Unveiling the Heart’s Mirror: A Rumi Poem on True Beauty and Love
Click Here to Watch the Poem Reading and Spiritual Teaching
The Poem
All through eternity
Beauty unveils His exquisite form
in the solitude of nothingness;
He holds a mirror to His Face
and beholds His own beauty.
he is the knower and the known,
the seer and the seen;
No eye but His own
has ever looked upon this Universe.
His every quality finds an expression:
Eternity becomes the verdant field of Time and Space;
Love, the life-giving garden of this world.
Every branch and leaf and fruit
Reveals an aspect of His perfection.
The cypress gives hint of His majesty,
The rose gives tidings of His beauty.
Whenever Beauty looks,
Love is also there;
Whenever beauty shows a rosy cheek
Love lights Her fire from that flame.
When beauty dwells in the dark folds of night
Love comes and finds a heart
entangled in tresses.
Beauty and Love are as body and soul.
Beauty is the mine, Love is the diamond.
They have together
since the beginning of time-
Side by side, step by step.
I swear, since seeing Your face,
the whole world is fraud and fantasy
The garden is bewildered as to what is leaf
or blossom. The distracted birds
can’t distinguish the birdseed from the snare.
A house of love with no limits,
a presence more beautiful than venus or the moon,
a beauty whose image fills the mirror of the heart.
~ Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi
Unveiling the Divine: Beauty, Love, and Rumi’s Poetry
In today’s day and age, there has never been a stronger desire for beauty and love.
We’re chasing after these things all the time, and it’s only becoming more pronounced with all the images we see on our phone, all the dating apps we have access to, and so on.
Simply put, we all gravitate toward physical beauty and we crave to be in love.
What we don’t realize, however, is that true love and beauty can’t be found in other people. It can only be found in God.
When we’re captivated by someone’s beauty or swept off our feet by love, what we’re really encountering is a mere reflection of God.
And this is where Rumi enters the stage.
While his name is synonymous with absolutely beautiful love poetry, most people don’t realize that a lot of Rumi’s poems aren’t simply about the interplay of human emotions — they’re about the profound connection with the Divine.
They’re about one’s deep and intimate love for God.
Now, don’t get me wrong here.
I’m not suggesting that our connections with other people are insignificant or lacking value — far from it.
Rather, the magic lies in recognizing that these connections, whether romantic or friendly, are actually mirrors reflecting the love of the Creator.
Just imagine gazing into a mirror and admiring your reflection.
You’re not really admiring the reflection itself; you’re admiring the person or source casting that reflection.
In a similar vein, when we’re touched by the beauty and love we encounter in our lives, we’re essentially encountering the radiance of God’s love.
Without the Divine Presence, we simply would not even have the capacity to perceive beauty or experience love.
Our ability to appreciate these qualities stems from our connection to the divine source.
And so, it is with this perspective that we must approach a poem like this.
When Rumi is expressing his feelings in this poem, he’s not falling head over heels for a beautiful man or woman, but rather Divinity itself.
His love for God is so profound that he has lost all sense of who he is and becomes absorbed in the presence of the Divine.
Now, you might be wondering: “Can we really use terms like ‘union’ or ‘falling in love’ when talking about our relationship with God?”
It seems unusual, but Rumi believes the answer is yes, and uses these words often to capture the ecstasy he feels when thinking about or connecting with the Divine.
This form of love is the highest form of love there is, and unlike fleeting romantic attachments or infatuations, it has no beginning or end. It is neither selfish nor conditional.
This is because our love for God — and God’s love for us — is timeless, selfless, and unconditional.
When we truly connect with God from the bottom of our heart, we realize what a beautiful love this is, and why Rumi was able to write such impassioned poetry that evoked his deep connection with the Divine.
So, now that we have this background in mind, let’s take a closer look at this poem and find some more examples and explanations of this pure and holy love.
A love that has no limits, and a beauty that fills the mirror of the heart.
Exploring the Beauty of God’s Presence
Rumi was not the only Sufi poet to try to describe God’s attributes and appearances, although he is certainly the most famous, and perhaps most controversial.
In fact, while Rumi is adored by countless people across the globe, there are some religious extremists who criticize and even attack his attempts to portray God.
Indeed, while no one can describe God using words or concepts like face, beauty, and image — or even with pronouns like He or She — Rumi and many other Sufi poets took great liberty in using such language to paint a picture that would resonate with their audience.
