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Ghazal 1658
The Arrows of Larger Bows
I am a lover,
and from His love
I did not escape.
I am a warrior,
and from the field of battle
I did not escape.
Like a lion, I attacked lions,
but in the middle, like a fox,
I did not escape.
Thought my aim was the cupola of heaven,
from the snares of this world,
I did not escape.
I was the medicine for every illness,
but from the pain of others
I did not escape.
I revered the prophets with all my soul,
but from evil company
I did not escape.
I am alive in this little box called life;
I am alive because my soul
did not escape.
The only reason I get hit
by the arrows of his eyes
is because from the arrows of larger bows
I did not escape.
The wounds of battle have turned to victory
because of the pain
I did not escape.
I am floating in a sea of nectar,
filled with every delight,
because of the hardships
I did not escape.
When my Master showed himself to me
I was stunned, I could not move –
From the onrush of both worlds
I could not escape!
"A Garden Beyond Paradise: The Mystical Poetry of Rumi"
Version by Jonathan Star from translation by Shahram Shiva
Bantam Books, 1992
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