With lovely images on every side.
Though iron’s dark and it lacks any light,
Burnishing takes its darkness, leaves it bright.
Iron was burnished and this made its face
So fair that images reflect their trace.
The earthly body’s coarse and dark as well—
Burnish it, for it also shines up well,
To bring the Unseen’s forms to our perception,2475
Such as the heavenly angels’ own reflection.
For burnisher God gave you intellect,
So your heart’s surface might start to reflect.
You’ve chained the burnisher, you who lack prayer,
And freed the hands of lust, so be aware
That if lust’s put in chains, it’s rectified,
For then the burnisher’s hands get untied—
All images are sent out to this clean
Burnished iron that mirrors the Unseen.
You’d made it dark and rusty, so please read:2480
‘They work corruption on the earth. ’* Take heed.
Till now you have been acting in this way.
You’ve made the water dark. Stop for today.
Do not unsettle it—let it stay clear,
Then watch the moon and stars spin round in here.
Man is like water in the stream, and so
When it turns dark you cannot see below.
The stream is full of pearls and jewels—make sure
Not to let it turn murky. It is pure.
Man’s spirit’s like the air: when dust should rise,2485
It veils the spiritual realm then from our eyes;
That blocks the vision of the sun, but then
Once the dust’s gone it’s clear and pure again.
Despite your total darkness, God showed you
Visions so you might take the true path too.
Moses spoke from the Unseen openly about Pharaoh’s secrets and his visions, so he might believe.
Moses said, ‘Through His power He made so clear
Visions of things which at the end appear.
So you might stop your evil and oppression,
But you got worse although you saw each vision.
In dreams He showed you ugly forms to view—2490
You fled them, but they’re images of you.
A slave saw in the mirror’s face reflected
His ugly face, and so he defecated,
Then screamed, “You’re ugly, so this was your due.”
The mirror said, “Wretch, it all comes from you!
You’re shitting on your own face, which is ugly,
Not on me, for I’m radiant and lovely.”
Once you saw burned up all the clothes you own,
Then both your eyes and mouth so tightly sewn,
Then a beast seeking your blood, then your head
In a wild beast’s jaws, filling you with dread.
Then you were in a toilet upside down,
Then in a bloody torrent where you’d drown.
From the pure heavens you then heard cry out:
“You’re damned, you’re damned, you’re damned” and then a shout
Came from the mountains, clear to understand:
“Begone, you’re of the men of the left hand. ”*
From all inanimates then came another:
“Pharaoh has fallen into hell forever.”
There were worse ones that from shame I’ve not cited2500
Just in case your perverse form gets excited.
You who will not accept, I’ve shown a bit,
So that you’ll know I am informed of it.
You tried to blind and kill yourself back then,
So you’d not have to see such things again.
It has now come—how long will you try fleeing?
It came despite your mastery of scheming.’
Explaining that the door of repentance is open
Beware not to continue—take precaution.
God’s kindness keeps repentance’s door open.
A door for your repentance in the West2505
Is open till the Final Day. Man’s blessed.
Till from the West the sun should one day rise*
That door stays open—don’t divert your eyes!
Through mercy, heaven has eight doors, and one
Of those doors is repentance’s door, son.
Other doors sometimes open, sometimes close.
Repentance’s stays open unlike those.
Value this godsend, open constantly.
Bring your baggage. Shun Satan’s jealousy.
Moses tells Pharaoh, ‘Accept one piece of advice from me and take in return four benefits.’
Moses said, ‘Take one thing from me to learn,2510
And gain four new things from me in return.’
‘What is that one thing?’ Pharaoh then replied,
‘I need to have a bit more clarified.’
‘That thing is that you publicly say later
That there’s no God apart from the Creator
Who made the heavens and the stars above,
People, the Devil, jinn, birds like the dove,
The plain, the hill, the desert, and the sea.
None bear resemblance. His realm’s limit-free.’
Pharaoh asked, ‘What are those four things I’ll gain2515
Which you’ll give in exchange? Show them. Explain,
So that this lovely promise’s grace might
Make my own unbelief become more light,
So that my unbelief’s lock that’s so heavy
Might open through the promise that’s so lovely,
So, through effects of that pure stream of honey,
Hate’s poison might change to that in my body,
So that the pure milk’s stream has the effect
Of nurturing the captive intellect,
So that I get drunk through that stream of wine2520
Then start to taste commands that are divine,
So that, through streams of water’s grace, my flesh
That’s barren and destroyed might come out fresh,
So verdure might come to my soil that’s barren,
And my thorns turn to shelters up in heaven—
Paradise and its four streams,* through reflection,
Might help my soul seek God with zeal and passion,
Just as, through hell’s reflection, I’ve been bound
To turn to fire, and in God’s wrath I’ve drowned;
From the reflection of the snake of hell,2525
I poison heaven’s people now as well.
