Ruminations: Divine Love Bradford Sat 15th February

Ruminations: Divine Love
New Bradford Playhouse Pop-up Shop, 11-13 Market Street, Bradford BD1 1LN
Sat 15th February, 2-4.30pm, free entry, hot/cold drinks and cake for sale.

To celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, we are holding a Ruminations on the theme of Love. We welcome you to join us at Bradford Playhouse Pop-up Shop to share reflections from Mevlana and other poets on love in all its forms.

We invite you to bring a short poem and join us for coffee, cake and group ruminations!

New Bradford Playhouse Pop-up Shop is next to Handmade Bradford and opposite Pizza Pieces.

Let us know you are coming on our Facebook event page.
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Reflections from Mevlana:

The desire in the female for the male
is so that they may perfect each other’s work.
God put desire in man and woman
in order that the world
should be preserved by this union.
God instills the desire of every part for the other:
from their union, creation results.

And so night and day are in mutual embrace:
they appear to be opposites, even enemies,
but the truth they serve is one,
each desiring the other like kin,
for the perfection of their work.
Both serve one purpose, for without night,
human nature would receive no income:
what then could day expend?

[Mathnawi III, 4414–4420, Love’s Ripening, tr. by Kabir Helminski & Ahmed Rezwani]

The moment I first heard of love
I gave up my soul, my heart and my eyes.
I wondered, could it be that
the lover and the beloved are two?
No, they have always been one.
It is I who have been seeing double…

[Rubaiyat 1246, Pocket Rumi, tr. by Kabir & Camille Helminski with Lida Saedian]

Should Love’s heart rejoice unless I burn?
For my heart is Love’s dwelling.
If You will burn Your house, burn it, Love!
Who will say, “It’s not allowed”?
Burn this house thoroughly!
The lover’s house improves with fire.
From now on I will make burning my aim,
for I am like the candle: burning only makes me brighter.
Abandon sleep tonight; traverse for one night
the region of the sleepless.
Look upon these lovers who have become distraught
and like moths have died in union with the One Beloved.
Look upon this ship of God’s creatures
and see how it is sunk in Love.

[Mathnawi VI, 617-623, Jewels of Remembrance, tr. by Kabir & Camille Helminski]