Rumi's Masnavi - He had no scent (perception) of the unicolority of Jesus, nor had he a disposition from (imbued with) the tincture of the dyeing-vat of Jesus.

He had no scent (perception) of the unicolority of Jesus, nor had he a disposition from (imbued with) the tincture of the dyeing-vat of Jesus. 500

او ز یک رنگی عیسی بو نداشت ** وز مزاج خم عیسی خو نداشت‌‌

From that pure vat a garment of a hundred colours would become as simple and one-coloured as the zephyr.

جامه‌‌ی صد رنگ از آن خم صفا ** ساده و یک رنگ گشتی چون صبا

(This) is not the unicolority from which weariness ensues; nay, it is (a case) like (that of) fishes and clear water:

نیست یک رنگی کز او خیزد ملال ** بل مثال ماهی و آب زلال‌‌

Although there are thousands of colours on dry land, (yet) fishes are at war with dryness.

گر چه در خشکی هزاران رنگهاست ** ماهیان را با یبوست جنگهاست‌‌

Who is the fish and what is the sea in (my) simile, that the King Almighty and Glorious should resemble them?

کیست ماهی چیست دریا در مثل ** تا بدان ماند ملک عز و جل‌‌

In (the world of) existence myriads of seas and fishes prostrate themselves in adoration before that Munificence and Bounty. 505

صد هزاران بحر و ماهی در وجود ** سجده آرد پیش آن اکرام و جود

How many a rain of largesse hath rained, so that the sea was made thereby to scatter pearls!

چند باران عطا باران شده ** تا بدان آن بحر در افشان شده‌‌

How many a sun of generosity hath shone, so that cloud and sea learned to be bountiful!

چند خورشید کرم افروخته ** تا که ابر و بحر جود آموخته‌‌

The sunbeams of Wisdom struck on soil and clay, so that the earth became receptive of the seed.

پرتو دانش زده بر آب و طین ** تا شده دانه پذیرنده‌‌ی زمین‌‌

The soil is faithful to its trust, and whatever you have sown in it, you carry away the (equivalent in) kind thereof without fraud (on the part of the soil).

خاک امین و هر چه در وی کاشتی ** بی‌‌خیانت جنس آن برداشتی‌‌

It has derived this faithfulness from that (Divine) faithfulness, inasmuch as the sun of Justice has shone upon it. 510

این امانت ز آن امانت یافته ست ** کافتاب عدل بر وی تافته ست‌‌

Until springtide brings the token of God, the soil does not reveal its secrets.

تا نشان حق نیارد نو بهار ** خاک سرها را نکرده آشکار

The Bounteous One who gave to an inanimate thing these informations and this faithfulness and this righteousness,

آن جوادی که جمادی را بداد ** این خبرها وین امانت وین سداد

His grace makes an inanimate thing informed, (while) His wrath makes blind the men of understanding.

مر جمادی را کند فضلش خبیر ** عاقلان را کرده قهر او ضریر

Soul and heart cannot endure that ferment: to whom shall I speak? There is not in the world a single ear (capable of apprehension).

جان و دل را طاقت آن جوش نیست ** با که گویم در جهان یک گوش نیست‌‌

Wherever there was an ear, through Him it became an eye; wherever there was a stone, through Him it became a jasper. 515

هر کجا گوشی بد از وی چشم گشت ** هر کجا سنگی بد از وی یشم گشت‌‌

He is an alchemist—what is alchemy (compared with His action)? He is a giver of miracles (to prophets)—what is magic (compared with these miracles)?

کیمیا ساز است چه بود کیمیا ** معجزه بخش است چه بود سیمیا

This uttering of praise (to Him) is (really) the omission of praise on my part, for this (praise) is a proof of (my) being, and being is a sin.

این ثنا گفتن ز من ترک ثناست ** کین دلیل هستی و هستی خطاست‌‌

It behoves (us) to be not-being in the presence of His Being: in His presence what is (our) being? Blind and blue.

پیش هست او بباید نیست بود ** چیست هستی پیش او کور و کبود

Were it not blind it would have been melted (consumed) by Him: it would have known the heat of (the Divine) sun;

گر نبودی کور از او بگداختی ** گرمی خورشید را بشناختی‌‌

And were it not blue from mourning, how would this region (of phenomenal existence) have (remained) frozen like ice? 520

ور نبودی او کبود از تعزیت ** کی فسردی همچو یخ این ناحیت‌‌

Setting forth how the vizier incurred perdition (by engaging) in this plot.

بیان خسارت وزیر در این مکر

The vizier was ignorant and heedless, like the (Jewish) king: he was wrestling with the eternal and inevitable,

همچو شه نادان و غافل بد وزیر ** پنجه می‌‌زد با قدیم ناگزیر

With a God so mighty that in a moment He causes a hundred worlds like ours to come into existence from non-existence:

با چنان قادر خدایی کز عدم ** صد چو عالم هست گرداند به دم‌‌

A hundred worlds like ours He displays to the sight, when He makes your eye seeing by (the light of) Himself.

صد چو عالم در نظر پیدا کند ** چون که چشمت را به خود بینا کند

If the world appears to you vast and bottomless, know that to Omnipotence it is not (so much as) an atom.

