Proem
IN THE NAME OF GOD THE MERCIFUL, THE COMPASSIONATE
This Mathnawí has been delayed for a while: an interval was needed in order that the blood might turn to milk.
Blood does not become sweet milk until thy fortune gives birth to a new babe. Hearken well (to my words).
When the Light of God, Husámu’ddín, drew the reins (of his spirit) back from the zenith of Heaven—
(For) after he had gone in the ascension to (spiritual) realities, without his (life-giving) springtide the buds (of mystic knowledge) were unburst (in my heart)—
5-When (I say) he returned from the Sea towards the shore, the lyre of the poesy of the Mathnawí became attuned (again).
The Mathnawí, which was the burnisher (purifier) of spirits —his return was the day of (my) seeking (an auspicious) commencement (for it).
The date of beginning this gainful (spiritual) traffic was in the year six hundred and sixty-two.
A nightingale went hence and returned: it became a falcon for hunting these spiritual truths.
May this falcon's resting-place be the fore-arm of the King! May this gate (to the Truth) be open to (all) the people unto everlasting!
10-The bane of this gate is sensuality and lust; else, draught on draught (of spiritual knowledge) is (to be found) here.
Gullet and mouth are the eye-bandage (which makes you blind) to yonder world: close this mouth, that you may see (it) plain.
O mouth, verily thou art the mouth of Hell; and, O world, thou art like the intermediate state.
The everlasting light is beside this low world, the pure milk is beside rivers of blood.
When you take one step in it (the world) without precaution, your milk will be turned to blood through commixture.
15-Adam took one step in sensual pleasure: separation from his high place in Paradise became a collar on the neck of his (fleshly) soul.
The angels were fleeing from him as from a devil: how many tears did he shed for the sake of a single loaf!
Although the sin which he had compassed was (but) a hair, yet that hair had grown in his eyes.
Adam was the eye of the Eternal Light: a hair in the eye is a great mountain.
If Adam had taken counsel in that (matter), he would not have uttered excuses in penitence,
20-Because when one intellect is joined with another intellect, it prevents evil action and evil speech;
(But) when the fleshly soul is associated with another fleshly soul, the partial (individual) intellect becomes idle and useless.
When because of loneliness you fall into despair, you become (bright as) a sun (if you go) under the shadow (protection) of the friend.
Go, seek at once the friend of God: when you have done so, God is your friend.
He who has fixed his gaze upon seclusion (and made it his object), after all ’tis from the friend (of God) that he has learned that (lesson).
25-One must seclude one's self from strangers, (but) not from the friend: the fur-coat is for winter, not for spring.
(If) the intellect is paired with another intellect, light increases and the way becomes plain;
(But if) the fleshly soul makes merry with another fleshly soul, darkness increases, the way becomes hidden.
The friend is thine eye, O huntsman: keep him pure from (unsoiled by) sticks and straws.
Beware! Do not make a dust with thy tongue's broom, do not make a present of rubbish to thine eye.
30-Since the true believer is a mirror for the true believer, his face is safe from defilement.
The friend is a mirror for the soul in sorrow: breathe not on the face of the mirror, O my soul!
Lest it cover its face on account of thy breath, thou must swallow (suppress) thy breath at every moment.
Art thou less than earth? When a plot of earth finds a friend, that is, a springtide, it finds (gains) a hundred thousand flowers.
The tree that is united with a friend, that is, the sweet air (of spring), blossoms from head to foot;
35-In autumn, when it sees (meets with) a repugnant companion, it withdraws its face and head under the coverlet
And says, “A bad comrade is (the means of) stirring up trouble: since he has come, my (best) course is to sleep.
Therefore I will sleep, I will be (like) one of the Men of the Cave (the Seven Sleepers): that prisoner of woe (that sorely distressed one) is better than Decianus.”
Their time of waking was expended by (was at the disposal of) Decianus; their sleep was the capital (fundamental source) of their renown.
Sleep, when it is accompanied by wisdom, is (spiritual) wakefulness; (but) alas for the man awake who consorts with the ignorant!
40-When the crows pitch their tents on Bahman (January), the nightingales hide themselves and are mute,
Because the nightingale is silent without the rose-garden: the absence of the sun kills (the nightingale's) wakefulness.
O sun, thou takest leave of this rose-garden (the earth) in order to illumine (the region) below the earth;
(But) the Sun of Divine knowledge has no motion: its place of rising is naught but the spirit and the intellect;
Especially the perfect Sun which is of yonder (world of Reality): day and night its action is (giving) illumination.
