Rumi's Masnavi - He takes half a life and gives a hundred lives (in exchange): he gives that which enters not into your imagination.

He takes half a life and gives a hundred lives (in exchange): he gives that which enters not into your imagination. 245

You are judging (his actions) from (the analogy of) yourself, but you have fallen far, far (away from the truth). Consider well!

The story of the greengrocer and the parrot and the parrot's spilling the oil in the shop.

There was a greengrocer who had a parrot, a sweet-voiced green talking parrot.

(Perched) on the bench, it would watch over the shop (in the owner's absence) and talk finely to all the traders.

In addressing human beings it would speak (like them); it was (also) skilled in the song of parrots.

(Once) it sprang from the bench and flew away; it spilled the bottles of rose-oil. 250

Its master came from the direction of his house and seated himself on the bench at his ease as a merchant does.

(Then) he saw the bench was full of oil and his clothes greasy; he smote the parrot on the head: it was made bald by the blow.

For some few days it refrained from speech; the greengrocer, in repentance, heaved deep sighs,

Tearing his beard and saying, “Alas! the sun of my prosperity has gone under the clouds.

Would that my hand had been broken (powerless) at the moment when I struck (such a blow) on the head of that sweet-tongued one?” 255

He was giving presents to every dervish, that he might get back the speech of his bird.

After three days and three nights, he was seated on the bench, distraught and sorrowful, like a man in despair,

Showing the bird every sort of hidden (unfamiliar) thing (in the hope) that maybe it would begin to speak.

Meanwhile a bare-headed dervish, clad in a jawlaq (coarse woollen frock), passed by, with a head hairless as the outside of bowl and basin.

Thereupon the parrot cried to the dervish, as rational persons (might have done). 260

How were you mixed up with the bald, O baldpate? Did you, then, spill oil from the bottle?”

The bystanders laughed at the parrot's inference, because it deemed the wearer of the frock to be like itself.

Do not measure the actions of holy men by (the analogy of) yourself, though shér (lion) and shír (milk) are similar in writing.

On this account the whole world is gone astray: scarcely any one is cognisant of God's Abdál (Substitutes).

They set up (a claim of) equality with the prophets; they supposed the saints to be like themselves. 265

“Behold,” they said, “we are men, they are men; both we and they are in bondage to sleep and food.”

In (their) blindness they did not perceive that there is an infinite difference between (them).

Both species of zanbúr ate and drank from the (same) place, but from that one (the hornet) came a sting, and from this other (the bee) honey.

Both species of deer ate grass and drank water: from this one came dung, and from that one pure musk.

Both reeds drank from the same water-source, (but) this one is empty and that one full of sugar. 270

Consider hundreds of thousands of such likenesses and observe that the distance between the two is (as great as) a seventy years' journey.

This one eats, and filth is discharged from him; that one eats, and becomes entirely the light of God.

This one eats, (and of him) is born nothing but avarice and envy; that one eats, (and of him) is born nothing but the Light of the One (God).

This one is good (fertile) soil and that one brackish and bad; this one is a fair angel and that one a devil and wild beast.

If both resemble each other in aspect, it may well be (so): bitter water and sweet water have (the same) clearness. 275

Who knows (the difference) except a man possessed of (spiritual) taste? Find (him): he knows the sweet water from the brine.

Comparing magic with (prophetic) miracle, he (the ignorant one) fancies that both are founded on deceit.

The magicians (in the time) of Moses, for contention's sake, lifted up (in their hands) a rod like his,

(But) between this rod and that rod there is a vast difference; from this action (magic) to that action (miracle) is a great way.

This action is followed by the curse of God, (while) that action receives in payment the mercy (blessing) of God. 280

The infidels in contending (for equality with the prophets and saints) have the nature of an ape: the (evil) nature is a canker within the breast.

Whatever a man does, the ape at every moment does the same thing that he sees done by the man.

He thinks, “I have acted like him”: how should that quarrelsome-looking one know the difference?

This one (the holy man) acts by the command (of God), and he (the apish imitator) for the sake of quarrelling (rivalry). Pour dust on the heads of those who have quarrelsome faces!

That (religious) hypocrite joins in ritual prayer with the (sincere) conformist (only) for quarrelling's sake, not for supplication. 285

In prayer and fasting and pilgrimage and alms-giving the true believers are (engaged) with the hypocrite in (what brings) victory and defeat.

Victory in the end is to the true believers; upon the hypocrite (falls) defeat in the state hereafter.

Although both are intent on one game, in relation to each other they are (as far apart as) the man of Merv and the man of Rayy.

Each one goes to his (proper) abiding-place; each one fares according to his name.

If he be called a true believer, his soul rejoices; and if (he be called) “hypocrite,” he becomes fierce and filled with fire (rage). 290

His (the true believer's) name is loved on account of its essence (which is true faith); this one's (the hypocrite's) name is loathed on account of its pestilent qualities.

(The four letters) mím and wáw and mím and nún do not confer honour: the word múmin (true believer) is only for the sake of denotation.

If you call him (the true believer) hypocrite, this vile name is stinging (him) within like a scorpion.

If this name is not derived from Hell, then why is there the taste of Hell in it?