The Song of The Reed

I really enjoyed Rumi poems and in particular 'The Song of the Reed'.

Other translations from this website.

5. Rhymed (Abbreviated) Translation by Nicholson, 1950

THE SONG OF THE REED

1. Hearken to this Reed forlorn,

2. Breathing, even since 'twas torn

2. From its rushy bed, a strain

3. Of impassioned love and pain.

7. "The secret of my song, though near,
7. None can see and none can hear.

A. Oh for a friend to know the sign

B. And mingle all his soul with mine!

10. 'Tis the flame of Love that fired me,
10. 'Tis the wine of Love inspired me.

13. Wouldst thou learn how lovers bleed,

35. Hearken, hearken to the Reed!"

--Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson. From "Rûmî: Poet and
Mystic (1207-1273): Selections from His Writings" (London:
George Allen and Unwin, 1950). [Lines indicated by a capital
letter are invented and have no basis in the Persian text.]

We are all in this together

What is a partnership? Is it right to let the other suffer?

A partnership happens when you let in someone else as collaborator to your scheme.

I think this U2 song is about that. About making it in the end. There is a beginning and an end and endless cycle in between...of discovering and learning again and again.




U2's "I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight"

She's a rainbow and she loves the peaceful life
Knows I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight

There's a part of me in the chaos that's quiet
And there's a part of you that wants me to riot
Everybody needs to cry or needs to spit
Every sweet-tooth needs just a little hit
Every beauty needs to go out with an idiot
How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?
A change of heart comes slow..

It's not a hill it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Do you believe me or are you doubting?
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But I know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight

(rest of lyrics)

If you do not feel right about something, what do you do?

I am not proud of many things I do, but one thing I know, I never follow other people if its not right or if it does not feel right.

I have always had to fight and stand up for something I believe in.

In education, you see many injustice and in any endeavour for the good you need to make others around you focus on the task ahead.

If you feel something not right, you must correct it or try to encounter it rather than walk away.

Rafael

Rafa Benitez is my mentor. If people have been following my blog and even in my other blog, I have referred to him often. I miss him so much as the manager of Liverpool Football Club. Not that I do not appreciate Kenny Daglish, but Rafa, he has to come back. When he left the club, my heart broke. Many of us pray he takes over from Kenny Daglish after he retires.

Here is a latest video from the Hillsborough Anniversary when on 15 April 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died.



I just want to share one of the posters' comments in red and white kop forum. From a poster named Stussy:

You know what really got me as I watched Rafa at the memorial?


We saw Rafa lift the European Cup, we saw him win the FA Cup, we saw many large dissapointments, we saw us win some massive games, we had a rollercoaster ride with Rafael Benitez with lows and highs that make you dizzy just thinking about it. And all these times, he seemed to be the embodiment of Kipling's line about treating the two imposters of winning and losing the same, of how you 'keep your head when all around are losing theirs'. I remember Rafa saying when asked once about his coolness at point of goal scoring or winning, that he needs to keep cool because its his responsibility to think tactically and plan immediately for all the myriad of ways in which this goal changes the game, that its most important for him to immediately start planning and plotting and making strategic contingencies because when the team scores and goes crazy, he must keep control for the sake of his team. He is the general, he has to be like Napoleon or whoever, overseeing the game from above.


I think today all the emotion of Rafa's bond with the club, sitting on the Kop, when the Liverpool family was showing its unity, just poured out of him. There must have been a fair amount of pent up emotion from the end of his reign, the frustrations of it all, the ending of his formal link with the club on a low note. But the bond remains, especially with the families, who he became close to and supported, and he didn't have to be in control of anything, or immediately scramble to take mental notes. He could just be who he was, a Red, sitting on the Kop, with his friends who had lost their children following this club.


He gave us some of the greatest victories we have ever had, he almost won us the league, and he gave us what will probably never be surpassed as the single most romantic and mythical night in our history. It was always curious, seeing him standing there keeping his passions under control as we wept with happiness for what he gave us. For me that made me feel more affectionate towards him. To see him today seemed like he was reciprocating some of that emotion helplessly, albeit in very unique and extremely poignant circumstances. Its like his bond with us just got reaffirmed even more.

Blessings from my mother

It is so important to talk to my mother and get her blessings. Hard decisions have to be made, but when your mother understood why you have to do certain things than it is much easier. Somehow the bond you have with your parent, be it your mother or father is a strong 'glue' that is somewhat pliable and breathing. You need that breathable aspects where you find spaces in between the holes and moves forward, growing and developing.

Whatever age you are, it is important to stay alive.

Staying alive is based on how it germinate and grow and sustain itself. It is true with humans.

A difficult decision which could be easier

I am experiencing a difficult decision about my future. One would ask, at my age, I have done a lot of things. What more do I want to do?

I am sure there are people out there who has or is experiencing the same thing. Things get boring and same old, same old. You start doing stupid things, so that is the evidence of someone 'bored' or even frustrated.

Actually I have proven to turn a non situation to an opportunity. I have done that all my life, but this time its a real crossroad and where I go will take me to someplace which will not compromise the other.

Not going into details here but just saying, its hard and I have to make a hard decision in a cutting, precise manner, and just go with what I decide.

By today.

Something got me last night

I just posted on my facebook status that: Its no use faking it, it's between you and God.

Then I commented:

yup, suddenly it dawned on me that we interact with humans, but the thing is not between that person and I, but between God and I...whatever outcomes, whatever product...it's all about you and God. It's an incredible powerful thought.

The reason why I said that was it occurred to me that (probably not for the first time) whatever we do does not concern other humans, but only our relationship (if that is called) between us and God. I went to sleep last night thinking about why do I need something so bad. and when I went out to get it and got it, was it out of desperation. And whether need is just a "good way" to disguise 'desperation'.

What got me was that, the measure of our worth as human beings is not judged by other people but by God.

I can do whatever I want. The argument is, if I do things because of other people, I have the wrong concept of life. I have it all figured wrongly.

There is a difference when you do things for people or when you do things for God. I mean, prayer and ibadah, like my teaching people is all very clear that its for God or to aspire Godliness. But if we do things like finding a life's partner, is it for God? You see what I mean. Its not clear right. Of course someone who is learned in the Quran and religious texts, would inform me that in the Quran it says so like that. That if you need to find a partner who fits the bill so that you will aspire Godliness. So don't find someone who is not going to help you aspire Godliness.

Actually that is not what I meant. What I meant is, you do not have to find a life partner. You do not have to do what you do not have to do. Was it because of desperation that you got one? But you will reason out because of a need to have one. What if you discover that you do not actually need one in the first place and it was because of desperation you got one. And then you figured out that you did many many things before out of desperation.

How would you know you do not need a life partner? After you have one, perhaps, you will realise you don't need one. You wanted one and got one out of desperation. So now what?

Then you realise it was not because of you, but because of God. You did it because of God.

All your life was this long discovery process of finding God. Of having a relationship with God. Everything you do is because of God, not because of your need but because of God. Then it makes sense. It makes sense that you did what you did based on pure desperation or pure need (whichever word you fancy).

How true is true? How pure is pure? Is it frightening to discover that your pure intention was really pure? Thant you did what you did because it will lead you further in your journey and nearer to God.

You may feel like shit or feel bad, but does not mean that you are far from God.