Rumi's Masnavi - Who indeed would have the stomach (would dare) of himself (on his own responsibility) to wield (draw) a sword against him that is a thrall to the decree of God?

Who indeed would have the stomach (would dare) of himself (on his own responsibility) to wield (draw) a sword against him that is a thrall to the decree of God?—

خود که را زهره بدی تا او ز خود ** بر اسیر حکم حق تیغی زند

Because every one whose eyes He (God) hath opened would know that the slayer was constrained (to slay) by (Divine) predestination. 3890

ز آن که داند هر که چشمش را گشود ** کآن کشنده سخره‌‌ی تقدیر بود

Any one on whom that decree might come (fall) would strike a sword-blow even at the head of his (own) child.

هر که را آن حکم بر سر آمدی ** بر سر فرزند هم تیغی زدی‌‌

Go, fear (God) and do not rail at the wicked: know thine own impotence before the snare of the (Divine) decree.

رو بترس و طعنه کم زن بر بدان ** پیش دام حکم عجز خود بدان‌‌

How Adam, on whom be peace, marvelled at the perdition of the accursed Iblís and showed vanity.

تعجب کردن آدم علیه السلام از ضلالت ابلیس لعین و عجب آوردن‌‌

The eye of Adam looked with contempt and scorn on Iblís who is damned.

چشم آدم بر بلیسی کو شقی ست ** از حقارت و از زیافت بنگریست‌‌

He behaved with self-conceit and became self-approving: he laughed at the plight of accursed Iblís.

خویش بینی کرد و آمد خود گزین ** خنده زد بر کار ابلیس لعین‌‌

The jealousy of God cried out (against him)—“O chosen one, thou art ignorant of the hidden mysteries (of His providence). 3895

بانگ بر زد غیرت حق کای صفی ** تو نمی‌‌دانی ز اسرار خفی‌‌

If He should turn the fur inside out, He would tear up from root and bottom (even) the (firmest) mountain (of faith);

پوستین را باژگونه گر کند ** کوه را از بیخ و از بن بر کند

At that instant He would rend the veil of (put to shame) a hundred Adams and bring (to light) a hundred Devils newly converted to Islam.”

پرده‌‌ی صد آدم آن دم بر درد ** صد بلیس نو مسلمان آورد

Adam said, “I repent of this look; I will not think so disrespectfully again.”

گفت آدم توبه کردم زین نظر ** این چنین گستاخ نندیشم دگر

O Help of them that call for help, lead us (aright)! There is no (cause for) pride in knowledge or riches.

یا غیاث المستغیثین اهدنا ** لا افتخار بالعلوم و الغنی‌‌

Do not let a heart stray that Thou hast guided by Thy grace, and avert the evil which the Pen has written. 3900

لا تزغ قلبا هدیت بالکرم ** و اصرف السوء الذی خط القلم‌‌

Let the evil of Thy ordainment pass from our souls: do not cut us off from those who are sincere.

بگذران از جان ما سوء القضا ** وا مبر ما را ز اخوان صفا

There is naught more bitter than separation from Thee: without Thy protection there is naught but perplexity.

تلخ‌‌تر از فرقت تو هیچ نیست ** بی‌‌پناهت غیر پیچا پیچ نیست‌‌

Our (worldly) goods waylay (and plunder) our (spiritual) goods: our bodies tear the garment (of spirituality) from our souls.

رخت ما هم رخت ما را راه زن ** جسم ما مر جان ما را جامه کن‌‌

Inasmuch as (the evil wrought by) our hand devours (the good towards which we move) our foot, how shall any one save his soul without Thy security?

دست ما چون پای ما را می‌‌خورد ** بی‌‌امان تو کسی جان چون برد

And (even) if (unaided) he save his soul from these awful dangers, he will (only) have saved a stock of misfortune and fear, 3905

ور برد جان زین خطرهای عظیم ** برده باشد مایه‌‌ی ادبار و بیم‌‌

Because the soul, when it is not united with the Beloved, is blind and blue (miserable) with itself for ever.

ز آن که جان چون واصل جانان نبود ** تا ابد با خویش کور است و کبود

When Thou wilt not give him admission (to Thy presence) —even suppose he has saved his soul, regard as dead the soul that would live without Thee.

چون تو ندهی راه جان خود برده گیر ** جان که بی‌‌تو زنده باشد مرده گیر

If Thou art upbraiding Thy slaves, that is suitable to Thee, O Thou whose every wish is fulfilled.

گر تو طعنه می‌‌زنی بر بندگان ** مر ترا آن می‌‌رسد ای کامران‌‌

And if Thou utter abuse of the moon and sun, and if Thou say that the (straight) stature of the cypress is (bent) double,

ور تو ماه و مهر را گویی جفا ** ور تو قد سرو را گویی دوتا

And if Thou call the sky and the empyrean contemptible, and if Thou say that the mine and the sea are poor— 3910

ور تو چرخ و عرش را خوانی حقیر ** ور تو کان و بحر را گویی فقیر

That is proper in reference to Thy perfection: Thine is the power of perfecting (all) mortalities,

آن به نسبت با کمال تو رواست ** ملک اکمال فناها مر تراست‌‌

For Thou art holy (and free) from danger and from non-existence: Thou art He that brings the non-existent ones into being and endows (them with existence).

که تو پاکی از خطر و ز نیستی ** نیستان را موجد و معنیستی‌‌

He that made to grow can burn (destroy), because when He has torn, He can sew (mend).

