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Pause for Poetry: In conversation with Rakaya Esime Fetuga

In Search of a Poetry like Prayer, and Prayer like Poetry – Yahia Lababidi

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Join us tomorrow for an online poetry party with j

Join us tomorrow for an online poetry party with judges Sukina Noor and Baraka Blue to hear the winners of the inaugural Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore Ecstatic Poetry Prize reciting their winning entries! We look forward to seeing you there! Link in bio @ecstaticexchangepoetry and @lotetreepress

Join us tomorrow for an online poetry party with j

Join us tomorrow for an online poetry party with judges Sukina Noor and Baraka Blue to hear the winners of the inaugural Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore Ecstatic Poetry Prize reading their winning entries! We look forward to seeing you there. Link in bio @lotetreepress

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Truth is the Night of Power hidden amidst the nigh

Truth is the Night of Power hidden amidst the nights
In order that the soul may make trial of every night

- Rumi

حق شب قدر است در شبها نهان
تا كند جان هر شبى‌را امتهان

haqq shab-e qadr ast dar shabhā nahān
tā konad jān har shabī rā emtehān

the Truth . haqq . حق
the Night of Power . shab-e qadr . شب قدر
is . ast . است
in . dar . در
nights . shabhā . شبها
hidden . nahān . نهان
in order that . tā . تا
makes . konad . كند
the soul . jān . جان
every . har . هر
night .‌ shabī . شبى
[direct object marker] rā . را
trial/ test . emtehān . امتهان

Fasting says in the language of spiritual states
“Become less, for all increase is with us”

- Rumi

روزه به زبان حال گوید
کم شو که همه مزید با ماست

ruze beh zabān-e hāl gūyad
kam show ke hame mazīd bā māst

fasting . rūze . روزه
in/with beh . به
language/ tongue of. zabān-e . زبان
spiritual state . hāl . حال
says . gūyad . گوید
little . kam . کم
become . show . شو
for . ke . که
all/ every . hame . همه
increase . mazīd . مزید
is with us . bā māst . با ماست

When your brain and stomach burn from fasting, fr

When your brain and stomach
burn from fasting,
from the heat, every moment,
a song rises from your chest

With every breath
you burn a thousand veils
from that heat,
You raise up a thousand steps
with dedication and resolve

- Rumi

اگر ز روزه بسوزد دماغ و اشکم تو
ز سوز ناله برآید ز سینه‌ات هر دم

هزار پرده بسوزی به هر دمی زان سوز
هزار پایه بر آری به همت و به قدم

agar ze rūze besūzad demāgh v ashkam-e tow
ze sūz nāle barāyad ze sīne-at har dam
hezār parde besūzī beh har damī zān sūz
hezār pāye barārī beh hemmat u beh qadam

if . agar . اگر
from . ze . ز
fasting . rūze . روزه
burn . besūzad . بسوزد
brain . demāgh دماغ
and . v . و
stomach of . ashkam-e . اشکم
you . tow . تو
from . ze . ز
heat/ burning . sūz . سوز
voice/ music/ lament nāle . ناله
arises . barāyad . برآید
from . ze . ز
your chest .‌ sīne-at . سینه‌ات
every . har . هر
moment/breath . dam . دم

a thousand . hezār . هزار
veils . parde. پرده
you burn. besūzī . بسوزی
with . beh . به
every . har. هر
breath/moment. damī . دمی
from that . zān . زان
heat/burning . sūz . سوز
a thousand . hezār . هزار
steps. pāye . پایه
raise . bar ārī . بر آری
with . beh . به
dedication/ determination/ aspiration . hemmat . همت
and u . و
resolve/footing . qadam . قدم

How wonderful is the hidden sweetness in this emp

How wonderful is the hidden sweetness
in this emptiness of the stomach!
The human being is as a lute,
neither more nor less

Thus when, for instance,
the belly of the lute is filled,
no note comes from that full lute,
neither high nor low

