Story of the lover who, in hope of the tryst promised (to him) by his beloved, came at night to the house that he had indicated. He waited (there) part of the night; (then) he was overcome by sleep. (When) his beloved came to fulfil his promise and found him asleep, he filled his lap with walnuts and left him sleeping and returned (home).
شاعر: رومی
وزن: فاعلاتن فاعلاتن فاعلن (رمل مسدس محذوف یا وزن مثنوی)
صنف: مثنوی
In the days of old there was a lover, one who kept troth in his time.
For years (he had been) checkmated (irretrievably caught) in the toils of (seeking) his fair one's favour and mated by his king.
In the end the seeker is a finder, for from patience joy is born.
One day his friend said, “Come to-night, for I have cooked haricot beans for thee.
Sit in such and such a room till midnight, that at midnight I may come unsought.”
The man offered sacrifice and distributed loaves, since the moon (of good fortune) had appeared to him from beneath the dust (of ill-luck).
At night the passionate lover seated himself in the room in hope of the tryst promised by that loyal friend.
(Just) after midnight his friend, the charmer of his heart, arrived (punctually) like those who are true to their promise.
He found his lover lying asleep; (thereupon) he tore off a little piece of his (the lover's) sleeve
And put some walnuts in his lap, saying, “Thou art a child: take these and play a game of dice.”
When at dawn the lover sprang up from sleep, he saw the (torn) sleeve and the walnuts.
He said, “Our king is entirely truth and loyalty: that (disgrace) which is coming upon us is from ourselves alone.”
O sleepless heart, we (true lovers) are secure from this: we, like guardsmen, are plying our rattles on the roof.
Our walnuts are crushed in this mill: whatever we may tell of our anguish, ’tis (but) little.
O railer, how long (will you continue to give) this invitation to (join in) the business (of the world)? Henceforth do not give advice to a madman.
I will not listen to deceitful talk of separation (from the Beloved): I have experienced it: how long shall I experience it?
In this Way everything except derangement and madness is (a cause of) farness and alienation (from Him).
Hark, put that fetter on my leg, for I have torn the chain of (rational) consideration to pieces.
Though you bring two hundred fetters, I will snap (them all) except the curls of my auspicious Beauty.
Love and reputation, O brother, are not in accord: do not stand at the door of reputation, O lover.
The time is come for me to strip, to quit the (bodily) form and become wholly spirit.
Come, O Enemy of shame and anxious thought, for I have rent the veil of shame and bashfulness.
O Thou who by Thy magic hast spell-bound the spirit's sleep, O hardhearted Beloved that Thou art in the world,
Hark, grip the throat of self-restraint and strangle it, in order that Love's heart may be made happy, O Cavalier!
How should His heart be made happy till I burn? Oh, my heart is His home and dwelling-place.
(If) Thou wilt burn Thy house, burn it! Who is he that will say, “’Tis not allowed”?
Burn this house well (and thoroughly), O furious Lion! The lover's house is better so.
Henceforth I will make this burning my qibla (aim), for I am (like) the candle: I am (made) bright by burning.
Abandon sleep to-night, O father: for one night traverse the district of the sleepless.
Look on these (lovers) who have become frenzied and been killed, like moths, by (their) union (with the Beloved).
Look on this ship of (God's) creatures (and see how it is) sunk in Love: you would say that Love's throat has become a dragon (to swallow it)—
An invisible heart-ravishing dragon: it is a magnet to draw (towards itself) the reason that is (firm) like a mountain.
Every druggist whose reason became acquainted with Him (Love) dropped the trays (containing drugs and perfumes) into the water of the river.
Go, for you will not emerge from this river (of Love) unto everlasting: in truth there is none to be compared with Him.
O false pretender, open your eye and see! How long will you say, “I know not that or this”?
Ascend from the plague of hypocrisy and deprivation: enter the world of Life and Self-subsistence,
So that “I see not” may become “I see” and these “I know not's” of yours may be (turned into) “I know.”
Pass beyond intoxication and be one who bestows intoxication (on others): move away from this mutability into His permanence.
How long will you take pride in this intoxication? ’Tis enough: there are so many intoxicated (like you) at the top of every street.
If the two worlds were filled with those whom the Friend has intoxicated, they all would be one (spirit), and that one is not despicable.
This (spirit) is nowise rendered despicable by (the appearance of) multitude. Who is despicable? A body- server (sensualist) of fiery nature.
Though the world is filled with the sun's light, how should that splendour of beauteous flame be despicable?
But, notwithstanding all this, mount higher, since God's earth is spacious and delightful.
Although this intoxication is (excellent) like the white falcon, (yet) in the earth of (Divine) Transcendence there is (something) superior to it.
Go, become an Isráfíl (Seraphiel) in (your) distinction (pre-eminence)— (become) an inspirer of spirituality and intoxicated and an intoxicator (of others).
Since the intoxicated man's heart is occupied with thoughts of merriment, it has become his practice (to say repeatedly) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that.”
What is the purpose of (saying) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that”? (It is) in order that you may say who He is whom we know.
In discourse negation is (employed) for the purpose of affirmation: cease from negating and begin to affirm.
Come, leave off (saying) “this is not” and “that is not”: bring forward that One who is Real Being.
Leave negation and worship only that Real Being: learn this, O father, from (the story of) the drunken Turk.
