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The Masnavi, Book Three

Page 17

by Jalal al-Din Rumi


  Small pools seem oceans to his faulty vision.

  If he can’t see the way, how then can he

  Serve as your guide and lead you to the sea?

  Once he joins with the sea, then from that moment

  He can lead you like streams or like a torrent.

  If now he calls to God, it’s imitation,

  Not through His vision, aid, and revelation.

  1815

  The shaikh’s wife said, ‘If you now pity men

  Like shepherds with their flocks, tell me why then

  Do you not mourn your own son’s shortened life

  Now death, the bleeder, has employed its knife?

  The proof of sympathy is in the eye—

  Why are your eyes without tears and stone dry?’

  The shaikh turned to his wife and said, ‘O woman,

  Winter is not like summer—that’s for certain:

  Whether they’re dead or living still, how can

  They ever leave the heart’s eye of this man?

  1820

  Since they appear here clearly in my view,

  Why should I twist my face round just like you?

  Though they now be beyond time, still near me

  They keep on playing just as previously.

  Weeping is due to separation’s pain,

  But joined with my dear ones I still remain.

  Others may see them in their sleep, but I

  Can see them while awake with my own eye.

  From this world I can hide myself, you see,

  Scattering the senses’ leaves all from their tree.’

  1825

  Sensation’s intellect’s own prisoner;

  Intellect’s spirit’s in ways similar—

  The spirit sets the intellect’s hands free

  And it resolves its problems easily.

  Senses and thoughts are like weeds that flow past

  On the pure water’s surface where they’re cast:

  Intellect’s hand sweeps those weeds to the side,

  So wisdom can see water which they hide.

  The weeds are on the stream as a thick layer—

  Once they’re swept off, water can be seen there.

  1830

  If God did not free intellect’s strong hand,

  Due to desire the weeds would then expand,

  Covering the water up—then all the while

  Intellect would keep weeping and lust smile;

  Once piety has chained desire’s two hands,

  God then sets free the intellect’s strong hands.

  Thus, powerful senses follow your decree

  When intellect’s your master totally:

  While you’re awake God makes your senses sleep

  To make appear unseen things hidden deep

  1835

  Inside the soul; awake, through dream-like vision,

  You then can open up the gates of heaven.

  Story about how a blind shaikh would read the Qur’an in front of him and regain his vision as he read

  Once in the past that shaikh saw a Qur’an

  Inside the home of a blind holy man.

  One summer he had been there as his guest;

  Together there the two would talk and rest.

  He thought, ‘How strange—there’s a Qur’an! But why

  When this good dervish lacks a seeing eye?’

  Then his bewilderment from this fact grew:

  ‘No one else comes to visit like I do!

  1840

  There’s a Qur’an on his shelf though he’s blind.

  I am not wrong; I haven’t lost my mind!

  Shall I ask? No. I should stay patient here

  So that, through patience, my aims will appear.’

  He held back; for a while he felt unease

  Till he heard: ‘Patience is the key to ease.’

  How Loqman saw Prophet David making iron rings, but refrained from asking him about it because he bore in mind that ‘Patience will lead to the resolving of the question’

  Loqman once came near David and he saw

  Him making rings from iron and felt awe.

  He then observed as well that lofty king

  Linking together every single ring.

  1845

  He’d never seen coat-mail being made before,

  So he was curious to discover more.

  ‘What is this? Shall I ask?’ he contemplated,

  ‘With these joined rings what have you now created?’

  Then he reflected, ‘Patience is the best

  Approach, and reaches your goals earliest.’

  When you don’t ask it is made manifest—

  Patience’s bird is faster than the rest.

  It will take longer if you choose to ask;

  Impatience turns ease to an arduous task.

  1850

  Loqman stayed silent, so immediately

  David’s work was completed, and then he

  Put on the coat of mail that he had made

  In front of patient Loqman, who had stayed.

  ‘This garment is so worthwhile, you should know,

  For your protection from each combat blow.’

  ‘Patience is too,’ Loqman said once secure,

  ‘For it protects against pain you’d endure.’

  Patience and truth are paired together, friend—

  Read closely ‘By the time’* until the end!