- Rumi

زهی حلاوت پنهان در این خلای شکم
مثال چنگ بود آدمی نه بیش و نه کم

چنانک گر شکم چنگ پر شود مثلا
نه ناله آید از آن چنگ پر نه زیر و نه بم

zehī halavat-e penhān dar īn khelāy-e shekam
mesāl-e chang bovad ādamī nah bīsh o nah kam
chonānke gar shekam-e chang pur shavad masalan
nah nāleh āyad az ān chang-e pur nah zīr u nah bam

how wonderful is . zehī . زهی
the sweetness . halavat-e . حلاوت
hidden . penhān . پنهان
in . dar . در
this . īn . این
emptiness of . khelāy-e . خلای
the stomach . shekam . شکم
like/ the likeness of . mesāl-e . مثال
lute . chang . چنگ
is . bovad . بود
‎آدمی . ādamī . the human being
no . nah . نه
more . bīsh . بیش
and . u . و
less . kam . کم
thus. chonānke . چنانک
when/if . gar . گر
the belly of . shekam-e . شکم
the lute . chang . چنگ
full . pur . پر
is . shavad . شود
for example . masalan . مثلا
no . nah . نه
note/music/lament . nāle . ناله
comes . āyad . آید
from . az . از
that . ān . آن
full lute . chang-e pur . چنگ پر
neither high nor low . nah zīr u nah bam . نه زیر و نه بم

Become of empty stomach and wail in supplication l

Become of empty stomach and wail in supplication like the reed pipe
Become of empty stomach and impart secrets like the reed pen

شکم تهی شو و می نال همچو نی به نیاز
شکم تهی شو و اسرار گو به سان قلم

shekam tohī show o mī nāl hamcho nay beh niyāz
shekam tohī show va asrār gū beh sān-e qalam

stomach/belly . shekam . شکم
empty . tohī . تهی
become . show . شو
and . o/va . و
wail/ lament . mī nāl . می نال
like . hamcho . همچو
ney/ reed pipe . nay . نی
in . beh . به
supplication/ need . niyāz . نیاز
secrets . asrār . اسرار
say/impart . gū . گو
like/ in the way of . be sān-e . به سان
the pen . qalam . قلم

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For the sown fields of the soul whose kernels are

For the sown fields of the soul
whose kernels are concealed
the cloud of mercy
is full of the water of Kawthar

زرع جان را كش جواهر مضمر است
ابر رحمت پر ز آب كوثر است

zar’-e jān rā kesh javāher muzmar ast
abr-e rahmat pur ze āb-e kawsar ast

sown fields of . zar’-e . زرع
the soul . jān . جان
‎را . rā . for
whose . kesh . كش
kernels/ essences . javāher . جواهر
concealed . muzmar . مضمر
are . ast. است
the cloud of . abr-e . ابر
mercy . rahmat . رحمت
full . pur . پر
of . ze . ز
water of . āb-e . آب
Kawthar . kawsar . كوثر
is. ast . است

Wash your hands Because the table and divine banqu

Wash your hands
Because the table and divine banquet from the heavens has arrived
Wash your hands and mouth
Do not eat or speak
Find those words and mouthfuls
which have arrived for the silent

‎دست بشو کز فلک مایده و خوان رسید
‎دست و دهان را بشو نه بخور و نه بگو
‎آن سخن و لقمه جو کان به خموشان رسید

dast beshu kaz falak māyede va khān rasīd
dast u dahān rā beshū nah bekhūr u nah begū
ān sukhan u lugma jū kān beh khamūshān rasīd

hand . dast . دست
wash . beshu . بشو
because . kaz . کز
the heavens . falak . فلک
heavenly banquet . māyede . مایده
and . va . و
table . khān . خوان
arrived . rasīd . رسید
hand . dast . دست
mouth . dahān . دهان
[direct object marker] rā . را
do not . nah . نه
eat . bekhūr . بخور
speak . begū . بگو
that . ān . آن
word/speech . sukhan . سخن
mouthful . lugma . لقمه
find/seek jū . جو
has . kān . کان
for . beh . به
the silent ones. khamūshān . خموشان
arrived . rasīd . رسید

When the self is in need the soul ascends on a jou

When the self is in need
the soul ascends on a journey to heaven
When the gate of the prison is broken
the soul reaches the land of the Beloved