گر جهان پیشت بزرگ و بی‌‌بنی است ** پیش قدرت ذره ای می‌‌دان که نیست‌‌

This world, indeed, is the prison of your souls: oh, go in yonder direction, for there lies your open country. 525

این جهان خود حبس جانهای شماست‌‌ ** هین روید آن سو که صحرای شماست

This world is finite, and truly that (other) is infinite: image and form are a barrier to that Reality.

این جهان محدود آن خود بی حد است ** نقش و صورت پیش ٱن معنی سد است

The myriads of Pharaoh's lances were shattered by (the hand of) Moses (armed) with a single staff.

صد هزاران نیزه‌‌ی فرعون را ** در شکست از موسیی با یک عصا

Myriads were the therapeutic arts of Galen: before Jesus and his (life-giving) breath they were a laughing-stock.

صد هزاران طب جالینوس بود ** پیش عیسی و دمش افسوس بود

Myriads were the books of (pre-Islamic) poems: at the word of an illiterate (prophet) they were (put to) shame.

صد هزاران دفتر اشعار بود ** پیش حرف امیی آن عار بود

(Confronted) with such an all-conquering Lord, how should any one not die (to self), unless he be a vile wretch? 530

با چنین غالب خداوندی کسی ** چون نمیرد گر نباشد او خسی‌‌

Many a mind (strong and firm) as a mountain did He uproot; the cunning bird He hung up by its two feet.

بس دل چون کوه را انگیخت او ** مرغ زیرک با دو پا آویخت او

To sharpen the intelligence and wits is not the (right) way: none but the broken (in spirit) wins the favour of the King.

فهم و خاطر تیز کردن نیست راه ** جز شکسته می‌‌نگیرد فضل شاه‌‌

Oh, many the amassers of treasure, digging holes (in search of treasure), who became an ox's beard (dupe) to that vain schemer (the vizier)!

ای بسا گنج آگنان کنج کاو ** کان خیال اندیش را شد ریش گاو

Who is the ox that you should become his beard? What is earth that you should become its stubble?

گاو که بود تا تو ریش او شوی ** خاک چه بود تا حشیش او شوی‌‌

When a woman became pale-faced (ashamed) of (her) wickedness, God metamorphosed her and made her Zuhra (the planet Venus). 535

چون زنی از کار بد شد روی زرد ** مسخ کرد او را خدا و زهره کرد

To make a woman Zuhra was metamorphosis: is it not metamorphosis to become earth and clay, O contumacious one?

عورتی را زهره کردن مسخ بود ** خاک و گل گشتن نه مسخ است ای عنود

Your spirit was bearing you towards the highest sphere (of heaven): you went towards the water and the clay amongst the lowest (of the low).

روح می‌‌بردت سوی چرخ برین ** سوی آب و گل شدی در اسفلین‌‌

By this fall you metamorphosed yourself from that (state of) existence which was the envy of the (spiritual) intelligences.

خویشتن را مسخ کردی زین سفول ** ز آن وجودی که بد آن رشک عقول‌‌

Consider, then, how is (what is the character of) this metamorphosis: compared with that metamorphosis (of the woman) this (which you have suffered) is exceedingly vile.

پس ببین کین مسخ کردن چون بود ** پیش آن مسخ این به غایت دون بود

You urged the steed of ambition towards the stars: you did not acknowledge Adam who was worshipped (by the angels). 540

اسب همت سوی اختر تاختی ** آدم مسجود را نشناختی‌‌

After all, you are a son of Adam. O degenerate! how long will you regard lowness as nobility?

آخر آدم زاده‌‌ای ای ناخلف ** چند پنداری تو پستی را شرف‌‌

How long will you say, “I will conquer a whole world, I will make this world full of myself”?

چند گویی من بگیرم عالمی ** این جهان را پر کنم از خود همی‌‌

If the world should be filled with snow from end to end, the glow of the sun would melt it with a single look.

گر جهان پر برف گردد سربه‌‌سر ** تاب خور بگدازدش با یک نظر

God by a single spark (of His mercy) maketh naught his (the vizier's) burden (of sin) and (the burden) of a hundred viziers and a hundred thousand.

وزر او و صد وزیر و صد هزار ** نیست گرداند خدا از یک شرار

He maketh the essence of that (false) imagination to be wisdom; He maketh the essence of that poisoned water to be a (wholesome) drink. 545

عین آن تخییل را حکمت کند ** عین آن زهر آب را شربت کند

That which raises doubt He turneth into certainty; He maketh loving kindnesses grow from the causes of hatred.

آن گمان انگیز را سازد یقین ** مهرها رویاند از اسباب کین‌‌

He cherisheth Abraham in the fire; He turneth fear into security of spirit.

پرورد در آتش ابراهیم را ** ایمنی روح سازد بیم را

By His burning (destroying) of secondary causes I am distraught; in (my) fancies of Him I am like a sophist (sceptic or agnostic).

از سبب سوزیش من سودایی‌‌ام ** در خیالاتش چو سوفسطایی‌‌ام‌‌

How the vizier started another plan to mislead the (Christian) folk.

مکر دیگر انگیختن وزیر در اضلال قوم

The vizier formed in his mind another plan: he abandoned preaching and sat alone in seclusion.

مکر دیگر آن وزیر از خود ببست ** وعظ را بگذاشت و در خلوت نشست‌‌