45-If thou art an Alexander, come to the Sun's rising-place: after that, wheresoever thou goest, thou art possessed of goodly splendour.
After that, wheresoever thou goest, ’twill become the place of sunrise: (all) the places of sunrise will be in love with thy place of sunset.
Thy bat-like senses are running towards the sunset; thy pearl-scattering senses are faring towards the sunrise.
The way of (physical) sense-perception is the way of asses, O rider: have shame, O thou that art jostling (vying) with asses!
Besides these five (physical) senses there are five (spiritual) senses: those (latter) are like red gold, while these (physical) senses are like copper.
50-In the bazaar where they (the buyers) are expert, how should they buy the copper sense like (as though it were) the sense of gold?
The bodily sense is eating the food of darkness; the spiritual sense is feeding from a Sun.
O thou that hast borne the baggage of thy senses to the Unseen, put forth thy hand, like Moses, from thy bosom.
O thou whose attributes are (those of) the Sun of Divine knowledge, while the sun in heaven is confined to a single attribute,
Now thou becomest the Sun, and now the Sea; now the mountain of Qáf, and now the ‘Anqá.
55-In thine essence thou art neither this nor that, O thou that art greater than (all) imaginations and more than (all) more!
The Spirit is associated (endued) with knowledge and reason: what has the Spirit to do with Arabic and Turkish?
Both the muwahhid (who asserts the transcendence of God) and the mushabbih (who asserts His immanence) are bewildered by thee, O thou who, being without image (external appearance), art (appearing) in so many forms.
Sometimes the muwahhad (God regarded as the only real Being) is destroying the mushabbih (who asserts that God is immanent in forms); sometimes (these) forms are waylaying the muwahhid (so that he cannot gain access to God who transcends all forms).
Sometimes Abu ’l-Hasan in drunkenness (ecstasy) says to thee, “O thou whose teeth are small (whose years are few), O thou whose body is tender!”
60-Sometimes he is laying waste (ruining and defacing) his own image: he is destroying (it) in order to assert the transcendence of the Beloved (God).
The doctrine held by the eye of sense is Mu‘tazilism, whereas the eye of Reason is Sunnite (orthodox) in respect of (its) union (vision of God).
Those in thrall to sense-perception are Mu‘tazilites, (though) from misguidedness they represent themselves as Sunnites.
Any one who remains in (bondage to) sense-perception is a Mu‘tazilite; though he may say he is a Sunnite, ’tis from ignorance.
Any one who has escaped from (the bondage of) sense-perception is a Sunnite: the man endowed with (spiritual) vision is the eye of sweet-paced (harmonious) Reason.
65-If the animal sense could see the King (God), then the ox and the ass would behold Allah.
If, besides the animal sense, thou hadst not another sense outside of (unconditioned by) the desire of the flesh,
Then how should the sons of Adam have been honoured? How by means of the common sense should they have become privileged (to know these mysteries)?
Your calling (God) “formless” (transcending forms) or “formed” (immanent in forms) is vain, without your liberation from form (unless you yourself are freed from sense perception).
(Whether God is) “formless” or “formed,” He is with him that is all kernel and has gone forth from the husk.
70-If you are blind, ’tis no crime in the blind; (but) if not, go (persevere in purifying yourself), for patience is the key to success.
The medicine of patience will burn the veils over your eye and will also effect the opening of your breast (to Divine knowledge).
When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure, you will behold images (which are) outside of (the world of) water and earth.
You will behold both the image and the image-Maker, both the carpet of (spiritual) empire and the carpet-Spreader.
The phantom (seen in mystical vision) of my Friend seemed (to me) like Khalíl (Abraham)—its form an idol, its reality a breaker of idols.
75-Thanks be to God that when he appeared, my spirit beheld in his phantom its own phantom (reflected image).
The dust of thy threshold was bewitching my heart: dust (woe) on him that was patient without thy dust!
I said, “If I am beautiful, I shall receive this (dust of Divine grace and love) from him; and if not, he has indeed laughed at ugly me.
The (best) plan is this, that I look at myself (to see whether I am worthy of him); otherwise (if I am not worthy), he will laugh at me: how shall I buy (gain his love)?”
He is beautiful and a lover of beauty: how should a fresh young man choose a decrepit old woman?
