Rumi's Masnavi - That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain (jetting muddy water) on the Water-way (the Way that leads to the Water of Life).

That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain (jetting muddy water) on the Water-way (the Way that leads to the Water of Life).

آن بت منحوت چون سیل سیاه ** نفس بتگر چشمه‌‌ای بر آب راه‌‌

A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers, but the fountain-water is making jets incessantly.

صد سبو را بشکند یک پاره سنگ ** و آب چشمه می‌‌زهاند بی‌‌درنگ‌‌

’Tis easy to break an idol, very easy; to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.

بت شکستن سهل باشد نیک سهل ** سهل دیدن نفس را جهل است جهل‌‌

O son, if you seek (to know) the form of the self, read the story of Hell with its seven gates.

صورت نفس ار بجویی ای پسر ** قصه‌‌ی دوزخ بخوان با هفت در

Every moment (there proceeds from the self) an act of deceit, and in every one of those deceits a hundred Pharaohs are drowned together with their followers. 780

هر نفس مکری و در هر مکر ز آن ** غرقه صد فرعون با فرعونیان‌‌

Flee to the God of Moses and to Moses, do not from Pharaoh's quality (rebellious insolence) spill the water of the Faith.

در خدای موسی و موسی گریز ** آب ایمان را ز فرعونی مریز

Lay your hand on (cleave to) the One (God) and Ahmad (Mohammed)! O brother, escape from the Bú Jahl of the body!

دست را اندر احد و احمد بزن ** ای برادر واره از بو جهل تن‌‌

How a child began to speak amidst the fire and urged the people to throw themselves into the fire.

به سخن آمدن طفل در میان آتش و تحریض کردن خلق را در افتادن به آتش‌‌

That Jew brought to that idol a woman with her child, and the fire was blazing.

یک زنی با طفل آورد آن جهود ** پیش آن بت و آتش اندر شعله بود

He took the child from her and cast it into the fire: the woman was affrighted and withdrew her heart from (abandoned) her faith.

طفل از او بستد در آتش در فکند ** زن بترسید و دل از ایمان بکند

She was about to bow down before the idol (when) the child cried, “Verily, I am not dead. 785

خواست تا او سجده آرد پیش بت ** بانگ زد آن طفل إنی لم أمت‌‌

Come in, O mother: I am happy here, although in appearance I am amidst the fire.

اندر آ ای مادر اینجا من خوشم ** گر چه در صورت میان آتشم‌‌

The fire is a spell that binds the eye for the sake of screening (the truth); this is (in reality) a Divine mercy which has raised its head from the collar (has been manifested from the Unseen).

چشم بند است آتش از بهر حجاب ** رحمت است این سر بر آورده ز جیب‌‌

Come in, mother, and see the evidence of God, that thou mayst behold the delight of God's elect.

اندر آ مادر ببین برهان حق ** تا ببینی عشرت خاصان حق‌‌

Come in, and see water that has the semblance of fire; (come away) from a world which is (really) fire and (only) has the semblance of water.

اندر آ و آب بین آتش مثال ** از جهانی کاتش است آبش مثال‌‌

Come in, and see the mysteries of Abraham, who in the fire found cypress and jessamine. 790

اندر آ اسرار ابراهیم بین ** کاو در آتش یافت سرو و یاسمین‌‌

I was seeing death at the time of birth from thee: sore was my dread of falling from thee;

مرگ می‌‌دیدم گه زادن ز تو ** سخت خوفم بود افتادن ز تو

(But) when I was born, I escaped from the narrow prison (of the womb) into a world of pleasant air and beautiful colour.

چون بزادم رستم از زندان تنگ ** در جهان خوش هوای خوب رنگ‌‌

Now I deem the (earthly) world to be like the womb, since in this fire I have seen such rest:

من جهان را چون رحم دیدم کنون ** چون در این آتش بدیدم این سکون‌‌

In this fire I have seen a world wherein every atom possesses the (life-giving) breath of Jesus.

اندر این آتش بدیدم عالمی ** ذره ذره اندر او عیسی دمی‌‌

Lo, (it is) a world apparently non-existent (but) essentially existent, while that (other) world is apparently existent (but) has no permanence. 795

نک جهان نیست شکل هست ذات ** و آن جهان هست شکل بی‌‌ثبات‌‌

Come in, mother, (I beseech thee) by the right of motherhood: see this fire, how it hath no fieriness.

اندر آ مادر به حق مادری ** بین که این آذر ندارد آذری‌‌

Come in, mother, for felicity is come; come in, mother, do not let fortune slip from thy hand.

اندر آ مادر که اقبال آمده ست ** اندر آ مادر مده دولت ز دست‌‌

Thou hast seen the power of that (Jewish) cur: come in, that thou mayst see the power and the grace of God.

قدرت آن سگ بدیدی اندر آ ** تا ببینی قدرت و لطف خدا

’Tis (only) out of pity that I am drawing thy feet (hither), for indeed such is my rapture that I have no care for thee.

من ز رحمت می‌‌کشانم پای تو ** کز طرب خود نیستم پروای تو

Come in and call the others also, for the King has spread a (festal) table within the fire. 800

اندر آ و دیگران را هم بخوان ** کاندر آتش شاه بنهاده ست خوان‌‌

O true believers, come in, all of you: except the sweetness (‘adhbí) of (the true) religion all is torment (‘adháb).

