The Masnavi, Book Three

by Jalal al-Din Rumi

It isn’t now the time to be perplexed—

  Move quickly on. That state will greet you next.’

  He pulled the Prophet’s hands then to his face

  And kissed them lovingly as filled with grace.

  The Prophet rubbed them on his face some more

  And this helped him gain fortune from his store:

  As a result, the black slave then turned white,

  Moonlike, or like the day; his night turned bright,

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  Handsome as Joseph, charming like him as well—

  The Prophet said, ‘Go, share what you’ve to tell.’

  Witless and drunk, he went along his route,

  Unable even to tell head from foot;

  Then, with full water-skins, that transformed man

  Approached his master from the caravan.

  The master sees his slave, who is now white, and does not recognize him, so he says, ‘You’ve killed my slave. Blood has incriminated you and God has put you in my hands’

  The master saw him nearing, grew perplexed,

  Then summoned all to witness what comes next:

  ‘This is my camel and my water-skin,

  But where’s my black slave and what harm’s he in?

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  A white man now draws near from far away;

  His face is so white, it lights up the day.

  Where is my slave? Is he strange in the head

  Out in the desert? Have wolves left him dead?’

  His slave approached and he asked, ‘Who’s this man?

  Are you a Yemenite or Turcoman?

  What did you do to my slave? Truthfully

  Tell me if you killed him—no trickery!’

  ‘If I’d killed him, would I have now come near

  By choice to meet my own death over here?’

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  ‘Where is my slave?’ ‘I’m standing here! God’s grace

  Transformed me, changed to white my old black face.’

  ‘What are you saying? Where’s my slave? Tell me

  The truth, for nothing else can set you free.’

  He said, ‘Your secrets with your slave I’ll share

  One by one, so you’ll see and then be fair:

  Since when you bought me, all that has occurred

  Between us I’ll relate till you’ve concurred,

  So you’ll know I’m the same slave actually,

  Though from dark night a dawn rose suddenly.’

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  His colour changed, a holy spirit though

  Transcends all forms and colours from below.

  Those fixed on bodies lose us due to that—

  Those who drink water miss out on the vat.

  Those who know souls aren’t bound by quantities;

  Immersed in seas they’re free from qualities.

  Become all soul! Know soul through soul’s own way!

  Be vision’s friend, not reasoning’s child, today!

  When intellect and angel share their source,

  And take two forms as part of wisdom’s course,

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  The angel having gained wings like a dove,

  While intellect’s gained splendour from above—

  They both become supporters of each other,

  Handsome-faced ones, each helping like a brother.

  God gives to both divine intoxication,

  So each helps Man and offers a prostration.

  The self and Satan were originally

  As one, Man’s envier and enemy:

  Those who saw Man as body turned away;

  Those who saw trusted light bowed straight away.

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  The latter gained from this act clearest vision;

  The former saw just clay, and chose derision.

  This speech is stuck just like an ass on ice.

  Who’d read to Jews the Gospels as advice?

  Can one speak of Omar to Shi’ites then?*

  Or play the lute to satisfy deaf men?

  But if there’s someone rare who comprehends,

  This tumult I’ve raised will suffice him, friends.

  For one fit for the teaching, brick and stone

  Will speak and make the grounded truths well known.

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  Explaining that whatever God has bestowed and created of the heavens and the earth, and essences and accidents, He created it all at the demand of a need. One must make oneself in need of something for Him to give it, as He has said: ‘Is it not He Who answers the distressed one when he prays?’* Distress is the proof of worthiness

  It was once Mary’s need and pain that led

  Her newborn to stun men with what he said.*

  Part of her spoke independently—

  All one’s parts have their speech mysteriously.

  Your hands and feet bear witness at the trial

  Against you—why still use them for denial?

  If you’re not fit for speech and information,

  The speaker leaves you for a new location.

  Whatever grew did so through need, my friend,

  As seekers find what they seek in the end.

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  And God has made the heavens, simply so

  He can remove all need felt down below.

  Whenever there’s a pain, the remedy

  Comes there; provisions come to poverty.

  To where there is a problem comes the answer;

  To where the boat is docked flows gushing water.

  Acquire thirst and stop searching here and there

  For water—it will then gush everywhere.

