Wanderer, Worshipper, Lover of Leaving

// October 17th, 2007 // Art, Music & Poetry

“The Sufi poet and mystic, Jelaluddin Rumi, was born in Afghanistan 800 years ago and UNESCO has designated 2007 the ‘Year of Rumi‘. His poetry is astonishing in its beauty, wisdom, and spiritual depth, and we hear from the pre-eminent translator and promoter of Rumi in the West, Coleman Barks. Included in the program are musical excerpts from ‘The Rumi Concert’ held in Melbourne in August 2007, and we hear from one of the world’s great scholars of Rumi, Dr Zeki Saritoprak.”

TheSpiritofThings on ABC Radio National
Listen Now |Download Audio

I cannot recommend this highly enough. If you are familiar with Rumi, it is a pure delight. If you are not, it is as if to catch a glimpse of one’s beloved for the first moment- or rather 54 remarkable minutes. N.B. The podcast will only be accessible for a limited time, after which only a transcription will be available.


All that is left
to us by tradition
is mere words.

It is up to us
to find out what they mean.

ibn al-`Arabi ( أبن عربي), Tarjuman al-Ashwaq

Previously, I’ve posted Rumi’s poem “Quietness”, his “lecture” on “The Dream That Must Be Interpreted”, another poem “All The Hemispheres” and an interview with Coleman Barks.

One Response to “Wanderer, Worshipper, Lover of Leaving”

  1. rudivs says:
    December 5, 2007 at 11:41 am

    Thanks for this link, Arthur, it’s an awesome podcast! After listening to it I couldn’t wait for the next edition. I see it’s been uploaded now and it didn’t disappoint. Jazz + Rumi = a good thing.

    Last night the moon came
    dropping her clothes in the street
    I took it as a sign

    to start singing

    Falling up into that bowl of sky
    The bowl breaks
    Everywhere is falling

    Everywhere

    Nothing else to do

    Here’s the new rule:
    Break the wine glass
    And fall

    towards the glass-blower’s
    breath

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