The Fountain
Until you’ve found pain, you won’t reach the cure
Until you’ve given up life, you won’t unite with
the supreme soul
Until you’ve found fire inside yourself, like the Friend,
You won’t reach the spring of life, like Khezr.
Khezr is an immortal in Islamic mythology, having found the Fountain of Life.
The Living Room 
For me, the second line of this poem is problematic. Giving up life reminds me of the Christian perspective that I addressed in my piece posted here. Of course, if the deeper meaning of giving up life is giving up ego, then I can see that I would be a valuable pointer. But even still, Who is it that gives up the ego?
–Paul
I think it actually means to go beyond the idea of life and death. So only if you can embrace the fact that life and death are the same, that there is no beginning or end, and most importantly no separation, you will be able to unite with the soul.
Who is it that gives up ego ? Ego is the process of conditioning and giving up ego actually means to de-condition. This is what is meant by ” you need the ego to go beyond the ego”. Who is doing all of this – the human being you are, whether you have an egoic sense of “I” or not.
hmmm, you two. maybe.
I think the original meaning may have been Lost in Translation. That’s an honest first response. It is also a default response.
I have read quite a bit of Rumi and am somewhat familiar with his Islamic imagery,
and I am puzzled too.
By pain does he mean the pain of separation – from who we really are and thence God. That pain is caused by the veils of nafs/ego – egoic suffering.
He also knew that suffering is the great awakener so….
Or is it simply too far over my head to see it. With Rumi I never know for sure.
I find it kind of frustrating that people re english Rumi and don’t give any reference numbers or what so that you can refer to the original scholastic translation.
On the other hand its not that important. Is it? So I think I will just move on.
Yes, I know….something does not quite sit…..
But as you say, its not that important.