آن که رویانید داند سوختن ** ز آن که چون بدرید داند دوختن‌‌

Every autumn He burns (withers) the garden; (then) He makes to grow again the rose that dyes (the garden),

می‌‌بسوزد هر خزان مر باغ را ** باز رویاند گل صباغ را

Saying, “O thou who wert withered, come forth, be fresh, once more be fair and of fair renown!” 3915

کای بسوزیده برون آ تازه شو ** بار دیگر خوب و خوب آوازه شو

The eye of the narcissus became blind: He restored it; the throat of the reed was cut: He himself fostered it again (and revived it).

چشم نرگس کور شد بازش بساخت ** حلق نی ببرید و بازش خود نواخت‌‌

Since we are made (by God) and are not makers, we are not (entitled to be anything) but humble and content.

ما چو مصنوعیم و صانع نیستیم ** جز زبون و جز که قانع نیستیم‌‌

We all are of the flesh and busy with fleshliness: if Thou call us not (to Thyself), we all are Ahrimans (Devils).

ما همه نفسی و نفسی می‌‌زنیم ** گر نخوانی ما همه اهرمنیم‌‌

(If) we have been delivered from Ahriman, (it is only) because Thou hast redeemed our souls from blindness.

ز آن ز اهرمن رهیدستیم ما ** که خریدی جان ما را از عمی‌‌

Thou art the Guide of every one that hath life: what is the blind man without staff and guide? 3920

تو عصا کش هر که را که زندگی است ** بی‌‌عصا و بی‌‌عصا کش کور چیست‌‌

Excepting Thee (alone), whatsoever is sweet or unsweet is man-destroying and the essence of fire.

غیر تو هر چه خوش است و ناخوش است ** آدمی سوز است و عین آتش است‌‌

Any one to whom fire is a refuge and support becomes both a Magian and a Zoroaster.

هر که را آتش پناه و پشت شد ** هم مجوسی گشت و هم زردشت شد

Everything except Allah is vain: verily the grace of Allah is a cloud pouring abundantly and continually.

کل شی‌‌ء ما خلا الله باطل ** إن فضل الله غیم هاطل‌‌

Returning to the story of ‘Alí—may God honour his person!— and how generously he behaved to his murderer.

باز گشتن به حکایت امیر المؤمنین علی کرم الله وجهه و مسامحت کردن او با خونی خویش‌‌

Go back to ‘Alí and his murderer, and the kindness he showed to the murderer, and his superiority (moral and spiritual excellence).

باز رو سوی علی و خونی‌‌اش ** و آن کرم با خونی و افزونی‌‌اش‌‌

He said, “Day and night I see the enemy with my eyes, (but) I have no anger against him, 3925

گفت دشمن را همی بینم به چشم ** روز و شب بر وی ندارم هیچ خشم

Because death has become sweet as manna to me: my death has laid fast hold of resurrection.”

ز آنکه مرگم همچو من خوش آمده ست ** مرگ من در بعث چنگ اندر زده ست‌‌

The death of deathlessness is lawful to us, the provision of unprovidedness is a bounty to us.

مرگ بی‌‌مرگی بود ما را حلال ** برگ بی‌‌برگی بود ما را نوال‌‌

’Tis death outwardly but life inwardly: apparently ’tis a cutting-off (decease), in secret (in reality) ’tis permanence (life without end).

ظاهرش مرگ و به باطن زندگی ** ظاهرش ابتر نهان پایندگی‌‌

To the embryo in the womb birth is a going (to another state of existence): in the world it (the embryo) blossoms anew.

در رحم زادن جنین را رفتن است ** در جهان او را ز نو بشکفتن است‌‌

“Since I have intense love and longing for death, the prohibition do not cast yourselves (into destruction) is (meant) for me, 3930

چون مرا سوی اجل عشق و هواست ** نهی لا تلقوا بأيدیکم مراست‌‌

Because (only) the sweet berry is prohibited; (for) how should it become necessary to prohibit the sour one?

ز آنکه نهی از دانه‌‌ی شیرین بود ** تلخ را خود نهی حاجت کی شود

The berry that has a sour kernel and rind—its very sourness and disagreeableness are (serve as) a prohibition of it.

دانه‌‌ای که تلخ باشد مغز و پوست ** تلخی و مکروهی‌‌اش خود نهی اوست‌‌

To me the berry of dying has become sweet: (the text) nay, they are living has come (from God) on my account.

دانه‌‌ی مردن مرا شیرین شده ست ** بل هم احیاء پی من آمده ست‌‌

Slay me, my trusty friends, slay me, vile as I am: verily, in my being slain is my life for evermore.

اقتلونی یا ثقاتی لائما ** إن فی قتلی حیاتی دایما

Verily, in my death is my life, O youth—how long shall I be parted from my home? Until when? 3935

إن فی موتی حیاتی یا فتی ** کم أفارق موطنی حتی متی‌‌

If there were not in my staying (in this world) my separation (from God), He would not have said, ‘Verily, we are returning to Him.’”

فرقتی لو لم تکن فی ذا السکون ** لم یقل إنا إليه راجعون‌‌

The returning one is he that comes back to his (native) city, and (fleeing) from the separation (plurality) of Time approaches the Unity.

راجع آن باشد که باز آید به شهر ** سوی وحدت آید از تفریق دهر

How the stirrup-holder of ‘Alí, may God honour his person, came (to him), saying, “For God's sake, kill me and deliver me from this doom.”

افتادن رکابدار هر باری پیش علی کرم الله وجهه که ای امیر المؤمنین از بهر خدا مرا بکش و از این قضا برهان‌‌

“He came back, saying, ‘O‘ Alí, kill me quickly, that I may not see that bitter moment and hour.

باز آمد کای علی زودم بکش ** تا نبینم آن دم و وقت ترش‌‌