Centre for Romanian Studies

Rumi – Persian Language Poet

Poetry in Translation (CLXX): Rumi (1207 – 1273), PERSIA – “E rândul tău”, “It is your turn now”

It is your turn now

It is your turn now,
you waited, you were patient.
The time has come,
for us to polish you.
We will transform your inner pearl
into a house of fire.
You’re a gold mine.
Did you know that,
hidden in the dirt of the earth?
It is your turn now,
to be placed in fire.
Let us cremate your impurities.

(From: Hush Don’t Say Anything to God: Passionate Poems of Rumi
Translated by Sharam Shiva)

Rumi offering his belt to a beggar, late 16th century (vellum)

Acum e rândul tău

Acum e rândul tău,
ai îndurat cu răbdare,
iar clipa a sosit să purcedem
la schimbarea ta.
Din perla suflului tău vom face
o vatră în flăcări.
Ştii, oare?
Eşti o mină de aur
ascunsă în adâncul pământului.
Acum e rândul tău
să fii trecut prin foc,
defectele tale, toate, făcute cenuşă.

(Rendered in Romanian by Constantin ROMAN, London,
© 2013 Copyright Constantin ROMAN)

Rumi – The book of love – Poems of ecstasy and longing

Biographical Note:

Jelaluddin Rumi, the 13th century mystic poet, is regarded by some, as one of the most passionate and profound poets of Persian language. He remains to this day a widely-read poet, as his verse seems to drip of the Divine, reflecting the Essence of the Soul. Born in what is present-day Afghanistan, in 1207, he wrote over 60,000 poems before his demise, in Anatolia, in 1273.