Instead of some abstract and distant figure to be feared, God is now an approachable and beautiful entity to be loved and admired.
And so, when we read the opening line here of “Beauty unveiling its exquisite form,” we shouldn’t take it to mean that God has a certain hair color, skin type or smile.
The beauty Rumi evokes cannot be seen with the physical eyes. It’s a vision of the heart and soul.
In fact, Rumi elaborates just as much when he says that this Beauty is found in the solitude of nothingness.
Paradoxically, describing this beauty transforms it into something — thus, it’s not God anymore.
The term “nothingness” may sound counterintuitive and even blasphemous, but let’s explore it for a minute.
“Nothing” equals “no thing.”
That is, God is “nothing” because God is “no thing.”
God escapes human thoughts and concepts, and so we cannot see the Divine using our mind or the typical five senses that we use to navigate and make sense of the world.
God purposefully is invisible to the naked eye, because we have to learn to cultivate another kind of eye.
We must develop a new way of seeing.
In this busy world and life we are living, we are constantly bombarded by thoughts and perceptions.
We never see things as they truly are.
And similarly, we never see God as God truly is.
We are always trying to paint an image of God, always trying to describe the Divine as this and that.
However, God lives wherever “nothingness” resides.
And you may be wondering, where is this place where there is nothing at all?
Well, I’ll tell you: it’s the place — or more accurately, the state of being — where you are no longer consumed by your thoughts.
When you no longer see the world through your mind’s eye, you have entered a state of nothingness.
And the funny or ironic thing about this nothingness is that can technically exist everywhere — everywhere that we are able to transcend our mind to perceive it.
So, I’ll give you an example.
Imagine two people sitting across a peaceful lake.
One is dwelling on a recent breakup and the thought of never finding love again.
The other, however, is not thinking at all, and is simply absorbed in the tranquil flow of the lake.
Both have the ability to see God in that moment, but only the latter can truly see God because he is not focused on seeing himself.
He is not focused on the story his mind or ego creates.
And herein lies an important truth.
When you are focused on seeing yourself, you cannot see God. But when you are focused on seeing God, you see everything at once.
You no longer just look at things anymore with indifference or familiarity.
You become immersed in them, and find a connection with them that is deeper than what your mind can ever tell you.
This is how we can see God’s beauty everywhere…in a mountain, a person, a leaf, or even a speck of sand.
Now, you might be saying, “but I want to actually see God, like with my own two eyes.”
Some people even boldly say, “I’ll believe it, when I can see it.” In other words, “I’ll believe God, when I can see God.”
But as satisfying as it might sound to see God with our own two eyes, the truth is, God’s image — if we can even call it that — is too great for us to comprehend.
We cannot see God directly, because doing so would require completely polishing the mirror of our heart to see the divine reflection.
Some of us have made tremendous progress polishing their mirrors, but the vast majority of us still have a long way to go to clear up all the dirt, dust, and impurities clouding our mirror — in other words, clouding our heart.
In fact, even prophets and those considered extremely close to God have found it impossible to try to gain a glimpse of God’s true image.
In the Quran, for example, which Rumi interpreted and incorporated into his poetry a lot, we come across the story of Moses who encounters God.
This story is also mentioned in the Bible, with some variation.
Moses not only desires to know more about God, but asks the Divine to reveal Himself.
God replied that Moses could never see Him, but directed him to look at the mountain and if the mountain remained firmly in place, then Moses will have had a glimpse of God.
But as soon as Moses looked, God unveiled the Light of His Divine Beauty on to the mountain, which caused the mountain to collapse into dust.
Upon seeing the mountain collapse, Moses fainted.
And when he regains consciousness, he asks God for forgiveness and learns of the true nature of God’s beauty and image.
I share this story not to get lost in the religious details or accounts of this exchange, but rather to convey what Rumi is also trying to convey in that God’s beauty and image is beyond our understanding.
We can never see God in the traditional meaning of sight.
But if we dig deeper, we can see God in every second of our life and in every corner of life.
This is what Rumi means when he says, “His every quality finds an expression.”
Even though God is not a man or woman in the way many of us might imagine, we still find the Creator’s qualities in this world.
When we see someone performing a random act of kindness, we see God’s compassion.
When we give someone an encouraging pep talk, we experience God’s love and grace.
You see, God’s presence is everywhere and inside everyone.
But we just have to empty ourselves of all the barriers and obstacles that prevent us from seeing this presence.
