Wings of Desire…

Peace, one and all…

Welcome again to the Corner, Abdur Rahman’s little piece of the (virtual) world. Those of you who’ve found your way here before will know of my recent penchant for posting selections of Rumi’s poetry. In tonight’s installment, Rumi offers us some of his reflections on desire…

People are distracted by objects of desire,
and afterward repent of the lust they’ve indulged,
because they have indulged with a phantom
and are left even farther from Reality than before.

Your desire for the illusory could be a wing,
by means of which a seeker might ascend to Reality.
When you have indulged in a lust, your wing drops off;
you become lame, abandoned by a fantasy.

Preserve the wing and don’t indulge such lust,
so that the wing of desire may bear you to Paradise.

People fancy they are enjoying themselves,
but they are really tearing out their wings for the sake of an illusion’
(Mathanwi III, 2133-2138)

How true! Lust passes, like a storm, once spent, having destroyed everything in its path. The metaphor of flying is also apt. May Allah help our wings to grow back once again!

Ma’as salama,

Abdur Rahman