the cinnamon peeler's wife

gul- the rose, in turkish. gul- the flower, in farsi and urdu. in sufi poetry, gul represents life as it unfolds from a bud to a full flourishing flower. gul- the sign of innocence.

yesterday, a friend and i went to a concert by latif bolat. his description: one of the most well-known Turkish musicians in the U.S., Latif Bolat plays Turkish Folk Music and devotional Sufi songs, called Ilahi and Nefes, from the Anatolian peninsula. Accompanying himself on baglama (Turkish long-necked lute), Latif sings of love and spirit, with many songs featuring the lyrics of the great 13th century mystical poets Rumi and Yunus Emre.

it was really beautiful and wonderful. i bought one of his cds. (listen) it was nice to reconnect also with a friend whom i hadn't talked to in a long while. bolat's music and descriptions of turkey made me yearn to visit. additionally, a professor recited some poems by Maulana Jalalluddin Rumi in farsi. It made me want to learn farsi. From the little I could understand, the poetry was so captivating. so calming, i need ramadan. i am yearning for ramadan.

here is the translation of one poem from last night by Maulana Jalalluddin Rumi:

Come, come, whoever you are.
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
It doesn't matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow
a thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come.

(from the Mathnavi)

note: someone asked me why/what is Maulana- it means our Master, but in our hearts it reflects the love and connection which we have with our Masters, may Allah bless them all.