  1855

  God has made numerous cures, but none can claim

  They’ve seen a cure like patience all the same.

  Remainder of the story about the blind man and the Qur’an

  The guest was patient as he’d taken heed

  And so the problem was resolved with speed.

  That night he could hear somebody recite

  The pure Qur’an, then saw a stunning sight:

  The blind man reading it without a flaw—

  He couldn’t wait more, so enquired in awe:

  ‘Amazing! How, blind man, are you reciting?

  How can you possibly see holy writing?

  1860

  You have read out the verses of your choosing;

  To keep your place your finger too you’re using—

  Your moving finger proves that I’m not lying:

  You see the script on which you are relying.’

  ‘You who’ve left ignorance,’ that man replied,

  ‘By God’s work why are you now mystified?

  I prayed, “You from Whom we seek help in strife,

  I’m hungry to recite as though for life.

  I don’t know it by heart; when I recite

  Grant my eyes vision through Your Perfect Light.

  1865

  For that short time return to me my vision,

  So I can read Your Pure Book with precision.”

  From God then came the cry: “Industrious fellow,

  Who keeps faith in me during every sorrow,

  You have good thoughts and live with the desire

  That every moment you might hear, ‘Rise higher!’

  Whenever you hold the Qur’an to read,

  Or to inspect the texts if you feel need,

  I will restore your vision at that moment—

  Venerable man, to me you are important.”

  1870

  He has done this, so every time that I

  Wish to read the Qur’an we magnify,

  The One Who misses naught, for He’s informed,

  The Noble King by Whom all things were formed,

  That Peerless King restores for me my sight

  At once like lamps which brighten the dark night.’

  That’s why God’s Friends will make no protestation:

  For what He takes He soon sends compensation.

  If He burns down your vineyard, grapes are sent;

  He sends you joy when He sees you lament.

  1875

  He gives a hand to someone who’s lost his

  An
d makes hearts filled with grief receive sheer bliss.

  Thoughts of ‘We won’t submit’ have gone away,

  Since what is lost now He will soon repay.

  Warmth comes without fire when He should desire,

  So I’m content if He puts out my fire;

  When He gives light without lamps, why should you

  Fret if you lose your lamp as fools would do?

  Description of some Friends of God who are content with God’s decrees and do not pray, ‘Change this decree!’

  Hear from me now the following description

  Of wayfarers who feel no opposition:

  1880

  They’re different from those saints who supplicate,

  Who sew then tear, alter, and then rotate.

  I know these other Friends of God whose station

  Means that their lips are closed to supplication:

  Due to contentment that these Friends possess,

  Attempting to change fate’s unfaithfulness.

  From fate they taste a special ecstasy,

  So it’s unfaithful to seek liberty.

  God’s made His good opinion of them known,

  So they don’t wear dark mourning clothes and mourn.

  1885

  Bohlul questions a dervish

  Bohlul once asked a dervish, ‘How are you?

  Dervish, please tell me of what interests you.’

  The dervish answered, ‘How should someone be

  For whom the world’s work’s done perpetually,

  For whose wish torrents and all rivers flow,

  Whenever he should wish the stars all glow,

  And for whom life and death are officers

  Who move around whenever he prefers?

  He sends condolences at times he pleases,

  Congratulations too as hardship eases;

  1890

  If he wills wayfarers can move ahead

  Or fall astray inside his snare instead.

  In this world no mouth ever smiled, you see,

  Unless it was approved as his decree.’

  Bohlul said, ‘King, your words are true and blest,

  For in your radiance this is manifest,

  This and much more besides, veracious man,

  But please explain as clearly as you can

  Such that both wise and foolish people too

  Will readily accept what’s claimed by you.

  1895

  Put it now into words appropriate

  For ordinary men to benefit.’

  The perfect speaker offers food for minds—

  His table has food of all different kinds,

  So that no guest will be without provision,

  Each finding there the source of his nutrition,

  Like the Qur’an, because its seven layers

  Give common folk and the elite their shares.

  The dervish said, ‘The masses understand

  At least that this world follows God’s command:

  1900

  No leaf will ever drop off from a tree

  Unless it is the King of Fate’s decree.