  The tender-throated baby is born first,

  Then milk flows from the breast to quench its thirst.

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  Go, race through highs and lows, so you can meet

  Deep thirst and be a victim of the heat—

  Then, through the bee’s sound in the air near you,

  You’ll savour sounds of flowing streams here too.

  Your need’s not less than that of plants—you take

  Some water also for your own soul’s sake:

  You take it with your ear and draw mere drops

  To give relief to all the dried-up crops:

  Kawsar’s water fills clouds of kindnesses*

  For the soul’s crops and hidden essences,

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  So that ‘Their Lord gave them to drink’* is read—

  Be thirsty. ‘God knows best what’s right,’ they’ve said.

  That infidel woman comes with her baby near Mustafa, and it speaks like Jesus about the miracles of the Prophet

  From that same village then an infidel

  Came near to test the Prophet once as well.

  Wearing a veil, she neared him and kept hold

  Of her own baby, who was two months old.

  The baby spoke, ‘God grant His peace to you.

  We’ve come to you, God’s Prophet, since you’re true.’

  ‘Shut up!’ its mother shouted angrily.

  ‘Who put into your ears that testimony?

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  Who taught you this, small child who’s still so young,

  Making so talkative your infant tongue?’

  It answered, ‘God taught me, then Gabriel:

  He utters this and I join in as well.’

  She asked, ‘Where is He?’ ‘There above your head.

  Can’t you now see? Look up!’ her baby said.

  Gabriel now hovers over you, and he

  Serves as a guide in numerous ways for me.

  ‘Can you see him?’ ‘Of course, he’s over you

  And radiant as the full moon in my view.

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  He’s teaching me the Prophet’s qualities,

  And through this raising me from depths like these.’

  The Prophet asked it, ‘Baby, now tell me

  What your name is—speak up obediently!’

  ‘My name’s “Abd al-Aziz” in God’s own real
m,

  But “Abd al-Ozza” with vile men like them.*

  I am clean rid of “Ozza” now for good

  Through God, who gave to you your Prophethood.’

  That two-month-old, bright as the full moon, said

  Mature truths like those from the circle’s head.*

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  A scent that moment wafted down from heaven;

  Mother and child both breathed that fresh scent in then,

  And said, ‘It is much better than to fall

  To lay before this fragrance one’s own soul.’

  To one whom God grants true intelligence

  Plants and inanimates give evidence;

  He whom God gives protection will soon see

  Birds and fish guard his own security.

  How an eagle seized the Prophet’s boot and flew away with it until a black snake fell out of it

  And then the Prophet heard the call to prayer

  As they talked; it resounded in the air.

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  He sought some water for ablutions and,

  Though cold, he washed his face and then each hand.

  After he’d washed his feet, he saw his boot

  Get snatched away as if it was some loot.

  He reached for his boot in the usual way,

  But from his hand a bird snatched it away;

  Just like the wind that eagle then flew out

  Of reach, and emptied it—a snake fell out.

  When that boot was upturned, a big snake fell,

  Making that eagle blessed since it meant well.

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  The eagle then returned with it back there,

  Saying, ‘Come, take it. Then perform your prayer.

  Out of necessity I dared to do

  This act, though I feel powerless next to you.

  Woe to those who would trespass brazenly

  Through their desire and not necessity!’

  The Prophet thanked the bird and then he said:

  ‘What we thought cruelty was support instead.

  I felt annoyed when you snatched like a thief;

  Though you took pain away, I then felt grief.

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  Though every unseen thing’s been clarified

  For me, my heart was then preoccupied.’

  The bird said, ‘Negligence be far from you!

  From your reflection it came to my view;

  If I see snakes in your boots from the air

  It’s your reflection which casts it up there.’

  The Friend of God’s reflection’s a bright flash;

  The dark-souled one’s worse than a pile of ash.

  God’s slave’s reflection’s luminous, you’ll find,

  While the outsider’s makes one wholly blind.

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  Discern each one’s reflection, soul, then sit

  Next to the sort you find appropriate.

  The way to learn a lesson from this story and knowing for sure that ‘with hardship there’s ease’*

  A lesson’s in this tale, soul; its intent

  Is that with God’s decree you be content,

  So you’ll be clever, and think positively

  Even when you face bad things suddenly.

