Rumi's Masnavi - Wrong-doing and well-doing, grief and joy, are things that come into existence; those who come into existence die; God is their heir.

Wrong-doing and well-doing, grief and joy, are things that come into existence; those who come into existence die; God is their heir.

جور و احسان رنج و شادی حادث است ** حادثان میرند و حقشان وارث است‌‌

’Tis dawn. O Thou who art the Dawn of the dawn and its Refuge, ask pardon (for me) of my Lord Husámu’ddín!

صبح شد ای صبح را پشت و پناه ** عذر مخدومی حسام الدین بخواه‌‌

Thou art He who asketh pardon of the Universal Mind and Soul, Thou art the Soul of the soul and the Splendour of the coral.

عذر خواه عقل کل و جان تویی ** جان جان و تابش مرجان تویی‌‌

The light of dawn has shone forth, and from Thy light we are engaged in drinking the morning-drink with the wine of Thy Mansúr.

تافت نور صبح و ما از نور تو ** در صبوحی با می منصور تو

Inasmuch as Thy gift keeps me thus (enravished), who (what) is (other) wine that it should bring me rapture? 1810

داده‌‌ی تو چون چنین دارد مرا ** باده که بود کاو طرب آرد مرا

Wine in ferment is a beggar suing for our ferment; Heaven in revolution is a beggar suing for our consciousness.

باده در جوشش گدای جوش ماست ** چرخ در گردش گدای هوش ماست‌‌

Wine became intoxicated with us, not we with it; the body came into being from us, not we from it.

باده از ما مست شد نی ما از او ** قالب از ما هست شد نی ما از او

We are as bees, and bodies are as wax (honeycomb): we have made the body, cell by cell, like wax.

ما چو زنبوریم و قالبها چو موم ** خانه خانه کرده قالب را چو موم‌‌

Reverting to the tale of the merchant who went to trade (in India).

رجوع به حکایت خواجه‌‌ی تاجر

This (discourse) is very long. Tell the story of the merchant, that we may see what happened to that good man.

بس دراز است این حدیث خواجه گو ** تا چه شد احوال آن مرد نکو

The merchant in fire (burning grief) and anguish and yearning was uttering a hundred distracted phrases like this, 1815

خواجه اندر آتش و درد و حنین ** صد پراکنده همی‌‌گفت این چنین‌‌

Now self-contradiction, now disdain, now supplication, now passion for reality, now metaphor (unreality).

گه تناقض گاه ناز و گه نیاز ** گاه سودای حقیقت گه مجاز

The drowning man suffers an agony of soul and clutches at every straw.

مرد غرقه گشته جانی می‌‌کند ** دست را در هر گیاهی می‌‌زند

For fear of (losing) his head (life), he flings about (both) hand and foot to see whether any one will take his hand (help him) in peril.

تا کدامش دست گیرد در خطر ** دست و پایی می‌‌زند از بیم سر

The Friend loves this agitation: it is better to struggle vainly than to lie still.

دوست دارد یار این آشفتگی ** کوشش بی‌‌هوده به از خفتگی‌‌

He who is the King (of all) is not idle, (though) complaint from Him would be a marvel, for He is not ill. 1820

آن که او شاه است او بی‌‌کار نیست ** ناله از وی طرفه کاو بیمار نیست‌‌

For this reason said the Merciful (God), O son, “Every day He is (busy) in an affair,” O son.

بهر این فرمود رحمان ای پسر ** کل يوم هو فی شأن ای پسر

In this Way be thou ever scraping and scratching (exerting thyself to the utmost): until thy last breath do not be unoccupied for a moment,

اندر این ره می‌‌تراش و می‌‌خراش ** تا دم آخر دمی فارغ مباش‌‌

So that thy last breath may be a last breath in which the (Divine) favour is thy bosom-friend.

تا دم آخر دمی آخر بود ** که عنایت با تو صاحب سر بود

Whatsoever they strive (to do), whether man or woman, the ear and eye of the soul's King are at the window.

هر چه می‌‌کوشند اگر مرد و زن است ** گوش و چشم شاه جان بر روزن است‌‌

How the merchant cast the parrot out of the cage and how the dead parrot flew away.

برون انداختن مرد تاجر طوطی را از قفس و پریدن طوطی مرده‌‌

After that, he cast her out of the cage. The little parrot flew to a lofty bough. 1825

بعد از آنش از قفس بیرون فگند ** طوطیک پرید تا شاخ بلند

The dead parrot made such a (swift) flight as when the orient sun rushed onward.

طوطی مرده چنان پرواز کرد ** کافتاب از چرخ ترکی تاز کرد

The merchant was amazed at the action of the bird: without understanding he suddenly beheld the mysteries of the bird.

خواجه حیران گشت اندر کار مرغ ** بی‌‌خبر ناگه بدید اسرار مرغ‌‌

He lifted up his face and said, “O nightingale, give us profit (instruction) by explaining thy case.

روی بالا کرد و گفت ای عندلیب ** از بیان حال خودمان ده نصیب‌‌

What did she (the parrot) do there (in India), that thou didst learn, devise a trick, and burn us (with grief)”?

او چه کرد آن جا که تو آموختی ** ساختی مکری و ما را سوختی‌‌

The parrot said, “She by her act counselled me—‘Abandon thy charm of voice and thy affection (for thy master), 1830

گفت طوطی کاو به فعلم پند داد ** که رها کن لطف آواز و وداد