  No morsel passes from the mouth below

  Until God tells it, ‘Enter! You can go.’

  Men’s inclinations form their reins which lead

  The way desired by He Who has no need.

  On earth as in the heavens, as you’ll learn,

  No atom moves a wing and no leaves turn

  Save by the Lord’s eternal firm command—

  But how can one make others understand?

  1905

  Who can count all the leaves there on the branches?

  How can mere speech encompass what is boundless?

  Hear this much: the occurrence of each action

  Is just by means of the Creator’s sanction,

  And once the slave’s content with God’s decree,

  He then becomes its servant willingly,

  Not as a burden, nor for recompense,

  But from his virtuous nature’s excellence.

  He wants his life for his own sake no more;

  A life of pleasure’s not what he lives for.

  1910

  Whenever God’s command is what dictates,

  Life and death are the same to him as fates.

  He lives for God’s sake and not for mere wealth;

  He dies for God’s sake, not due to ill health.

  His faith is for God’s sake; he aims to please.

  That’s not for paradise with streams and trees.

  For God too he abandons unbelief,

  Not out of fear of hell, nor for relief,

  And not through taking on forced discipline—

  His nature was that way in origin.

  1915

  He laughs the moment he sees God content;

  He views as sweetest candy fate that’s sent.

  When God’s slave’s character takes such a form

  To his command the world must then conform.

  Why should he pray to God and remonstrate,

  Saying: ‘O Lord, please change this bitter fate!’

  His and his children’s deaths are not of note

  For him, like something pleasant down his throat;

  This faithful man compares their agony

  With how sweets give poor old men ecstasy,

  1920

  So why should he resort to supplication

  Unless he sees this cause God’s satisfaction?

  His supplication and his intercession

  Are not due to that pure man’s own compassion,

  Which was consumed that day when from above

  God lit up the bright lamp of His slave’s love.

  Love is hell-fire for attributes—that flare

  Has burned his attributes to the last hair.

  How can night travellers fathom this distinction,

  Except Daquqi,* who rose in this fortune?

  1925

  Story about Daquqi and his miracles

  Daquqi was so handsome and well dressed,

  Lover of God with miracles so blest.

  He walked the way the moon glides by at night;

  Through him night travellers’ spirits all grow bright.

  For long in one place he would seldom stay,

  Spending in every village just one day.

  ‘If I stay in one place two days,’ he said,

  ‘Love for that dwelling might then turn my head.

  Don’t be seduced by dwellings, soul, take heed!

  Travel to independence from all need.

  1930

  I won’t attach my heart to one location,

  So it stays pure for its examination.’

  By day he travelled and by night he prayed;

  Falcon-like on the king his focus stayed,

  Cut off from men, not due to bad within him,

  Nor dualism born of egotism,

  Compassionate to creatures, intercessor

  Whose prayers would always soon receive an answer,

  Refuge to good and bad and always generous,

  Better than both your parents and more precious.

  1935

  The Prophet said, ‘Dear men, like fathers do,

  Compassionately I sympathize with you.

  Because you are all parts of me—why then

  Separate small parts from the whole again?’

  Once severed that part’s useless. Can’t you see

  A severed limb’s just carrion tragically?

  It’s dead unless it joins the whole once more;

  Of life it has no knowledge any more.

  Even if it should move, what would that prove?

  The freshly severed limb can also move.

  1940

  And if the severed part falls, nonetheless

  The whole won’t then become a portion less.

  One can’t explain with words these mysteries;

  Comparisons have their inadequacies.

  Resumption o
f the story about Daquqi

  The Prophet once compared his friend Ali

  To lions, though he’s different actually.

  From likeness, difference, and comparison

  Head to Daquqi’s story now—move on!

  That jurist–chief for his community

  Excelled the angels too in piety,

  1945

  Moved with more measure than the moon; how jealous

  Religion felt to see one so religious;

  Though he would pray and show much piety,

  He’d seek out God’s elite still constantly:

  His main aim on his travels was to meet

  For just a moment one of God’s elite,

  So he would pray while travelling: ‘God, let me

  Become familiar with that company.

 

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