The Masnavi, Book Three

by Jalal al-Din Rumi

  I’m blind to all apart from God. I see

  Through Him—this is what love makes necessary.

  2365

  God, You can tell that I’m not blind at all.

  I circle round Your Grace, Pivot of all.

  To truthful Joseph, dreams of this rare sort

  You showed and they became his firm support—

  Your Grace has shown to me a dream that way;

  My ceaseless prayer was not just pointless play.

  Those people didn’t know my secret. They

  Consider as mere drivel what I say.

  That’s their right, for just God knows the Unseen;

  He hides our flaws, but knows all that has been.’

  2370

  ‘Look at me! Tell the truth!’ the owner said,

  ‘Why are you looking at the sky instead?

  You are deceiving and committing fraud,

  Claiming love and proximity to God.

  What nerve you have to face the sky above!

  Your heart is deaf, so how can it feel love?’

  This caused a clamour to rise all around,

  While that man put his head down to the ground

  To pray, ‘O God, don’t put this slave to shame—

  Don’t show my soul, even if I’m to blame!

  2375

  You know all aspects—those long nights when I

  In neediness would call on you and cry.

  Though this to them has no worth, in your sight

  This is a burning torch that still shines bright.’

  David listens to the two adversaries and interrogates the accused

  When Prophet David finally came out,

  He asked, ‘What is this quarrel all about?’

  ‘Prophet of God, be just!’ the plaintiff said,

  ‘We found my cow in this man’s house instead.

  Please ask him why he dared to kill my cow—

  Demand an explanation from him now.’

  2380

  David told him, ‘Speak up and answer me:

  Why did you ruin this man’s property?

  Don’t spout out nonsense, but bring evidence,

  So that this case can be resolved at once.’

  ‘O Prophet David,’ the accused man said,

  ‘For seven years all day and night I prayed:

  “O God give lawful sustenance!” I’d pray,

  “Which won’t need me to struggle any way.”

  Everyone knows about my wailing, and

  Children can give accounts too, at first hand.

  2385

  Ask anyone you please, and you’ll hear then

  The truth without the need to torture men.

  Ask openly, and then in secret too:

  “What did that ragged beggar say to you?”

  After all of my groans and constant prayer,

  A cow appeared in my home from thin air.

  My eyes dimmed, not because of food, for I

  Instead felt joy my prayer drew that reply.

  I killed it, to give it in thanks instead

  To Him Who knows and heard the prayer I said.’

  2390

  Prophet David gives judgment against the killer of the cow

  David said, ‘Wash away such talk at once

  And show your argument’s firm evidence

  Without such proof would you permit me to

  Establish a wrong precedent for you?

  Who gave you it? Did you buy or inherit?

  Are you a farmer? How then will you profit?

  Earning is just like farming: you must sow

  The seeds to claim the plants that later grow.

  You only reap what has been sown by you,

  Otherwise claims against you are all true.

  2395

  Go and pay that man! Don’t lie or pretend!

  Get a loan if you must. My rules won’t bend.’

  He answered, ‘King, when you say I’m to blame,

  Don’t you know wicked men said just the same?’

  The pauper prayed earnestly to God against David’s judgment

  He then prostrated, praying: ‘God, please show

  To David’s heart my burning, which you know!

  Put in his heart what into mine You sent

  Secretly, Lord. You are munificent.’

  He wept aloud then, hoping desperately

  That David’s heart might feel some sympathy.

  2400

  David replied, ‘You who want back your cow,

  Give me some peace; ease off a little now,

  So I can be alone and ask in prayer

  God, Who knows all the facts of each affair.

  I’m used to His attention when I pray.

  “My joy’s in ritual prayer”* fits what I say.

  My own soul’s window’s open; purity

  Brings God’s Book with no intermediary.

  The Book, the rain, and light all enter in

  My house through it, from where they all begin.

  2405

  Call windowless homes “hell”—that is their name;

  To make such windows is our faith’s main aim—

  Don’t use your axe to make things other than

  A window like this if you’re a real man.

  Or don’t you know that solar rays in view

  Reflect the Unseen Sun’s rays veiled to you.

  You’ve only seen the light that beasts can see,

  So how then was Man honoured?* Answer me.

