Rumi Night
"I am you. No religion. I am you, not Muslim, Christian, or Jew; not Zorastian, Zen, Buddhist or Hindu I am you, not any religion that you may know Not any cult, creed or convictions to name a few. Not from the East or the West, not from the Water or the Earth, Nor from this world or the next. Not from Adam, Eve, or any story that you may perceive. My place is placeless, my trace is traceless, I live in the world of oneness. I am you, together in the vacuum or space, in every particle of your breath together in a world of total unity, harmony, and sincerity. I am you. I am the breath of eternal love inside of you. The breath that sounds like who, the spirit that resides in you. I am you. Not Muslim, Christian or Jew, not Zorastian, Zen, Buddhist or Hindu." - Rumi (Translation by D. Khani)
Jalaluddin Rumi, the poet, inspires me. I’m deeply moved by his call for unity in his poetry. I found out about a monthly "Rumi Night" from my friend, Yelena, and was excited to attend this event. I’d been meaning to learn more about Rumi's poetry.
The event was held at the Flame International Restaurant, in a space called the Flame International Cultural Center. It was a lovely, intimate setting. I don’t do so well with crowds, so I felt comfortable in this smaller space.
The evening started out with a beautiful performance by a great cellist named Georgy Gusev. He performed with Jamie Papish, a percussionist. The true highlight of the evening was, for the first time, seeing my friend Yelena (who’s a professional dancer and a yoga teacher) sway and move gracefully to Georgy and Jamie’s music. Yelena’s dance was passionate, beautiful and graceful. Through her movements, she expressed so much meaning and emotion. I usually prefer male dancers and more masculine movements, but Yelena’s unique style won me over. I became a huge fan of Yelena that night.
After the music and dance portion of the show, Mahmoud Vahedian, a passionate Rumi scholar and poet, and Dariush "Danny" Khani recited and then discussed a selection of Rumi’s poems in both Farsi and English. It was so gratifying to attend an event like this. It’s so rare to hear Rumi’s poetry spoken in Farsi by a native speaker. And their knowledge of the subject was vast.
“I Am You – No Religion,” was my favorite poem they read. Danny Khani translated the poem clearly. It moved me to tears because this poem spoke to my life’s work and my hopes and dreams for the world.
I made sure to get autographed copies of both Georgy and Danny’s albums. I’m excited to hear more of Danny’s translated Rumi poems as much as I look forward to listening to more of Georgy's beautiful music.
The event was a success and an experience I’ll always hold close to my heart.
You can learn more about the monthly "Rumi Night" event in Los Angeles here: http://www.rumilovers.net/ & https://www.facebook.com/groups/169647309897675/