اندر آیید ای مسلمانان همه ** غیر عذب دین عذاب است آن همه‌‌

Oh, come in, all of you, like moths; (come) into this fortune which hath a hundred springtimes.”

اندر آیید ای همه پروانه‌‌وار ** اندر این بهره که دارد صد بهار

(Thus) he was crying amidst that multitude: the souls of the people were filled with awe.

بانگ می‌‌زد در میان آن گروه ** پر همی‌‌شد جان خلقان از شکوه‌‌

After that, the folk, men and women (alike), cast themselves unwittingly into the fire—

خلق خود را بعد از آن بی‌‌خویشتن ** می‌‌فگندند اندر آتش مرد و زن‌‌

Without custodian, without being dragged, for love of the Friend, because from Him is the sweetening of every bitterness— 805

بی‌‌موکل بی‌‌کشش از عشق دوست ** ز آن که شیرین کردن هر تلخ از اوست‌‌

Until it came to pass that the (king's) myrmidons were holding back the people, saying, “Do not enter the fire!”

تا چنان شد کان عوانان خلق را ** منع می‌‌کردند کاتش در میا

The Jew became black-faced (covered with shame) and dismayed; he became sorry and sick at heart,

آن یهودی شد سیه رو و خجل ** شد پشیمان زین سبب بیمار دل‌‌

Because the people grew more loving (ardent) in their Faith and more firm in mortification (faná) of the body.

کاندر ایمان خلق عاشق‌‌تر شدند ** در فنای جسم صادق‌‌تر شدند

Thanks (be to God), the Devil's plot caught him in its toils; thanks (be to God), the Devil saw himself disgraced.

مکر شیطان هم در او پیچید شکر ** دیو هم خود را سیه رو دید شکر

That which he was rubbing (the shame he was inflicting) on the faces of those persons (the Christians) was all accumulated on the visage of that vile wretch. 810

آن چه می‌‌مالید در روی کسان ** جمع شد در چهره‌‌ی آن ناکس آن‌‌

He who was busy rending the garment (honour and integrity) of the people—his own (garment) was rent, (while) they were unhurt.

آن که می‌‌درید جامه‌‌ی خلق چست ** شد دریده آن او ایشان درست‌‌

How the mouth remained awry of a man who pronounced the name of Mohammed, on whom be peace, derisively.

کج ماندن دهان آن مرد که نام محمد را علیه السلام به تسخر خواند

He made his mouth wry and called (the name of) Mohammed in derision: his mouth remained awry.

آن دهان کژ کرد و از تسخر بخواند ** مر محمد را دهانش کژ بماند

He came back, saying, “Pardon me, O Mohammed, O thou to whom belong the (Divine) favours and knowledge (derived) immediately from God.

باز آمد کای محمد عفو کن ** ای ترا الطاف و علم من لدن‌‌

In my folly I was ridiculing thee, (but) I myself was related to ridicule and deserving it.”

من ترا افسوس می‌‌کردم ز جهل ** من بدم افسوس را منسوب و اهل‌‌

When God wishes to rend the veil of any one (expose him to shame), He turns his inclination towards reviling holy men. 815

چون خدا خواهد که پرده‌‌ی کس درد ** میلش اندر طعنه‌‌ی پاکان برد

And if God wishes to hide the blame of any one, he (that person) does not breathe a word of blame against the blameworthy.

چون خدا خواهد که پوشد عیب کس ** کم زند در عیب معیوبان نفس‌‌

When God wishes to help us, He turns our inclination towards humble lament.

چون خدا خواهد که‌‌مان یاری کند ** میل ما را جانب زاری کند

Oh, happy the eye that is weeping for His sake! Oh, fortunate the heart that is seared for His sake!

ای خنک چشمی که آن گریان اوست ** وی همایون دل که آن بریان اوست‌‌

The end of every weeping is laughter at last; the man who foresees the end is a blessed servant (of God).

آخر هر گریه آخر خنده‌‌ای است ** مرد آخر بین مبارک بنده‌‌ای است‌‌

Wherever is flowing water, there is greenery: wherever are running tears, (the Divine) mercy is shown. 820

هر کجا آب روان سبزه بود ** هر کجا اشک روان رحمت شود

Be moaning and moist-eyed like the water-wheel, that green herbs may spring up from the courtyard of your soul.

باش چون دولاب نالان چشم تر ** تا ز صحن جانت بر روید خضر

If you desire tears, have mercy on one who sheds tears; if you desire mercy, show mercy to the weak.

اشک خواهی رحم کن بر اشک بار ** رحم خواهی بر ضعیفان رحم آر

How the fire reproached the Jewish king.

عتاب کردن آتش را آن پادشاه جهود

The king turned his face to the fire, saying, “O fierce-tempered one, where is thy world-consuming natural disposition?

رو به آتش کرد شه کای تند خو ** آن جهان سوز طبیعی خوت کو

How art thou not burning? What has become of thy specific property? Or has thy intention changed because of our fortune?

چون نمی‌‌سوزی چه شد خاصیتت ** یا ز بخت ما دگر شد نیتت‌‌

Thou hast no pity (even) on the fire-worshipper: how (then) has he been saved who does not worship thee? 825

می‌‌نبخشایی تو بر آتش پرست ** آن که نپرستد ترا او چون برست‌‌