From boiling water’s image, I start then
With tyranny to change to bones all men.
From hell’s most biting frost, I can start freezing,
While heat from its hot flames makes me start sizzling.
I’m now hell for those suffering tyranny
And poverty—woe to those under me!’
Moses explains the four benefits as reward awaiting Pharaoh’s embrace of faith.
Moses replied, ‘The first one of these four
Is bodily health for you forevermore.
Diseases written of in medicine2530
Will stay far from you, O fine specimen.
You’ll have a long life, secondly, for death
Will hesitate to terminate your breath.
And after such a life, it’s not the case
That you could, discontented, leave this place—
Rather, with zeal for death like babies longing
For milk, not due to being entrapped in suffering,
You’ll seek death—it’s not due to suffering’s pressure;
Instead in your home’s ruins you’ll find treasure.
You’ll take the axe with your own hand this way2535
And strike the house without fear straight away;
You’ll see it as a barrier to the treasure,
One grain
that blocks a harvest none can measure—
You’ll fling that one grain into flames and then
Adopt the practice of the valiant men,
Because of love for one leaf you’ve lost orchards,
Like a worm fixed on one leaf losing vineyards—
When grace woke up that worm, it then at once
Devoured the dragon of its ignorance.
The worm turned to a vineyard straight away,* 2540
Full of fruit, fortunate and changed this way.’
Exegesis of ‘I was a hidden treasure and I loved to be known’. *
Knock down the house—from Yemen’s fine cornelian
One can erect more houses by the million.
The treasure’s underneath, so there’s no option—
Don’t fret or hold back from its demolition.
Thousands of houses can be built up later
From just one treasure, with no toil or labour.
The house itself will in the end decay
And hidden treasure see the light of day,
But it won’t then be yours—the spirit gains2545
Rewards for breaking up all the remains:
If you don’t do the work, your wage is nothing,
There’s naught for Man but that for which he’s struggling .*
You’ll bite your hand then and you’ll cry aloud:
‘Such a fine moon was there behind the cloud!
I didn’t do the good things recommended
And treasure’s gone while I’m left empty-handed.’
You’ve rented your house—it’s not your possession
For you to buy or sell it through transaction.
The rent term is until your death, so you2550
Can work in it until that date is due.
You just sew patches in this store. Two mines
Are underneath—when will you see the signs?
Hurry now! It is just a rented place—
Grab an axe and then chop off its firm base,
So you might reach the mine that’s down below
And then need no more patches brought to sew.
What’s patching? Bread and water—as you ate,
You patched a cloak that holds down with its weight.
Your body’s cloak gets torn each moment, then2555
Through eating you will patch it up again.
You’re offspring of the lofty, fortunate king—
Be your true self. Feel shame at patch-sewing!
Dig up a patch from this store’s floor and view
The two mines that reveal themselves to you,
Before the building’s lease expires without
You trying any of its fine fruit out.
The owner will evict you then and break
Its structure down, for that more prized mine’s sake.
Then, in regret, you’ll beat your own head and2560
Tear out your silly beard with your own hand.
‘This store was mine, but I was blind!’ you’ll sigh,
‘I never tasted fruit from here, did I?’
The wind has blown my being away. In store
Is sorrow for God’s slaves * for evermore.
How Man is deluded by the knowledge and imaginings of his base nature and does not seek knowledge of the Unseen, which is the knowledge of the Prophets.
I saw in my house countless images
And fell in love, smitten with restlessness.
The hidden gold I couldn’t understand
Or else the axe would have stayed in my hand.
If I had used the axe then properly,2565
I might have now escaped from misery.
I turned my eyes to pictures and then fell
In love like children under something’s spell.
Sana’i said it in one of his sayings:
‘You are a child; the house is full of paintings.’
In his Hadiqat his advice is true—
Raise the dust from your self without ado!
‘Moses, enough!’ Pharaoh said, ‘Now, please tell
The third prize! My heart’s floundering in this spell.’
‘That third’s a twofold empire where you’ll see2570
Two worlds without a single enemy,
Greater than this realm you possess down here
Since there it’s peaceful; here there’s war each year.
See what in peacetime That One will bestow
When during war He gave you this below,
For that bestowal when you were a rebel
Gave so much—look what you’ll gain when you’re loyal.’
