Rumi's Masnavi - The gifts of lovers to one another are, in respect of love, naught but forms;

The gifts of lovers to one another are, in respect of love, naught but forms;

(But the purpose is) that the gifts may have borne testimony to feelings of love which are concealed in secrecy,

Because outward acts of kindness bear witness to feelings of love in the heart, O dear friend.

Your witness is sometimes true, sometimes false, sometimes drunken with wine, sometimes with sour curds.

He that has drunk sour curds makes a show of intoxication, shouts ecstatically, and behaves like one whose head is heavy (with the fumes of wine); 2630

That hypocrite is (assiduous) in fasting and praying, in order that it may be supposed that he is drunken with devotion (to God).

In short, external acts are different (from internal feelings), (and their purpose is) to indicate that which is hidden.

O Lord, grant us according to our desire such discernment that we may know the false indication from the true.

Do you know how the sense-perception becomes discerning? In this way, that the sense-perception should be seeing by the light of God.

And if there be no effect (outward sign), the cause too makes manifest (that which is hidden), as (for example) kinship gives information concerning love (enables you to infer the presence of love). 2635

He to whom the light of God has become a guide is not a slave to effects or causes—

Or (if he is a slave to them) Love will throw a spark within, wax mighty, and make (the illumined one) independent of effect.

He has no need to make his love known, since Love has shot its radiance over the sky (of his heart).

There are detailed explanations (which I could give) in order to complete this subject; but seek them (for yourself), and (now) farewell.

Although the inner meaning is visible in this outward form, the form is (both) near to the meaning and far (from it). 2640

In regard to indication, they (the meaning and the form) are like the sap and the tree; (but) when you turn to the quiddity, they are very far (removed from each other).

(Let me) take leave of quiddities and essential properties, and relate what happened to those twain with faces like the moon.

How the Arab set his heart on (complying with) his beloved's request and swore that in thus submitting (to her) he had no (idea of) trickery and making trial (of her).

The man said, “Now I have ceased to oppose (thee): thou hast authority (to do what thou wilt): draw the sword from the sheath.

Whatsoever thou biddest me do, I will obey: I will not consider the bad or good result of it.

I will become non-existent in thy existence, because I am thy lover: love makes blind and deaf.” 2645

The wife said, “Dost thou intend to treat me with kindness, or art thou (bent on) discovering my secret by trickery?”

He said, “(No), by God who knows the thought most deeply hid, who out of dust created Adam pure (chosen above all),

Who, in the body three cubits long which He gave him, displayed everything that was contained in the tablets (of destiny) and the (world of) spirits.

Through his He (God) taught him (Adam) the Names (through his God-given knowledge) he at the very first gave instruction (to the angels) concerning everything that shall come to pass unto everlasting,

So that the angels became beside themselves (in amazement) at his teaching, and gained from his glorification (of God) a holiness other (than they possessed before). 2650

The revelation that appeared to them from Adam was not (contained) in the amplitude of their heavens.

In comparison with the spaciousness of the range of that pure spirit (Adam), the expanse of the seven heavens became narrow.

The Prophet said that God has said, ‘I am not contained at all in “high” and “low” (spatial dimensions);

I am not contained in earth or heaven or even in the empyrean—know this for certain, O noble one;

(But) I am contained in the true believer's heart: oh, how wonderful! If thou seekest Me, search in those hearts.’ 2655

He (God) said (also), ‘Enter among My servants, thou wilt meet with a Paradise (consisting) of vision of Me, O God-fearing one.’

The empyrean, notwithstanding its wide (far-extending) light, when it beheld that (spirit of Adam), was confounded.

Truly, the magnitude of the empyrean is very great, but who (what) is form when reality has arrived?

Every angel was saying (to Adam), ‘Before this (time) we had a friendship (with thee) on the face of the earth.

On the earth we were sowing the seed of service (worship): we were marveling at that connexion, 2660

Marvelling what connexion we had with this dust, inasmuch as our nature is of heaven.

(We said), Why (this) friendship in us, who are light, with darkness? How can light live with darkness?

O Adam, that friendship was owing to the scent of thee, because earth was the woof and warp of thy body.

From this place (the earth) thy earthly body was woven, in this place thy pure light was found.

This (light) that our souls have obtained from thy spirit shone erstwhile from the dust. 2665

We were in the earth, and heedless of the earth, heedless of the treasure that lay buried there.

When He (God) bade us journey from that place of abode our palates were soured (we were bitterly grieved) by the change,

So that we were arguing (and saying), ‘O God, who will come in our stead?

Wilt Thou sell the splendour of the praise with which we glorify and magnify Thee for babble and palaver?’

The decree of God spread for us the carpet (of indulgence), (and He said), ‘Speak ye, in the way of boldness 2670

(And) without fear, whatever comes upon your tongues, like only children with their father;

For what if these words (of yours) are unseemly? My mercy likewise is prior (superior) to My wrath.

In order to manifest this priority, O angel, I will put in thee incitement to perplexity and doubt,

That thou mayst speak and I not take offence at thee, (so that) none who denies My clemency may dare to utter a word.

Within My (infinite) clemency (the clemencies of) a hundred fathers and a hundred mothers at every moment are born and vanish. 2675