The Masnavi, Book Three
Page 26
While Jacob, though a hundred miles away,
Could sense the scent of Joseph right away.
So many scholars do not have real learning—
They learn by rote and lack the lover’s burning,
3040
But from them others can perceive the scent:
A common listener too learns thus what’s meant,
Because with scholars that shirt’s just on loan,
Like slave-girls with the dealer—not his own:
They’re worthless to him if with him they stay—
He hopes to sell them all on the first day.
The Lord’s apportionment sends daily bread;
One’s share won’t go to someone else instead.
One man’s fine thought brought heaven for a day;
An ugly thought then blocked another’s way—
3045
God has made heaven from one thought, and He
Made hell’s fires from another similarly.
Who knows the way to His rose garden then,
Or to his furnace, which one of our men?
The heart’s guard cannot see well from his view
From which nook of the soul the thought first grew—
If it had seen its source, it would have sought
To block the way for each unpleasant thought.
How can its feet reach there when that location
Lies in Non-being, the furthest destination?
3050
Seize the hem of His grace, O my true kings,
The way the blind take ownership of things.
His hem is His commands and His decree—
Happy is he who lives obediently.
He lives in meadows with fresh streams that flow,
While one beside him lives with pain and woe,
Wondering, ‘Why does that man feel such savour?’
The former asks, ‘In whose gaol is my neighbour?
Why are you dry when there are springs around?
Why are you sick still when the cure’s been found?
3055
Neighbour, come to this garden now with me.’
He’ll answer, ‘I can’t come, unfortunately.’
Story about the prince and his slave who loved ritual prayer and had much intimacy with God through his prayer and invocations
A prince desired to take a bath one dawn
And shouted, ‘Sonqor, wake up now! Come on!
Fetch from Altun the flannel, bowl, and clay,
We’ll both go to the public baths today!’
Sonqor fetched all this list of things at once,
Then followed him with full obedience.
There was a mosque on this route and near there
Sonqor heard suddenly the call to prayer.
3060
Since he was keen to do each prayer, he said:
‘Great prince who treats slaves like his kin instead,
Would you mind waiting on that bench for me
While I perform the prayers deemed necessary?’
The worshippers and the imam who’d led
The prayers came out once all the prayers were said,
But his slave Sonqor still remained within,
So then the prince, whose patience now grew thin,
Called, ‘Sonqor, why have you not stepped outside?’
‘This Great One won’t let me!’ Sonqor replied,
3065
‘Wait a bit more, and I’ll be out of here.
I heed your words; they’re ringing in my ear.’
Seven times they repeated this that day,
Until the prince could not take more delay.
‘He won’t let me come to you, noble master!’
Was every time Sonqor’s repeated answer.
Then the prince shouted back, ‘The rest have gone;
Who’s holding you there, making you stay on?’
He’d say, ‘The same one who’s kept you outside
Has at the same time locked me up inside.
3070
That one who won’t allow you now to enter
Will not let me depart from this mosque either.
The one who won’t allow you to step in
Has shackled this wayfarer’s feet within.’
The sea won’t let its fish depart from it
And it won’t let land creatures enter it.
The fish’s source is water and theirs land.
Trickery’s pointless as are schemes you’ve planned—
The lock is strong; God is the only opener,
So strive to be content with full surrender.
3075
If every atom should become a key,
Still only God can open it—trust me.
Once you put all your schemes and tricks aside,
You’ll find new fortune from your Sufi guide.
Forget your self, to be remembered. Then,
You’ll be the slave who is set free again.
How the Prophets lost hope of being accepted and approved by the deniers. God has said, ‘Until when the messengers lose hope’*
The Prophets wondered, ‘How long shall we give
These people counsel on how they should live?
How long should one beat iron that’s still cold,
Or waste one’s breath when everything’s been told?’
3080
Fate is what makes a creature move and turn;
Teeth sharpen when the stomach starts to burn.
