That you will reap one day what you now sow.
You struck a stone on iron and yet there
Was no spark—this can happen, though it’s rare.
The intellect of one who doesn’t gain
Fortune one time will claim that all’s in vain,
4790
Saying: ‘One sowed, but didn’t reap as well;
Another found no pearl inside his shell.
Balaam and Satan didn’t gain a smidgen
From all their acts of worship and religion.’
A hundred thousand Prophets and great mystics
Do not come to the notice of such sceptics;
He cites two who spread darkness, so how should
His fate bring to his heart things that are good?
There are so many who eat bread with glee,
Then die when one bite chokes them suddenly—
4795
Ill-fortuned one, don’t eat bread as they do
Lest you fall into tribulation too!
Millions of men eat bread and strengthen from it;
They find bread nourishes as well their spirit—
So why are you in the minority
Unless deprived due to stupidity?
Dismissing this world that is brightly lit
By sun and moon, he looks into a pit,
And says, ‘Where is the light if all that’s true?’
‘Lift your head from the pit—look where we do!
4800
That light has shone down all across the land,
But won’t reach your head buried in the sand.’
Leave that pit—enter palaces instead.
Don’t squabble! Squabble brings bad luck you dread.
Don’t tell me, ‘So-and-so sowed seeds right here,
But locusts ate up all his crops that year—
When there’s a risk why should I till this land
And scatter seeds around with my own hand?’
Despite your trusted reasoning, others still
Sowed seeds and now their barns receive their fill.
4805
Whoever knocks upon doors patiently
One day gains entry and finds intimacy;
Fearing gaolers, he hid in fields at night—
He found the one he loves there, shining bright,
Torch-like. He then asked God, ‘Who made this happen?
O God, have mercy on this poor nightwatchman!
You made the means, though I knew not my fate;
You took me up from hell to heaven’s gate.
You made the means for this act for this reason:
So I won’t think ill even of a tree’s thorn.’
4810
When legs break, God gives wings, which are worth more;
Likewise in pits he opens up a door.
God says, ‘Don’t think about being on a tree
Or in the pit—look at Me; I’m the Key!’
Dear reader, if you want to read some more,
You’ll find the rest by looking in Book Four.
EXPLANATORY NOTES
PROSE INTRODUCTION
[written in Persian prose; numbered by page and line]
You used to be . . . God was generous to you: Qur’an 4: 94, where this represents God’s reminder to believers lest they judge their foes dismissively by forgetting that they were once in their position before God saved them.
desire to . . . even if the infidels hate it: Qur’an 61: 8, in reference to disbelievers in God.
We have sent down the reminder and We are its guards: Qur’an 15: 9, which is usually understood as referring to the Qur’an.
Whoever alters it . . . God is Hearing, Knowing: Qur’an 2: 181, where it refers to wills.
TEXT
[numbered by verse, or couplet]
the Prophet would do things in threes: this refers to reports that the Prophet Mohammad preferred to do repetitive actions an odd rather than even number of times, especially three times.
coolness and comfort too: Qur’an 21: 69, where God commands fire to become cool and comfortable miraculously for Abraham’s sake.
The mountain split . . . it began to dance: an allusion to Qur’an 7: 143, where Moses asks God to reveal Himself, and, in response, God reveals Himself to a mountain, flattening it. On witnessing this, Moses himself collapses and faints.
He gave a throat . . . the other rods then thrown: a reference to the Qur’anic story (20: 65–72) about the help given by God to Moses, so that he could meet the challenge of Pharaoh to perform a miracle greater than the sorcery of his magicians. By magic they make their rods move about, while through God’s help the transformation of Moses’ rod into a snake is more astonishing.
A foetus feeds on blood, which is unclean: blood is an unclean contaminant in Islamic legal discourse.
Moses stun Pharaoh with a piece of wood?: an allusion to Moses’ wooden rod. See further note to v. 37.
Or Noah . . . Submerge the East and West so easily: an allusion to the story of Noah’s ark, which is repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an (e.g. 11: 25–49).
If not, could Lot have razed . . . settlements around?: an allusion to the story of Lot and his people, which is mentioned in the Qur’an (e.g. 29: 26–35).
God said, ‘He is an ear’: Qur’an 9: 61, where in response to the use of this as a dismissive insult to Mohammad by his enemies, the notion of being an ear that hears good tidings and serves as a mercy to people is positively embraced.
Later, inside their graves . . . by Monker and Nakir: in Islamic eschatology Monker and Nakir are the two angels who fulfil the role of testing one’s faith after one’s death and before the Resurrection.
Such birds which sing too early or too late: a Persian expression for bad timing.
bow down, approach!: Qur’an 96: 19, where it is given as an instruction combined with ignoring those who would try to dissuade one from worship.
