Other Extracts from poetry by Rumi:

I died from minerality and became vegetable;

And From vegetativeness I died and became animal.

I died from animality and became man.

Then why fear disappearance through death?

Next time I shall die

Bringing forth wings and feathers like angels;

After that, soaring higher than angels -

What you cannot imagine,

I shall be that.

 **********

Soul receives from soul that knowledge,

therefore not by book nor from tongue.

   If knowledge of mysteries come after emptiness of mind,

that is illumination of heart.

    **********

If thou wilt be observant and vigilant,

thou wilt see at every moment the response to thy action.

Be observant if thou wouldst have a pure heart,

for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.

The Mawlawi rites samâ symbolise the divine love and mystical ecstasy; they aim at union with the Divine. The music and the dance are designed to induce a meditative state on the love of God. Mawlawi music contains some of the most core elements of Eastern classical music and it serves mainly as accompaniment for poems of Rumi and other Sufi poets.

The music of the samâ (ceremony) is generally conducted by the chief drummer. Percussion accompaniment is supplied by the kudums (small kettledrums) and cymbals; melody is provided by the Ney (reed flute), the string instruments and the voice.

The Dance "The dervishes turn timelessly and effortlessly. They whirl, turning round on their own axis and moving also in orbit. The right hand is turned up towards heaven to receive God's overflowing mercy which passes through the heart and is transmitted to earth with the down turned left hand. While one foot remains firmly on the ground, the other crosses it and propels the dancer round. The rising and falling of the right foot is kept constant by the inner rhythmic repetition of the name of "Allah-Al-lah, Al-lah..." The ceremony can be seen as a great crescendo in three stages: knowing God, seeing God and uniting with God."-

The words and even syllables of the poetry are connected to the musical sentences.

visit www.rumi.org.co.uk.

Read about the Whirling Derwishes Visit London