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This is the Night of Union,
when the stars scatter their rice
over us. The sky is excited!
Venus cannot stop singing the little songs
she's making up, like a bird
in the first warm Spring weather.
The North star can't quit looking over
at Leo. Pisces is stirring milky dust
from the Ocean floor. Jupiter
rides his horse over to Saturn, "Old Man,
jump up behind me! The juice is coming back!
Think of something happy to shout as we go."
Mars washes his bloody sword, and puts it up,
and begins building things. The Aquarian water jar
fills, and the Virgin pours it generously
The Pleiades and Libra and Aries
have no trembling in them anymore.
Scorpio walks out looking for a lover,
and so does Sagittarius!
This is not crooked walking, like the Crab.
This is the Holiday we've been waiting for.
It's finally time
to sacrifice Taurus
and learn how the sky
is a lens to look through.
Listen to What's Inside
anything I say.
Shams will appear at dawn,
and then even this night will change
from its Beloved Darkness
to a Day beyond any ordinary,
sweet daylight.
Rumi
Version by Coleman Barks
from a translation by A.J. Arberry
"Like This"
Maypop, 1990
