Rumi

Night of Union

Night of Union - meaning Summary

Cosmic Night of Union

Rumi frames a celestial festival to describe spiritual and erotic union. Stars, planets, and constellations are animated as lovers and celebrants, their interactions signaling renewal, healing, and divine presence. The poem links cosmic upheaval to inner transformation: violence turns to life, drought to pearls, night to day. Addressing Shams-e-Tabriz, Rumi makes the beloved the catalyst whose arrival redeems and reveals the poem’s central meaning: reality is Love.

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Tonight is a night of union for the stars and of scattering, scattering, since a bride is coming from the skies, consisting of a full moon. Venus cannot contain herself for charming melodies, like the nightingale which becomes intoxicated with the rose in spring-time. See how the polestar is ogling Leo; behold what dust Pisces is stirring up drom the deep! Jupiter has galloped his steed against ancient Saturn, saying “Take back your youth and go, bring good tidings!” Mars’ hand, which was full of blood from the handle of his sword, has become as life-giving as the sun, the exalted in works. Since Aquarius has come full of that water of life, the dry cluster of Virgo is raining pearls from him. The Pleiades full of goodness fears not Libra and being broken; how should Aries flee away in fright from its mother? When from the moon the arrow of a glance struck the heart of Sagittarius, he took to night-faring in passion for her, like Scorpio. On such a festival, go, sacrifice Taurus, else you are crooked of gait in the mud like Cancer. This sky is the astrolabe, and the reality is Love; whatever wesay of this, attend to the meaning. Shamsi-Tabriz, on that dawn when you shine, the dark night is transformed to bright day by your moonlike face.