A Word of Thanksgiving from Rumi

Rumi, the 13^th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic, has been called the most popular poet in America. That being the case, here’s a thanksgiving poem from Rumi on this American holiday:

Thanksgiving is sweeter than bounty itself.
One who cherishes gratitude does not cling to the gift!
Thanksgiving is the true meat of God’s bounty;
the bounty is its shell,
For thanksgiving carries you to the hearth of the Beloved.
Abundance alone brings heedlessness,
thanksgiving gives birth to alertness…
The bounty of thanksgiving will satisfy and elevate you,
and you will bestow a hundred bounties in return.
Eat your fill of God’s delicacies,
and you will be freed from hunger and begging.

                                                       ~ Jalaluddin Rumi

*

(And thank you to Irving Karchmar who shared this poem on his blog, Darvish)