Quatrain 163 from Rubaiyat of Rumi
امروز در این خانه کسی رقصانست
که کل کمال پیش او نقصانست
ور در تو ز انکار رگی جنبانست
آنماه در انکار تو هم تابانست
Description:
English Translation:
Today, in this dwelling, someone is dancing,
Before whom all earthly perfection is but flaw.
And if within you a vein of doubt still pulses,
That moon shines even in your denial.
امروز در این خانه کسی رقصانست (Emrooz dar in khāne kasi raqsānast): Today in this house someone is dancing.
که کل کمال پیش او نقصانست (Ke koll-e kamāl pish-e u noqsānast): That all perfection before him is imperfection.
ور در تو ز انکار رگی جنبانست (Var dar to ze enkār ragi jonbānast): And if in you from denial a vein is throbbing.
آنماه در انکار تو هم تابانست (Ān māh dar enkār-e to ham tābānast): That moon even in your denial is shining.
Someone is Dancing (کسی رقصانست - Kasi raqsānast): Dancing in Sufi tradition often symbolizes spiritual ecstasy, union with the divine, and a state of joy and transcendence. The act of dancing suggests a state of being beyond the ordinary, immersed in a higher reality. "This dwelling" (این خانه - in khāne) can be interpreted literally as a physical house or metaphorically as the human heart or the world itself.
All Perfection is but Flaw (کل کمال پیش او نقصانست - Koll-e kamāl pish-e u noqsānast): This is a powerful statement. It suggests that compared to the presence or experience of this dancing figure, all worldly achievements, perfections, and accomplishments are insignificant or even flawed. This emphasizes the supreme nature of what this figure represents. It suggests a divine presence or a state of spiritual realization that transcends all earthly measures.
A Vein of Doubt Still Pulses (ز انکار رگی جنبانست - Ze enkār ragi jonbānast): This line acknowledges that doubt and skepticism might still exist within the observer or the reader. The throbbing vein symbolizes the persistent presence of these doubts. This is a very human experience, and the poem acknowledges its reality.
That Moon Shines Even in Your Denial (آنماه در انکار تو هم تابانست - Ān māh dar enkār-e to ham tābānast): "That moon" (آنماه - ān māh) is a common metaphor for beauty, light, and spiritual illumination. The crucial point here is that even if you deny or doubt its existence, the moon's light continues to shine. This highlights the undeniable and pervasive nature of the truth or the divine presence. Even skepticism cannot negate its reality.
The quatrain conveys the idea that a powerful, transcendent presence exists, a presence so significant that all worldly achievements pale in comparison. Even if one harbors doubts or denies its existence, this presence continues to exert its influence, like the moon shining even when one chooses not to look at it. The dancing figure symbolizes spiritual ecstasy and union with this higher power. The poem suggests that this experience of divine presence transcends intellectual understanding and doubt. It's a message of hope and an affirmation of a reality beyond the material world.