Rumi Poem

Cleaning out my e-mail inbox and came across a sweet message from Trudy which included a stanza from a Rumi poem. I went looking for the rest of it online and decided to post what I found here.

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don't open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the ground.

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
[You must ask for what you really want.]
Don't go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.

I would love to kiss you.
The price of kissing is your life.
Now my loving is running toward my life shouting,
What a bargain, let's buy it.

Daylight, full of small dancing particles
and the one great turning, our souls
are dancing with you, without feet, they dance.
Can you see them when I whisper in your ear?

All day and night, music,
a quiet, bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.

-Translation by Coleman Barks

When Trudy sent it to me I smiled knowing we had used a line from this poem in our 5-day Academy flier. And now it seems like a good poem for me this week. I'll post it here so I can look at it anytime during the day.