Charles Kinnaird Reads “Conscientious Objector,” by Edna St. Vincent Millay

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Coleman Barks Presents Works by Persian Mystic Rumi

Celebrating the Spoken Word

To kick off National Poetry Month, here is a presentation by Coleman Barks reading his translations of the poetry of the 13th century persian mystic, Rumi. Barks has related the story of how he began his translations. Robert Bly handed him a book of Rumi's poetry and told him, "These poems need to be released from their cages." The book was a translation by the British academic, A.J. Arberry, who was a Persian scholar but not a poet. Barks then began over the next twenty years meeting with scholars of the Persian language who could translate Rumi's words which Barks would in turn craft into free verse poems.

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A Day for Celebrating Love

On this day set aside 
For celebrating love, 

May you breathe in the beauty of your beloved
And then speak her soul back to her.

May you know the warmth
Of having been loved by another.

On this day set aside
For celebrating love,

May the song that turned you head in your youth
Herald a new joy in your heart.

May you remember that Love embraced your being

On the day you came into consciousness.  

                                                                            ~ CK 

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In the video below, Coleman Barks reads his translation 
of a poem by Rumi, "What Was Said to the Rose" 

You can read the poem by Rumi at Poets.org

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Photo of white rose courtesy of Creative Commons at Pixabay


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Rumi: What Was Said to the Rose

During the month of Ramadan, I am taking time to celebrate the gifts of our Islamic friends. The Persian Poet, Rumi, is a wonderful gift to celebrate. Today's post first appeared on my other blog, Music of the Spheres:

Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī, better known in the English-speaking world as Rumi, was a Sufi who lived in 13th century Persia. He is today the best-selling poet in the United States. Coleman Barks has done remarkable work interpreting and communicating Rumi's poetry. This recitation with musical accompaniment illustrates why the Sufi poet is so popular today.

Coleman Barks performs a poem by Rumi, "What Was Said to the Rose" at one of the Mythic Journeys conferences. Musical accompaniment by Eugene Friesen and Arto Tuncboyaciyan.

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A Poem from Rumi

What Was Said to the Rose

I have posted an inspiring video of a poem by Rumi at The Music of the Spheres.

Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī, better know in the English-speaking world as Rumi, was a Sufi who lived in 13th century Persia. He is today the best-selling poet in the United States. Coleman Barks has done remarkable work interpreting and communicating Rumi's poetry. This recitation illustrates why the Sufi poet is so popular today.

"What Was Said to the Rose" was recorded at one of the Mythic Journeys conferences with musical accompaniment by Eugene Friesen and Arto Tuncboyaciyan. To see the video, go here.