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Buffle37
Switzerland
79 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2014 : 05:09:57 AM
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Hi All
I am translating the lesson 360 in French. I am not certain to understand clearly what Rumi means by these two lines of the poem quoted by Yogani:
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Can any of you explain how he understands this statement?
Didier
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kumar ul islam
United Kingdom
791 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2014 : 05:40:49 AM
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Hi maybe this is a simple instruction on not to approach God by analysis but in simple inspirational way .when you have knowledge of the divine looking in books may help affirm what you already know but it's the experience of living in love that counts .i adore the writings of rumi each may have their own interpretations of every word phrase ect .peace and love to you |
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Anima
484 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2014 : 3:05:53 PM
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Dear Buffle,
I think Kumar is right, and can add that (maybe) Rumi is showing us how to loosen our bonds of fear and intellect. What good is reading in a room if we are not willing to share God's music with the world? Will we let His music play in us, or lock it away in our inner study?
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Edited by - Anima on Nov 30 2014 3:12:50 PM |
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Will Power
Spain
415 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2014 : 4:31:27 PM
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Hi, I think he meant don't overanalyze, but practise |
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delta33
Canada
100 Posts |
Posted - Dec 02 2014 : 11:19:34 PM
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quote: Originally posted by Buffle37
Hi All
I am translating the lesson 360 in French. I am not certain to understand clearly what Rumi means by these two lines of the poem quoted by Yogani:
Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Can any of you explain how he understands this statement?
Didier
opening the door to the study and reading is a function of intellect -- it gets you nowhere
taking down a musical instrument opens the heart -- this was rumi's muse |
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Buffle37
Switzerland
79 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2014 : 04:02:30 AM
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Thanks you all for your insights. You comfort my understanding.
The poem quoted by Yogani is (lesson 360):
"Keep walking, though there is no place to get to. Don't try to see through the distances. That's not for human beings. Move within, but don't move the way fear makes you move. Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground."
My translation in French:
« Continue à marcher, même s’il n’y a nulle part où aller. Ne cherche pas à voir à travers la distance. Cela n’est pas pour les êtres humains. Va à l’intérieur, mais n’y va pas guidé par la peur. Aujourd’hui, comme tous les autres jours, nous nous réveillons vides et effrayés. N’ouvre pas la porte pour étudier et commencer à lire. Repose l’instrument de musique. Que la beauté que nous aimons soit dans ce que nous faisons. Il y a des centaines de façons de s’agenouiller et d’embrasser le sol »
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2014 : 05:52:10 AM
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Sounds lovely in French.
One comment about this verse: "N’ouvre pas la porte pour étudier et commencer à lire." In English "the study" is a room in one's home where people do the sort of work you do sitting at a desk; you keep your papers there, your computer etc. Do the French not have that concept? Something like a "bureau" in your home?
Otherwise it's a completely fateful translation to the English version.
You are doing a wonderful thing translating the AYP lessons into French |
Edited by - BlueRaincoat on Dec 03 2014 05:53:30 AM |
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Buffle37
Switzerland
79 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2014 : 06:12:46 AM
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Hi BlueRaincoat,
Your comment is completely right and gives perfect sense to the sentence.
What do you think best?
N’ouvre pas la porte de ta bibliothèque pour commencer à lire
N’ouvre pas la porte de ton cabinet de travail pour commencer à lire
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2014 : 07:25:09 AM
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Hi Didier
I'd say "cabinet de travail" is closest to the English noun "study".
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jusmail
India
491 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2014 : 12:41:18 PM
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Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Reading leads to analysis and ruminating also. maybe ruminate is somehow related to Rumi?
Take down a musical instrument. Music has always been associated with praise and to a certain extent worship or spreading the joy. Rumi tells us to go outward rather than inward in quest of the path.
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 03 2014 : 1:24:45 PM
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quote: Originally posted by jusmail Reading leads to analysis and ruminating also.
That's good point - if reading is the activity Rumi meant, then "bibliothèque" might be the more suitable word. It is possible 'study' was preferred to 'library' in the English version for the sake of the metre. We'll never know unless we read the original. Which I suppose is in Persian or Arabic? |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2014 : 02:23:08 AM
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How about:
N'ouvre pas la porte a l'etude et commence a lire (sorry I can't add accents as necessary)
with the implication 'do not open the door to knowledge and start reading.'
I would also go for
Laisse la beauté que nous aimons être ce que nous faisons
Fun exercise
Sey
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Edited by - SeySorciere on Dec 04 2014 02:25:30 AM |
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Buffle37
Switzerland
79 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2014 : 06:32:30 AM
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Hi Sey,
It is exactly the reason I ask the question on forum. I hesitated between:
N'ouvre pas la porte à l'étude et commence à lire (as you suggest) And N’ouvre pas la porte à l’étude pour commencer à lire
I think I will choose as proposed by BlueRaincoat:
N’ouvre pas la porte de ta bibliothèque pour commencer à lire
I understand Rumi means it is useless to read or to play music as it is an escape of the now and it is much better to follow his heart and act in the real life.
Laisse la beauté que nous aimons être ce que nous faisons instead of Laisse la beauté que nous aimons être dans ce que nous faisons
In my opinion that you propose is not specific enough as Rumi explain that the beauty we seek is not to be found in the books or in the music but in what we do.
Didier
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2014 : 02:56:34 AM
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Hello everyone Rumi wrote originally in persian which i dont know
but i have found the poem in arabic
It says take any music instrument not drop the music instrument
take any music instrument and let be beauty be in what you do
so the correct french translation would be : N’ouvre pas la porte de ta bibliothèque pour commencer à lire prends n'importe quel instrument de musique Laisse la beauté que nous aimons être ce que nous faisons ...
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Edited by - maheswari on Dec 05 2014 02:58:06 AM |
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SeySorciere
Seychelles
1571 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2014 : 04:09:02 AM
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@maheswari / Didier - Yes, he is saying take down (pick up) a music instrument and start playing...not drop it. So he values playing music - in which we can express our creativity and beauty - to reading.
Sey |
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2014 : 04:20:04 AM
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exactly Sey
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BlueRaincoat
United Kingdom
1734 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2014 : 05:39:11 AM
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Yes, that comes across in the English version to. Nice translation maheswari |
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Buffle37
Switzerland
79 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2014 : 03:31:27 AM
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I don’t see any difference between reading and music. The two can be an escape from the “now” or a vehicle to the “now” depending on how you use them.
But, it is a matter of another discussion; the point is to translate Rumi accurately, so I will go with Maheswari’s translation which achieves unanimity.
Thanks you all for helping me to avoid any misunderstanding!
Didier
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maheswari
Lebanon
2520 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2014 : 06:55:39 AM
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music is beauty reading and study can be spiritual ego...dry knowledge :-) anyway our task is to stick to what Rumi wrote
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2014 : 07:12:37 AM
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Hi Didier, I am impressed by the huge transaltion work you are doing!! |
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