Rumi's Masnavi - Although the object of thy desire has the taste of sugar, is not absence of any object of desire (in thee) the object of the Beloved's desire?

Although the object of thy desire has the taste of sugar, is not absence of any object of desire (in thee) the object of the Beloved's desire?

گر مرادت را مذاق شکر است ** بی‌‌مرادی نه مراد دل بر است‌‌

Every star of His is the blood-price of a hundred new moons: it is lawful for Him to shed the blood of the (whole) world.

هر ستاره‌‌ش خونبهای صد هلال ** خون عالم ریختن او را حلال‌‌

We gained the price and the blood-price: we hastened to gamble our soul away. 1750

ما بها و خونبها را یافتیم ** جانب جان باختن بشتافتیم‌‌

Oh, the life of lovers consists in death: thou wilt not win the (Beloved's) heart except in losing thine own.

ای حیات عاشقان در مردگی ** دل نیابی جز که در دل بردگی‌‌

I sought (to win) His heart with a hundred airs and graces, (but) He made excuses to me (put me off) in disdain.

من دلش جسته به صد ناز و دلال ** او بهانه کرده با من از ملال‌‌

I said, “After all, this mind and soul (of mine) are drowned in Thee.” “Begone,” said He, “begone! Do not chant these spells over Me (do not seek thus to beguile Me).

گفتم آخر غرق تست این عقل و جان ** گفت رو رو بر من این افسون مخوان‌‌

Do not I know what thought thou hast conceived? O thou who hast seen double, how hast thou regarded the Beloved?

من ندانم آن چه اندیشیده‌‌ای ** ای دو دیده دوست را چون دیده‌‌ای‌‌

O gross-spirited one, thou hast held Him in light esteem, because thou hast bought Him very cheaply. 1755

ای گران جان خوار دیده ستی و را ** ز آن که بس ارزان خریده ستی و را

He that buys cheaply gives cheaply: a child will give a pearl for a loaf of bread.”

هر که او ارزان خرد ارزان دهد ** گوهری طفلی به قرصی نان دهد

I am drowned in a love (so deep) that therein are drowned the first loves and the last.

غرق عشقی‌‌ام که غرق است اندر این ** عشقهای اولین و آخرین‌‌

I have told it summarily, I have not explained it (at length), otherwise both (my power of) causng (thee) to understand and (my) tongue (itself) would be consumed.

مجملش گفتم نکردم ز آن بیان ** ور نه هم افهام سوزد هم زبان‌‌

When I speak of “lip,” ’tis the lip (shore) of the Sea; when I say “not,” the intended meaning is “except.”

من چو لب گویم لب دریا بود ** من چو لا گویم مراد الا بود

By reason of (inward) sweetness I sit with sour face: from fullness of speech I am silent, 1760

من ز شیرینی نشستم رو ترش ** من ز بسیاری گفتارم خمش‌‌

That in the mask of sour-facedness my sweetness may be kept hidden from the two worlds.

تا که شیرینی ما از دو جهان ** در حجاب رو ترش باشد نهان‌‌

In order that this subject may not come to every ear, I am telling (only) one out of a hundred esoteric mysteries.

تا که در هر گوش ناید این سخن ** یک همی‌‌گویم ز صد سر لدن‌‌

Commentary on the saying of the Hakím (Saná’í): “Any thing that causes thee to be left behind on the Way, what matter whether it be infidelity or faith? Any form that causes thee to fall far from the Beloved, what matter whether it be ugly or beautiful?”—and (a discourse) on the meaning of the words of the Prophet, on whom be peace: “Verily, Sa‘d is jealous, and I am more jealous than Sa‘d, and Allah is more jealous than I; and because of His jealousy He hath forbidden foul actions both outward and inward.

تفسیر قول حکیم: به هرچ از راه وامانی چه کفر آن حرف و چه ایمان به هرچ از دوست دور افتی چه زشت آن نقش و چه زیبا در معنی قوله علیه السلام إن سعدا لغیو ر و أنا أغیر من سعد و الله أغیر منی و من غیرته حرم الفواحش ما ظهر منها و ما بطن

The whole world became jealous because God is superior to all the world in jealousy.

جمله عالم ز آن غیور آمد که حق ** برد در غیرت بر این عالم سبق‌‌

He is like the spirit, and the world is like the body: the body receives from the spirit (both) good and evil.

او چو جان است و جهان چون کالبد ** کالبد از جان پذیرد نیک و بد

Any one whose prayer-niche is turned to the (mystical) revelation, do thou regard his going (back) to (the traditional) faith as shameful. 1765

هر که محراب نمازش گشت عین ** سوی ایمان رفتنش می‌‌دان تو شین‌‌

Any one who has become Master of the robes to the King, it is loss for him to traffic on the King's behalf.

هر که شد مر شاه را او جامه‌‌دار ** هست خسران بهر شاهش اتجار

Any one who becomes the intimate friend of the Sultan, it is an injury and swindle (for him) to sit at his door.

هر که با سلطان شود او همنشین ** بر درش بودن بود حیف و غبین‌‌

When (the privilege of) kissing the (King's) hand has been bestowed on him by the King, it is a sin if he prefers to kiss the (King's) foot.

دست‌‌بوسش چون رسید از پادشاه ** گر گزیند بوس پا باشد گناه‌‌

Although to lay the head on the (King's) foot is an act of obeisance, (yet) compared with the former act of obeisance it is a fault and backsliding.