  Just like the sun, I’m plunged as well in light

  And can’t discern myself, try as I might.

  2410

  My solitude and going off to pray

  Is just to teach the people here the way.

  I’d do things wrongly to make this world right—

  The Prophet’s saying “War’s a cheat” sheds light.

  There’s no permission, otherwise we’d see

  It pour out of the Sea of Mystery.’

  David continued speaking in this way,

  Making men’s brains desire to burn away

  He felt his collar grabbed at suddenly,

  And heard: ‘I don’t dispute God’s unity.’

  2415

  He came back to his wits and stopped his speech,

  Then left for a retreat beyond their reach.

  David goes into seclusion so that the truth is revealed

  David then closed the door. Alone in there

  He hurried to the niche to say a prayer.

  God showed him the whole story and he learnt

  Just who deserved to get the punishment.

  The litigants came back on the next day,

  Forming a line in front of him. Their fray

  Continued as before: each one would scream,

  Cursing the other one to the extreme.

  2420

  David gives judgment against the owner of the cow, saying he should withdraw his case about the cow, and the owner condemns David

  David said to the plaintiff: ‘Leave here now.

  Absolve this man concerning your old cow;

  Seeing as God has covered up for you,

  Give the right to discretion to him too.’

  He screamed, ‘What kind of justice? Woe is me!

  Is this new law made for me specially?

  Your justice’s fame left, and now it flies,

  Perfuming distant lands and different skies.

  Blind dogs get treatment that is far more just;

  Mountains, at this, would crumble into dust.’

  2425

  Like this he kept on cursing publicly:

  ‘Everyone wake up to this tyranny!’

  David gives judgment against the owner of the cow, saying: ‘Give all you own to him!’

  David then told the plaintiff, ‘Stubborn man,

  Give him your wealth as quickly as you can,

  Or it will be worse still. I have told you

  So he can’t brin
g your cruelty in plain view.’

  He poured dust on his own head, ripped his garment,

  And said, ‘You make the cruelty worse each moment.’

  He then reproached pure David as before,

  So David chose to summon him once more.

  2430

  ‘Since it was not your fortune,’ David said

  ‘Your wickedness will now be shown instead.

  You climbed the ranks by shitting as you pass—

  May twigs and hay be saved from such an ass!

  Begone! Your wife and children from today

  Will be his slaves. Don’t speak, but just obey.’

  He slammed a rock against his breast and ran

  Up and down stupefied, a desperate man.

  Others came to complain too, unaware

  Of all the hidden facts of this affair.

  2435

  How could those mocked by lust as if they’re straw

  Tell wronged from guilty just by what they saw?

  Tyrant and victim are distinguished by

  One who has chopped his self, so it will die.

  The tyrant is that self. Insanity

  Will make it be each victim’s enemy.

  Always that dog attacks a desperate man;

  It wounds such men as wildly as it can.

  Lions feel shame, but not dogs. Lions don’t prey

  On their own neighbours in a dog-like way.

  2440

  The victim-killing, tyrant-loving pack

  Harangued him in their dog-self’s wild attack—

  Confronting David, they said, ‘Chosen one,

  Prophet who feels the pain of everyone,

  This is unworthy of you and unfair;

  You’ve punished someone guiltless—don’t you care?’

  David resolves to summon the people to a field, in order to reveal the hidden truth and end all arguments

  David said, ‘Friends, the time has come to show

  You all this hidden secret, so you’ll know.

  Arise all of you, and we’ll go to see

  The truth about this hidden mystery.

  2445

  There is a huge tree in a certain plain

  With branches arched like roofs to block the rain,

  And like a tent with pegs entrenched in mud—

  From its deep roots I sense the smell of blood.

  At this fine tree there was a most foul murder—

  This wretched man in cold blood killed his master.

  God’s clemency till now kept it concealed;

  Ingratitude means it will be revealed.

  He paid that master’s family no heed,

  Neither on the New Year, nor even Eid.

  2450

  He didn’t try to bring them food at all;

  His debt to them he chose not to recall.

  This wicked man because of just one cow

  Knocked his descendants to the ground till now.

  He’s lifted by himself the veil which hid

  His sin—the Lord had hidden what he did.’

  Infidels in this age, when woe prevails,

  Tear open by themselves their own sins’ veils.

