What Hurts The Soul? | Rumi Poem

Here's a wonderful poem by the great Rumi. Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi, popularly known as "Rumi", is a 13th-century Sufi poet. Today he is recognised as one of the greatest poets who ever lived, due in part to how his words seem to speak to the divine. Love and gratitude to Coleman Barks for his beautiful translations and dedication. Photo by Ali Saberi Rad.

Transcript

We tremble,

Thinking we're about to dissolve into non-existence.

But non-existence fears even more that it might be given human form.

Loving God is the only pleasure.

Other delights turn bitter.

What hurts the soul?

To live without tasting the water of its own essence.

People focus on death and this material earth.

They have doubts about soul water.

Those doubts can be reduced.

Use night to wake your clarity.

Darkness and the living water are lovers.

Let them stay up together.

When merchants eat their big meals and sleep their dead sleep,

We night thieves go to work.