80-The Beautiful attracts the beautiful (to itself): know this (for sure). Recite thereon (the text) the good women for the good men.
In this world everything attracts something: the hot draws the hot (to itself) and the cold the cold.
The worthless sort attract the worthless; the lasting (those of lasting worth) are rejoiced by the lasting.
Those of the Fire attract those of the Fire, those of the Light seek those of the Light.
When you shut your eye, you felt uncomfortable: how could the light of the eye do without the light of the window?
85-Your discomfort was (caused by) the light in your eye straining to be joined speedily with the daylight.
If you feel distress (within) while your eyes are unclosed, know that you have shut the eye of your heart, (and) open it.
Recognise that that (distress) is the craving of the eyes of your heart which is seeking the immeasurable Light.
Inasmuch as separation from those two impermanent lights brought you discomfort, (so that) you opened your eyes,
Separation, then, from those two steadfast (everlasting) lights will bring you discomfort: guard them (well)!
90-Since He is calling me, I will look to see whether I am worthy to be drawn (to Him) or whether I am ill-favoured.
If a charming person makes an ugly one (follow) at his heels, ’tis (but) a mockery that he makes of him.
How, I wonder, shall I behold my own face, so as to see what complexion I have and whether I am like day or like night?
For a long while I was seeking the image of my soul, (but) my image was not displayed (reflected) by any one.
“After all,” I said, “what is a mirror for? (The use of it is this), that every one may know what and who he is.”
95-The mirror of iron is (only) for husks (external forms); the mirror that shows the aspect of the heart is of great price.
The soul's mirror is naught but the face of the friend, the face of that friend who is of yonder country (the spiritual land).
I said, “O heart, seek the Universal Mirror, go to the Sea: the business will not succeed (be successfully accomplished) by means of the river.”
In this quest thy slave (at last) arrived at thy dwelling-place, (as) the pains (of childbirth) drew Mary to the palm-tree.
When thine eye became an eye for my heart, my blind heart went and became drowned in vision.
100-I saw that thou art the Universal Mirror unto everlasting: I saw my own image in thine eye.
I said, “At last I have found myself: in his eyes I have found the shining Way.”
My false instinct said, “Beware! That (image) is (only) thy phantom: distinguish thy essence from thy phantom”;
(But) my image gave voice (spoke) from thine eye (and said), “I am thou and thou art I in (perfect) oneness;
For how should a phantom find the way into this illumined eye which never ceases from (contemplating) the (Divine) realities?”
105-(Thou saidst), “If you behold your image in the eyes of any other than me, know that ’tis a phantom and reprobate,
Because he (every one except me) is applying (to his eye) the collyrium of nonexistence (unreality) and is imbibing the wine of Satan's illusion-making.
Their eye is the home of phantasy and non-existence: necessarily it sees as existent the things which are non-existent;
(But) since my eye saw (got) collyrium from the Glorious (God), it is the home of (real) existence, not the home of phantasy.”
So long as a single hair of you is before your eye, in your phantasy a pearl will be as jasper.
110-You will know jasper from pearls (only) at the time when you pass away from (abandon) your phantasy entirely.
O connoisseur of pearls, listen to a story, that you may distinguish actual seeing from (mere) inference.
