Rumi's Masnavi - Crying, “Display that which he is hiding! He has consumed me (with anguish): O God, expose him!”

Crying, “Display that which he is hiding! He has consumed me (with anguish): O God, expose him!”

کانچ پنهان می‌کند پیدایش کن ** سوخت ما را ای خدا رسواش کن

All the members of his body are his adversaries, for he prates of spring (while) they are in December. 750

جمله اجزای تنش خصم ویند ** کز بهاری لافد ایشان در دیند

Vain talk repels acts of kindness and tears off the bough of pity from the trunk of the tree.

لاف وا داد کرمها می‌کند ** شاخ رحمت را ز بن بر می‌کند

Bring forward (practise) honesty, or else be silent, and then behold pity and enjoy it.

راستی پیش آر یا خاموش کن ** وانگهان رحمت ببین و نوش کن

That belly became the adversary of his moustache and secretly had recourse to prayer,

آن شکم خصم سبال او شده ** دست پنهان در دعا اندر زده

Crying, “O God, expose this idle brag of the base, in order that the pity of the noble may be moved towards me.”

کای خدا رسوا کن این لاف لام ** تا بجنبد سوی ما رحم کرام

The belly's prayer was answered: the ardency of need put out a flag. 755

مستجاب آمد دعای آن شکم ** شورش حاجت بزد بیرون علم

God hath said, “Though thou be a profligate and idolater, I will answer when thou callest Me.”

گفت حق گر فاسقی و اهل صنم ** چون مرا خوانی اجابتها کنم

Do thou cleave fast unto prayer and ever cry out: in the end it will deliver thee from the hands of the ghoul.

تو دعا را سخت گیر و می‌شخول ** عاقبت برهاندت از دست غول

When the belly committed itself to God, the cat came and carried off the skin of that sheep's tail.

چون شکم خود را به حضرت در سپرد ** گربه آمد پوست آن دنبه ببرد

They ran after the cat, (but) she fled. The child (of the braggart), from fear of his scolding, changed colour (turned pale).

از پس گربه دویدند او گریخت ** کودک از ترس عتابش رنگ ریخت

The little child came into (the midst of) the company and took away the prestige of the boastful man. 760

آمد اندر انجمن آن طفل خرد ** آب روی مرد لافی را ببرد

It said, “The sheep's tail with which every morning you greased your lips and moustaches—

گفت آن دنبه که هر صبحی بدان ** چرب می‌کردی لبان و سبلتان

The cat came and suddenly snatched it away: I ran hard, but the effort was of no use.”

گربه آمد ناگهانش در ربود ** بس دویدیم و نکرد آن جهد سود

Those who were present laughed from astonishment, and their feelings of pity began to be moved again.

خنده آمد حاضران را از شگفت ** رحمهاشان باز جنبیدن گرفت

They invited him (to eat) and kept him full-fed, they sowed the seed of pity in his soil.

دعوتش کردند و سیرش داشتند ** تخم رحمت در زمینش کاشتند

When he had tasted honesty from the noble, he without arrogance (humbly) became devoted to honesty. 765

او چو ذوق راستی دید از کرام ** بی تکبر راستی را شد غلام

How the jackal which had fallen into the dyer’s vat pretended to be a peacock.

دعوی طاوسی کردن آن شغال کی در خم صباغ افتاده بود

(In the fashion) that parti-colored jackal came secretly and tapped on the lobe of the rebuker’s ear.

و آن شغال رنگ‌رنگ آمد نهفت ** بر بناگوش ملامت‌گر بکفت

“Prithee look at me and at my colour: truly the idolater possesses no idol like me.

بنگر آخر در من و در رنگ من ** یک صنم چون من ندارد خود شمن

Like the flower-garden I have become many-hued and lovely: bow in homage to me, do not withdraw from me (in aversion).

چون گلستان گشته‌ام صد رنگ و خوش ** مر مرا سجده کن از من سر مکش

Behold my glory and splendour and sheen and radiance and colour! Call me the Pride of the World and the Pillar of the Religion!

کر و فر و آب و تاب و رنگ بین ** فخر دنیا خوان مرا و رکن دین

I have become the theatre of the Divine Grace, I have become the tablet on which the Divine Majesty is unfolded. 770

مظهر لطف خدایی گشته‌ام ** لوح شرح کبریایی گشته‌ام

O jackals, take heed, do not call me a jackal: how should a jackal have so much beauty?”

ای شغالان هین مخوانیدم شغال ** کی شغالی را بود چندین جمال

Those jackals came thither en masse, like moths around the candle.

آن شغالان آمدند آنجا بجمع ** همچو پروانه به گرداگرد شمع

“Say then, what shall we call thee, O creature of (pure) substance?” He replied, “ A peacock (brilliant) as Jupiter.”

پس چه خوانیمت بگو ای جوهری ** گفت طاوس نر چون مشتری

Then they said to him, “The spiritual peacocks have displays (with the Beloved) in the Rose-garden:

پس بگفتندش که طاوسان جان ** جلوه‌ها دارند اندر گلستان

Dost thou display thyself like that?” “No,” said he: “not having gone into the desert, how should I tread (the valley of) Mina?” 775

تو چنان جلوه کنی گفتا که نی ** بادیه نارفته چون کوبم منی

“Dost thou utter the cry of peacocks?” “Nay,” said he. “Then, Master Bu’l-‘Alam thou art not a peacock.