One who smells scent from Yemen . . . far away: an allusion to divine communication with Ovays al-Qarani, who became a follower of Mohammad in Yemen without ever having met him.
Come here!: part of the Muslim call to prayer.
Come to the good!: part of the Muslim call to prayer.
Here I am!: an exclamation made during the pilgrimage to Mecca, implying that one is ready to be of service.
The dog of Sleepers . . . mystic grace: this alludes to the tradition that the dog of the Seven Sleepers in the Cave (see Glossary), who is also mentioned in the Qur’an (18: 9–26), will go to heaven in the form of a human.
Joseph, don’t head towards the wolf today!: an allusion to Qur’an 12: 13–17, where Jacob fears letting Joseph venture out with his brothers in case a wolf should harm him. Later the brothers return weeping and claim that a wolf has devoured Joseph.
If you’re Ramin, Vis is your sole desire: Vis and Ramin are the lovers in a famous epic composed by the poet Gorgani in the eleventh century and recently translated into rhyming couplets by Dick Davis: Gorgani, Vis and Ramin, tr. Dick Davis (Harmondsworth, 2009).
Sebawayh . . . be harming you!: Amr ibn Othman Sebawayh (d. c. 797), though himself of Persian origin, was the most famous early linguist of the Arabic language and is considered highly influential for the formative development of Arabic grammar. The reference to him here is somewhat obscure, but it is appropriate for a father to refer to his son using a diminutive form as the name Sebawayh appears; moreover, the towns-man’s son has just argued a case to him eloquently, as the famous grammarian Sebawayh might have done.
Heading the People of Sheba: see ‘Sheba’ in the Glossary.
that dog in the cave: see note to vv. 208–9, and ‘Seven Sleepers in the Cave’ in the Glossary.
Who is more true than me to promises?: Qur’an 9: 111, after mentioning the promise of heaven.
like Jesus used to soar, Nor, like Korah . . . earth’s deep core: according to the Muslim tradition, Jesus was not crucified, but instead ascended to heaven. See ‘Korah’ in
Glossary.
Contraction: contraction here is being used as a technical term for one of the spiritual states experienced on the Sufi path.
If you block Our Remembrance . . . We’ll make you blind!: Qur’an 20: 125, where it is a warning from God in the story of Adam’s fall.
expansion: expansion here is being used as a technical term for one of the spiritual states experienced on the Sufi path, usually paired with ‘contraction’.
Ingratitude! May he be killed today!: Qur’an 80: 17, where it refers to mankind’s ingratitude. The remainder of these lines in Arabic are similar to poetry attributed to the most celebrated pre-Islamic Arab poet, Emr ol-Qays (d. 540).
Kill yourself!: Qur’an 2: 54, where it is part of Moses’ response to his community after they worshipped the golden calf.
I’m Ahmad, left as captive . . . Saleh in Thamud’s gaol, due to their ruse: an allusion to the rejection of Mohammad by the Jewish tribes of Medina and their plots against him, followed by an allusion to the Qur’anic story about Saleh (e.g. 7: 73–9), who was sent to the Thamud (see Glossary), who hamstrung his she-camel mercilessly.
Would that I’d been mere dust!: Qur’an 78: 40, where it represents what men will say on Judgment Day when regretting their past deeds.
Let us play!: Qur’an 12: 12, where it represents what Joseph’s brothers ask their father, Jacob, to permit them to do together with their brother, though at the time they planned to harm him.
Let’s play!: see previous note.
We made you from mere dust: Qur’an 22: 5, where it represents an example God gives of His power to convince mankind that he can resurrect humanity in the afterlife too.
We’re returning to Him: Qur’an 2: 156, where it represents the words of people who maintain faith in God through tribulations.
zekr: the Arabic name, sometimes transcribed alternatively as dhikr, is the central practice of Sufis, namely the remembrance of God through repetition of His Names or formulas about Him.
And Harut back to Babylon again: see ‘Harut and Marut’ in the Glossary.
Heading the People of Zarwan: in Qur’anic exegesis the Zarwan are presented as a nation who became disobedient to God in ceasing to care for the poor and needy by picking their crops before they could approach them, and consequently suffered His wrath.
‘Does not Your Maker know your wish?’ God said: a paraphrase of Qur’an 67: 14, where it is asked rhetorically in relation to knowledge about what humans hide within.
Do not fear!: Qur’an 20: 68, where it represents God’s advice to Moses in the story about his encounter with Pharaoh’s magicians.
The moon becomes, through travelling, Kaykhosrow: the meaning intended here seems to be that the moon through phases becomes full and complete, like the legendary Persian ruler Kaykhosrow of Ferdowsi’s Book of Kings.
