Rumi's Masnavi - Thou art instilling into them a vain imagination and a mad fancy: thou art giving the name “ruin” to this Paradise.

Thou art instilling into them a vain imagination and a mad fancy: thou art giving the name “ruin” to this Paradise.

We will beat thy head so long, O (bird) of evil qualities, that thou wilt renounce this hypocrisy and nonsense.’

They (the Jews) are crucifying him (Bilál), his face to the East, and flogging his naked body with a thorny branch. 965

The blood is spurting from his body in a hundred places, (whilst) he is crying ‘One!’ and bowing his head (in resignation).

I admonished him often, saying, ‘Keep thy religion hidden, conceal thy secret from the accursed Jews.’

(But) he is a lover: to him the (spiritual) resurrection has come, so that the door of repentance has been shut on him.”

Loverhood and repentance or (even) the possibility of patience—this, O (dear) soul, is a very enormous absurdity.

Repentance is a worm, while Love is like a dragon: repentance is an attribute of Man, while that (other) is an attribute of God. 970

Love is (one) of the attributes of God who wants nothing: love for aught besides Him is unreal,

Because that (which is besides Him) is (but) a gilded beauty: its outside is (shining) light, (but) ’tis (like dark) smoke within.

When the light goes and the smoke becomes visible, at that moment the unreal love is frozen up.

That beauty returns to its source; the body is left—foul-smelling, shameful, and ugly.

The moonlight is returning to the moon: its reflexion goes off the black (dark) wall; 975

And then, (when) the water and clay (of the wall) are left without that ornament, the wall, (being) moonless, becomes (hideous) as a devil.

When the gold flies from the surface of the base coin, that gold returns to its (original) mine and settles (there);

Then the shamefully exposed copper is left (looking black) like smoke, and its lover is left looking blacker than it.

(But) the love of them that have (spiritual) insight is (fixed) on the gold-mine; necessarily it is (grows) greater every day,

Because the mine hath no partner in aureity. Hail, O Gold-mine (of Reality), Thou concerning whom there is no doubt! 980

If any one let a base coin become a sharer with the Mine (in his affection), the gold goes back to the Mine (which is) beyond locality,

(And then) the lover and his beloved are dead (left to die) in agony: the fish is left (writhing), the water is gone from the whirlpool.

The Divine Love is the Sun of perfection: the (Divine) Word is its light, the creatures are as shadows.

When Mustafá (Mohammed) expanded with joy on (hearing) this story, his (the Siddíq's) desire to speak (of Bilál) increased also.

Since he found a hearer like Mustafá, every hair of him became a separate tongue. 985

Mustafá said to him, “Now what is the remedy?” He (the Siddíq) replied, “This servant (of God) is going to buy him.

I will buy him at whatever price he (the Jew) may name: I will not regard the apparent loss (of money) and the extortion;

For he is God's captive on the earth, and he has become subjected to the anger of God's enemy.”

How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, enjoined the Siddíq, may God be pleased with him, saying, “Since thou art going to purchase Bilál, they (the Jews) will certainly raise his price by wrangling (with thee): make me thy partner in this merit, be my agent, and receive from me half the purchase-money.”

Mustafá said to him, “O seeker of (spiritual) fortune, I will be thy partner in this (enterprise).

Be my agent, buy a half share (in him) on my account, and receive the payment from me.” 990

He replied, “I will do my utmost to serve thee.” Then he went to the house of the merciless Jew.

He said to himself, “From the hands of children one can buy pearls very cheaply, O father.”

From these foolish children the ghoul-like Devil is buying their reason and faith in exchange for the kingdom of this world.

He decks out the carcase so finely that (with it) he buys from them two hundred rose-gardens.

By magic he produces such moonshine that by means of (his) magic he carries off from worthless folk a hundred purses (of money). 995

The prophets taught them to trade (in the spiritual market) and lighted the candle of the (true) religion before them;

(But) by means of magic and in despite the devilish and ghoulish Magician caused the prophets to appear ugly in their eyes.

By (his) sorcery the Foe causes ugliness (to appear), so that divorce takes place between the wife and (her) husband.

Their eyes have been sealed by a (mighty) enchantment, so that they have sold such a (precious) pearl for rubbish.

This pearl is superior to both the worlds: hark, buy (it) from this ignorant child, for he is an ass. 1000

To the ass a cowrie and a pearl are alike: the ass has a (great) doubt concerning the (spiritual) pearl and the Sea.

He disbelieves in the Sea and its pearls: how should an animal be a seeker of pearls and adornments?

God has not put it into the animal's head to be engrossed with rubies and devoted to pearls.

Have you ever seen asses with ear-rings? The ear and mind of the ass are (set) on the meadow.

Read in (the Súra entitled) Wa’l-Tín (the words), (We created Man) in the best proportion, for the spirit, O friend, is a precious pearl. 1005

(That spirit created) in the best proportion surpasses the empyrean: (that spirit created) in the best proportion is beyond (the range of) thought.

If I declare the value of this inaccessible (pearl), I shall be consumed, and the hearer too will be consumed.

At this point close thy lips and proceed no further. This Siddíq went to those asses (the Jews).

He knocked the door-ring, and when the Jew opened the door he (the Siddíq) went into his house, beside himself (with indignation).

He sat down, beside himself and furious and full of fire: from his mouth leaped many bitter words— 1010

“Why art thou beating this friend of God? What hatred is this, O enemy of the Light?

If thou art steadfast in thy own religion, how is thy heart consenting to maltreat him who is steadfast (in his religion)?