The First Soul brought the Second Soul forth,* and
Fish start to stink from heads down. Understand
And drive your ass as fast as possible—
God said, ‘Deliver!’* It’s not optional.
You don’t know which one of those two you’ll be—
Strive hard till you can see that easily.
When you load cargo on a ship, you do
That with full trust God keeps it safe for you.
3085
You don’t know which of those two—you might drown
Or else be saved from ever sinking down.
If you say, ‘Till I know which one I’ll be,
I won’t get on a ship or in the sea;
On this trip, I’ll be saved or I’ll get drowned—
Reveal in which group I’ll at last be found.
I won’t go on this trip with this misgiving
And slimmest hope like all the others leaving.’
No trade will be accomplished then by you,
Because the answer’s hidden far from view.
3090
The frightened merchant with a fragile nature
Finds neither loss nor profit in his venture.
Since he’s a wretch, he’ll suffer a sad plight;
Only if you eat flames will you find light.
All things depend on hope—spirituality
Is the best work, as through it you’ll break free.
You’re knocking on this door through hope’s directive
And God knows always what is most constructive.
Explanation of how the faith of an ordinary believer is based on fear and hope
Every trade’s motive is the hope for gain
Even if toil should make you suffer pain.
3095
Going down to the store to sell each morning
Is always with the hope to make a living:
If there’s no prospect, then why step outside?
Who can feel strong with fear they’ll be denied?
How can fear you’ll forever be without
Not make you hesitant to seek it out?
You say, ‘Although I fear I’ll be denied,
That fear gets worse if I’ve not even tried:
When I strive hard, my hope feels stronger, while
In idleness I face a harsher trial.’
3100
Why then in spiritual work, you doubting twit,
Does fear of loss prevent you seeking it?
Have you not see
n how in our marketplace
Prophets and saints gain profit and much grace?
Huge gold-mines opened when they reached this store,
And in this marketplace they’ve gained much more.
To Abraham the flames became obedient*
And waves bore Noah safely like a servant.*
Iron obeyed, melting in David’s hand;*
Wind turned to Solomon’s slave at his command.*
3105
Explanation of the Prophet’s saying ‘God has hidden friends’
Another group are hidden; they’re not known
To people who see outer form alone.
Though they possess all, nobody can see
A flash of their majestic sovereignty.
They and their miracles are in this realm;
Even Abdals don’t know the names of them.
Do you not know God’s bounties sent for you,
Such as when He says, ‘Come!’ to that realm too.
Every dimension here is from His grace;
There’s knowledge of Him every side you face.
3110
When someone generous says, ‘Enter the flame!’
Don’t say, ‘But I’ll get burnt.’ Go all the same!
Story about how Anas threw his napkin into an oven, but it did not burn*
Concerning Anas ben Malek, they say
That he was host to a fine guest one day.
Once they had eaten dinner, he remained,
And Anas saw the napkin had been stained
Yellow and dirty, so he turned and said,
‘Come and put it inside the oven, maid!’
Immediately, the wise maidservant threw
It in the oven as he’d told her to.
3115
Astonished guests could not believe their eyes—
They thought it must then burn and smoke would rise.
After a while she took it out again—
It was so clean and white, purged of that stain.
‘Companion of the Prophet,’ they then said,
‘How come it didn’t burn? It’s clean instead.’
‘Because the Prophet after meals would clean
His hands and lips on this cloth that you’ve seen.’
O heart which fire and torment fills with fear,
To such a hand and lips you must draw near.
3120
To an inert thing it gave such great honours—
Imagine what it shows to souls of lovers!
The Prophet made mere bricks the qebla,* so
Become like dust near glorious men who know!
They then asked the maidservant, ‘What’s your share,
Your own experience of this strange affair?
Why did you throw it in there at his whim
Even if mysteries are all known by him?
How could you throw a cloth worth such a lot
Into an oven that was flaming hot?’
3125
She said, ‘I have full trust in noble saviours
And I do not despair of their great favours.
What’s a mere napkin? If he should dictate:
“Step in the flames!” I wouldn’t hesitate.