And bring to Joseph outcomes he’d foreseen: Joseph foresees future events through his dreams in the Qur’anic rendering of the story, which forms the bulk of its twelfth chapter.
Heading How Majnun petted that dog which lived in Layli’s neighbourhood: Majnun and Layli (also known as Layla) are the archetypal pair of lovers in the Arabic and Persian literary traditions.
It is the blest dog of the cave to me: see note to vv. 208–9 and ‘Seven Sleepers in the Cave’ in the Glossary.
Like Ali, you’ll dislodge those Khaybar gates: the Prophet Mohammad’s cousin and son-in-law Ali is said to have pulled down one of the gates of the settlement of Khaybar and used it as a shield, while he fought as the standard-bearer in a battle on behalf of the Prophet Mohammad’s followers.
Kind God taught the Qur’an: Qur’an 55: 1–2, as the first example of God’s beneficence to mankind.
He taught with pen: Qur’an 96: 4, as part of the famous verses traditionally believed to have been the first revealed to Mohammad in the cave of Mount Hira.
We’ll drag him by the forelock!: Qur’an 96: 15, where it describes what God will do to those who deny His existence and dissuade others from worship.
Men who drink date-wine or eat carrion . . . despite the ban: this alludes to flexibility in traditional Islamic jurisprudence which can allow the drinking of alcohol that does not contain fermented grapes or the consumption of things considered forbidden when nothing else is available to eat, under certain interpretations or circumstances, respectively.
For blind men there’s no blame: Qur’an 48: 17, from a passage exhorting the Arabs to fight in the cause of the truth. The blind, the lame, and the sick are not to be blamed if they turn away.
the Last Day’s blast’s sake: an allusion to the blast of the trumpet that will signal the Resurrection at the end of time in Islamic eschatology.
Jonayd or Bayazid you claim to be: see ‘Jonayd’ and ‘Bayazid’ in the Glossary.
Mansur Hallaj . . . the cotton of the friends you get: see ‘Hallaj’ in the Glossary. Hallaj means cotton-wool carder, the profession of the father of the famous [al-Hosayn ebn] Mansur Hallaj (d. 922).
I can’t tell Omar and Bu Lahab apart: Omar and Bu Lahab were contemporaries of the Prophet Mohammad, the former being one of his close companions and the latter being one of his mortal enemies, and therefore easily distinguishable in normal circumstances. See also ‘Bu Lahab’ in the Glossary.
David turned iron to wax: an allusion to Qur’an 21: 80 and 34: 10–11, where it is said that God taught David how to make garments of chain-mail and gave him the power to make iron soften for this purpose.
The truthfulness of truthful men prevails: Qur’an 5: 119, where it is a statement from God about how being truthful in your life will lead to gains in the afterlife.
Be steadfast and be straight!: Qur’an 11: 112, where it represents God’s instruction to the Prophet Mohammad.
Each one of them is tested twice a year: Qur’an 9: 126, where it refers to those who do not believe that the Qur’an is from God.
“Pride of the world”,“Pillar of faith”—they suit me: ‘Pride of the world’ and ‘Pillar of faith’ are titles of honour commonly used in medieval Islamic societies.
The Tablet where divinity’s shown too: in Muslim theology, the Preserved Tablet is where all knowledge is recorded and the source of all revelation, of which the Qur’an is one part.
To reach Mena, there’s a long way to go: in the Muslim Hajj pilgrimage itinerary, the town of Mena is the final destination.
Heading You will know them through the corruption of their speech: Qur’an 47: 30, where it refers to the ‘hypocrites’, those people in Medina who pretended to follow the Prophet Mohammad but opposed him in reality.
hypocrite: see preceding note.
I’ve shared a little of this tale before: this refers back to Book One of the Masnavi, vv. 3334–68.
fire be cool! . . . will not be hot and wild!: an allusion to Qur’an 21: 69, where God commands fire to become cool and comfortable miraculously for Abraham’s sake.
It was a snake . . . through God’s aid: a reference to the Qur’anic story (20: 62–76) about the help given by God to Moses, so that he could meet the challenge of Pharaoh to perform a miracle greater than the sorcery of his magicians. By magic they make their rods move about, while through God’s help the transformation of Moses’ rod is even greater (according to tradition, it changes into a snake).
The end is to Him: Qur’an 53: 42, where it represents one of the things that those who deny God are ignorant about.
‘None but God’ is in truth worth naught: a play on the Muslim testimony of faith ‘There is no God but God.’
Of God’s pure spirit you must not despair!: Qur’an 12: 87, where it appears in the same context in the Qur’anic story about Joseph.
Tuba tree: the tree of paradise, which is called ‘Tuba’ in the Islamic tradition.
The Masnavi, Book Three Page 39