Masnavi-ye Maʿnavi by Rumi, in audio recordings by بامشاد لطف آبادی

IN THE NAME OF GOD THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE

بخش 1–سر آغاز

How in the time of ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, a certain person imagined that what he saw was the new moon.

بخش 2–هلال پنداشتن آن شخص خیال را در عهد عمر رضی الله عنه

How a snake-catcher stole a snake from another snake-catcher.

بخش 3–دزدیدن مارگیر ماری را از مارگیری دیگر

How the companion of Jesus, on whom be peace, entreated Jesus, on whom be peace, to give life to the bones.

بخش 4–التماس کردن همراه عیسی علیه السلام زنده کردن استخوانها از عیسی علیه السلام

How the Súfí enjoined the servant to take care of his beast and how the servant said, “Lá hawl.”

بخش 5–اندرز کردن صوفی خادم را در تیمار داشت بهیمه و لا حول خادم

بخش 6–حکایت مشورت کردن خدای تعالی در ایجاد خلق

How the explanation of the (inner) meaning of the tale was stopped because of the hearer's desire to hear the superficial form of it.

بخش 7–بسته شدن تقریر معنی حکایت به سبب میل مستمع به استماع ظاهر صورت حکایت

How the people of the caravan supposed the Súfí's beast was ill.

بخش 8–التزام کردن خادم تعهد بهیمه را و تخلف نمودن

بخش 9–گمان بردن کاروانیان که بهیمهٔ صوفی رنجورست

How the King found his falcon in the house of a decrepit old woman.

بخش 10–یافتن شاه باز را به خانهٔ کمپیر زن

How by Divine inspiration Shaykh Ahmad son of Khizrúya, may God sanctify his revered spirit, bought halwá (sweetmeat) for his creditors.

بخش 11–حلوا خریدن شیخ احمد خضرویه جهت غریمان به الهام حق تعالی

How a certain person frightened an ascetic, saying, “Weep little, lest thou become blind.”

بخش 12–ترسانیدن شخصی زاهدی را کی کم گری تا کور نشوی

Conclusion of the story of the coming to life of the bones at the prayer of Jesus, on whom be peace!

بخش 13–تمامی قصهٔ زنده شدن استخوانها به دعای عیسی علیه السلام

How a peasant stroked a lion in the dark, because he thought it was his ox.

بخش 14–خاریدن روستایی در تاریکی شیر را به ظن آنک گاو اوست

How the Súfís sold the traveller's beast (to pay) for the (expenses of the) mystic dance.

بخش 15–فروختن صوفیان بهیمهٔ مسافر را جهت سماع

How the criers of the Cadi advertised an insolvent round the town.

بخش 16–تعریف کردن منادیان قاضی مفلس را گرد شهر

How the prisoners laid a complaint of the insolvent's high-handedness before the agent of the Cadi.

بخش 17–شکایت کردن اهل زندان پیش وکیل قاضی از دست آن مفلس

بخش 18–تتمهٔ قصهٔ مفلس

Parable.

بخش 19–مثل

How men blamed a person who killed his mother because he suspected her (of adultery).

بخش 20–ملامت‌کردن مردم شخصی را کی مادرش را کشت به تهمت

How the King made trial of the two slaves whom he had recently purchased.

بخش 21–امتحان پادشاه به آن دو غلام کی نو خریده بود

How the King sent away one of the two slaves and interrogated the other.

بخش 22–به راه کردن شاه یکی را از آن دو غلام و ازین دیگر پرسیدن

How the slave, from the purity of his thought, swore to the truth and loyalty of his friend.

بخش 23–قسم غلام در صدق و وفای یار خود از طهارت ظن خود

How the (King's) retainers envied the favourite slave.

بخش 24–حسد کردن حشم بر غلام خاص

How the thirsty man threw bricks from the top of the wall into the stream of water.

بخش 25–کلوخ انداختن تشنه از سر دیوار در جوی آب

How the Governor commanded a certain man, saying, “Root up the thorn bush which you have planted on the road.”

