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