We have to constantly work on ourselves to purify all the unconscious thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that make us unaware.
If we do so, then we not only see God, but also see through God.
In other words, there is a point on our spiritual journey where we no longer perceive a separation from God.
Instead, we perceive the all-encompassing Oneness that is the Divine Itself.
This is the highest form of spiritual understanding and self-realization: when we no longer see ourselves as separate from God, but rather as a part of God.
Rumi captures this when he says that “no eye but His own has ever looked upon this Universe.”
That is, we think we are the ones seeing. But it is actually God seeing.
Our eyes and mind belong not to us, but rather to God.
And when we truly internalize this, we experience an incredible shift in our consciousness.
We no longer see with the mind-made lens of “I” or “me” and all the personal baggage it comes with. We see with the lens and vision of God.
They say “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but in truth, beauty is in the eye of God.
Whatever God sees radiates beauty, because in some way, it is also a reflection of God.
So, the next time we see a beautiful person, painting, or even landscape, we can certainly admire it for its own unique qualities.
However, our admiration shouldn’t stop there.
Because there is only one Source of Beauty, from which everything else derives its beauty and that is God alone.
And it’s not just beauty alone that makes God so amazing. It’s love as well.
A love that can light the whole world, and most importantly, light our own hearts.
The Life-Giving Garden of God
For all the different ways that we can describe and imagine love, perhaps none is as deep or inspirational as how Rumi describes it in this poem.
Love is not only something we crave as humans, Rumi says.
It is the “life-giving garden of this world.”
That is, it is actually the very source of life — and I don’t mean this in a metaphorical way.
God is the one responsible for all of life, but if God did not have love for humanity, we would not exist at all.
Therefore, it is love — and specifically God’s love — that is the sole reason why you and I are here today.
God’s love is like a beautiful and endless garden that just keeps giving life to everything in it.
It’s a garden where vibrant plants thrive, tranquil waters flow, and gentle creatures find solace.
And, of course, this is all symbolic, but you get the picture.
Every moment, person, and thing in life can be traced back to the moment when God’s love created existence.
And so, when we look at love in our daily life, we need to hold it in the same regard that God does.
For example, loving our parents doesn’t just mean loving the people who care for us. It means loving the divine presence in them that nurtured us from nothing.
Loving our soulmate doesn’t mean loving the man or woman who makes us happy. It means loving the divine essence in them that completes our union.
Even loving our pet or a piece or art or music is not what we perceive it to be, but rather a reflection of God’s love.
Unfortunately, though, the word love has been severely distorted and misused.
Often when we talk about love, we’re not talking about the pure love through which God created us. Instead, we’re confusing it with lust, pleasure, and desire — things that are the opposite of true love.
We often chase after people and things, believing they will bring us joy, only to find pain and disillusionment.
And then we’re left confused as to why love is so painful and why it can hurt so deeply.
Well, the truth is that love never hurts. Love only heals. True love that is.
A love that is selfless, pure and unconditional.
And ask yourself, how many loves are like that in the world today?
Unfortunately, not too many.
We have forgotten the real meaning of love, seeking it in the wrong places and wasting precious time.
Now, this doesn’t mean that we should abandon the pursuit of love in human relationships or experiences.
It just means that we need to recognize God as the base or foundation of all love.
When we understand this kind of love, then we can understand and experience all forms of love.
When we see the cypress tree and perceive God, we will know love. When we see the rose and perceive God, we will experience love.
Not because the person or thing we love is different, but rather because our heart is different.
Our heart becomes more receptive to giving and receiving love, just as God spreads love throughout the world.
And when you combine love and beauty together, you arrive at the pure essence of God. You arrive at the pure essence of your self.
When Love and Beauty Meet
Rumi has some beautiful imagery here about the ways love and beauty are connected, and I absolutely love some of the words he uses.
For example, when he compares them to the body and soul, you can appreciate the sacred connection between the two.
Or even better, when he compares them to mine and a diamond, you can really start to see how they are related to one another.
On the one hand, the diamond is more precious than the mine.
One can spend days digging in the mine before finding the object of their desire.
But one can’t find the diamond unless they enter the mine, so you can argue the mine is more precious than the diamond, because it houses the treasure.
In truth, both have their beauty and importance, and even though we might cherish one over the other (in this case, the diamond), the reality is that one cannot exist without the other.
True beauty cannot exist without love, and true love cannot exist without beauty.
