Rumi's Masnavi - When the Decree comes, the physician is made foolish, and the medicine too loses its beneficial effect.

چون قضا آید طبیب ابله شود ** وان دوا در نفع هم گمره شود
When the Decree comes, the physician is made foolish, and the medicine too loses its beneficial effect.

کی شود محجوب ادراک بصیر ** زین سببهای حجاب گول‌گیر
How should the perception of the (mystic) seer be veiled by these (secondary) causes, which are a veil to catch the dolt?

اصل بیند دیده چون اکمل بود ** فرع بیند چونک مرد احول بود
When the eye is quite perfect, it sees the root (origin); when a man is squint-eyed, it sees the branch (derivative).

جواب آمدن کی آنک نظر او بر اسباب و مرض و زخم تیغ نیاید بر کار تو عزرائیل هم نیاید کی تو هم سببی اگر چه مخفی‌تری از آن سببها و بود کی بر آن رنجور مخفی نباشد کی و هو اقرب الیه منکم و لکن لا تبصرون
The (Divine) answer, (namely), “One who does not regard causes and diseases and sword-wounds will likewise pay no regard to thy action, O Azrael, for thou too art a (secondary) cause, although thou art more concealed than those (other) causes.” And maybe it (the real nature of Azrael) is not concealed from the sick (dying) man, for He (God) is nigher to him than ye are, but ye do not see.

گفت یزدان آنک باشد اصل دان ** پس ترا کی بیند او اندر میان 1710
God said, “He who perceives the origin (does not regard the derivative): how, then, should he be conscious of thy intervention?

گرچه خویش را عامه پنهان کرده‌ای ** پیش روشن‌دیدگان هم پرده‌ای
Although thou hast concealed thyself (thy real nature) from the vulgar, still to the clear-eyed (mystics) thou art (no more than) a veil (instrument).”

وانک ایشان را شکر باشد اجل ** چون نظرشان مست باشد در دول
And (indeed) those to whom death is (sweet) as sugar—how should their sight be intoxicated (dazzled) with the fortunes (of this world)?

تلخ نبود پیش ایشان مرگ تن ** چون روند از چاه و زندان در چمن
Bodily death is not bitter to them, since they go from a dungeon and prison into a garden.

وا رهیدند از جهان پیچ‌پیچ ** کس نگرید بر فوات هیچ هیچ
They have been delivered from the world of torment: none weeps for the loss of (what amounts to) nothing, nothing.

برج زندان را شکست ارکانیی ** هیچ ازو رنجد دل زندانیی 1715
(If) an elemental spirit breaks the bastion of a prison, will the heart of any prisoner be angry with him?

کای دریغ این سنگ مرمر را شکست ** تا روان و جان ما از حبس رست
(Will they say?) “Alas, he has broken this marble stone, so that our spirits and souls have escaped from confinement.

آن رخام خوب و آن سنگ شریف ** برج زندان را بهی بود و الیف
The beautiful marble and the noble stone of the prison-bastion were pleasing and agreeable (to us).

چون شکستش تا که زندانی برست ** دست او در جرم این باید شکست
Why did he break them, so that the prisoners escaped? His hand must be broken (cut off) as a penalty for this (crime).”

هیچ زندانی نگوید این فشار ** جز کسی کز حبس آرندش به دار
No prisoner will talk such nonsense except that one who is brought from prison to the gallows.

تلخ کی باشد کسی را کش برند ** از میان زهر ماران سوی قند 1720
How should it (death) be bitter to one whom they take from amidst snake-poison towards sugar?

جان مجرد گشته از غوغای تن ** می‌پرد با پر دل بی‌پای تن
The soul, freed from the turmoil of the body, is soaring on the wings of the heart (spirit) without bodily feet (means of movement),

هم‌چو زندانی چه که اندر شبان ** خسپد و بیند به خواب او گلستان
Like the prisoner in a dungeon who falls asleep at night and dreams of a rosegarden,

گوید ای یزدان مرا در تن مبر ** تا درین گلشن کنم من کر و فر
And says, “O God, do not bring me (back) to my body, (but let me alone) in order that I may walk as a prince in this garden.”

گویدش یزدان دعا شد مستجاب ** وا مرو والله اعلم بالصواب
God says to him, “Thy prayer is granted: go not back”—and God best knoweth the right course.

این چنین خوابی ببین چون خوش بود ** مرگ نادیده به جنت در رود 1725
Consider how delightful is such a dream! Without having seen death, he (the dreamer) goes into Paradise.

هیچ او حسرت خورد بر انتباه ** بر تن با سلسله در قعر چاه
Does he feel any regret for (his former) wakefulness and for the body (which he has left) in chains at the bottom of the dungeon?

مومنی آخر در آ در صف رزم ** که ترا بر آسمان بودست بزم
(If) thou art a true believer, come now, enter the ranks of battle, for a feast has been (prepared) for thee in Heaven.

بر امید راه بالا کن قیام ** هم‌چو شمعی پیش محراب ای غلام
In the hope of journeying upwards, (arise and) take thy stand before the mihráb, (to pray and weep) like a candle, O youth!

اشک می‌بار و همی‌سوز از طلب ** هم‌چو شمع سر بریده جمله شب
Let thy tears fall like rain, and burn (be ardent) in search (aspiration) all night long, like the candle beheaded (by the flame).

دم به دم بر آسمان می‌دار امید ** در هوای آسمان رقصان چو بید
Continually keep thy hope (fixed) on Heaven, dancing (quivering) like the willow in desire for Heaven.