Rumi's Masnavi - 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.

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

How should my soul be meaner than the parrot? The soul ought to follow a good track like this.”

جان من کمتر ز طوطی کی بود ** جان چنین باید که نیکو پی بود

The harmfulness of being honoured by the people and of becoming conspicuous.

مضرت تعظیم خلق و انگشت نمای شدن‌‌

The body is cage-like: the body, amidst the cajoleries of those who come in and go out, became a thorn to the soul.

تن قفس شکل است تن شد خار جان ** در فریب داخلان و خارجان‌‌

This one says to him, “I will be thy confidant,” and that one says, “Nay, I am thy partner.” 1850

اینش گوید من شوم هم راز تو ** و آنش گوید نی منم انباز تو

This one says to him, “There is none in existence like thee for beauty and eminence and for kindness and liberality.”

اینش گوید نیست چون تو در وجود ** در جمال و فضل و در احسان و جود

That one says to him, “Both the worlds are thine, all our souls are thy soul's parasites.”

آنش گوید هر دو عالم آن تست ** جمله جانهامان طفیل جان تست‌‌

When he sees the people intoxicated with (desire for) him, because of arrogance he loses self-control.

او چو بیند خلق را سر مست خویش ** از تکبر می‌‌رود از دست خویش‌‌

He does not know that the Devil has cast thousands like him into the water of the river (of destruction).

او نداند که هزاران را چو او ** دیو افکنده ست اندر آب جو

The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it (eat it not), for it is a morsel full of fire. 1855

لطف و سالوس جهان خوش لقمه‌‌ای است ** کمترش خور کان پر آتش لقمه‌‌ای است‌‌

Its fire is hidden and its taste is manifest: its smoke becomes visible in the end.

آتشش پنهان و ذوقش آشکار ** دود او ظاهر شود پایان کار

Do not say, “How should I swallow that praise? He is speaking from desire (for reward): I am on his track (and see quite well what he is after).”

تو مگو آن مدح را من کی خورم ** از طمع می‌‌گوید او پی می‌‌برم‌‌