The wedding night (Sheb-e-Arus)
For no apparent reason today i immersed my self with the Oudh and sandalwood oil i bought from the perfume souq in Dubai, and burned the incense all over my apartment .No apparent reason, just an urge coming from the hidden corners of my heart. And then i found out that today is 17th December, the wedding night of my beloved Rumi…..How can i forget that. I have to prepare for the “Sema” and I thought i should do it on a much bigger scale this time within my mind.
(The sema is a ritual followers of Rumi perform to celebrate Rumi’s reunion with his beloved).
So little by little, the ‘thought people’ start gathering in the big amphitheater of my mind. The dirt of ussual daily life thoughts was settled and the ground was prepared by spraying rose water of love all over the place.
As Rumi wrote (and sung by Shahrem Nazeri)
Translation
Little by little, the group of the lovedrunk arrive
Little by little, the worshipers of wine arrive
They are on their way; Comforting and gentle
Like flowers from the flowerfield they arrive
Little by little, from this world of Being and non-Being
The non-existent leave and the existent arrive
Their essence is grace and grace they unfold and expand
From the garden towards the garden they arrive
(Tribute by Shahram Nazeri)
From the folds of my memory so many long forgotten and unforgotton faces start showing up. I was feeling a bit uneasy when poet Jami put his hand on my shoulder and recited one of his poem.
You were always sitting in my eye and I saw You not.
In my chest You were hiding and I ran around
searching the whole world, I sought a sign of You.
In my chest You were hiding and I ran around
searching the whole world, I sought a sign of You.
The whole world was nothing but You and I saw You not.(Jami)
And then shedding all my feelings of separation, loneliness and malice, i joined the whirling dervishi thoughts , and the whole world started whirling within me……… Its just started now and the whole night is still there to celebrate the great Sheb-e-Arusi ( the wedding night) . Nusrat Fateh ali just started paying his tribute to Rumi in his own unique wayTrans
Na man behooda girde kocha
Wa bazaar megardam
Mazaj-e-ashiqee daram paye
dildar megardam
Khudaya rahm kon bar man
Pareeshan waar megardam
Khata karam gonahgaram
Ba hale zaar megardam
Sharabe showq menosham
Ba girde yaar megardam
Sukhan mastana megoyam
Walay hooshyaar megardam
Gahe khandam, gahe giryam, gahe aftam, gahe khezam,
Maseeha dar’dilam paida vaman beemar mi gardam.
Biya jana inayat kun wa maulana e Rumi ra,
Gulame Shams Tabrezam qalandar waar mi gardam
(Translation)
No I am not roaming aimlessly
around the streets and bazaar
I am a lover searching for his beloved
God have mercy on me
I am walking around troubled
I have done wrong and sinned
and am walking around wounded
I have drunk the wine of desire
and am strolling around beloved
Though I may seem drunk
I am quite sober
(Translation)
Laughing at time, crying at times, falling at times rising at times, The Savior is at the doorsteps of my heart, yet like a sick man I wander .
O Beloved! come and help your Maulana Rumi….
The night is still long and sweet but nowhere dark. The moon is making sure the Wedding night is visible to all. And I am not missing anyone anymore…..COME JOIN ME FOR THE CELEBRATION…………
