Section

دفتر پنجم

Poems

Story of the lover who was recounting to his beloved his acts of service and loyalty and the long nights (during which) their sides heave up from their beds and the long days of want and parching thirst; and he was saying, “I know not any service besides these: if there is any other service (to be done), direct me, for I submit to whatever thou mayst command, whether to enter the fire, like Khalíl (Abraham), on whom be peace, or fall into the mouth of the leviathan of the sea, like Jonah, on whom be peace, or be killed seventy times, like Jirjís (St George), on whom be peace, or be made blind by weeping, like Shu‘ayb, on whom be peace; and the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the prophets cannot be reckoned”; and how the beloved answered him.

بخش 56داستان آن عاشق کی با معشوق خود برمی‌شمرد خدمتها و وفاهای خود را و شبهای دراز تتجافی جنوبهم عن المضاجع را و بی‌نوایی و جگر تشنگی روزهای دراز را و می‌گفت کی من جزین خدمت نمی‌دانم اگر خدمت دیگر هست مرا ارشاد کن کی هر چه فرمایی منقادم اگر در آتش رفتن است چون خلیل علیه‌السلام و اگر در دهان نهنگ دریا فتادنست چون یونس علیه‌السلام و اگر هفتاد بار کشته شدن است چون جرجیس علیه‌السلام و اگر از گریه نابینا شدن است چون شعیب علیه‌السلام و وفا و جانبازی انبیا را علیهم‌السلام شمار نیست و جواب گفتن معشوق او را

English
23 couplets

A certain man asked a mystic theologian, “If any one weep loudly during the ritual prayer and moan and lament, is his prayer rendered void?” He replied, “The name of those (tears) is ‘water of the eye’: consider what that weeper has seen: if he has seen (felt) longing for God or repentance for a sin and weeps, his prayer is not spoilt; nay, it attains perfection, for ‘there is no prayer without presence of the heart’; but if he has (inwardly) seen bodily sickness or the loss of a son, his prayer is spoilt, for the foundation of prayer is the abandonment of the body and the abandonment of sons, like Abraham, who was offering his son as a sacrifice in order to perfect his prayer and giving up his body to Nimrod's fire; and Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, was commanded (by God) to act after these manners: “follow the religion of Abraham.” “Verily ye have had a good example in Abraham.”

بخش 57یکی پرسید از عالمی عارفی کی اگر در نماز کسی بگرید به آواز و آه کند و نوحه کند نمازش باطل شود جواب گفت کی نام آن آب دیده است تا آن گرینده چه دیده است اگر شوق خدا دیده است و می‌گرید یا پشیمانی گناهی نمازش تباه نشود بلک کمال گیرد کی لا صلوة الا بحضور القلب و اگر او رنجوری تن یا فراق فرزند دیده است نمازش تباه شود کی اصل نماز ترک تن است و ترک فرزند ابراهیم‌وار کی فرزند را قربان می‌کرد از بهر تکمیل نماز و تن را به آتش نمرود می‌سپرد و امر آمد مصطفی را علیه‌السلام بدین خصال کی فاتبع ملة ابراهیم لقد کانت لکم اسوة حسنة فی‌ابراهیم

English
6 couplets

A disciple came in to pay his respects to the Shaykh—and by this (word) “Shaykh” I do not mean one old in years, but one old in understanding and knowledge (of God), even if he is Jesus, on whom be peace, in the cradle, or Yahyá (John the Baptist), on whom be peace, in the children's school. The disciple saw the Shaykh weeping; he too acted in conformity (with the Shaykh) and wept. When he had finished and gone forth (from the Shaykh's presence), another disciple, who was more cognisant of the Shaykh's spiritual state, impelled by (noble) jealousy, went out quickly after him and said to him, “O brother, (whatever may happen) I shall have told you: for God's sake, for God's sake, beware of thinking or saying that the Shaykh wept and you wept likewise; you must practise self-discipline without hypocrisy for thirty years, and you must traverse ravines and seas full of leviathans, and lofty mountains full of lions and leopards, that you may attain to that weeping of the Shaykh or not attain. If you attain, you will often utter thanksgiving (as immense as is the extent of the earth, described in the words of the Tradition), ‘The earth was gathered together for me.’”

