Persian Poetry in English
@PersianPoetics
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Thread: The Orientalizing of Moulana Rumi
Many of you may be familiar with the 'Rumi quotes' that circulate the internet. What if I told you the vast majority of them are fake and they are part of a project to secularize Rumi? This isn't a whatsapp conspiracy.
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In Persian 'I miss you' is 'delam barāyat tang shodeh' which means 'your absence constricts my heart.'
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In Persian 'I miss you' is 'delam barāyat tang shodeh' which means 'your absence constricts my heart.'
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In Persian, ‘companion’ is ‘ham-dam’ همدم meaning ‘one you breathe with.’
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‘I miss you’ in Persian is ‘dilam barāyat tang shuda’ meaning, ‘your absence constricts my heart.’
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Persians call their lover ‘nafasam’ or ‘my breath.’
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In Persian, 'companion' is 'ham-dam' meaning 'one you breathe with.'
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In Persian, 'companion' is 'ham-dam' meaning 'one you breathe with.'
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Compare my mostly literal translation with Coleman's 'translation.' My heart aches for those who only know Moulana Rumi via this orientalist garbage masquerading as a translation.
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In Persian, 'Wish you were here' is 'jāy-e shomā khālīst' which means 'your place is empty.'
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‘Wish you were here’ in Persian is ‘jāy-e shumā khālīst’ meaning ‘your place is empty.’
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Meet Coleman Barks, the man responsible for nearly every 'Rumi quote' you've seen. Coleman hasn't studied Islam, Sufism, or Persian in academia or traditional settings, he doesn't even know Persian! But that didn't stop him from writing over a dozen translation books!
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Take this second poem. All of the Islam is removed to the point where the poem is almost meaningless. 'Home' (dargah) in Persian is unnecessarily translated as 'caravan'. This divergence from the original exposes the orientalist mindset of these 'translators.'
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But let's go back to the quote I mentioned earlier. I've found the original Persian text (that Coleman can't even read) and translated it into English. Notice anything?
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To help us de-construct orientalist narratives and accurately translate Persian poetry, please support us at and find us on insta
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In Persian, the difference between 'mercy' and 'difficulty' is a single dot: 'rahmat' (رحمت) versus 'zahmat' (زحمت).
If you're feeling pain, remember that relief isn't far away.
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In English we suddenly 'fall in love,' but in Persian love comes in stages: First the 'havā' (infatuation) of youth, then the 'dūstī' (affectionate love) of a couple, followed by the 'eshq' (passionate love) of newlyweds, and finally the 'mohabat,' (caring love) of an old couple.
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Persians call their lover ‘nafasam’ or ‘my breath.’
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“I see a type of ‘spiritual colonialism’ at work here: bypassing, erasing, and occupying a spiritual landscape that has been lived...by Muslims from Bosnia and Istanbul to Konya and Iran to Central and South Asia.” a gem from an actual real Rumi scholar,
@ostadjaan
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In English, we unexpectedly 'fall' in love, but in Persian, love has stages:
First the 'havā' (infatuation) of youth,
then the 'dūstī' (affectionate love) of a couple,
followed by 'eshq' (passionate love) of newlyweds,
and finally the 'mohabbat,' (caring love) of an old couple.
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Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the most Islamophobic president in US history, tweeted it out after her dad failed to make peace in Afghanistan. If Rumi were alive today, her dad wouldn't even allow him in the country. The irony.
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‘Spouse’ in Persian is ‘ham-sar’ meaning ‘equals in authority, rank’ from the words ‘same’ and ‘head.’
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Persian speakers call someone very special 'nūr-e chashm' meaning 'light of my eyes.'
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‘Poem’ in Persian is ‘she‘r,’ شعر from an Arabic root that means ‘to feel,’ and ‘to be conscious.’
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In Persian, 'the feeling is mutual' is 'del beh del rāh dārad' literally meaning: 'hearts have a path to one another.'
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A Persian word for 'beautiful' or 'enchanting' is 'del-āvīz' which means 'heart-hanger' or 'something the heart hangs onto.'
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"Separation from you
is worse than death
for me."