  Wrongdoing is kept secret by the soul,

  Yet the wrongdoer will expose it all,

  2455

  Boasting, ‘Look here—I’ve grown new horns now too!

  Behold, the bull of hell is in plain view!’

  Hands, feet, and tongue testify concerning the hidden truth about the cruel person even in this world

  Even here now your hands and feet won’t lie;

  About your misdeeds they will testify.

  Your conscience then advises you this tack:

  ‘Divulge what you believe and don’t hold back!’

  In angry arguments especially,

  It hangs your secrets out for all to see.

  Since your adviser was your cruel oppression,

  Which said, ‘Now hands and feet give a confession’;

  2460

  And since your secret’s witness leads you, then

  While raging for revenge against all men,

  The One Who makes your conscience direct you

  Can raise your secret’s banner in plain view.

  On Judgment Day That One can still create

  More supervisors to divulge your state.

  You who’ve shown spite and cruelty and won’t rest

  Will not need this—your nature’s manifest.

  For cruelty you don’t need more infamy—

  They know your fiery conscience intimately.

  2465

  Your soul each second flashes new sparks out,

  ‘I’m from the men of fire!’ it longs to shout.

  I’m part of fire, returning to my whole,

  Not light, which goes to God like a pure soul.*

  The one who failed to recognize God now

  Had hidden things because he stole the cow.

  He’d taken cows and camels from the other—

  The self’s like this—cut your ties to it, brother!

  To God he never showed humility,

  And never wept, ‘O Lord, do this for me:

  2470

  Make my own victim happy through Your Grace;

  If I harmed him, give him gain in its place!

  If I’ve escaped, my blood-price then will be

  On You my guardian for eternity.’

  For that pearl he won’t even give a stone;

  The self’s injustice is what we make known.

  The People go out to that tree

  When all the people finally reached the tree,

  David said, ‘Bind his hands fast now for me,

  To show his sin and crime to all of you

  And raise the flag of justice right here too.

  2475

  He left the other’s grandfather for dead;

  This slave thereby became a lord instead.

  You killed your master, then you took away

  His property—God’s shown this clear as day.

  Your wife had been his handmaid previously,

  But treated him with you so grievously.

  Whatever child she bore from him, each one

  Is now his heir, each daughter and each son.

  You are a slave; your wealth is really his.

  You sought the law—take it, for here it is.

  2480

  You killed your master cruelly over there

  While he kept on appealing, “Please beware!”

  You buried then your knife here with much haste,

  Due to the scary phantom which you faced.

  Behold! The weapon and his skull are here—

  Dig up the ground and it will soon appear.

  You’ll find etched on the knife this vile dog’s name—

  He’d schemed to harm his master with no shame.’

  They dug a hole, as ordered, in the ground,

  And very soon the knife and skull were found.

  2485

  They started screaming, shocked at what they’d found,

  Severing doubt’s girdle that they’d tightly bound.

  ‘Come, justice seeker, now!’ David then said,

  ‘Take your own justice with your vile, shamed head!’

  David orders retribution against the murderer after his conviction

  David ordered equal reprisals then.

  God’s knowledge can’t be overcome by men.

  Though we gain from God’s kindnesses, He will

  Expose us if we overdo it still.

  Blood never sleeps; in every heart one finds

  Desire to solve what challenges all minds.

  2490

  Persistence from God’s own preordained plan

  Brings it forth from the conscience of each man.

  They ask, ‘What happened to him? He’s okay?’

  Just as the plant will sprout from soil one day,

  Boiling of blood provokes investigation,
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  Through pricking consciences and plain discussion.

  Once that man’s deeds were shown, though none had guessed,

  The miracle was doubly manifest.

  Bareheaded people came from all around

  And humbly touched their foreheads to the ground:

  2495

  ‘We’ve acted just like the congenitally blind,

  Though we’d seen wonders from you of this kind:

  Once you were spoken to by a mere stone,

  Saying: “Take me with you to Saul. Don’t go alone!”

  You went with just a sling and three stones there,

  Slew thousands with a shot beyond compare:

  Your stones would shatter, forming thousands more,

  Each slaying there a foe;* and years before

  Iron became wax in your hands when you

  Made chain-mail you’d been specially taught to do.*