سر آغاز
مدتی این مثنوی تاخیر شد
مهلتی بایست تا خون شیر شد
تا نزاید بخت تو فرزند نو
خون نگردد شیر شیرین خوش شنو
چون ضیاء الحق حسام الدین عنان
باز گردانید ز اوج آسمان
چون به معراج حقایق رفته بود
بیبهارش غنچهها ناکفته بود
چون ز دریا سوی ساحل بازگشت
چنگ شعر مثنوی با ساز گشت
مثنوی که صیقل ارواح بود
باز گشتش روز استفتاح بود
مطلع تاریخ این سودا و سود
سال اندر ششصد و شصت و دو بود
بلبلی زینجا برفت و بازگشت
بهر صید این معانی بازگشت
ساعد شه مسکن این باز باد
تا ابد بر خلق این در باز باد
آفت این در هوا و شهوتست
ورنه اینجا شربت اندر شربتست
این دهان بر بند تا بینی عیان
چشمبند آن جهان حلق و دهان
ای دهان تو خود دهانهٔ دوزخی
وی جهان تو بر مثال برزخی
نور باقی پهلوی دنیای دون
شیر صافی پهلوی جوهای خون
چون درو گامی زنی بی احتیاط
شیر تو خون میشودر از اختلاط
یک قدم زد آدم اندر ذوق نفس
شد فراق صدر جنت طوق نفس
همچو دیو از وی فرشته میگریخت
بهر نانی چند آب چشم ریخت
گرچه یک مو بد گنه کو جسته بود
لیک آن مو در دو دیده رسته بود
بود آدم دیدهٔ نور قدیم
موی در دیده بود کوه عظیم
گر در آن آدم بکردی مشورت
در پشیمانی نگفتی معذرت
زانک با عقلی چو عقلی جفت شد
مانع بد فعلی و بد گفت شد
نفس با نفس دگر چون یار شد
عقل جزوی عاطل و بیکار شد
چون ز تنهایی تو نومیدی شوی
زیر سایهٔ یار خورشیدی شوی
رو بجو یار خدایی را تو زود
چون چنان کردی خدا یار تو بود
آنک در خلوت نظر بر دوختست
آخر آن را هم ز یار آموختست
خلوت از اغیار باید نه ز یار
پوستین بهر دی آمد نه بهار
عقل با عقل دگر دوتا شود
نور افزون گشت و ره پیدا شود
نفس با نفس دگر خندان شود
ظلمت افزون گشت و ره پنهان شود
یار چشم تست ای مرد شکار
از خس و خاشاک او را پاک دار
هین بجاروب زبان گردی مکن
چشم را از خس رهآوردی مکن
چون که مؤمن آینهٔ مؤمن بود
روی او ز آلودگی ایمن بود
یار آیینست جان را در حزن
در رخ آیینه ای جان دم مزن
تا نپوشد روی خود را در دمت
دم فرو خوردن بباید هر دمت
کم ز خاکی چونک خاکی یار یافت
از بهاری صد هزار انوار یافت
آن درختی کو شود با یار جفت
از هوای خوش ز سر تا پا شکفت
در خزان چون دید او یار خلاف
در کشید او رو و سر زیر لحاف
گفت یار بد بلا آشفتنست
چونک او آمد طریقم خفتنست
پس بخسپم باشم از اصحاب کهف
به ز دقیانوس آن محبوس لهف
یقظهشان مصروف دقیانوس بود
خوابشان سرمایهٔ ناموس بود
خواب بیداریست چون با دانشست
وای بیداری که با نادان نشست
چونک زاغان خیمه بر بهمن زدند
بلبلان پنهان شدند و تن زدند
زانک بی گلزار بلبل خامشست
غیبت خورشید بیداریکشست
آفتابا ترک این گلشن کنی
تا که تحت الارض را روشن کنی
آفتاب معرفت را نقل نیست
مشرق او غیر جان و عقل نیست
خاصه خورشید کمالی کان سریست
روز و شب کردار او روشنگریست
مطلع شمس آی گر اسکندری
بعد از آن هرجا روی نیکو فری
بعد از آن هر جا روی مشرق شود
شرقها بر مغربت عاشق شود
حس خفاشت سوی مغرب دوان
حس درپاشت سوی مشرق روان
راه حس راه خرانست ای سوار
ای خران را تو مزاحم شرم دار
پنج حسی هست جز این پنج حس
آن چو زر سرخ و این حسها چو مس
اندر آن بازار کاهل محشرند
حس مس را چون حس زر کی خرند
حس ابدان قوت ظلمت میخورد
حس جان از آفتابی میچرد
ای ببرده رخت حسها سوی غیب
دست چون موسی برون آور ز جیب
ای صفاتت آفتاب معرفت
و آفتاب چرخ بند یک صفت
گاه خورشیدی و گه دریا شوی
گاه کوه قاف و گه عنقا شوی
تو نه این باشی نه آن در ذات خویش
ای فزون از وهمها وز بیش بیش
روح با علمست و با عقلست یار
روح را با تازی و ترکی چه کار