-Rumi
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Persian love has stages:
—Hawā: Infatuation.
Hawā also means air. Love is in the air.
—Shawq: Yearning desire.
—ʿAlāqa: Interest, the start of love.
—Dostī, Yārī, Ulfat: Friendly love.
—Maḥabbat, Mihr: Caring love.
—ʿIshq: Burning love.
—Junūn, Dewānagī: Madness.
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In a country where poetry books struggle to sell even a few thousand copies, Barks has sold over five hundred thousand, literally making millions from Moulana Rumi's writings.
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‘Seersucker’ comes from Persian ‘shīr o shikar’ (milk and sugar).
The name alludes to the smooth (milk) and rough (sugar) texture of the fabric.
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Where is this quote from? It's from 'The Essential Rumi' probably the best selling poetry book in America, written by Coleman Barks who has made his career peddling Rumi 'translations.'
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Persians call Rumi's Masnavi, "The Qu'ran in Persian." It's a storybook that embodies the spirit of the Qu'ran in simple, rhyming Persian for the non-Arabic speaking masses. One cannot understand the Masnavi w/o the Qu'ran, but alas “The Koran is hard to read.” remarks Barks.
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English ‘paradise’ comes from the Persian ‘pardīs’ meaning ‘walled garden.’
The Shāzda garden of Mahān, Iran looks like paradise compared to the surrounding desert.
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'Wish you were here' in Persian is 'jāy-e shomā khālīst' which means 'your place is empty.'
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Happy
#Nowruz
!
Did you know that March 20th marks the start of Spring and a new year for millions around the world?
Click to see how this ancient Iranic celebration is observed ⬇️
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In Persian empathy is 'ham-dardī' meaning 'feeling the same pain' and sympathy is 'ham-delī' meaning 'having the same heart.'
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In Persian, there are two words for the heart: 'qalb' قلب for the organ, and 'del' دل for your emotions.
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'I miss you' in Persian is 'delam barāyat tang shodeh' which means 'my heart is constricted for you.'
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You circle the Kaʿba
a thousand times,
but God won’t accept it
if you hurt
a heart.
—Rumi, translated by
@sharghzadeh
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Remember when I said he has no formal qualification? Scratch that, he was actually given an honorary doctorate by the University of Tehran (Iran's premier university) for all of his... scholarship... right. With friends like this, who needs enemies!
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After three decades of 'translating' Moulana Rumi, Barks managed to establish himself as a scholar. Here he is giving a Ted talk about his 'translations.'
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Persian speakers call someone intimate their 'ham-del' همدل which means 'same-heart.'
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Take this quote, commonly attributed to Moulana Rumi:
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A Persian speaker may call their partner 'nafasam' meaning 'my breath.'
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Instead of 'you're welcome' Persian speakers say, 'khāhesh mīkonam' which means, 'I beg [you not to thank me].'
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'Wish you were here' in Persian is 'jāy-e shomā khālīst' which means 'your place is empty.'
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In Persian, ‘companion’ is ‘ham-dam’ همدم meaning ‘one you breathe with.’
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A Persian word for 'beloved' is 'del-bar' meaning 'heart-taker.'
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"There is no illness like the illness of the heart."
-Mawlana Rumi, spotted in the Tehran metro.
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Persian is a gender-neutral language.
In place of he or she, there is a neutral “ū” (او).
Persians say “humankind” (bashariyat, بشریت) not “mankind.”
When speaking of men and women, Persian speakers mention women first. (1/4)
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Persian speakers call someone very special 'nūr-e chashm' which means 'light of my eyes.'
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In Persian, 'sacrifice' is 'qorban' قربان from 'qorb' قرب meaning 'closeness,' as sacrifice brings one closer to God.
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Persian speakers call someone beautiful a 'māh-rokh' or a 'moon-face.'
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“I looked and there is no
soulmate down here,
from now I look for
my friend in the sky.”
-Mawlana Rumi
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The words 'dīvāneh' دیوانه and 'majnūn' مجنون both mean 'crazy' but they also mean 'in love.'
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Don’t brag,
about all you know—
be silent,
learn silence.