گر چه سر بر پا نهادن خدمت است ** پیش آن خدمت خطا و زلت است‌‌

The King is jealous of any one who, after having seen the face, prefers the (mere) scent. 1770

شاه را غیرت بود بر هر که او ** بو گزیند بعد از آن که دید رو

To speak in parables, God's jealousy is the wheat, (while) men's jealousy is the straw in the stack.

غیرت حق بر مثل گندم بود ** کاه خرمن غیرت مردم بود

Know that the root of (all) jealousies is in God: those of mankind are an offshoot from God, without resemblance (being implied).

اصل غیرتها بدانید از اله ** آن خلقان فرع حق بی‌‌اشتباه‌‌

I will leave the explanation of this and will begin to complain of the cruelty of that fickle Beauty.

شرح این بگذارم و گیرم گله ** از جفای آن نگار ده دله‌‌

I wail because wailings are pleasant to Him: He wants from the two worlds wailing and grief.

نالم ایرا ناله‌‌ها خوش آیدش ** از دو عالم ناله و غم بایدش‌‌

How should I not wail bitterly on account of His deceit, since I am not in the circle of those intoxicated with Him? 1775

چون ننالم تلخ از دستان او ** چون نیم در حلقه‌‌ی مستان او

How shall I not be like night, without His day and without the favour of His day-illuming countenance?

چون نباشم همچو شب بی‌‌روز او ** بی‌‌وصال روی روز افروز او

His unsweetness is sweet in my soul: may my soul be sacrificed to the Beloved who grieves my heart!

ناخوش او خوش بود در جان من ** جان فدای یار دل رنجان من‌‌

I am in love with my grief and pain for the sake of pleasing my peerless King.

عاشقم بر رنج خویش و درد خویش ** بهر خشنودی شاه فرد خویش‌‌

I make the dust of sorrow a salve for mine eye, that the two seas of mine eyes may be filled with pearls.

خاک غم را سرمه سازم بهر چشم ** تا ز گوهر پر شود دو بحر چشم‌‌

The tears which people shed for His sake are pearls—and people think they are tears. 1780

اشک کان از بهر او بارند خلق ** گوهر است و اشک پندارند خلق‌‌

I am complaining of the Soul of the soul, (but in truth) I am not complaining: I am (only) relating.

من ز جان جان شکایت می‌‌کنم ** من نیم شاکی روایت می‌‌کنم‌‌

My heart is saying, “I am tormented by Him,” and I have (long) been laughing at its poor pretence.

دل همی‌‌گوید کز او رنجیده‌‌ام ** وز نفاق سست می‌‌خندیده‌‌ام‌‌

Do (me) right, O glory of the righteous, O Thou who art the dais, and I the threshold of Thy door!

راستی کن ای تو فخر راستان ** ای تو صدر و من درت را آستان‌‌

Where are threshold and dais in reality? In the quarter where our Beloved is, where are “we” and “I”?

آستان و صدر در معنی کجاست ** ما و من کو آن طرف کان یار ماست‌‌

O Thou whose soul is free from “we” and “I,” O Thou who art the subtle essence of the spirit in man and woman, 1785

ای رهیده جان تو از ما و من ** ای لطیفه‌‌ی روح اندر مرد و زن‌‌

When man and woman become one, Thou art that One; when the units are wiped out, lo, Thou art that (Unity).

مرد و زن چون یک شود آن یک تویی ** چون که یک جا محو شد آنک تویی‌‌

Thou didst contrive this “I” and “we” in order that Thou mightst play the game of worship with Thyself,

این من و ما بهر آن بر ساختی ** تا تو با خود نرد خدمت باختی‌‌

That all “I's” and “thou's” should become one soul and at last should be submerged in the Beloved.

تا من و توها همه یک جان شوند ** عاقبت مستغرق جانان شوند

All this is (true), and do Thou come, O Giver of the command, O Thou who transcendest “Come” and (all) speech!

این همه هست و بیا ای امر کن ** ای منزه از بیان و از سخن‌‌

The body can see Thee (only) in bodily fashion: it fancies (pictures to itself) Thy sadness or laughter. 1790

جسم جسمانه تواند دیدنت ** در خیال آرد غم و خندیدنت‌‌

Do not say that the heart that is bound (conditioned) by (such bodily attributes as) sadness and laughter is worthy of seeing Thee (as Thou really art).

دل که او بسته‌‌ی غم و خندیدن است ** تو مگو کاو لایق آن دیدن است‌‌

He who is bound by sadness and laughter is living by means of these two borrowed (transient and unreal) things.

آن که او بسته‌‌ی غم و خنده بود ** او بدین دو عاریت زنده بود

In the verdant garden of Love, which is without end, there are many fruits besides sorrow and joy.

باغ سبز عشق کاو بی‌‌منتهاست ** جز غم و شادی در او بس میوه‌‌هاست‌‌

Love is higher than these two states of feeling: without spring and without autumn it is (ever) green and fresh.

عاشقی زین هر دو حالت برتر است ** بی‌‌بهار و بی‌‌خزان سبز و تر است‌‌

Pay the tithe on Thy fair face, O Beauteous One: relate the story of the soul that is rent in pieces, 1795

ده زکات روی خوب ای خوب رو ** شرح جان شرحه شرحه باز گو

For by the coquetry of a glance One who is given to glancing amorously has branded my heart anew.

کز کرشم غمزه‌‌ی غمازه‌‌ای ** بر دلم بنهاد داغی تازه‌‌ای‌‌

I absolved Him if He shed my blood: I was saying, “It is lawful (I absolve Thee),” and He was fleeing (from me).

من حلالش کردم از خونم بریخت ** من همی‌‌گفتم حلال او می‌‌گریخت‌‌