Rumi's Masnavi - Since Thou art fleeing from the lament of those who are (as) dust, why pourest Thou sorrow on the hearts of the sorrowful?

Since Thou art fleeing from the lament of those who are (as) dust, why pourest Thou sorrow on the hearts of the sorrowful?

چون گریزانی ز ناله‌‌ی خاکیان ** غم چه ریزی بر دل غمناکیان‌‌

O Thou, whom every dawn that shone from the East found overflowing (with abundant grace) like the bright fountain (of the sun),

ای که هر صبحی که از مشرق بتافت ** همچو چشمه‌‌ی مشرقت در جوش یافت‌‌

How didst Thou give (nothing but) evasion to Thy frenzied lover, O Thou the sugar of whose lips hath no price? 1800

چون بهانه دادی این شیدات را ** ای بهانه شکر لبهات را

O Thou who art a new soul to the old world, hear the cry (that comes) from my body (which is) without soul and heart.

ای جهان کهنه را تو جان نو ** از تن بی‌‌جان و دل افغان شنو

Leave the tale of the Rose! For God's sake set forth the tale of the Nightingale that is parted from the Rose!

شرح گل بگذار از بهر خدا ** شرح بلبل گو که شد از گل جدا

Our emotion is not caused by grief and joy, our consciousness is not related to fancy and imagination.

از غم و شادی نباشد جوش ما ** با خیال و وهم نبود هوش ما

There is another state (of consciousness), which is rare: do not thou disbelieve, for God is very mighty.

حالتی دیگر بود کان نادر است ** تو مشو منکر که حق بس قادر است‌‌

Do not judge from the (normal) state of man, do not abide in wrong-doing and in well-doing. 1805

تو قیاس از حالت انسان مکن ** منزل اندر جور و در احسان مکن‌‌

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

Because thy voice has brought thee into bondage’: she feigned herself dead for the sake of (giving me) this counsel,

ز آن که آوازت ترا در بند کرد ** خویشتن مرده پی این پند کرد

Meaning (to say), ‘O thou who hast become a singer to high and low, become dead like me, that thou mayst gain release.’”

یعنی ای مطرب شده با عام و خاص ** مرده شو چون من که تا یابی خلاص‌‌

If you are a grain, the little birds will peck you up; if you are a bud, the children will pluck you off.

دانه باشی مرغکانت بر چنند ** غنچه باشی کودکانت بر کنند

Hide the grain (bait), become wholly a snare; hide the bud, become the grass on the roof.

دانه پنهان کن بکلی دام شو ** غنچه پنهان کن گیاه بام شو

Any one who offers his beauty to auction, a hundred evil fates set out towards him (and overtake him). 1835

هر که داد او حسن خود را در مزاد ** صد قضای بد سوی او رو نهاد

(Evil) eyes and angers and envies pour upon his head, like water from waterskins.

چشمها و خشمها و رشکها ** بر سرش ریزد چو آب از مشکها

Foes tear him to pieces from jealousy; even friends take his lifetime away.

دشمنان او را ز غیرت می‌‌درند ** دوستان هم روزگارش می‌‌برند

He that was heedless of the sowing and the springtide, how should he know the value of this lifetime?

آن که غافل بود از کشت بهار ** او چه داند قیمت این روزگار

You must flee to the shelter of God's grace, who shed thousand fold grace upon (our) spirits,

در پناه لطف حق باید گریخت ** کاو هزاران لطف بر ارواح ریخت‌‌

That you may find a shelter. Then how (will you lack) shelter? Water and fire will become your army. 1840

تا پناهی یابی آن گه چون پناه ** آب و آتش مر ترا گردد سپاه‌‌

Did not the sea become a friend to Noah and Moses? Did it not become overbearing in vengeance against their enemies?

نوح و موسی را نه دریا یار شد ** نه بر اعداشان به کین قهار شد

Was not the fire a fortress for Abraham, so that it raised smoke (sighs of despair) from the heart of Nimrod?

آتش ابراهیم را نی قلعه بود ** تا بر آورد از دل نمرود دود

Did not the mountain call Yahyá (John the Baptist) to itself and drive off his pursuers with blows of stone?

کوه یحیی را نه سوی خویش خواند ** قاصدانش را به زخم سنگ راند

“O Yahyá,” it said, “come, take refuge in me, that I may be thy shelter from the sharp sword.”

گفت ای یحیی بیا در من گریز ** تا پناهت باشم از شمشیر تیز

How the parrot bade farewell to the merchant and flew away.

وداع کردن طوطی خواجه را و پریدن‌‌

The parrot gave him one or two counsels devoid of hypocrisy and after that bade him the farewell of parting. 1845

یک دو پندش داد طوطی بی‌‌نفاق ** بعد از آن گفتش سلام الفراق‌‌

The merchant said to her, “Go, God protect thee! Just now thou hast shown to me a new Way.”

خواجه گفتش فی أمان الله برو ** مر مرا اکنون نمودی راه نو

Said the merchant to himself, “This is the counsel for me; I will take her Way, for this Way is shining with light.

خواجه با خود گفت کاین پند من است ** راه او گیرم که این ره روشن است‌‌