بانگ طاووسان کنی گفتا که لا ** پس نه‌ای طاووس خواجه بوالعلا

The peacock’s garment of honour comes from Heaven: how wilt thou attain thereto by means of colours and pretences?”

خلعت طاووس آید ز آسمان ** کی رسی از رنگ و دعویها بدان

Comparison of Pharaoh and his pretence of divinity to the jackal which pretended to be a peacock.

تشبیه فرعون و دعوی الوهیت او بدان شغال کی دعوی طاوسی می‌کرد

Thou art even as Pharaoh, who bejeweled his beard and in his asinine folly soared higher than Jesus.

همچو فرعونی مرصع کرده ریش ** برتر از عیسی پریده از خریش

He too was born of the generation of the she-jackal and fell into a vat of riches and power.

او هم از نسل شغال ماده زاد ** در خم مالی و جاهی در فتاد

Every one who beheld his power and riches bowed down to him in worship: he swallowed the worship of the idle mockers (worldlings). 780

هر که دید آن جاه و مالش سجده کرد ** سجده‌ی افسوسیان را او بخورد

That beggar in tattered cloak became miserably drunken with the people’s worship and feelings of amazement.

گشت مستک آن گدای ژنده‌دلق ** از سجود و از تحیرهای خلق

Riches are a snake, for therein are poisons; and popular favour and worship is a dragon.

مال مار آمد که در وی زهرهاست ** و آن قبول و سجده‌ی خلق اژدهاست

Ah, do not assume a virtue (which thou dost not possess), O Pharaoh: thou art a jackal, do not in any wise behave as a peacock.

های ای فرعون ناموسی مکن ** تو شغالی هیچ طاووسی مکن

If thou appear in the direction of the peacocks, thou art in capable of (their) display and thou wilt be put to shame.

سوی طاووسان اگر پیدا شوی ** عاجزی از جلوه و رسوا شوی

Moses and Aaron were as peacocks: they flapped the wings of display upon thy head and face. 785

موسی و هارون چو طاووسان بدند ** پر جلوه بر سر و رویت زدند

Thy foulness and disgrace were exposed, thou didst fall head-long from thy height.

زشتیت پیدا شد و رسواییت ** سرنگون افتادی از بالاییت

When thou sawest the touchstone, thou becamest black, like adulterated coin: the leonine figure vanished, and the dog was revealed.

چون محک دیدی سیه گشتی چو قلب ** نقش شیری رفت و پیدا گشت کلب

O foul mangy dog, through greed and exuberant insolence do not clothe thyself in the lion’s skin.

ای سگ‌گرگین زشت از حرص و جوش ** پوستین شیر را بر خود مپوش

The roar of the lion will demand from thee the test (of thy sincerity). The figure of a lion , and then the dispositions of dogs!

غره‌ی شیرت بخواهد امتحان ** نقش شیر و آنگه اخلاق سگان

Explanation of (the text), And thou wilt surely know them in the perversion of their speech.

تفسیر ولتعرفنهم فی لحن القول

God said to the Prophet in the course (of the Qur’án), “One sign of the hypocritical is easier (to perceive than other signs): 790

گفت یزدان مر نبی را در مساق ** یک نشانی سهل‌تر ز اهل نفاق

Though the hypocrite be big, handsome, and terrible, thou wilt recognise him in his perverse enunciation and speech.”

گر منافق زفت باشد نغز و هول ** وا شناسی مر ورا در لحن و قول

When you are buying earthenware pots, you make a trial, O purchaser.

چون سفالین کوزه‌ها را می‌خری ** امتحانی می‌کنی ای مشتری

You give the pot a tap with your hand: why? In order that you may know the cracked one by the sound (which it makes).

می‌زنی دستی بر آن کوزه چرا ** تا شناسی از طنین اشکسته را

The voice of the cracked one is different; the voice is a cháwúsh (beadle): it goes in front of it (the pot).

بانگ اشکسته دگرگون می‌بود ** بانگ چاووشست پیشش می‌رود

The voice comes in order to make it known: it determines (the character of) it, as the verb (determines the form of) the masdar (verbal noun). 795

بانگ می‌آید که تعریفش کند ** همچو مصدر فعل تصریفش کند

When the subject of (Divine) probation cropped up, the story of Hárút at once came into my memory.

چون حدیث امتحان رویی نمود ** یادم آمد قصه‌ی هاروت زود

The Story of Hárút and Márút and their boldness in encountering the probations of God most High.

قصه‌ی هاروت و ماروت و دلیری ایشان بر امتحانات حق تعالی

Before this (occasion), we had told a little of it: what, indeed, should we tell? (We can tell only) one (item) of its thousands.

پیش ازین زان گفته بودیم اندکی ** خود چه گوییم از هزارانش یکی

I wished to speak of the (spiritual) truths (contained) in it, (but) till now they have remained (untold) on account of hindrances.

خواستم گفتن در آن تحقیقها ** تا کنون وا ماند از تعویقها