THE PHRASING MUST CHANGE

Learn about your inner self

from those who know such things,

but don't repeat verbatim what they say.
Zuleikha let everything be the name of Joseph,

from celery seed to aloes wood.

She loved him so much she concealed his name

in many different phrases, the inner meanings

known only to her. When she said,

The wax is softening near the fire, she meant,

My love is wanting me.
Or if she said, Look, the moon is up

or The willow has new leaves

or The branches sare trembling

or The coriander seeds
have caught fire or The roses are opening
or The king is in a good mood today

or Isn't that lucky?
or The furniture needs dusting

or The water carrier is here

or It's almost daylight

orThese vegetables are perfect

or The bread needs more salt
or The clouds seem to be moving against the wind
or My head hurts or My headache'sbetter,
anything she praises, it's Joseph's touch she means,
any complaint, it's his being away.
When she's hungry, it's for him.

Thirsty, his name is a sherbet. Cold, he's a fur.

This is what the Friend can do
when one is in such love.

Sensual people use the holy names often,

but they don't work for them.
The miracle Jesus did by being the name of God,
Zuleikha felt in the name of Joseph.

When one is united to the core of another,

to speak of that is to breathe the name Hu,

empty of self and filled with love.

As the saying goes, The pot drips what is in it.

The saffron spice of connecting, laughter.

The onion smell of separation, crying.

Others have many things and people they love.

This is not the way of Friend and friend.

-Jelaluddin Rumi

from The Essential Rumi

Translation by Coleman Barks. p. 108