بخش 58مریدی در آمد به خدمت شیخ و ازین شیخ پیر سن نمی‌خواهم بلک پیرعقل و معرفت و اگرچه عیسیست علیه‌السلام در گهواره و یحیی است علیه‌السلام در مکتب کودکان مریدی شیخ را گریان دید او نیز موافقت کرد و گریست چون فارغ شد و به در آمد مریدی دیگر کی از حال شیخ واقف‌تر بود از سر غیرت در عقب او تیز بیرون آمد گفتش ای برادر من ترا گفته باشم الله الله تا نیندیشی و نگویی کی شیخ می‌گریست و من نیز می‌گریستم کی سی سال ریاضت بی‌ریا باید کرد و از عقبات و دریاهای پر نهنگ و کوههای بلند پر شیر و پلنگ می‌باید گذشت تا بدان گریهٔ شیخ رسی یا نرسی اگر رسی شکر زویت لی الارض گویی بسیار

English
62 couplets

Story of the maidservant who cum asino herae suae libidinem exercebat et eum tanquam caprum et ursam docuerat libidinem more humano exercere et veretro asini cucurbitam affigebat ne modum excederet. Her mistress discovered it but did not perceive the device of the gourd; making a pretext, she sent the maid away to a distant place and cum asino concubuit sine cucurbita and perished shamefully. The maid came back late and lamented, crying, “O my soul and O light of my eyes, veretrum vidisti, cucurbitam non vidisti; penem vidisti, illud alterum non vidisti.” (According to the Tradition) every deficient one is accursed, i.e. every deficient insight and understanding is accursed; for those deficient in respect of the outward eye are objects of (Divine) mercy and are not accursed. Recite (the Verse), It is no crime in the blind. (In their case) He (God) has removed the crime, He has removed the curse, and He has removed the reproach and the wrath.

بخش 59داستان آن کنیزک کی با خر خاتون شهوت می‌راند و او را چون بز و خرس آموخته بود شهوت راندن آدمیانه و کدویی در قضیب خر می‌کرد تا از اندازه نگذرد خاتون بر آن وقوف یافت لکن دقیقهٔ کدو را ندید کنیزک را به بهانه به راه کرد جای دور و با خر جمع شد بی‌کدو و هلاک شد به فضیحت کنیزک بیگاه باز آمد و نوحه کرد که ای جانم و ای چشم روشنم کیر دیدی کدو ندیدی ذکر دیدی آن دگر ندیدی کل ناقص ملعون یعنی کل نظر و فهم ناقص ملعون و اگر نه ناقصان ظاهر جسم مرحوم‌اند ملعون نه‌اند بر خوان لیس علی الاعمی حرج نفی حرج کرد و نفی لعنت و نفی عتاب و غضب

English
97 couplets

The instruction given by a Shaykh to disciples, or by a prophet to a people, who are unable to receive the Divine lesson and have no familiar acquaintance with God, may be compared with the case of a parrot which has no such acquaintance with the (inward) form of a man, so that it should be able to receive instruction (directly) from him. God most High holds the Shaykh in front of the disciple, as the mirror (is held) in front of the parrot, while He (Himself) dictates from behind the mirror, saying, “Do not move thy tongue to hasten it (the Revelation); it is naught but an inspiration that is inspired (by God).” This is the beginning of an endless problem. When the parrot, which ye call the image, moves its beak in the mirror, the movement is not (made) by its own volition and power: it is the reflexion of the (movement made in) articulation by the parrot outside, which is the learner; not the reflexion of (the movement made by) the Teacher behind the mirror; but the external parrot's articulation is controlled by the Teacher. This, then, is (only) a comparison, not a (complete) similitude.