—Rumi
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In English, we say we’re ‘broke,’ as if something is fundamentally wrong with us.
Persians say: ‘My wings are tied’ (bāl o param basta ast).
There is nothing wrong with a poor person, they are only restricted by their circumstances.
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🧵 Tomorrow night is ‘Shab-e Yaldā,’ the longest and darkest night of the year!
Iranic peoples spend the night in celebration - but why is the winter solstice important to them? (1/8)
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'Baghdad' is from the Persian 'Bagh' (God) and 'dād' (given) meaning, 'God-given.'
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Persian speakers tell someone dear ‘qorbānat beravam’ قربانت بروم which means ‘I hope to die for you.’
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Brad Pitt even got it tattooed, right by his pit:
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“Set fire
to everything
except love.”
—Rumi
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🧵 Nowruz Mubarak! Did you know that today marks the start of Spring and a new year for millions of people across dozens of countries? Read more to see how this ancient Iranic celebration is observed across the world ⬇️
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‘Wish you were here’ in Persian is ‘jāt khālīst’ or ‘your place is empty.’
Tag someone whose place is empty :)
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@mariamamini
@samira_says
He's not any country's Rumi, he's just Rumi. He was a 13th century mystic - modern nationalism is meaningless to his poetry.
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In Persian poetry, the heart has its own intellect: 'hūsh-e del' هوش دل that is often impaired by love.
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'Spouse' in Persian is 'ham-sar' meaning 'equals in authority, rank' from the words 'same' and 'head.'
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When Persian speakers finish eating they tell the cook, ‘dastat dard nakonad’ (May your hand not hurt [from cooking]) and the cook replies, ‘nūsh-e jānat’ (May [the food] nourish your soul).
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Happy
#Nowruz
!
Did you know that March 20th marks the start of Spring and a new year for millions around the world?
Click to see how this ancient Iranic celebration is observed ⬇️
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“If the sun knew
the least of my longings,
it would forget about rising.”
—Rumi
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“A single word
can destroy a world.”
—Rumi
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‘Khorāsān’ خراسان comes from ‘khwar’ خور (sun) and ‘āsān’ آسان (rising) meaning ‘Where the sun rises.’
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English speakers unexpectedly 'fall' in love, but Persian describes love in stages:
First the 'havā' (infatuation) of youth, then the 'dūstī' (affectionate love) of a couple, the 'eshq' (passionate love) of newlyweds, and finally the 'mohabbat,' (caring love) of an old couple.
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"You are what you seek."
-Rumi, Spotted in the Tehran Bazar
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“Wherever you place
your feet
I secretly go there
and set my eyes
on your footsteps.”
—Rumi
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“My heart
is like a bird
circling
in the air.”
—Rumi
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Thread: Rumi Vodka, an offensive commercialization:
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“I shut my lips
and spoke to you
a hundred times
silently”
-Rumi
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‘Wish you were here’ in Persian is ‘jāyat khālīst’ or ‘Your place is empty.’
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The verb 'To love' in Persian (dust dāshtan) literally means 'To have as a friend,' showing how intimate friendship is for Persianate peoples.
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The Persian word for 'intimate' or 'companion' is 'ham-dam' meaning 'one you share a breath with' or 'one you breathe with.'
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If you encounter a Rumi quote in a book, be sure to check the source.
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Rumi, Hafez, and other Persian poets often called the sky 'the azure-colored dome' (gunbad-i mīnā).
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If someone is very dear, a Persian speaker calls them 'tāj-e saram' meaning 'crown on my head.'
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When Persian speakers like something very much, they call it 'del-neshīn' which literally means it 'dwells in the heart.'
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"The beauty of a man is in concealing."
- Rumi
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In Persian poetry, the ruins of kingdoms are symbolism for the fleeting nature of life.
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Thread: Tonight is the longest and darkest night of the year. Iranic peoples and neighboring groups call it 'Shab-e Yaldā' and spend the night in celebration, but why is the winter solstice important to them? (1/7)
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The English ‘Paradise’ and Arabic ‘Firdaws’ فردوس come from the Persian ‘Pardīs’ پردیس meaning ‘walled garden.’
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