Rumi's Masnavi - Since he has deemed it necessary to flee from the trap, (’tis strange that) the trap for thee is in fact stuck fast to thy (gaudy) feathers.

Since he has deemed it necessary to flee from the trap, (’tis strange that) the trap for thee is in fact stuck fast to thy (gaudy) feathers.

چون فرار از دام واجب دیده است ** دام تو خود بر پرت چفسیده است

I will tear out the pin of this ill-fated trap: I will not suffer bitter grief for the sake of (indulging) a desire.

بر کنم من میخ این منحوس دام ** از پی کامی نباشم طلخ‌کام

I have given thee this answer (which is) suitable to thy understanding: apprehend (its meaning) and do not avert thy face from seeking.

درخور عقل تو گفتم این جواب ** فهم کن وز جست و جو رو بر متاب

Snap this cord, which is greed and envy: remember (the text) on her neck a cord of palm-fibres.”

بسکل این حبلی که حرص است و حسد ** یاد کن فی جیدها حبل مسد

The reason why Khalíl (Abraham), on whom be peace, killed the crow, indicating (thereby) the subjugation of certain blameworthy and pernicious qualities in the disciple.

صفت کشتن خلیل علیه‌السلام زاغ را کی آن اشارت به قمع کدام صفت بود از صفات مذمومه‌ی مهلکه در مرید

There is no end and completion to this discourse. O Friend of God, why didst thou kill the crow? 765

این سخن را نیست پایان و فراغ ** ای خلیل حق چرا کشتی تو زاغ

Because of the (Divine) command. What was the wisdom of the (Divine) command? A small part of the mysteries thereof must (now) be shown.

بهر فرمان حکمت فرمان چه بود ** اندکی ز اسرار آن باید نمود

The cawing and noisy cry of the black crow is ever asking for (long) life in this world.

کاغ کاغ و نعره‌ی زاغ سیاه ** دایما باشد به دنیا عمرخواه

Like Iblís, it (the crow) besought the holy and incomparable God for bodily life till the Resurrection.

هم‌چو ابلیس از خدای پاک فرد ** تا قیامت عمر تن درخواست کرد

He (Iblís) said, “Grant me a respite till the Day of Retribution.” Would that he had said, “We repent, O our Lord.”

گفت انظرنی الی یوم الجزا ** کاشکی گفتی که تبنا ربنا

Life without repentance is all agony of spirit: to be absent from God is present (instant) death. 770

عمر بی توبه همه جان کندنست ** مرگ حاضر غایب از حق بودنست

Life and death—both these are sweet with (the presence of) God: without God the Water of Life is fire.

عمر و مرگ این هر دو با حق خوش بود ** بی‌خدا آب حیات آتش بود

Moreover, ’twas from the effect of the (Divine) curse that in such a Presence he was requesting (long) life.

آن هم از تاثیر لعنت بود کو ** در چنان حضرت همی‌شد عمرجو

To crave of God aught other than God is (merely) the supposition of gain, and (in reality) it is entire loss;

از خدا غیر خدا را خواستن ** ظن افزونیست و کلی کاستن

Especially (to desire) a life sunk in estrangement (from God) is to behave like a fox in the presence of the lion,

خاصه عمری غرق در بیگانگی ** در حضور شیر روبه‌شانگی

(Saying), “Give me longer life that I may go farther back; grant me more time that I may become less.” 775

عمر بیشم ده که تا پس‌تر روم ** مهلم افزون کن که تا کمتر شوم

(The result is) that he (such an one) is a mark for the (Divine) curse: evil is that one who seeks to be accursed.

تا که لعنت را نشانه او بود ** بد کسی باشد که لعنت‌جو بود

The goodly life is to nourish the spirit in nearness (to God); the crow's life is for the sake of eating dung.

عمر خوش در قرب جان پروردنست ** عمر زاغ از بهر سرگین خوردنست

(The crow says), “Give me more life that I may be ever eating dung: give me this always, for I am very evil-natured.”

عمر بیشم ده که تا گه می‌خورم ** دایم اینم ده که بس بدگوهرم

Were it not that that foul-mouthed one is a dung-eater, he would say, “Deliver me from the nature of the crow!”

گرنه گه خوارست آن گنده‌دهان ** گویدی کز خوی زاغم وا رهان

Prayer.

مناجات

O Thou who hast transmuted one clod of earth into gold, and another clod into the Father of mankind, 780

ای مبدل کرده خاکی را به زر ** خاک دیگر را بکرده بوالبشر

Thy work is the transmutation of essences and (the showing of) munificence; my work is mistake and forgetfulness and error.

کار تو تبدیل اعیان و عطا ** کار من سهوست و نسیان و خطا

Transmute mistake and forgetfulness into knowledge: I am all choler, make me patience and forbearance.

سهو و نسیان را مبدل کن به علم ** من همه خلمم مرا کن صبر و حلم

O Thou who makest nitrous earth to be bread, and O Thou who makest dead bread to be life,

ای که خاک شوره را تو نان کنی ** وی که نان مرده را تو جان کنی

O Thou who makest the distracted soul to be a Guide, and O Thou who makest the wayless wanderer to be a Prophet,

ای که جان خیره را رهبر کنی ** وی که بی‌ره را تو پیغمبر کنی

Thou makest a piece of earth to be heaven, Thou givest increase in the earth from the stars. 785

می‌کنی جزو زمین را آسمان ** می‌فزایی در زمین از اختران

Whosoever makes the Water of Life to consist of (the pleasures of) this world, death comes to him sooner than to the others.

