Rumi's Masnavi - And then, when (the sea of) thy dropsy (lust) breaks into billows, thou must needs have under thy sway a (whole) city full of bread and women.

And then, when (the sea of) thy dropsy (lust) breaks into billows, thou must needs have under thy sway a (whole) city full of bread and women. 4655

باز استسقات چون شد موج‌زن ** ملک شهری بایدت پر نان و زن

(At first) thou wert (only) a snake: (now) indeed thou hast become a dragon. Thou hadst (only) one head: now thou hast seven heads.

مار بودی اژدها گشتی مگر ** یک سرت بود این زمانی هفت‌سر

Hell is a seven-headed dragon: thy greed is the bait and Hell the snare.

اژدهای هفت‌سر دوزخ بود ** حرص تو دانه‌ست و دوزخ فخ بود

Pull the snare to pieces, burn the bait, open new doors in this (bodily) tenement!

دام را بدران بسوزان دانه را ** باز کن درهای نو این خانه را

O sturdy beggar, unless thou art a lover (of God), thou hast (only) an echo, like the unconscious mountain.

چون تو عاشق نیستی ای نرگدا ** هم‌چو کوهی بی‌خبر داری صدا

How should the mountain possess a voice of its own? The echo is reflected from another, O trusty man. 4660

کوه را گفتار کی باشد ز خود ** عکس غیرست آن صدا ای معتمد

In the same fashion as thy speech is the reflexion of another, so all thy feelings are nothing but a reflexion.

گفت تو زان سان که عکس دیگریست ** جمله احوالت به جز هم عکس نیست

Both thy anger and thy pleasure are (only) reflected from others, (like) the joy of the procuress and the rage of the night-patrol.

خشم و ذوقت هر دو عکس دیگران ** شادی قواده و خشم عوان

Pray, what (harm) did that poor fellow do to the night-patrol that he should punish and torment him in revenge?

آن عوان را آن ضعیف آخر چه کرد ** که دهد او را به کینه زجر و درد

How long (wilt thou follow) the glittering phantom reflected (from another)?Strive to make this (experience) actual for thyself,

تا بکی عکس خیال لامعه ** جهد کن تا گرددت این واقعه

So that thy words will be (prompted) by thy immediate feelings, and thy flight will be made with thine own wings and pinions. 4665

تا که گفتارت ز حال تو بود ** سیر تو با پر و بال تو بود

’Tis with alien feathers that the arrow captures its prey; consequently it gets no share of the bird's flesh;

صید گیرد تیر هم با پر غیر ** لاجرم بی‌بهره است از لحم طیر

(But) the falcon brings its quarry from the mountains itself; consequently the king lets it eat partridge and starling.

باز صید آرد به خود از کوهسار ** لاجرم شاهش خوراند کبک و سار

The speech that is not (derived) from (Divine) inspiration springs from self-will: it is like dust (floating) in the air and among the motes (in the sunbeams).

منطقی کز وحی نبود از هواست ** هم‌چو خاکی در هوا و در هباست

If this saying appear to the Khwája to be erroneous, recite a few lines at the beginning of (the Súra) Wa’l-Najm.

گر نماید خواجه را این دم غلط ** ز اول والنجم بر خوان چند خط

Down to (the words), Mohammed does not speak from self-will: ’tis only (a speech) gained by inspiration. 4670

تا که ما ینطق محمد عن هوی ** ان هو الا بوحی احتوی

O Ahmad (Mohammed), since thou despairest not of (receiving) inspiration, leave investigation and conjecture to the corporealists;

احمدا چون نیستت از وحی یاس ** جسمیان را ده تحری و قیاس

For in case of necessity a carcase is lawful (food), but there is no need to investigate (when one is) in the Ka‘ba of union.

کز ضرورت هست مرداری حلال ** که تحری نیست در کعبه‌ی وصال

Whosoever wilfully adopts a heresy without investigation and the utmost efforts to discover the right way,

بی‌تحری و اجتهادات هدی ** هر که بدعت پیشه گیرد از هوی

The wind (of self-will) will lift him up and kill him, like (the people of) ‘Ád: he is no Solomon that it should waft his throne along.

هم‌چو عادش بر برد باد و کشد ** نه سلیمانست تا تختش کشد

For ‘Ád (and those like them) the wind is a treacherous carrier: (they are) as a lamb in the hands of a glutton, 4675

عاد را با دست حمال خذول ** هم‌چو بره در کف مردی اکول

Which he lays in his lap as though it were his own child and carries away to slaughter like a butcher.

هم‌چو فرزندش نهاده بر کنار ** می‌برد تا بکشدش قصاب‌وار

That wind was (the punishment) for ‘Ád because of their pride: they indeed deemed it a friend, (but) it was (really) a stranger (foe).

عاد را آن باد ز استکبار بود ** یار خود پنداشتند اغیار بود

When of a sudden it turned its coat, that evil comrade shattered them piecemeal.

چون بگردانید ناگه پوستین ** خردشان بشکست آن بس القرین

Shatter (destroy) the wind—for the wind (of self-will) is a great temptation— ere it shatter thee, like ‘Ád.

