Rumi's Masnavi - They all are writhing like fishes on dry land: let loose the water, remove the dam from the stream.

They all are writhing like fishes on dry land: let loose the water, remove the dam from the stream.

جمله در خشکی چو ماهی می‌‌تپند ** آب را بگشا ز جو بر دار بند

O thou like whom there is none in the world, for God's sake, for God's sake, come to the aid of thy people!”

ای که چون تو در زمانه نیست کس ** الله الله خلق را فریاد رس‌‌

How the vizier refused the request of the disciples.

دفع گفتن وزیر مریدان را

He said: “Beware, O ye enslaved by words and talk, ye who seek admonition and discourse (conveyed) by the tongue and (through the) ear. 565

گفت هان ای سخرگان گفت‌‌وگو ** وعظ و گفتار زبان و گوش جو

Put cotton-wool in the ear of the low (physical) sense, take off the bandage of (that) sense from your eyes!

پنبه اندر گوش حس دون کنید ** بند حس از چشم خود بیرون کنید

The ear of the head is the cotton-wool of the ear of the conscience: until the former becomes deaf, that inward (ear) is deaf.

پنبه‌‌ی آن گوش سر گوش سر است ** تا نگردد این کر آن باطن کر است‌‌

Become without sense and without ear and without thought, that ye may hear the call (of God to the soul), ‘Return!’”

بی‌‌حس و بی‌‌گوش و بی‌‌فکرت شوید ** تا خطاب ارجعی را بشنوید

So long as thou art (engaged) in the conversation of wakefulness, how wilt thou catch any scent of the conversation of sleep?

تا به گفت‌‌وگوی بیداری دری ** تو ز گفت خواب بویی کی بری‌‌

Our speech and action is the exterior journey: the interior journey is above the sky. 570

سیر بیرونی است قول و فعل ما ** سیر باطن هست بالای سما

The (physical) sense saw (only) dryness, because it was born of dryness (earth): the Jesus of the spirit set foot on the sea.

حس خشکی دید کز خشکی بزاد ** عیسی جان پای بر دریا نهاد

The journey of the dry body befell on dry land, (but) the journey of the spirit set foot (took place) in the heart of the sea.

سیر جسم خشک بر خشکی فتاد ** سیر جان پا در دل دریا نهاد

Since thy life has passed in travelling on land, now mountain, now river, now desert,

چون که عمر اندر ره خشکی گذشت ** گاه کوه و گاه صحرا گاه دشت‌‌

Whence wilt thou gain the Water of Life? Where wilt thou cleave the waves of the Sea?

آب حیوان از کجا خواهی تو یافت ** موج دریا را کجا خواهی شکافت‌‌

The waves of earth are our imagination and understanding and thought; the waves of water are (mystical) self-effacement and intoxication and death (faná). 575

موج خاکی وهم و فهم و فکر ماست ** موج آبی محو و سکر است و فناست‌‌

Whilst thou art in this (sensual) intoxication, thou art far from that (mystical) intoxication; whilst thou art drunken with this, thou art blind to that cup.

تا در این سکری از آن سکری تو دور ** تا از این مستی از آن جامی تو دور

Outward speech and talk is as dust: do thou for a time make a habit of silence. Take heed!

گفت‌‌وگوی ظاهر آمد چون غبار ** مدتی خاموش خو کن هوش دار

How the disciples repeated their request that he should interrupt his seclusion.

مکرر کردن مریدان که خلوت را بشکن

They all said: “O sage who seekest a crevice (means of evasion), say not to us this (word of) guile and harshness.

جمله گفتند ای حکیم رخنه جو ** این فریب و این جفا با ما مگو

Lay on the beast a burden in proportion to its endurance, lay on the weak a task in proportion to their strength.

چار پا را قدر طاقت بار نه ** بر ضعیفان قدر قوت کار نه‌‌

The bait for every bird is according to its (the bird's) measure (capacity): how should a fig be the food (lure) for every bird? 580

دانه‌‌ی هر مرغ اندازه‌‌ی وی است ** طعمه‌‌ی هر مرغ انجیری کی است‌‌

If you give a babe bread instead of milk, take it (for granted) that the poor babe will die of the bread;

طفل را گر نان دهی بر جای شیر ** طفل مسکین را از آن نان مرده گیر

(Yet) afterwards, when it grows teeth, that babe will of its own accord its heart will crave bread.

چون که دندانها بر آرد بعد از آن ** هم بخود گردد دلش جویای نان‌‌

When an unfledged bird begins to fly, it becomes a mouthful for any rapacious cat;

مرغ پر نارسته چون پران شود ** لقمه‌‌ی هر گربه‌‌ی دران شود

(But) when it grows wings, it will fly of itself without trouble and without whistling (prompting), good or bad.

چون بر آرد پر بپرد او به خود ** بی‌‌تکلف بی‌‌صفیر نیک و بد

Thy speech makes the Devil silent, thy words make our ears (full of) intelligence. 585

دیو را نطق تو خامش می‌‌کند ** گوش ما را گفت تو هش می‌‌کند

Our ears are (full of) intelligence when thou art speaking; our dry land is a river when thou art the ocean.

گوش ما هوش است چون گویا تویی ** خشک ما بحر است چون دریا تویی‌‌

With thee, earth is better to us than heaven, O thou by whom (the world from) Arcturus to the Fish is illumined!