In this context, the beauty described here goes beyond what meets the eye.
Because even though you may not find someone physically beautiful, they may have a quality about them that you find beautiful.
It can be their character, their personality, or even sense of humor.
And what can draw you even more to them is if they have the ability to love freely and openly — to love without barriers, or as Rumi calls it “a house of love with no limits.”
What he means here is not an actual house, but our very own heart.
Our heart is the house of love.
Some of us have very torn down and depressing houses, because we have hearts filled with hate, pride, and envy. Whereas others have very beautiful and welcoming houses, because we have hearts filled with love. We have filled it with a rare kind of beauty that only a few souls can fully appreciate.
But now that we know the true meaning of love and beauty, how do we exactly apply this wisdom to our lives? How do we translate these concepts into action?
This is really the heart of the matter, no pun intended.
Because while this is a beautiful poem that we can read and enjoy, it also holds a more profound message — an ultimate revelation that can be found at its conclusion.
As we approach the end of Rumi’s poem, we encounter a significant shift in focus.
Here, Rumi is no longer describing the interplay of beauty and love, and is instead speaking directly to God.
This shift signals a pivotal moment, because it encapsulates the essence of Rumi’s spiritual message.
Awakening to the Illusion
Now that we have come to understand the true essence of beauty and love, what then becomes of the world around us?
Well, in Rumi’s eyes, “the whole world is fraud and fantasy.”
In other words, this world is an illusion when we discover the beauty of God’s face. When we discover the beauty of God’s love.
For the lucky soul who manages to arrive at this point in their spiritual journey, the world is no longer of concern to them.
They are no longer concerned about making money, finding a partner, or being loved and recognized by others, because these are all temporary things of this world. They remain behind as we depart from our physical bodies.
However, our connection with God is something we take on this journey beyond life.
If you think about it, it’s the only thing we can take when we leave this world.
Everything else — including our career, possessions, loved ones, and even our bodies — gets left behind.
The only thing that remains our soul — the same soul with which we entered this world.
And this is the deeper meaning of this line.
God has given us a simple purpose in life: to return back home to Him.
But God has also placed a million distractions in this world that trip us up at every second and make us forget this sacred purpose.
These distractions make us selfish, greedy, sad, and hopeless, as we struggle to understand the real meaning of life.
We think the key to a happy and peaceful life is in life itself, when in truth, it is beyond life.
It is beyond anything we can gain or acquire in this world.
If we take life too seriously to begin with, we can’t appreciate and accept the fact that we will one day leave it behind.
And that is why God places all these distractions and obstacles in our life.
It’s because God wants us to awaken, He wants us to see beyond the world’s fleeting façade.
You know, many of us often question why God brings us pain, challenges, and difficulties, but these are all just secret forms of love.
We might complain why we became sick, why we lost our job, or why our heart was broken, not knowing that within each of these challenges lies an incredible opportunity to open our eyes.
It is through these forms of love that God wants us to awaken and look beyond this superficial and temporary world.
But before we can actually awaken, we are distracted by everything.
We are like the birds that can’t distinguish the birdseed from the snare.
We think something is like the birdseed that will give us happiness and fulfillment, only for it to be a snare that traps us and makes us suffer.
While this world is beautiful and important in its own way, it is ultimately a fantasy.
When we understand this, we come to know our true purpose in life, which is to return back home to God.
To return to a house of love with no limits, a presence more beautiful than Venus or the moon, and a beauty whose image fills the mirror of the heart.
If returning to God is our life’s purpose, than cleaning our heart is the pathway to get us there.
Only through the heart can we find our way back home.
But in order to actually do so, we must first reacquaint ourselves with the heart, and then constantly work on removing all the blemishes and impurities that have covered its beauty.
This requires us to turn away from our mind — the very mind or ego that we have unconsciously followed for so many years — only to our own misery and dissatisfaction.
But when we reconnect with our heart, we find our life’s true purpose and the source of our happiness: a deep and everlasting connection with the Divine.
This is what it means to unveil the mirror of the heart.
The beauty of love is already woven into the fabric of our Being.
All we need to do now is remove all the barriers that have stood in the way from us seeing the image in this mirror.
As the famous Rumi quote goes, “Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.”
Love is already present everywhere around and inside you, but now is the time to bring it to the surface and to let it be the physical embodiment of who you are.
If you manage to do this, then you will experience the same joy, passion, and ecstasy Rumi did — or who knows, perhaps even more.
