Quatrain 164 from Rubaiyat of Rumi
امروز من و جام صبوحی در دست
میافتم و میخیزم و میگردم مست
با سرو بلند خویش من مستم و پست
من نیست شوم تا نبود جز وی هست
Description:
English Translation:
Today, with the morning cup in my hand,
I fall and rise, whirling in a drunken dance.
Intoxicated and humbled by my tall cypress,
I vanish, so that only He remains.
امروز من و جام صبوحی در دست (Emrooz man o jām-e sabuhi dar dast): Today I and the morning cup in hand.
میافتم و میخیزم و میگردم مست (Mi-oftam o mi-khizam o mi-gardam mast): I fall and I rise and I turn around drunk.
با سرو بلند خویش من مستم و پست (Bā sarv-e boland-e khish man mastam o past): With my tall cypress, I am drunk and humbled.
من نیست شوم تا نبود جز وی هست (Man nist shavam tā nabuvad joz vey hast): I become nothing so that there is nothing but He/Him.
The Morning Cup (جام صبوحی - Jām-e sabuhi): This refers to the morning wine or drink. In Sufi poetry, wine is often a metaphor for divine love and spiritual ecstasy. The "morning" aspect suggests a fresh start, a new beginning in the spiritual journey.
I Fall and Rise, Whirling (میافتم و میخیزم و میگردم - Mi-oftam o mi-khizam o mi-gardam): This describes the ecstatic dance of the Sufi, a practice used to induce a state of trance and connect with the divine. The falling and rising symbolize the ups and downs of the spiritual path, the surrender of the ego, and the constant striving for union. The whirling motion is characteristic of the Mevlevi (Whirling Dervishes) order, which Rumi founded.
My Tall Cypress (سرو بلند خویش - Sarv-e boland-e khish): The cypress tree is often used in Persian poetry as a symbol of the beloved, representing beauty, grace, and uprightness. In a spiritual context, it can represent the divine presence or the spiritual guide. The phrase “my own tall cypress” implies a very personal and intimate connection.
I Vanish, so that only He remains (من نیست شوم تا نبود جز وی هست - Man nist shavam tā nabuvad joz vey hast): This is the culmination of the poem. It expresses the Sufi concept of fana, annihilation of the ego. The lover becomes so absorbed in the divine that their individual self disappears, leaving only the divine presence. This is the ultimate goal of mystical union.
This quatrain describes the mystical experience of union with the divine through the imagery of wine, dance, and love. The speaker is intoxicated by divine love, symbolized by the "morning cup" and the "tall cypress." The whirling dance represents the journey toward spiritual union, culminating in the annihilation of the ego, where only the divine remains. The poem beautifully captures the intense longing for and the ultimate merging with the divine beloved. It's a powerful expression of Sufi mysticism.