باد را بشکن که بس فتنه‌ست باد ** پیش از آن کت بشکند او هم‌چو عاد

Húd admonished them, saying, “O prideful folk, this wind will tear out of your hands the skirt (to which ye are clinging). 4680

هود دادی پند که ای پر کبر خیل ** بر کند از دستتان این باد ذیل

The wind is God's army, and (only) in hypocrisy (deceit) has it embraced you for a few days.

لشکر حق است باد و از نفاق ** چند روزی با شما کرد اعتناق

Secretly it is loyal to its Creator: when the appointed term arrives, the wind will throw up its hands (and desert you).”

او به سر با خالق خود راستست ** چون اجل آید بر آرد باد دست

See how the wind passes through the mouth, coming and going at every moment in advance and retreat.

باد را اندر دهن بین ره‌گذر ** هر نفس آیان روان در کر و فر

The throat and teeth are in no danger from it; (but) when God commands, it attacks the teeth;

حلق و دندان‌ها ازو آمن بود ** حق چو فرماید به دندان در فتد

(And then) a (mere) atom of wind becomes (like) a mountain and heavy, and toothache keeps him (the sufferer) miserable and ill. 4685

کوه گردد ذره‌ای باد و ثقیل ** درد دندان داردش زار و علیل

This is the same wind that used to pass by harmlessly: it was the life of the crops and it became the death of the crops.

این همان بادست که امن می‌گذشت ** بود جان کشت و گشت او مرگ کشت

The hand of the person who (formerly) kissed thy hand—in the moment of anger that hand becomes a mace.

دست آن کس که بکردت دست‌بوس ** وقت خشم آن دست می‌گردد دبوس

He (who has toothache) cries from his soul, “O Lord! O Lord! Take away this wind, O Thou whose aid is besought (by all)!

یا رب و یا رب بر آرد او ز جان ** که ببر این باد را ای مستعان

O mouth, thou wert heedless of this wind: (now) go and betake thyself to asking pardon of God with utter abasement.”

ای دهان غافل بدی زین باد رو ** از بن دندان در استغفار شو

His hard eye (now) sheds tears like rain: (only) pain causes the unbelievers to call unto God. 4690

چشم سختش اشک‌ها باران کند ** منکران را درد الله‌خوان کند

Since thou hast not received the breath (inspiration) of (holy) men from a (holy) man, hark, receive the Divine inspiration from pain.

چون دم مردان نپذرفتی ز مرد ** وحی حق را هین پذیرا شو ز درد

The wind says, “I am a messenger from the King of mankind: now I bring good news, now calamitous and bad;

باد گوید پیکم از شاه بشر ** گه خبر خیر آورم گه شوم و شر

For I am subject to command, I am not in command of myself: when am I forgetful, like thee, of my King?

ز آنک مامورم امیر خود نیم ** من چو تو غافل ز شاه خود کیم

If thy (spiritual) state resembled that of Solomon, I should have carried thee as (I carried) Solomon.

گر سلیمان‌وار بودی حال تو ** چون سلیمان گشتمی حمال تو

I am (only) lent (to thee); I should have become a possession in thy hand: I should have made thee acquainted with my mystery. 4695

عاریه‌ستم گشتمی ملک کفت ** کردمی بر راز خود من واقفت

But since thou art rebellious and I am (only) taken on loan to serve thee for three or four days,

لیک چون تو یاغیی من مستعار ** می‌کنم خدمت ترا روزی سه چار

Therefore I will lay thee low, like ‘Ád, and dash away in revolt from thy army,

پس چو عادت سرنگونی‌ها دهم ** ز اسپه تو یاغیانه بر جهم

In order that thy faith in the Unseen may become firm at the moment when thy faith is (only) a source of woe.”

تا به غیب ایمان تو محکم شود ** آن زمان که ایمانت مایه‌ی غم شود

(For) at that moment, in sooth, all become believers: at that moment even the (most) headstrong run on their heads.

آن زمان خود جملگان مؤمن شوند ** آن زمان خود سرکشان بر سر دوند

At that moment they cry piteously and make humble supplication, like robbers and brigands under the gibbet. 4700

آن زمان زاری کنند و افتقار ** هم‌چو دزد و راه‌زن در زیر دار

But if you become upright in (your faith in) the Unseen, you are owner of the two worlds and a magistrate (exercising sovereign authority) over yourself.

لیک گر در غیب گردی مستوی ** مالک دارین و شحنه‌ی خود توی

The abiding (spiritual) magistracy and kingship is not (something) taken on loan for two days and ailing (perishable).

شحنگی و پادشاهی مقیم ** نه دو روزه و مستعارست و سقیم

(Possessing that) you are delivered from strife and can act for yourself: you are king and at the same time beating your own drum.

رستی از بیگار و کار خود کنی ** هم تو شاه و هم تو طبل خود زنی

When the World squeezes our throats tightly, would that our gullets and mouths had eaten (only) earth!

چون گلو تنگ آورد بر ما جهان ** خاک خوردی کاشکی حلق و دهان