Semacircle.
This image shows the whirling dervishes
of Konya as if seen from above within a
moon-like circle. They appear at first like
flowers. The setting against a starry sky
and the decorative fencing augments the
idea of a night time vision.
However there is a deeper level since the
circle of light has other connotations. It can
represent the pure soul or perhaps the
pure intellect. Likewise the jet black night
sky can represent a particular level of
reality beyond the veil of illusory images -
this is a level with which the sufis are
familiar from their introspections.
Nevertheless, as with all such pictures,
one should not be pedantic about
interpretation. The sympathetic observer
may find other layers of meaning
according to their own experience.
The term 'sema' is usually used to refer to
the dancing of the dervishes or the music
concerts. Literally it means audition - the
'hearing' (or tasting) of divine mysteries
through some medium such as music or
chanting or by other means. A circle has
its own mystical connotations.
This picture is reproduced from Hafiz and
His Rubaiyat - a book of translations of
certain poems of the great Mystic Poet of
Persia, translated by Dr Zahurul Hasan
Sharib published by Sharib Press in 1993.
It is an original work produced for that
volume.
It does not relate to any specific poem.

JMZ