هر که سازد زین جهان آب حیات ** زوترش از دیگران آید ممات

The eye of the heart (the inward eye) that contemplated the (spiritual) firmament perceived that here (in the sensible world) is a continual alchemy.

دیده‌ی دل کو به گردون بنگریست ** دید که اینجا هر دمی میناگریست

The harmonious cohesion of the patched garment, (which is) the body, without being stitched (together), is (owing to) the transmutation of essences and (to) an all-embracing elixir.

قلب اعیانست و اکسیری محیط ** ایتلاف خرقه‌ی تن بی‌مخیط

From the day when thou camest into existence, thou wert fire or air or earth.

تو از آن روزی که در هست آمدی ** آتشی یا بادی یا خاکی بدی

If thou hadst remained in that condition, how should this (present) height have been reached by thee? 790

گر بر آن حالت ترا بودی بقا ** کی رسیدی مر ترا این ارتقا

The Transmuter did not leave thee in thy first (state of) existence: He established a better (state of) existence in the place of that (former one);

از مبدل هستی اول نماند ** هستی بهتر به جای آن نشاند

And so on till (He gave thee) a hundred thousand states of existence, one after the other, the second (always) better than the beginning.

هم‌چنین تا صد هزاران هستها ** بعد یکدیگر دوم به ز ابتدا

Regard (all change as derived) from the Transmuter, leave (ignore) the intermediaries, for by (regarding) the intermediaries thou wilt be come far from their Origin.

از مبدل بین وسایط را بمان ** کز وسایط دور گردی ز اصل آن

Wherever the intermediaries increase, union (with the Origin) is removed: (in proportion as) the intermediaries are less, the delight of (attaining to) union is greater.

واسطه هر جا فزون شد وصل جست ** واسطه کم ذوق وصل افزونترست

By knowing the intermediaries thy bewilderment (in God) is diminished: thy bewilderment gives thee admission to the (Divine) Presence. 795

از سبب‌دانی شود کم حیرتت ** حیرت تو ره دهد در حضرتت

Thou hast gained these (successive) lives from (successive) deaths: why hast thou averted thy face from dying in Him?

این بقاها از فناها یافتی ** از فنااش رو چرا برتافتی

What loss was thine (what loss didst thou suffer) from those deaths, that thou hast clung (so tenaciously) to (this earthly) life, O rat?

زان فناها چه زیان بودت که تا ** بر بقا چفسیده‌ای ای نافقا

Since thy second (life) is better than thy first, therefore seek to die (to the world), and worship the Transmuter.

چون دوم از اولینت بهترست ** پس فنا جو و مبدل را پرست

O contumacious man, thou hast experienced a hundred thousand resurrections at every moment from the beginning of thy existence until now:

صد هزاران حشر دیدی ای عنود ** تاکنون هر لحظه از بدو وجود

From inanimateness (thou didst move) unconsciously towards (vegetal) growth, and from (vegetal) growth towards (animal) life and tribulation; 800

از جماد بی‌خبر سوی نما ** وز نما سوی حیات و ابتلا

Again, towards reason and goodly discernments; again, towards (what lies) outside of these five (senses) and six (directions).

باز سوی عقل و تمییزات خوش ** باز سوی خارج این پنج و شش

These footprints are (extend) as far as the shore of the Ocean; then the footprints disappear in the Ocean;

تا لب بحر این نشان پایهاست ** پس نشان پا درون بحر لاست

Because, from (Divine) precaution, the resting-places (appointed for the traveller) on the dry land are (like) villages and dwellings and caravanserays,

زانک منزلهای خشکی ز احتیاط ** هست دهها و وطنها و رباط

(While) on the contrary the resting-places of the Ocean, when its billows swell, have no floor or roof (to shelter the traveller) during (his) stay and detention.

باز منزلهای دریا در وقوف ** وقت موج و حبس بی‌عرصه و سقوف

These (Oceanic) stages have no visible beacon: these resting-places have neither sign nor name. 805

نیست پیدا آن مراحل را سنام ** نه نشانست آن منازل را نه نام

Between every two resting-places Yonder there is (a distance) a hundred times as much as from the vegetal state to the Essential Spirit.

هست صد چندان میان منزلین ** آن طرف که از نما تا روح عین

Thou hast seen this life (to be implicit) in (previous) deaths: how, (then), art thou (so) attached to the life of the body?

در فناها این بقاها دیده‌ای ** بر بقای جسم چون چفسیده‌ای

Come, O crow, give up this (animal) soul! Be a falcon, be self-sacrificing in the presence of the Divine transmutation.

هین بده ای زاغ این جان باز باش ** پیش تبدیل خدا جانباز باش

Take the new and surrender the old, for every “this year” of thine is superior to three “last years.”

تازه می‌گیر و کهن را می‌سپار ** که هر امسالت فزونست از سه پار

If thou wilt not be lavish (of thyself) like the date-palm, (then) pile old rags on old rags and make a heap, 810

گر نباشی نخل‌وار ایثار کن ** کهنه بر کهنه نه و انبار کن