The collection of letters which form a verbal unit is named a word. But as Rumi says: “Just connecting the letters does not create a meaningful word. Those letters must be invested with more that is rich and fruitful.”
What treasures did Rumi himself put into the words that arose from his extensivevocabulary? In this collection I have designed 20 words that are important in Rumi’s thought, based on his poems. These 20-word designs delineate my perspective on centrally significant words in Rumi’s poetry.
Rumi says: “In (all) its expressions, my object is (to reveal) thy mystery. /In composing it, my object is (to hear) thy voice.” What sense of mystery enters our minds when we see these 20 words?
ADAM(human)
Do not like Iblis see in Adam only
water and clay; see that behind
the clay are my hundred thousand
rose bowers
water and clay; see that behind
the clay are my hundred thousand
rose bowers
- Rumi
ALIF(A)
Be done with going back like a twisted foot; be as alif, sit single and upright
- Rumi
ASEMAN(Sky)
Become the sky, take an axe to
prison wall, escape walk out like
someone suddenly born into color
prison wall, escape walk out like
someone suddenly born into color
- Rumi
AZAD(Free)
They say, “What is love?”, say, “The
abandonment of free will.
abandonment of free will.
- Rumi
BARAN(Rain)
In this cold and rain the Beloved is sweeter
- Rumi
DEL(Heart)
The Bird of my heart has again begun to flutter
- Rumi
DIDAR(Vision)
I am thinking of rhymes, and my
Sweetheart says to me,
“Do not think of aught except vision of Me“
Sweetheart says to me,
“Do not think of aught except vision of Me“
- Rumi
ESHGH(Love)
In Love all things are transformed; Armenian is changed to Turk
- Rumi
GOL(Rose)
Hast thou ever seen a name without
the reality (denoted by the name)?
Or hast thou plucked a rose (gol)
from the (letters) gáf and lám of
(the word) gol?
the reality (denoted by the name)?
Or hast thou plucked a rose (gol)
from the (letters) gáf and lám of
(the word) gol?
HICH(Nothing)
Thou are the First and the Last:
we between are nothing,
a nothing that does not come into
(admit of) expression
we between are nothing,
a nothing that does not come into
(admit of) expression
- Rumi
INSAN(human)
I am weary of beast and devil,
a man is my desire
- Rumi
JANAN(Beloved)
Because the soul, when it is not
united with Beloved,
is blind and blue(miserable) with
itself forever
united with Beloved,
is blind and blue(miserable) with
itself forever
- Rumi
KAMAN(Bow)
Which is stranger—the glance that
flies like an arrow,
or the brow you have set as a bow?
flies like an arrow,
or the brow you have set as a bow?
- Rumi
KHOMAR(Dreamy)
I have shortened this ode; the rest of it is in my heart; I will utter it, if You intoxicate me with your dreamy eye
- Rumi
KHOSH(Happy)
Come in, O mother: I am happy
here, although in appearance I am
amidst the fire
here, although in appearance I am
amidst the fire
- Rumi
MAH(Moon)
The dark night is transformed to
bright day by your moonlike face
bright day by your moonlike face
- Rumi
SAGHI(Cupbearer)
We, whether we be cunning (sane) or mad, are intoxicated with that Cupbearer and that cup
- Rumi
SHAB(Night)
My night of waiting is very long
- Rumi
SHAMS(Sun)
If the shadow gives an indication of him, the sun (himself) gives spiritual light every moment
- Rumi
TO(You)
Without you the city is a prison for me
- Rumi