بخش 1 - تمامت کتاب الموطد الکریم

O Life of the heart, Husámu’ddín, desire for (the composition of) a Sixth Part has long been boiling (within me).

Through the attraction (influence) of a Sage like thee, a Book of Husám has come into circulation in the world.

(Now), O spiritual one, I bring to thee as an offering the Sixth Part to complete the Mathnawí.

From these Six Books give light to the Six Directions, in order that any one who has not performed the circumambulation may (now) perform it (round the Mathnawí).

Love hath naught to do with the five (senses) and the six (directions): its goal is only (to experience) the attraction exerted by the Beloved.

Afterwards, maybe, permission will come (from God): the secrets that ought to be told will be told,

With an eloquence that is nearer (to the understanding) than these subtle recondite allusions.

The secret is partner with none but the knower of the secret; in the sceptic's ear the secret is no secret (at all).

But (the command) to call (the people to God) comes down from the Maker: what has he (the prophet or saint) to do with (their) acceptance or non-acceptance?

Noah continued to call (the people to God) for nine hundred years: the unbelief of his folk was increasing from moment to moment.

Did he ever pull back the rein of speech? Did he ever creep into the cave of silence?

He said (to himself), “Does a caravan ever turn back from a journey on account of the noise and clamour of dogs?

Or on a night of moonlight is the running of the full-moon in its course retarded by the dog's outcry?

The moon sheds light and the dog barks: every one proceeds according to his nature.

(The Divine) Destiny hath allotted to every one a certain service, suitable to his essential nature, (to be performed) in (the way of) probation.

Since the dog will not leave off his pestilent howling, I (who) am the moon, how should I abandon my course?”

Inasmuch as the vinegar increases acidity, therefore it is necessary to increase the sugar.

Wrath is (like) vinegar, mercy like honey; and these twain are the basis of every oxymel.

If the honey fail to withstand (be overpowered by) the vinegar, the oxymel will be spoilt.

The people were pouring vinegar on him (Noah), and the Ocean (of Divine Bounty) was pouring more sugar for Noah.

His sugar was replenished from the Sea of Bounty, therefore it was exceeding the vinegar of (all) the inhabitants of the world.

Who is a single one like a thousand? That Saint. Nay, that Servant of the High (God) is (equivalent to) a hundred generations.

The great rivers kneel (in homage) before the jar into which there comes a channel from the sea,

Especially this Sea (of Reality); for all the (other) seas, when they heard this (imperial) mandate and (mighty) tumult—

Their mouths became bitter with shame and confusion because the Greatest Name had been joined with the least.

At the conjunction of this world with yonder world this world is recoiling in shame.

This (manner of) expression is narrow (inadequate) and deficient, for what resemblance exists between the vile and the most elect?

(If) the crow caws in the orchard, (yet) how should the nightingale cease its sweet song?

Every one, then, has his separate customer in this bazaar of He doeth what He pleases.

The dessert provided by the thornbrake is nutriment (fuel) for the fire; the scent of the rose is food for the intoxicated brain.

If filth is disgraceful in our opinion, (yet) it is sugar and sweetmeat to the pig and the dog.

If the filthy ones commit these foulnesses, (yet) the (pure) waters are intent on purification.

Though the snakes are scattering venom and though the sour people are making us distressed,

(Yet) in mountain and hive and tree the bees are depositing a sugar-store of honey.

However much the venoms show venomousness, the antidotes quickly root them out.

When you consider, this world is all at strife, mote with mote, as religion (is in conflict) with infidelity.

One mote is flying to the left, and another to the right in search.

One mote (flies) up and another down: in their inclination (movement) behold actual strife.

The actual strife is the result of the hidden strife: know that that discord springs from this discord.

The strife of the mote that has been effaced in the sun is beyond description and calculation.

Since the (individual) soul and breath have been effaced from the mote, its strife now is only the strife of the sun,

(Its) natural movement and rest have gone from it—by what (means)? By means of Verily unto Him we are returning.

We have returned from ourselves to Thy sea and have sucked from the source that suckled us.

O thou who, on account of the ghoul, hast remained in the derivatives (unessentials) of the Way, do not boast of (possessing) the fundamental principles (thereof), O unprincipled man.

Our war and our peace is in the light of the Essence: ’tis not from us, ’tis between the two fingers (of God).

War of nature, war of action, war of speech—there is a terrible conflict amongst the parts (of the universe).

This world is maintained by means of this war: consider the elements, in order that it (the difficulty) may be solved.

The four elements are four strong pillars by which the roof of the present world is (kept) upright.

Each pillar is a destroyer of the other: the pillar (known as) water is a destroyer of the flames (of fire).

Hence the edifice of creation is (based) upon contraries; consequently we are at war for weal and woe.

My states (of mind and body) are mutually opposed: each one is mutually opposite in its effect.

Since I am incessantly waylaying (struggling with) myself, how should I act in harmony with another?

Behold the surging armies of my “states,” each at war and strife with another.

Contemplate the same grievous war in thyself: why, then, art thou engaged in warring with others?

Or (is it because thou hast no means of escape) unless God shall redeem thee from this war and bring thee into the unicoloured world of peace?

That world is naught but everlasting and flourishing, because it is not composed of contraries.

This reciprocal destruction is inflicted by (every) contrary on its contrary: when there is no contrary, there is naught but everlastingness.

He (God) who hath no like banished contraries from Paradise, saying, “Neither sun nor its contrary, intense cold, shall be there.”

Colourlessness is the origin of colours, peaces are the origins of wars.

That world is the origin of this dolorous abode, union is the origin of every parting and separation.

Wherefore, sire, are we thus in opposition, and wherefore does unity give birth to these numbers?

Because we are the branch and the four elements are the stock: in the branch the stock has brought its own nature into existence.

(But) since the substance, (which is) the spirit, is beyond ramifications, its nature is not this (plurality); it is the nature of (the Divine) Majesty.

Perceive that wars which are the origins of peaces are like (the war of) the Prophet whose war is for God's sake.

He is victorious and mighty in both worlds: the description of this victor is not contained in the mouth.

Still, if it is impossible to drain (drink) the Oxus, one cannot deny one's self as much (water) as will slake thirst.

If you are thirsting for the spiritual Ocean, make a breach in the island of the Mathnawí.

Make such a great breach that at every moment you will see the Mathnawí to be only spiritual.

When the wind sweeps away the straw from the (surface of) the river-water, the water displays its unicolouredness.

Behold the fresh branches of coral, behold the fruits grown from the water of the spirit!

When it (the Mathnawí) is made single (and denuded) of words and sounds and breaths, it leaves all that (behind) and becomes the (spiritual) Ocean.

The speaker of the word and the hearer of the word and the words (themselves)—all three become spirit in the end.

The bread-giver and the bread-receiver and the wholesome bread become single (denuded) of their forms and are turned into earth,

But their reality, in the three (above-mentioned) categories, is both differentiated in (these) grades and permanent.

In appearance they have become earth, in reality they have not; if any one say that they have, say to him, “No, they have not.”

In the spiritual world all three are waiting (for the Divine command), sometimes fleeing from form and sometimes taking abode (in it).

(When) the (Divine) command comes—“Enter into forms”— they enter (into them); likewise at His command they become divested (of form).

Know, therefore, that (in the text) to Him belongs the creation and to Him the command “the creation” is the form and “the command” is the spirit riding upon it.

(Both) the rider and the ridden are under the authority of the King: the body is at the portal and the spirit in the audience-chamber.

When the King desires the water to come into the pitcher, He says to the spirit-army, “Ride!”

Again, when He calls the spirit aloft, there comes from the overseers the cry, “Dismount!”

The discourse, (if continued) after this (point), will become subtle: diminish the fire, do not put more faggots on it,

Lest the small pots boil (too) quickly: the pot of the perceptions is small and low.

The Holy Transcendent One who makes the apple-orchard conceals them (the apples) in a mist of words.

From this mist of sound and words and talk (arises such) a screen that naught of the apple comes (into perception) save the scent.

At least draw (inhale) this scent in greater quantity with (the nostrils of) your intelligence, that taking you by the ear it may lead you towards your origin.

Preserve the scent and beware of the rheum: protect your body from the cold wind (breath) and being of the vulgar,

Lest by the effect (thereof) it stop up your nose: oh, their air is colder than winter.

They are like lifeless matter and frozen and stout of body: their breaths issue from a snow-hill.

When the earth (of your being) is covered with a shroud of this snow, brandish the sunbeam-sword of Husámu’ddín.

Hark, lift up the sword of Allah from the east: with (the radiance of) that east make this portal hot.

That Sun smites the snow with a dagger: it causes the torrents to pour from the mountains upon the (frozen) earth,

For it is neither of the east nor of the west: by day and by night it is at war with the astronomer,

Saying, “Why in thy baseness and blindness hast thou made a qibla other than me of stars that give no true guidance?

Displeasing to thee are the words of that trusty one in the Qur’án—‘I love not them that set.’

(Prompted) by Quzah, thou hast girt thyself (for service) before the moon: hence thou art vexed by (the sign announced in the Verse) and the moon shall be split asunder.

Thou disbelievest that the sun shall be folded up: in thy opinion the sun is of the highest degree.

Thou deemest change of weather to be caused by the stars: thou art displeased with (the text) when the star shall fall.

Verily, the moon produces no greater effect than bread: O many a loaf of bread that severs the vein of life!

Verily, (the planet) Venus produces no greater effect than water: O many a water that has destroyed the body!

Love of those (stars) is (implanted) in thy soul, and the advice of thy friend strikes (only) on the outer skin of thy ear.

(If) our advice takes no hold of thee, O great man, know that neither does thy advice take any hold of us.

(Thy ears are closed) unless, perchance, the special (sovereign) key (to open them) come from the Friend to whom belong the keys of the heavens.”

This discourse is like the stars and the moon (in splendour), but without the command of God it makes no impression.

The impression made by this star (which is) beyond locality strikes (only) on ears that seek inspiration,

Saying, “Come ye from (the world of) locality to the world without spatial relations, in order that the wolf may not tear you to pieces in checkmate (utter discomfiture).”

Since its pearl-scattering radiance is such (as has been mentioned), the sun of the present world may be described as its bat.

The seven blue (celestial) spheres are in servitude to it; the courier moon is fevered and wasted away by it.

Venus lays her hand upon it to beseech (its favour); Jupiter comes forward to offer to it the ready money of his soul.

Saturn is eager to kiss its hand, but he does not regard himself as worthy of that honour.

On account of it, Mars has inflicted so many wounds on his hands and feet; and on account of it Mercury has broken a hundred pens.

All these stars (planets) are at war with the astronomer, saying, “O thou who hast let the spirit go and hast preferred colour (vanity),

It is the spirit, and we all are (mere) colour and designs: the star (spark) of every thought in it is the soul of the (material) stars.”

Where is thought (in relation to it)? There all is pure light: this word “thought” is (used only) for thy sake, O thinker.

Every (material) star hath its house on high: our star is not contained in any house.

How should that which burns (transcends) place (spatial relations) enter into space? How should there be a limit for the illimitable light?

But they (the mystics) use a comparison and illustration, in order that a loving feeble-minded man may apprehend (the truth).

’Tis not a simile, but ’tis a parable for the purpose of releasing (melting) the frozen intellect.

The intellect is strong in the head but weak in the legs, because it is sick of heart (spiritually decayed) though sound of body (materially flourishing).

Their (the unspiritual men's) intellect is deeply involved in the dessert (pleasures) of this world: never, never do they think of abandoning sensuality.

In the hour of pretension their breasts are (glowing) like the orient sun, (but) in the hour of pious devotion their endurance is (brief) as the lightning.

A learned man who shows self-conceit in (displaying) his talents is faithless as the world at the time for keeping faith.

At the time when he regards himself (with pride) he is not contained in the world: he has become lost in the gullet and belly, like bread.

(Yet) all these (evil) qualities of theirs may become good: evil does not remain when it turns to seeking good.

If egoism is foul-smelling like semen, (yet) when it attains unto the spirit (spirituality) it gains light.

Every mineral that sets its face towards (aspires to evolve into) the plant (the vegetative state)—life grows from the tree of its fortune.

Every plant that turns its face towards the (animal) spirit drinks, like Khizr, from the Fountain of Life.

Once more, when the (animal) spirit sets its face towards the (Divine) Beloved, it lays down its baggage (and passes) into the life without end.