بخش 60تمثیل تلقین شیخ مریدان را و پیغامبر امت را کی ایشان طاقت تلقین حق ندارند و با حق‌الف ندارند چنانک طوطی با صورت آدمی الف ندارد کی ازو تلقین تواند گرفت حق تعالی شیخ را چون آیینه‌ای پیش مرید هم‌چو طوطی دارد و از پس آینه تلقین می‌کند لا تحرک به لسانک ان هو الا وحی یوحی اینست ابتدای مسلهٔ بی‌منتهی چنانک منقار جنبانیدن طوطی اندرون آینه کی خیالش می‌خوانی بی‌اختیار و تصرف اوست عکس خواندن طوطی برونی کی متعلمست نه عکس آن معلم کی پس آینه است و لیکن خواندن طوطی برونی تصرف آن معلم است پس این مثال آمد نه مثل

English
15 couplets

A mystic saw a bitch big with young, in whose womb the young were barking. He remained in amazement, saying, “The reason of a dog's barking is to keep watch (against strangers): to bark in the mother's womb is not (for the purpose of) keeping watch; and, again, barking may be a call for help, or its cause may be a desire for milk, etc.; and there is no such purpose in this case.” When he came to himself, he made supplication to God—and none knoweth the interpretation thereof except Allah. Answer came: “It represents the state of a party who pretend to (spiritual) insight and utter (mystical) sayings without having come forth from the veil (of materiality) and before the eyes of their hearts have been opened. Thence neither to themselves do strength and support accrue, nor to their hearers any guidance and right direction.”

بخش 61صاحب‌دلی دید سگ حامله در شکم آن سگ‌بچگان بانگ می‌کردند در تعجب ماند کی حکمت بانگ سگ پاسبانیست بانگ در اندرون شکم مادر پاسبانی نیست و نیز بانگ جهت یاری خواستن و شیر خواستن باشد و غیره و آنجا هیچ این فایده‌ها نیست چون به خویش آمد با حضرت مناجات کرد و ما یعلم تاویله الا الله جواب آمد کی آن صورت حال قومیست از حجاب بیرون نیامده و چشم دل باز ناشده دعوی بصیرت کنند و مقالات گویند از آن نی ایشان را قوتی و یاریی رسد و نه مستمعان را هدایتی و رشدی

English
28 couplets

Story of the people of Zarwán and their envy of the poor. “Our father,” they said, “from (foolish) simplicity used to give to the poor the most part of the produce of his orchard.” When it was grapes, he would give a tithe; and when they were turned into raisins or syrup, he would give a tithe; and whenever he made halwá or pálúda, he would give a tithe; and he would give a tithe of the corn-sheaves, and when he threshed (the corn), he would give a tithe of the unthreshed ears mixed (with straw); and when he separated the wheat from the straw, he would give a tithe; and when he made flour, he would give a tithe; and when he leavened the dough, he would give a tithe; and when he made bread, he would give a tithe. Consequently God most High had laid such a blessing on his orchard and crops that all the (other) owners of orchards were in need of him, both for fruit and money, while he needed nothing from any of them. His sons saw the repeated payment of tithes, and did not see the blessing, velut illa femina infelix quae veretrum asini vidit, cucurbitam non vidit.

بخش 62قصهٔ اهل ضروان و حسد ایشان بر درویشان کی پدر ما از سلیمی اغلب دخل باغ را به مسکینان می‌داد چون انگور بودی عشر دادی و چون مویز و دوشاب شدی عشر دادی و چون حلوا و پالوده کردی عشر دادی و از قصیل عشر دادی و چون در خرمن می‌کوفتی از کفهٔ آمیخته عشر دادی و چون گندم از کاه جدا شدی عشر دادی و چون آرد کردی عشر دادی و چون خمیر کردی عشر دادی و چون نان کردی عشر دادی لاجرم حق تعالی در آن باغ و کشت برکتی نهاده بود کی همه اصحاب باغ‌ها محتاج او بدندی هم به میوه و هم به سیم و او محتاج هیچ کس نی ازیشان فرزندانشان خرج عشر می‌دیدند منکر و آن برکت را نمی‌دیدند هم‌چون آن زن بدبخت که کدو را ندید و خر را دید

English
64 couplets

[Explaining that when injury befalls you from a creature of God, he in reality is like an instrument. The gnostic is he that refers (all action) to God, not to the instrument; and if he refer it to the instrument formally, he does so not in ignorance but for a purpose. Thus Abú Yazíd, may God sanctify his spirit, said, “During all these years I have never spoken to any creature or heard any creature speak to me; but people fancy that I am speaking and listening to them, because they do not see the Most Great Speaker, of whom they in relation to me are (only) the echo.” The intelligent hearer pays no heed to the echo. There is a well-known proverb to this effect, (namely), “The wall said to the nail, ‘Why are you splitting me?’ The nail replied, ‘Look at him who is hitting me.’”]