با تو ما را خاک بهتر از فلک ** ای سماک از تو منور تا سمک‌‌

Without thee, darkness is over heaven for us, (but) compared with thee, O Moon, who is this heaven at all?

بی‌‌تو ما را بر فلک تاریکی است ** با تو ای ماه این فلک باری کی است‌‌

The heavens have the form of sublimity, (but) the essence of sublimity belongs to the pure spirit.

صورت رفعت بود افلاک را ** معنی رفعت روان پاک را

The form of sublimity is for bodies; beside the essence (reality) bodies are (mere) names.” 590

صورت رفعت برای جسمهاست ** جسمها در پیش معنی اسمهاست‌‌

The refusal of the vizier to interrupt his seclusion.

جواب گفتن وزیر که خلوت را نمی‌‌شکنم

He said: “Cut short your arguments, let my advice make its way into your souls and hearts.

گفت حجتهای خود کوته کنید ** پند را در جان و در دل ره کنید

If I am trustworthy, the trustworthy is not doubted, even though I should call heaven earth.

گر امینم متهم نبود امین ** گر بگویم آسمان را من زمین‌‌

If I am (endowed with) perfection, why (this) disbelief in my perfection? and if I am not (perfect), why this molestation and annoyance?

گر کمالم با کمال انکار چیست ** ور نیم این زحمت و آزار چیست‌‌

I will not go forth from this seclusion, because I am occupied with inward experiences.”

من نخواهم شد از این خلوت برون ** ز آن که مشغولم به احوال درون‌‌

How the disciples raised objections against the vizier's secluding himself.

اعتراض مریدان در خلوت وزیر

They all said: “O vizier, it is not disbelief: our words are not as the words of strangers. 595

جمله گفتند ای وزیر انکار نیست ** گفت ما چون گفتن اغیار نیست‌‌

The tears of our eyes are running because of our separation from thee; sigh after sigh is going (up) from the midst of our souls.

اشک دیده‌‌ست از فراق تو دوان ** آه آه است از میان جان روان‌‌

A babe does not contend with its nurse, but it weeps, although it knows neither evil nor good.

طفل با دایه نه استیزد و لیک ** گرید او گر چه نه بد داند نه نیک‌‌

We are as the harp and thou art striking (it with) the plectrum (playing on it): the lamentation is not from us, it is thou that art making lamentation.

ما چون چنگیم و تو زخمه می‌‌زنی ** زاری از ما نی تو زاری می‌‌کنی‌‌

We are as the flute, and the music in us is from thee; we are as the mountain, and the echo in us is from thee.

ما چو ناییم و نوا در ما ز تست ** ما چو کوهیم و صدا در ما ز تست‌‌

We are as pieces of chess (engaged) in victory and defeat: our victory and defeat is from thee, O thou whose qualities are comely! 600

ما چو شطرنجیم اندر برد و مات ** برد و مات ما ز تست ای خوش صفات‌‌

Who are we, O thou soul of our souls, that we should remain in being beside thee?

ما که باشیم ای تو ما را جان جان ** تا که ما باشیم با تو در میان‌‌

We and our existences are (really) non-existences: thou art the absolute Being which manifests the perishable (causes phenomena to appear).

ما عدمهاییم و هستیهای ما ** تو وجود مطلقی فانی نما

We all are lions, but lions on a banner: because of the wind they are rushing onward from moment to moment.

ما همه شیران ولی شیر علم ** حمله‌‌شان از باد باشد دم‌‌به‌‌دم‌‌

Their onward rush is visible, and the wind is unseen: may that which is unseen never fail!

حمله شان پیدا و ناپیداست باد ** آن که ناپیداست هرگز کم مباد

Our wind (that whereby we are moved) and our being are of thy gift; our whole existence is from thy bringing (us) into being. 605

باد ما و بود ما از داد تست ** هستی ما جمله از ایجاد تست‌‌

Thou didst show the delightfulness of Being unto not-being, (after) thou hadst caused not-being to fall in love with thee.

لذت هستی نمودی نیست را ** عاشق خود کرده بودی نیست را

Take not away the delightfulness of thy bounty; take not away thy dessert and wine and wine-cup!

لذت انعام خود را وامگیر ** نقل و باده و جام خود را وامگیر

And if thou take it away, who will make inquiry of thee? How should the picture strive with the painter?

ور بگیری کیت جستجو کند ** نقش با نقاش چون نیرو کند

Do not look on us, do not fix thy gaze on us: look on thine own kindness and generosity.

منگر اندر ما، مکن در ما نظر ** اندر اکرام و سخای خود نگر

We were not, and there was no demand on our part, (yet) thy grace was hearkening to our unspoken prayer (and calling us into existence).” 610

ما نبودیم و تقاضامان نبود ** لطف تو ناگفته‌‌ی ما می‌‌شنود

Before the painter and the brush the picture is helpless and bound like a child in the womb.

نقش باشد پیش نقاش و قلم ** عاجز و بسته چو کودک در شکم‌‌

Before Omnipotence all the people of the (Divine) court of audience (the world) are as helpless as the (embroiderer's) fabric before the needle.

پیش قدرت خلق جمله بارگه ** عاجزان چون پیش سوزن کارگه‌‌