How the master saw his slave white and did not recognise him and said, “Thou hast killed my slave: the murder hath found thee out, and God hath thrown thee into my hands.”
شاعر: رومی
وزن: فاعلاتن فاعلاتن فاعلن (رمل مسدس محذوف یا وزن مثنوی)
صنف: مثنوی
The master espied him from afar and remained bewildered: from amazement he called (to his presence) the people of the village.
“This,” said he, “is my water-skin and my camel: where, then, is my swartbrowed slave gone?
This man coming from afar is (like) a full-moon: the light from his countenance strikes upon (and prevails against) the daylight.
Where is my slave? Perchance he has lost his way, or a wolf has overtaken him and he has been killed.”
When he came before him, he (the master) said, “Who art thou? Art thou a native of Yemen or a Turcoman?
Tell (me), what hast thou done to my slave? Speak the truth! If thou hast killed him, declare it! Do not seek evasion.”
He replied, “If I have killed him, how have I come to thee? How have I come with my own feet into this blood?”
(He asked again), “Where is my slave?” He (the slave) said, “Lo, I am (he): the hand of God's grace hath made me resplendent.”
“Eh, what art thou saying? Where is my slave? Hark, thou wilt not escape from me except by (telling) the truth.”
He (the slave) said, “I will relate all thy secret dealings with that slave, one by one;
I will relate what has passed (between us) from the time when thou didst purchase me until now,
That thou mayst know I am the same in (my spiritual) existence, though a (bright) dawn has opened forth from my night-hued (body).
The colour is changed; but the pure spirit is free from colour and from the (four) elements and the dust.”
They that know the body (alone) soon lose us; (but) they that quaff the (spiritual) water abandon the (bodily) water-skin and jar.
They that know the spirit are free from numbers (plurality): they are sunk in the Sea that is without quality or quantity.
Become spirit and know spirit by means of spirit: become the friend of vision (clairvoyant), not the child of ratiocination.
Forasmuch as the Angel is one in origin with Intelligence, (and) they have (only) become two (different) forms for the sake of (the Divine) Wisdom—
The Angel assumed wings and pinions like a bird, while this Intelligence left wings (behind) and assumed (immaterial) splendour—
Necessarily both became co-adjutors: both the beauteous ones became a support to one another.
The Angel as well as the Intelligence is a finder of God: each of the twain is a helper and worshipper of Adam.
The Flesh (nafs) and the Devil have (also) been (essentially) one from the first, and have been an enemy and envier of Adam.
He that regarded Adam as a body fled (from him in disdain), while he that regarded (him as) the trusty Light bowed (in worship).
Those two (the Angel and the Intelligence) were (made) clairvoyant by this (Adam), while the eye of these two (the Flesh and the Devil) saw nothing but clay.
This discourse is now left (floundering) like an ass on the ice, since it is not fitting to recite the Gospel to Jews.
How can one speak of ‘Umar to Shí‘ites? How can one play a lute before the deaf?
But if there is any one (hidden) in a nook in the village, the hue and cry that I have raised is enough.
To him that is worthy to (hear) the exposition, stones and brickbats become an articulate and well-grounded exponent.