I would jump in with no anxieties;
I have much faith in God’s true devotees.
What’s a napkin? I would myself dive in
When told by knowers whom I put trust in.’
Brother, apply this powerful elixir.
A man’s sincerity should be much stronger
3130
Than such a simple woman’s, otherwise
His heart’s less than a belly in our eyes.
Story about the Prophet Mohammad coming to the rescue of a caravan of Arabs, who due to thirst and drought had been stranded and had resolved to die, with both the men and the camels’ tongues hanging out
Once in a valley lived some Bedouins;
A drought had dried up all their water-skins.
Stranded inside the desert, all these men
Seemed like a caravan towards death, when
Mohammad, helper in both worlds, appeared
To give them help as a disaster neared.
He saw there a large caravan on sand
Which was so hot that it was hard to stand;
3135
Their camels left their long tongues hanging out,
And bodies of sick men were strewn about.
Moved, he told them, ‘Listen! Some of you
Run to those sandhills that I’m pointing to.
If you see a black man on camel-back
Taking his master water, which you lack,
Bring him and his steed also back to me—
Use force if it should turn out necessary.’
The scouts went to the sandhills without fear,
And soon they saw the following appear:
3140
A black slave on a camel carrying
A water-skin as present for his king.
They said to him, ‘The best of humans, who
Is best of creatures too has summoned you.’
The man said, ‘I don’t know him. Who’s that person?’
They answered, ‘He’s most fair and the most kind one.’
They praised his qualities as so diverse.
‘He sounds like that great poet with fine verse,
Who has subdued a group through sorcery—
I won’t approach such people’s company.’
3145
They therefore dragged him back against his will,
While he, enraged, would curse and wish them ill.
Once they had reached the Prophet, he decreed:
‘Drink up the water! Share with all in need!’
That one skin sated all the people there;
Even the camels drank with some to spare,
And from that he filled other skins up too—
Clouds swelled with envy at what he could do.
The water from just one skin, when it poured,
Extinguished flames in hell which wildly roared.
3150
From just one skin did any person see
Several skins filled up so easily?
It was the waves of grace, veiled by the skins,
Arriving from the Sea of Origins.*
Water, when boiled, endures evaporation,
While steam, once cooled down, starts its condensation.
Rather, without cause or mere cleverness
God makes the water out of nothingness.
As you’ve viewed causes since you were created,
Through ignorance on causes you’re fixated
3155
And, heedless of the Actual Causer, you
Prefer to have such veils obstruct your view.
Once causes vanish, you will beat your head
And cry, ‘Our Lord, Our Lord!’ in utter dread.
‘Go to the cause you love!’ God will advise,
‘You witness My work now? What a surprise!’
‘From now on I will give you full attention,
And disregard that cause and its deception.’
God says, ‘If sent back, they’d do that again’*—
They’re unrepentant, weak, and faithless men,
3160
But I won’t look at that although I know:
My mercy’s full and that’s what I’ll bestow.
Your broken pledges also I’ll ignore
To give you gifts now, since you call once more.’
This act raised in the caravan commotion:
‘What’s this, Mohammad? You, who seem an ocean,
Turned water-skins to veils that can astound;
You’ve left both Kurd and Arab fully drowned.’
How he filled the water-skin of that slave from the Unseen with water miraculously, and also turned that black slave’s face white, with God’s permission
‘Slave, check your water-skin now. It is full,
So you�
�ve no reason to complain at all.’
3165
The black slave, stunned by this proof, saw the dawn
Of his faith from beyond, as if reborn:
He saw a fountain gushing through the air,
His flask the veil for grace sent from up there.
He tore apart the veils that hid that vision
To see directly the Unseen’s own fountain.
This made the slave’s eyes fill with tears, and he
Forgot his home and master totally.
He lost the strength to move ahead at all;
God sent a tremor deep inside his soul.
3170
The Prophet drew him back for his own good,
Saying, ‘Wake up! Move on to where you should.