Rumi's Masnavi - If thou art an Alexander, come to the Sun's rising-place: after that, wheresoever thou goest, thou art possessed of goodly splendour.

If thou art an Alexander, come to the Sun's rising-place: after that, wheresoever thou goest, thou art possessed of goodly splendour. 45

مطلع شمس آی گر اسکندری ** بعد از آن هر جا روی نیکوفری‏

After that, wheresoever thou goest, ’twill become the place of sunrise: (all) the places of sunrise will be in love with thy place of sunset.

بعد از آن هر جا روی مشرق شود ** شرقها بر مغربت عاشق شود

Thy bat-like senses are running towards the sunset; thy pearl-scattering senses are faring towards the sunrise.

حس خفاشت سوی مغرب دوان ** حس در پاشت سوی مشرق روان‏

The way of (physical) sense-perception is the way of asses, O rider: have shame, O thou that art jostling (vying) with asses!

راه حس راه خران است ای سوار ** ای خران را تو مزاحم شرم دار

Besides these five (physical) senses there are five (spiritual) senses: those (latter) are like red gold, while these (physical) senses are like copper.

پنج حسی هست جز این پنج حس ** آن چو زر سرخ و این حسها چو مس‏

In the bazaar where the people of the Last Congregation (on the Day of Judgment) are (purchasers), how should they buy the copper sense like (as though it were) the sense of gold? 50

اندر آن بازار کایشان ماهرند ** حس مس را چون حس زر کی خرند

The bodily sense is eating the food of darkness; the spiritual sense is feeding from a Sun.

حس ابدان قوت ظلمت می‏خورد ** حس جان از آفتابی می‏چرد

O thou that hast borne the baggage of thy senses to the Unseen, put forth thy hand, like Moses, from thy bosom.

ای ببرده رخت حسها سوی غیب ** دست چون موسی برون آور ز جیب‏

O thou whose attributes are (those of) the Sun of Divine knowledge, while the sun in heaven is confined to a single attribute,

ای صفاتت آفتاب معرفت ** و آفتاب چرخ بند یک صفت‏

Now thou becomest the Sun, and now the Sea; now the mountain of Qáf, and now the ‘Anqá.

گاه خورشید و گهی دریا شوی ** گاه کوه قاف و گه عنقا شوی‏

In thine essence thou art neither this nor that, O thou that art greater than (all) imaginations and more than (all) more! 55

تو نه این باشی نه آن در ذات خویش ** ای فزون از وهمها و ز بیش بیش‏

The Spirit is associated (endued) with knowledge and reason: what has the Spirit to do with Arabic and Turkish?

روح با علم است و با عقل است یار ** روح را با تازی و ترکی چه کار

Both the muwahhid (who asserts the transcendence of God) and the mushabbih (who asserts His immanence) are bewildered by thee, O thou who, being without image (external appearance), art (appearing) in so many forms.

از تو ای بی‏نقش با چندین صور ** هم مشبه هم موحد خیره‏سر

Sometimes He (God) makes the mushabbih (who regards Him as immanent in phenomena) a muwahhid (an asserter of His transcendence); sometimes (these) forms are waylaying the muwahhid (so that he cannot gain access to God who transcends all forms).

گه مشبه را موحد می‏کند ** گه موحد را صور ره می‏زند

Sometimes Abu ’l-Hasan in drunkenness (ecstasy) says to thee, “O thou whose teeth are small (whose years are few), O thou whose body is tender!”

گه ترا گوید ز مستی بو الحسن ** یا صغیر السن یا رطب البدن‏

Sometimes he is laying waste (ruining and defacing) his own image: he is doing that in order to assert the transcendence of the Beloved (God). 60

گاه نقش خویش ویران می‏کند ** از پی تنزیه جانان می‏کند

The doctrine held by the eye of sense is Mu‘tazilism, whereas the eye of Reason is Sunnite (orthodox) in respect of (its) union (vision of God).

چشم حس را هست مذهب اعتزال ** دیده‏ی عقل است سنی در وصال‏

Those in thrall to sense-perception are Mu‘tazilites, (though) from misguidedness they represent themselves as Sunnites.

سخره‏ی حس‏اند اهل اعتزال ** خویش را سنی نمایند از ضلال‏

Any one who remains in (bondage to) sense-perception is a Mu‘tazilite; though he may say he is a Sunnite, ’tis from ignorance.

هر که در حس ماند او معتزلی ست ** گر چه گوید سنیم از جاهلی ست‏

Any one who has escaped from (the bondage of) sense-perception is a Sunnite: the man endowed with (spiritual) vision is the eye of sweet-paced (harmonious) Reason.

هر که بیرون شد ز حس سنی وی است ** اهل بینش چشم عقل خوش پی است‏

If the animal sense could see the King (God), then the ox and the ass would behold Allah. 65

گر بدیدی حس حیوان شاه را ** پس بدیدی گاو و خر الله را

If, besides the animal sense, thou hadst not another sense outside of (unconditioned by) the desire of the flesh,

گر نبودی حس دیگر مر ترا ** جز حس حیوان ز بیرون هوا

Then how should the sons of Adam have been honoured? How by means of the common sense should they have become privileged (to know these mysteries)?

پس بنی آدم مکرم کی بدی ** کی به حس مشترک محرم شدی‏

Your calling (God) “formless” (transcending forms) or “formed” (immanent in forms) is vain, without your departure from form (unless you yourself are freed from sense perception).

