Ah my friend, what have you brought me ?...by Rumi

Ah my friend, 
what have you brought me ?

You know 
a traveler should not arrive empty handed 
at the door of a friend like me. 
That's going to the grinding stone
without your wheat.

He will ask at the Resurrection,
'Did you bring Me a present? Did you forget?
Did you think you wouldn't see Me?'

Beloved kept teasing,
"Lets have it. I want my gift!"

The Friend began,
"You can't imagine how
I've looked for something for you.
Nothing seemed appropriate.
You don't take gold down into a goldmine, or a
drop of water to the Sea of Oman!

Everything I thought of was like
bringing cumin seed to Kirmanshah where
cumin comes from.

You have all seeds in your barn.
You even have my love and my soul,
so I can't even bring those.

I've brought you a mirror.
Look at yourself, and remember me."

He took the mirror out from his robe
where he was hiding it.

What is the mirror of being?
Non-being.

Always bring a mirror of non-existence
as a gift.
Any other present is foolish.

~ Rumi
Mathnawi, I,
Version by Coleman Barks
(Developed from the translation by Nicholson)
"The Essential Rumi"
HarperSanFrancisco, 1995

This is our shadow ......by Rumi

Destiny 
is not under control of our Heart

Being 
is the means of reaching Non - Being 

There is someone who looks after us
From behind the curtain

In truth , we are not here
This is our shadow

~ Rumi
From Crazy as we are
by Nevit O Ergin