  Others turn pale with fear, but you will smile

  Like roses at both gain and loss’s trial.

  People tear petals off fine roses, yet

  Roses don’t cease to smile nor feel upset—

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  Each says, ‘Why let a thorn make me forlorn?

  I have produced a smile due to that thorn.’

  If you lose something due to fate’s decree,

  It will redeem you from calamity.

  What’s Sufism? To find such happiness

  Inside your heart when you should feel distress.

  View His chastisement like that bird, the taker

  Of that old boot from one with the best nature,

  All so his foot would not endure a bite—

  The intellect that’s cleared of dust gains light.

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  God said, ‘Don’t grieve for what you cannot keep,*

  What you lose when the wolf devours your sheep,’

  For that loss staves off a much greater sorrow,

  And this loss blocks a bigger loss tomorrow.

  A man asks Moses to teach him the language of animals and birds

  A young man once asked Moses, ‘Will you teach

  Me languages the beasts use for their speech,

  So from their howls and their hullabaloo

  I can learn lessons for my own faith too?

  Since the whole point of all Man’s languages

  Is to gain water, bread, and cleverness,

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  Animals may see in a different way

  The pain of time and how life fades away.’

  ‘Begone, abandon this wish,’ Moses said,

  ‘For it holds danger all round up ahead.

  Seek lessons and awareness from the Lord,

  Not from the speech or writings some men hoard.’

  But this rebuff made that man grow more keen;

  People react this way, as you’ll have seen.

  He said, ‘Moses, ever since your light’s shone,

  All things have gained much from you, every one—

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  Denying me what I desire this once

  Would therefore not suit your munificence.

  In this you truly are God’s deputy,

  So how can you cause pain depriving me?’

  Moses prayed, ‘Lord, it seems that Satan has

  Turned this poor simpleton into an ass.

  If I teach him, it will harm him; if I

  Do not, then I’ll have hurt his heart thereby.’

  God said, ‘Moses, teach him, for Our kind way

  Is not to turn down men when they should pray.’

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  ‘But this will make that man feel so dejected

  He’ll bite his own hand!’ Moses then objected.

  For all men power may not be suitable;

  Weakness gives godly men more capital:

  Eternal pride then comes with poverty;

  The unattaining hand gains piety.

  He will reject wealth and the wealthy too,

  For self-denial keeps power far from you.

  Weakness and poverty give men protection

  Against the greedy self’s own tribulation.

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  Desire for more leads to anxiety;

  The ghoul’s prey now feel that habitually.

  Eaters of clay always desire clay sadly;

  These pitiful ones can’t digest rose-candy.

  Revelation comes down from God telling Moses to teach him what he appeals for, or part of it at least

  God answered, ‘Grant his need; release his hand,

  So he will choose once he can understand.

  The salt of worship is a will that’s free,

  Or else the heavens turn unwillingly:

  Such turning doesn’t earn a single thing,

  Free will alone counts at the Reckoning.

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  All things in this world glorify the Lord,

  But for compulsory praise there’s no reward.

  Put a sword in his hand; change this weak man

  Into a warrior or a highwayman.’

  Since Man’s been honoured* with free will to make

  Decisions, he’s half honey-bee, half snake:

  Believers all store honey in their hives;

  Infidels poison, snake-like, taking lives—

  Believers ate choice herbs, so their saliva

  Served bee-like for the dead as a reviver,

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  But infidels drank boiling water, so

  The poison in them soon began to show.

  The Fount of Life is men with revelation;

  Life’s poison is those prone to lust’s sensation.

  In this w
orld all praise and congratulation

  Is for free will and vigilant preservation.

  While they’re in gaol, all rogues transform their ways,

  Becoming pious, busy with God’s praise.

  When will-power’s gone, actions aren’t valuable—

  Beware lest time should seize your capital!

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  Will-power’s your source of profit, so beware!

  Preserve your will-power’s course of time with care.

  Man rides the horse of ‘We have honoured’* and

  Free will’s reins are in his perception’s hand.

  Moses then kindly gave that man advice:

  ‘Your wish will make your face turn pale—think twice!

  Be fearful of God and renounce this passion.

  The Devil has been teaching you deception.’