نا مصور یا مصور گفتننت ** باطل آمد بی ز صورت رستنت

(Whether God is) “formless” or “formed,” He is with him that is all kernel and has gone forth from the husk.

نامصور یا مصور پیش اوست ** کاو همه مغز است و بیرون شد ز پوست‏

If you are blind, ’tis no crime in the blind; (but) if not, go (persevere in purifying yourself), for patience is the key to success. 70

گر تو کوری نیست بر اعمی حرج ** ور نه رو کالصبر مفتاح الفرج‏

The medicine of patience will burn the veils over your eye and will also effect the opening of your breast (to Divine knowledge).

پرده‏های دیده را داروی صبر ** هم بسوزد هم بسازد شرح صدر

When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure, you will behold images (which are) outside of (the world of) water and earth.

آینه‏ی دل چون شود صافی و پاک ** نقشها بینی برون از آب و خاک‏

You will behold both the image and the image-Maker, both the carpet of (spiritual) empire and the carpet-Spreader.

هم ببینی نقش و هم نقاش را ** فرش دولت را و هم فراش را

The phantom (seen in mystical vision) of my Friend seemed (to me) like Khalíl (Abraham)—its form an idol, its reality a breaker of idols.

چون خلیل آمد خیال یار من ** صورتش بت معنی او بت شکن‏

Thanks be to God that when he appeared, my spirit beheld in his phantom its own phantom (reflected image). 75

شکر یزدان را که چون شد او پدید ** در خیالش جان خیال خود بدید

The dust of thy threshold was bewitching my heart: dust (woe) on him that was patient without thy dust!

خاک درگاهت دلم را می‏فریفت ** خاک بر وی کاو ز خاکت می‏شکیفت‏

I said, “If I am beautiful, I shall receive this (dust of Divine grace and love) from him; and if not, he has indeed laughed at ugly me.

گفتم ار خوبم پذیرم این از او ** ور نه خود خندید بر من زشت رو

The (best) plan is this, that I look at myself (to see whether I am worthy of him); otherwise (if I am not worthy), he will laugh at me: how shall I buy (gain his love)?”

چاره آن باشد که خود را بنگرم ** ور نه او خندد مرا من کی خرم‏

He is beautiful and a lover of beauty: how should a fresh young man choose a decrepit old woman?

او جمیل است و محب للجمال ** کی جوان نو گزیند پیر زال‏

The Beautiful attracts the beautiful (to itself): know this (for sure). Recite thereon (the text) the good women for the good men. 80

خوب خوبی را کند جذب این بدان ** طیبات و طیبین بر وی بخوان‏

In this world everything attracts something: the hot draws the hot (to itself) and the cold the cold.

در جهان هر چیز چیزی جذب کرد ** گرم گرمی را کشید و سرد سرد

The worthless sort attract the worthless; the lasting (those of lasting worth) are rejoiced by the lasting.

قسم باطل باطلان را می‏کشند ** باقیان از باقیان هم سر خوشند

Those of the Fire attract those of the Fire, those of the Light seek those of the Light.

ناریان مر ناریان را جاذب‏اند ** نوریان مر نوریان را طالب‏اند

When you shut your eye, you have a feeling of anguish: the eye cannot do without the light of the window.

چشم چون بستی ترا تاسه گرفت ** نور چشم از نور روزن کی شکفت‏

Your discomfort was (caused by) the light in your eye straining to be joined speedily with the daylight. 85

تاسه‏ی تو جذب نور چشم بود ** تا بپیوندد به نور روز زود

If you feel distress (within) while your eyes are unclosed, know that you have shut the eye of your heart, (and) open it.

چشم باز ار تاسه گیرد مر ترا ** دان که چشم دل ببستی بر گشا

Recognise that that (distress) is the craving of the eyes of your heart which is seeking the immeasurable Light.

آن تقاضای دو چشم دل شناس ** کاو همی‏جوید ضیای بی‏قیاس‏

Inasmuch as separation from those two impermanent lights brought you discomfort, (so that) you opened your eyes,

چون فراق آن دو نور بی‏ثبات ** تاسه آوردت گشادی چشمهات‏

Separation, then, from those two steadfast (everlasting) lights will bring you discomfort: guard them (well)!

پس فراق آن دو نور پایدار ** تاسه می‏آرد مر آن را پاس دار

Since He is calling me, I will look to see whether I am worthy to be drawn (to Him) or whether I am ill-favoured. 90

او چو می‏خواند مرا من بنگرم ** لایق جذب‏ام و یا بد پیکرم‏

If a charming person makes an ugly one (follow) at his heels, ’tis (but) a mockery that he makes of him.

گر لطیفی زشت را در پی کند ** تسخری باشد که او بر وی کند

How, I wonder, shall I behold my own face, so as to see what complexion I have and whether I am like day or like night?

کی ببینم روی خود را ای عجب ** تا چه رنگم همچو روزم یا چو شب‏

For a long while I was seeking the image of my soul, (but) my image was not displayed (reflected) by any one.

نقش جان خویش می‏جستم بسی ** هیچ می‏ننمود نقشم از کسی‏

“After all,” I said, “what is a mirror for? (The use of it is this), that every one may know what and who he is.”

گفتم آخر آینه از بهر چیست ** تا بداند هر کسی کاو چیست و کیست‏