A Zero-Circle

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by Jellaludin Rumi

Be helpless and dumbfounded,
unable to say yes or no.
Then a stretcher will come
from grace to gather us up.
We are too dulleyed to see the beauty.
If we say "Yes we can," we'll be lying.
If we say "No, we don't see it,"
that "No" will behead us
and shut tight our window into spirit.
So let us not be sure of anything,
besides ourselves, and only that, so
miraculous beings come running to help.
Crazed, lying in a zero-circle, mute,
we will be saying finally,
with tremendous eloquence, "Lead us."
When we've totally surrendered to that beauty,
we'll become a mighty kindness.


(Mathnawi IV, 3748-3754, translated by Coleman Barks)

For more poems by Hafiz and Rumi..

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