My soul, why do you tarry so long in the land of exile....by Rumi

My soul, 
why do you tarry so long in the land of exile? 

Return from this exile; 
how long will you be dispersed?

I sent a hundred letters, I signaled a hundred ways; either
you do not know the way or you do not read the letter.

If you do not read the letter, the letter itself reads you; and
if you do not know the way,
you are in the grip of Him who knows the way.

Return, for in this prison no one knows your worth; sit not
with the stonyhearted, for you are a gem of this mine.

You who have escaped from heart and soul,
washed your hands of heart and soul,
leaped forth from the snares of the world
return, for you are one of the falcons.

You are both water and stream and are seeking for water;
you are both lion and deer and are better than they.

How far is it from you to the Soul?
Are you more remarkable than the Soul?

Are you commingled with the Soul,
or a ray of the Beloved?

~ Rumi
From Mystical poems of rumi
by A.J Arberry