‘What is the fourth one, Moses? I implore—
Be quick! My patience fails as I yearn more.’
‘The fourth’s that you stay young eternally2575
With jet-black hair and rosy cheeks. Trust me.
Colour and scent are worthless to our kind,
But I speak at your level, far behind.
Feeling so proud of scents, a home, and colours,
Entices only children, not their fathers.’
Explanation of the tradition: ‘Speak to people according to their level of intelligence, not in accordance with your own level, so that God and His Messenger do not mislead.’
My work is with a child on this occasion,
So I must use the language of mere children
And say, ‘Attend school, then I’ll buy for you
A bird, or nuts and raisins, if you do.’
You only know about youth and the body—2580
Take this youth and take barley then, you donkey!
No wrinkle will appear upon your face,
Your youthfulness will stay fresh, and no trace
Of ugliness or old age will be visible,
Nor will your cypress stature get bent double,
Nor will your young man’s strength feel a decrease,
Nor in your teeth will there be cavities,
Nor will your sexual lust’s skills see reduction,
Or women weary of your failed erection—
Youth’s glory will then open up to you2585
As Okkasha swung heaven’s gates thus, too.*
The Prophet’s saying: ‘Whoever brings me good news about the ending of the month of Safar, I’ll give him good news about entry to paradise.’
The passing of Mohammad long ago
Fell in Rabe‘ al-awwal, as all know.
When his heart learned the timing of departure,
Through his own wisdom he experienced rapture.
When Safar* came he felt extremely happy
And said, ‘Next month I will begin my journey.’
Yearning for guidance every night till day,
‘Most High Companion of the path!’ he’d pray.
‘Whoever’s first to let me know about2590
When the blessed month of Safar’s time runs out,
When Rabe‘ starts right at the end of Safar,
I’ll give good news and be his intercessor.’
Okkasha rushed to say: ‘Safar is over!’
‘Okkasha, heaven will be yours forever.’
‘Safar has passed!’ another came to state—
‘Okkasha won good news’s fruit. Too late!’
Real men rejoice as this world’s time has passed,
While children celebrate if it should last.
Blind birds who’ve never tasted the clear water2595
Imagine brine to be as good as Kawsar.*
Moses told of the gifts of grace, all four:
‘Your fortune’s drink will turn to dregs no more.’
Pharaoh said, ‘You have spoken well. Now I
Will first consult a good friend, then reply.’
Pharaoh consulted his wife Asiya about believing in Moses.
He shared these words with Asiya, who said:
‘Black heart, surrender with your soul. Ahead
Good fortune is what this fine speech will bring
To you, so g
ain it quickly, virtuous king.
Sowing’s hour has arrived; much will be gained.’2600
She said this and wept wildly, unrestrained,
Then sprang up and said, ‘Now the radiant sun
Has turned into your crown, bald man. Well done!’
(Hats cover baldness’s deficiency,
When it’s the radiant sun especially.)
‘When at your meeting you heard what he said,
Why didn’t you scream, “Yes!” and pray instead?
If this great speech had reached the bright sun’s ear,
It would have started chasing it down here.
Don’t you know what you have been promised? Learn.2605
God is now showing Satan His concern.
When that most kind one called you back, it’s strange
How your heart stayed the same and did not change.
How did it not split open, so you’d gain
A glance of both worlds? How did it remain?’
The heart that for God’s sake at once splits open
Eats fruit in both worlds like the martyr’s own one.
Blindness and heedlessness are good when they
Help you spend time here—why prolong your stay?
They are both graces since they keep you here2610
To build your capital for when you’re near.
Too much is sickness with no remedy,
Poison for souls, haunting minds easily.
About a marketplace which person knows
Where one can buy a rose bush with one rose?
Where for one seed a hundred groves are sold?
A hundred mines bought with one scrap of gold?
‘He is for God ’ is when with scraps you pay,
So ‘God is for him ’* then comes into play,
Because our own unstable, weak existence2615
Emerged through the Eternal Maker’s essence,
So when the former dies in Him, it then
Becomes eternal and won’t die again.
It’s like a drop which dust and wind both scare
Because it perishes due to this pair.
When it dives in the sea, which is its source,
It flees winds, dust, and solar heat of course.
Inside the sea its form is lost from sight,
Its essence is preserved though, kept upright.
O drop, give up yourself without commotion,2620
With no regret, for you will gain an ocean.
Drop, give yourself this fine nobility,
The Masnavi, Book Four Page 20