‎نفس چو محتاج شد روح به معراج شد
‎چون در زندان شکست جان بر جانان رسید

nafs chu mohtāj shod rūh beh mi’rāj shod
chun dar-e zendān shekast jān bar-e jānān rasīd

the ego/self . nafs . نفس
when . chu . چو
in need . mohtāj . محتاج
is . shod . شد
soul/ spirit . rūh . روح
on . beh . به
ascension/ journey to heaven . mi’rāj . معراج
goes. shod . شد
when . chun . چون
the gate of . dar-e . در
the prison . zendān . زندان
is broken . shekast . شکست
the soul . jān . جان
the land of . bar-e . بر
the Beloved . jānān . جانان
arrives at/ reaches . rasīd . رسید

Patience is like a gentle cloud, wisdom raining d

Patience is like a gentle cloud,
wisdom raining down from it
Thus it was in such a month of patience
that the Qur’an came down

‎صبر چو ابریست خوش حکمت بارد از او
‎زانک چنین ماه صبر بود که قرآن رسید

sabr chu abrīst khosh hikmat bārad az u
zānke chonīn māh-e sabr būd ke qurān rasīd

patience . sabr . صبر
like . chu . چو
is a cloud . abrīst . ابریست
good/gentle . khosh . خوش
wisdom . hikmat . حکمت
rains . bārad . بارد
from . az . از
it . u . او
thus . zānke . زانک
such . chonīn . چنین
a month of . māh-e . ماه
patience . sabr . صبر
it was . būd . بود
that . keh . که
the Quran . qurān . قرآن
came/arrived . rasīd . رسید

Don’t strike the drum for sahur too much, that i

Don’t strike the drum for sahur too much, that is to say, speak little and fall silent
They will come to understand fasting
from fasting itself

سحوری کم زن ای نطق و خمش کن
ز روزه خود شوند آگاه روزه

‏sahūrī kam zan ay nutq u khamush kon ze rūze khod shavand āgāh-e rūze  
سحوری . sahūrī .
‏sahur drum (to wake people up)
کم . little . kam
زن . strike . zan
ای . meaning / that is . ay
نطق . speaking . nutq
و . and . u
خمش کن . be silent . khamush kon
ز . from . ze
روزه . fasting . rūze
خود . itself . khod
شوند . they will become . shavand
آگاه . aware of . āgāh-e
روزه . fasting . rūze

Like Yusuf, the one who endures patiently in the

Like Yusuf,
the one who endures patiently
in the well of fasting
attains the kingdom of the Egypt of love

‎چو یوسف ملک مصر عشق گیرد
‎کسی کو صبر کرد در چاه روزه
 chū yūsuf mulk-e misr-e`ishq gīrad  kasī kū sabr kard dar chāh-e rūze

like . chū . چو
Joseph . yūsuf . یوسف
kingdom of . mulk-e . ملک
Egypt of . misr-e . مصر
‘ishq . love . عشق
attains . gīrad . گیرد
the one . kasī . کسی
who . kū . کو
patience . sabr . صبر
practices . kard . کرد
in . dar . در
the well of . chāh-e . چاه
fasting . rūze - روزه

Gazing up (to see the moon) my hat fell from my he

Gazing up (to see the moon) my hat fell from my head
Intoxicated as my head was by the Sovereign of fasting

‎نظر کردم کلاه از سر بیفتاد
‎سرم را مست کرد آن شاه روزه  nazar kardam, kolāh az sar beyoftād saram ra mast kard ān shāh-e rūze 
I gazed . nazar kardam . نظر کردم
hat . kolāh . کلاه
from . az . از
head . sar . سر
fell . beyoftād . بیفتاد
my head . saram . سرم
direct object marker . rā. را
intoxicated . mast kard . مست کرد
that . ān . آن
Sovereign of . shāh-e . شاه
fasting . rūze - روزه

How wonderful the felicity, good fortune and sple

How wonderful the felicity,
good fortune and splendour of fasting is!

زهی اقبال و بخت و جاه روزه

‏ zehī iqbāl o bakht o jāh-e rūze

how excellent/wonderful is . zehī . زهی
the felicity . iqbāl. اقبال
and . o . و
good fortune . bakht . بخت
splendour/rank of . jāh-e . جاه
fasting . rūze . روزه

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