the full catastrophe

Grant him a cruel and faithless lover, Lord:

Grant him the love that eats away at the heart.

Let him know for himself the sorrow that only love can bring.

Grant him love, bliss, ecstasy--give him the whole damn thing.

#1654: From Rumi's Kolliyaat-e Shams-e Tabrizi

Search word: Lord

I decided to continue to explore the theme of God's or the Lord's power over love. Rumi is a little more explicit in this quatrain than in yesterday's as far as positing the heaven and hell aspects of love. I'm reminded of the classic quote from the film Zorba the Greek:

Basil: Are you married?
Zorba: Am I not a man? And is not a man stupid? I'm a man. So I married. Wife, children, house, everything. The full catastrophe.

source: screenplay by Michael Cacoyannis

In researching the precise quote from the film, I came across the website commemorating Alan Bates who played the young Englishman, Basil. I had not heard of Bates' death (nor of his knighthood). It leaves me very sad because he was an actor I much loved.

Alan Bates @ alanbates.com