از تو ای بی نقش با چندین صور
هم مشبه هم موحد خیرهسر
گه مشبه را موحد میکند
گه موحد را صور ره میزند
گه ترا گوید ز مستی بوالحسن
یا صغیر السن یا رطب البدن
گاه نقش خویش ویران میکند
آن پی تنزیه جانان میکند
چشم حس را هست مذهب اعتزال
دیدهٔ عقلست سنی در وصال
سخرهٔ حساند اهل اعتزال
خویش را سنی نمایند از ضلال
هر که بیرون شد ز حس سنی ویست
اهل بینش چشم عقل خوشپیست
گر بدیدی حس حیوان شاه را
پس بدیدی گاو و خر الله را
گر نبودی حس دیگر مر ترا
جز حس حیوان ز بیرون هوا
پس بنیآدم مکرم کی بدی
کی به حس مشترک محرم شدی
نامصور یا مصور گفتنت
باطل آمد بی ز صورت رفتنت
نامصور یا مصور پیش اوست
کو همه مغزست و بیرون شد ز پوست
گر تو کوری نیست بر اعمی حرج
ورنه رو کالصبر مفتاح الفرج
پردههای دیده را داروی صبر
هم بسوزد هم بسازد شرح صدر
آینهٔ دل چون شود صافی و پاک
نقشها بینی برون از آب و خاک
هم ببینی نقش و هم نقاش را
فرش دولت را و هم فراش را
چون خلیل آمد خیال یار من
صورتش بت معنی او بتشکن
شکر یزدان را که چون او شد پدید
در خیالش جان خیال خود بدید
خاک درگاهت دلم را میفریفت
خاک بر وی کو ز خاکت میشکیفت
گفتم ار خوبم پذیرم این ازو
ورنه خود خندید بر من زشترو
چاره آن باشد که خود را بنگرم
ورنه او خندد مرا من کی خرم
او جمیلست و محب للجمال
کی جوان نو گزیند پیر زال
خوب خوبی را کند جذب این بدان
طیبات و طیبین بر وی بخوان
در جهان هر چیز چیزی جذب کرد
گرم گرمی را کشید و سرد سرد
قسم باطل باطلان را میکشند
باقیان از باقیان هم سرخوشند
ناریان مر ناریان را جاذباند
نوریان مر نوریان را طالباند
چشم چون بستی ترا جان کند نیست
چشم را از نور روزن صبر نیست
چشم چون بستی ترا تاسه گرفت
نور چشم از نور روزن کی شکفت
تاسهٔ تو جذب نور چشم بود
تا بپیوندد به نور روز زود
چشم باز ار تاسه گیرد مر ترا
دانک چشم دل ببستی بر گشا
آن تقاضای دو چشم دل شناس
کو همیجوید ضیای بیقیاس
چون فراق آن دو نور بیثبات
تاسه آوردت گشادی چشمهات
پس فراق آن دو نور پایدار
تا سه میآرد مر آن را پاس دار
او چو میخواند مرا من بنگرم
لایق جذبم و یا بد پیکرم
گر لطیفی زشت را در پی کند
تسخری باشد که او بر وی کند
کی ببینم روی خود را ای عجب
تا چه رنگم همچو روزم یا چو شب
نقش جان خویش من جستم بسی
هیچ میننمود نقشم از کسی
گفتم آخر آینه از بهر چیست
تا بداند هر کسی کو چیست و کیست
آینهٔ آهن برای پوستهاست
آینهٔ سیمای جان سنگیبهاست
آینهٔ جان نیست الا روی یار
روی آن یاری که باشد زان دیار
گفتم ای دل آینهٔ کلی بجو
رو به دریا کار بر ناید بجو
زین طلب بنده به کوی تو رسید
درد مریم را به خرمابن کشید
دیدهٔ تو چون دلم را دیده شد
شد دل نادیده غرق دیده شد
آینهٔ کلی ترا دیدم ابد
دیدم اندر چشم تو من نقش خود
گفتم آخر خویش را من یافتم
در دو چشمش راه روشن یافتم
گفت وهمم کان خیال تست هان
ذات خود را از خیال خود بدان
نقش من از چشم تو آواز داد
که منم تو تو منی در اتحاد
کاندرین چشم منیر بی زوال
از حقایق راه کی یابد خیال
در دو چشم غیر من تو نقش خود
گر ببینی آن خیالی دان و رد
زانک سرمهٔ نیستی در میکشد
باده از تصویر شیطان میچشد
چشمشان خانهٔ خیالست و عدم
نیستها را هست بیند لاجرم
چشم من چون سرمه دید از ذوالجلال
خانهٔ هستیست نه خانهٔ خیال
تا یکی مو باشد از تو پیش چشم
در خیالت گوهری باشد چو یشم
یشم را آنگه شناسی از گهر
کز خیال خود کنی کلی عبر
یک حکایت بشنو ای گوهر شناس
تا بدانی تو عیان را از قیاس
Poet: Maulana Rumi
Translation: Reynold A. Nicholson
Edited by:
