The rest of the story of the minstrel, and how the Commander of the Faithful, ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, conveyed to him the message spoken by the heavenly voice.
شاعر: رومی
وزن: فاعلاتن فاعلاتن فاعلن (رمل مسدس محذوف یا وزن مثنوی)
صنف: مثنوی
Turn back and hear the plight of the minstrel, for the minstrel had (now) become desperate from waiting (so long).
The voice (of God) came to ‘Umar, saying, “O ‘Umar, redeem Our servant from want.
We have a servant, a favourite and highly esteemed one: take the trouble to go on foot to the graveyard.
O ‘Umar, spring up and put in thy hand full seven hundred dínárs from the public treasury.
Carry them to him (and say), ‘O thou who art Our choice, accept this sum now and excuse (Us for offering such a small gift).
Spend this amount on the price (purchase) of silk: when it is spent, come here (again).’”
Then ‘Umar in awe of that voice sprang up that he might gird his loins for this service.
‘Umar set his face towards the graveyard with the purse under his arm, running in search (of God's favourite).
Long did he run round about the graveyard: no one was there but that poor old man.
He said, “This is not he,” and ran once more. He became tired out and saw none but the old man.
He said, “God said, ‘We have a servant: he is a pure and worthy and blessed one.’
How should an old harper be the chosen of God? O Hidden Mystery, how excellent, how excellent art Thou!”
Once again he wandered about the graveyard, like the hunting lion about the desert.
When it became certain to him that none was there except the old man, he said, “Many an illumined heart is (to be found) in darkness.”
He came and sat down there (beside him) with a hundred marks of respect.
‘Umar happened to sneeze, and the old man sprang to his feet.
He saw ‘Umar and stood fixed in amazement: he resolved to go and began to tremble (with fear).
He said within himself, “O God, help, I beseech thee! The Inspector has fallen upon a poor old harper.”
When ‘Umar looked on the old man's countenance, he saw him ashamed and pale. Then ‘Umar said to him, “Fear not, do not flee from me, for I have brought thee glad tidings from God.
How often has God praised thy disposition, so that He has made ‘Umar in love with thy face!
Sit down beside me and do not make separation (between us), that I may say into thine ear the secret (message) from (the Divine) favour.
God sends thee greeting and asks thee how thou farest in thy distress and boundless sorrows.
Lo, here are some pieces of gold to pay for silk. Spend them and come back to this place.”
The old man heard this, trembling all over and biting his hand and tearing his garment,
Crying, “O God who hast no like!” inasmuch as the poor old man was melted with shame.
After he had wept long and his grief had gone beyond (all) bounds, he dashed his harp on the earth and broke it to bits.
He said, “O thou (harp) that hast been to me a curtain (debarring me) from God, O thou (that hast been) to me a brigand (cutting me off) from the King's highway,
O thou that hast drunk my blood for seventy years, O thou because of whom my face is black (disgraced) before (the Divine) perfection!
Have mercy, O bounteous God who keepest faith, on a life passed in iniquity!
God gave (me) a life, the value of every single day whereof none knoweth except Him.
I have spent my life, breath by breath: I have breathed it all away in treble and bass.
Ah me, that in minding the (musical) mode and rhythm of ‘Iráq the bitter moment of parting (from this world) went out of my mind (was forgotten).
Alas that from the liquid freshness of the minor zírafgand the seed sown in my heart dried up, and my heart died.
Alas that from (my preoccupation with) the sound of these four-and-twenty (melodies) the caravan passed and the day grew late.”
O God, help (me) against this (self of mine) that is seeking help (from Thee): I seek justice (redress) from no one (else, but only) from this justice-seeking (self).
I shall not get justice for myself from any one except, surely, from Him who is nearer to me than I;
For this “I-hood” comes to me from Him moment by moment: therefore when this has failed me, I see (only) Him,
As (when you are with) one who is counting out gold to you, you keep your gaze (directed) towards him, not towards yourself.
