Before I Was Seduced By Love
You ask me
who are you and
with such a shaky
existence how can you
fall in Love
How do I know
who am I or where I am
how could a simple wave
locate itself
in an ocean
You ask me
what am i seeking
above and beyond
the pure light
that I once was
And why am I
imprisoned in this cage
named body and
yet I claim to be
a free bird.
How do I know
how I lost my way
I know for sure
I was all straight
before I was
seduced by love.
~ Maulana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi Rumi
(Before I was Seduced by Love )
Ghazal 1517
Translation by Nader Khalili
“Rumi, Fountain of Fire”
Cal-Earth Press, 1995