بخش 26–فرمودن والی آن مرد را کی این خاربن را کی نشانده‌ای بر سر راه بر کن

How friends came to the madhouse for Dhu ’l-Nún—may God sanctify his honoured spirit!

بخش 27–آمدن دوستان به بیمارستان جهت پرسش ذاالنون مصری رحمة الله علیه

How the disciples understood that Dhu ’l-Nún had not become mad, (but) had acted with intention.

بخش 28–فهم کردن مریدان کی ذاالنون دیوانه نشد قاصد کرده است

Resumption of the story of Dhu ’l-Nún, may God sanctify his spirit!

بخش 29–رجوع به حکایت ذاالنون رحمة الله علیه

How Luqmán's master tested his sagacity.

بخش 30–امتحان کردن خواجهٔ لقمان زیرکی لقمان را

The evidentiary miracle of Húd, on whom be peace, in the deliverance of the true believers of the community at the moment when the Wind descended.

بخش 76–معجزهٔ هود علیه‌السلام در تخلص مؤمنان امت به وقت نزول باد

Returning to the Story of the dome and the treasure.

بخش 77–رجوع کردن به قصهٔ قبه و گنج

How the seeker of the treasure, after having searched much and having been reduced to helplessness and despair, turned to God most High, saying, “O Thou to whom manifestation belongs, do. Thou make this hidden thing evident!”

بخش 78–انابت آن طالب گنج به حق تعالی بعد از طلب بسیار و عجز و اضطرار کی ای ولی الاظهار تو کن این پنهان را آشکار

How the Voice from heaven called to the seeker of the treasure and acquainted him with the truth of the mysteries thereof.

بخش 79–آواز دادن هاتف مر طالب گنج را و اعلام کردن از حقیقت اسرار آن

Story of the three travellers—a Moslem, a Christian, and a Jew— who obtained (a gift of) some food at a hostelry. The Christian and the Jew had already eaten their fill, so they said, “Let us eat this food to- morrow.” The Moslem was fasting, and he remained hungry because he was overpowered (by his companions).

بخش 80–حکایت آن سه مسافر مسلمان و ترسا و جهود و آن کی به منزل قوتی یافتند و ترسا و جهود سیر بودند گفتند این قوت را فردا خوریم مسلمان صایم بود گرسنه ماند از آنک مغلوب بود

Story of the camel and the ox and the ram who found a bunch of grass on the road, and each said, “I will eat it.”

بخش 81–حکایت اشتر و گاو و قج که در راه بند گیاه یافتند هر یکی می‌گفت من خورم

Parable.

بخش 82–مثل

How the Moslem in reply told his companions, the Jew and the Christian, what he had seen (in his dream), and how they were disappointed.

بخش 83–جواب گفتن مسلمان آنچ دید به یارانش جهود و ترسا و حسرت خوردن ایشان

How the Sayyid, the King of Tirmid, proclaimed that he would give robes of honour and horses and slave-boys and slave-girls and a large sum in gold to any one who would go on urgent business to Samarcand (and complete the journey) in three or four days; and how Dalqak, having heard the news of this proclamation in the country (where he then was), came post-haste to the king, saying, “I, at all events, cannot go.”

بخش 84–منادی کردن سید ملک ترمد کی هر کی در سه یا چهار روز به سمرقند رود به فلان مهم خلعت و اسپ و غلام و کنیزک و چندین زر دهم و شنیدن دلقک خبر این منادی در ده و آمدن به اولاقی نزد شاه کی من باری نتوانم رفتن

On the meaning of “He let the two seas go to meet one another: between them is a barrier which they do not seek (to cross).”