بخش 69بیان آنک مخلوقی کی ترا ازو ظلمی رسد به حقیقت او هم‌چون آلتیست عارف آن بود کی بحق رجوع کند نه به آلت و اگر به آلت رجوع کند به ظاهر نه از جهل کند بلک برای مصلحتی چنانک ابایزید قدس الله سره گفت کی چندین سالست کی من با مخلوق سخن نگفته‌ام و از مخلوق سخن نشنیده‌ام ولیکن خلق چنین پندارند کی با ایشان سخن می‌گویم و ازیشان می‌شنوم زیرا ایشان مخاطب اکبر را نمی‌بینند کی ایشان چون صدااند او را نسبت به حال من التفات مستمع عاقل به صدا نباشد چنانک مثل است معروف قال الجدار للوتد لم تشقنی قال الوتد انظر الی من یدقنی

English
27 couplets

A beloved asked her lover, “Do you love yourself more or me?” He replied, “I am dead to myself and living by thee; I have become non-existent to myself and my own attributes and existent through thee; I have forgotten my own knowledge and have become knowing through thy knowledge; I have lost all thought of my own power and have become powerful through thy power. If I love myself, I must have loved thee, and if I love thee, I must have loved myself.” (Verse): “Whoever possesses the mirror of clairvoyance sees God (even) though he see himself.” (God said to Báyazíd): “Go forth with My attributes to My creatures. Whoso shall see thee shall see Me and whoso shall betake himself unto thee shall betake himself unto Me”; and so on.

بخش 80معشوقی از عاشق پرسید کی خود را دوست‌تر داری یا مرا گفت من از خود مرده‌ام و به تو زنده‌ام از خود و از صفات خود نیست شده‌ام و به تو هست شده‌ام علم خود را فراموش کرده‌ام و از علم تو عالم شده‌ام قدرت خود را از یاد داده‌ام و از قدرت تو قادر شده‌ام اگر خود را دوست دارم ترا دوست داشته باشم و اگر ترا دوست دارم خود را دوست داشته باشم هر که را آینهٔ یقین باشد گرچه خود بین خدای بین باشد اخرج به صفاتی الی خلقی من رآک رآنی و من قصدک قصدنی و علی هذا

English
30 couplets

Story explaining the repentance of Nasúh. As milk that flows from the teat never returns to the teat, so he who has repented like Nasúh will never think of that sin in the way of desire; nay, his loathing will increase continually, and that loathing is a proof that he has experienced the delight of being accepted (as a sincere penitent), and that the old lust has ceased to give delight, and that the former (delight) has established itself in the place of the latter, as it has been said (in verse): “Nothing breaks off (one) love except another love: why don't you take a friend (who is) fairer than he?” And when his (the penitent's) heart desires to sin again, it is a sign that he has not experienced the delight of acceptance, and that the delight of acceptance has not superseded the delight of sin, and that he has not (yet) become (like the righteous of whom God saith), “We will surely dispose him to ease,” but that the (sinful) delight (spoken) of (in the text), “We will surely dispose him to hardship,” is still remaining in him.

بخش 88حکایت در بیان توبهٔ نصوح کی چنانک شیر از پستان بیرون آید باز در پستان نرود آنک توبه نصوحی کرد هرگز از آن گناه یاد نکند به طریق رغبت بلک هر دم نفرتش افزون باشد و آن نفرت دلیل آن بود کی لذت قبول یافت آن شهوت اول بی‌لذت شد این به جای آن نشست نبرد عشق را جز عشق دیگر چرا یاری نجویی زو نکوتر وانک دلش باز بدان گناه رغبت می‌کند علامت آنست کی لذت قبول نیافته است و لذت قبول به جای آن لذت گناه ننشسته است سنیسره للیسری نشده است لذت و نیسره للعسری باقیست بر وی

English
14 couplets
دفتر پنجم — Masnavi-ye Maʿnavi · ZindeRood