بخش 124–در معنی آنک مرج البحرین یلتقیان بینهما برزخ لا یبغیان

Concerning the impropriety of the disciple's (muríd) presuming to do the same things as are done by the saint (walí), inasmuch as sweetmeat does no harm to the physician, but is harmful to the sick, and frost and snow do no harm to the ripe grape, but are injurious to the young fruit; for he (the disciple) is (still) on the way, for he has not (yet) become (the saint to whom are applicable the words in the Qur’án): “That God may forgive thee thy former and latter sins.”

بخش 125–در معنی آنک آنچ ولی کند مرید را نشاید گستاخی کردن و همان فعل کردن کی حلوا طبیب را زیان ندارد اما بیماران را زیان دارد و سرما و برف انگور را زیان ندارد اما غوره را زیان دارد کی در راهست کی لیغفرلک الله ما تقدم من ذنبک و ما تاخر

The moral of the altercation of the Arab and his wife.

بخش 126–مخلص ماجرای عرب و جفت او

How the Arab set his heart on (complying with) his beloved's request and swore that in thus submitting (to her) he had no (idea of) trickery and making trial (of her).

بخش 127–دل نهادن عرب بر التماس دلبر خویش و سوگند خوردن کی درین تسلیم مرا حیلتی و امتحانی نیست

How the wife specified to her husband the way to earn daily bread and how he accepted (her proposal).

بخش 128–تعیین کردن زن طریق طلب روزی کدخدای خود را و قبول کردن او

How the Arab carried a jug of rain-water from the midst of the desert as a gift to the Commander of the Faithful at Baghdád, in the belief that in that town also there was a scarcity of water.

بخش 129–هدیه بردن عرب سبوی آب باران از میان بادیه سوی بغداد به امیرالمؤمنین بر پنداشت آنک آنجا هم قحط آبست

How the Arab's wife sewed the jug of rain-water in a felt cloth and put a seal on it because of the Arab's utter conviction (that it was a precious gift for the King).

بخش 130–در نمد دوختن زن عرب سبوی آب باران را و مهر نهادن بر وی از غایت اعتقاد عرب

Showing that, as the beggar is in love with bounty and in love with the bountiful giver, so the bounty of the bountiful giver is in love with the beggar: if the beggar have the greater patience, the bountiful giver will come to his door; and if the bountiful giver have the greater patience, the beggar will come to his door; but the beggar's patience is a virtue in the beggar, while the patience of the bountiful giver is in him a defect.

بخش 131–در بیان آنک چنانک گدا عاشق کرمست و عاشق کریم، کرمِ کریم هم عاشق گداست اگر گدا را صبر بیش بود کریم بر در او آید و اگر کریم را صبر بیش بود گدا بر در او آید اما صبر گدا کمال گداست و صبر کریم نقصان اوست

The difference between one that is poor for (desirous of) God and thirsting for Him and one that is poor of (destitute of) God and thirsting for what is other than He.

بخش 132–فرق میان آنک درویش است به خدا و تشنهٔ خدا و میان آنک درویش است از خدا و تشنهٔ غیرست

How the Caliph's officers and chamberlains came forward to pay their respects to the Bedouin and to receive his gift.

بخش 133–پیش آمدن نقیبان و دربانان خلیفه از بهر اکرام اعرابی و پذیرفتن هدیهٔ او را

Showing that the lover of this world is like the lover of a wall on which the sunbeams strike, who makes no effort and exertion to perceive that the radiance and splendour do not proceed from the wall, but from the orb of the sun in the Fourth Heaven; consequently he sets his whole heart on the wall, and when the sunbeams rejoin the sun (at sunset), he is left for ever in despair: “and a bar is placed between them and that which they desire.”

بخش 134–در بیان آنک عاشق دنیا بر مثال عاشق دیواریست کی بر او تاب آفتاب زند و جهد و جهاد نکرد تا فهم کند کی آن تاب و رونق از دیوار نیست از قرص آفتابست در آسمان چهارم لاجرم کلی دل بر دیوار نهاد چون پرتو آفتاب به آفتاب پیوست او محروم ماند ابدا و حیل بینهم و بین ما یشتهون