Commentary on the saying of Mustafá
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 48 of 175: Commentary on the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed), “Whosoever shall make his cares one care, God will relieve him of all his cares (در تفسیر قول مصطفی علیه‌السلام من جعل الهموم هما واحدا کفاه الله سائر همومه و من تفرقت به). Below, each of its 42 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
Commentary on the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, “Whosoever shall make his cares one care, God will relieve him of all his cares; and whosoever is distracted by his cares, God will not care in what valley He destroys him.” در تفسیر قول مصطفی علیه‌السلام من جعل الهموم هما واحدا کفاه الله سائر همومه و من تفرقت به الهموم لا یبالی الله فی ای واد اهلکه
هوش را توزیع کردی بر جهات
می‌نیرزد تره‌ای آن ترهات
Thou hast distributed thy consciousness in (all) directions: those vanities of thine are not worth a cress.
آب هش را می‌کشد هر بیخ خار
آب هوشت چون رسد سوی ثمار
Every thorn-root draws the water of thy consciousness (towards itself): how should the water of thy consciousness reach the fruit?
هین بزن آن شاخ بد را خو کنش
آب ده این شاخ خوش را نو کنش
Hark, smite that evil bough, lop it off: water this goodly bough, refresh it.
هر دو سبزند این زمان آخر نگر
کین شود باطل از آن روید ثمر
Both are green at this (present) time, (but) look to the end (and see) that this one will come to naught, (while) fruit will grow from that one.
آب باغ این را حلال آن را حرام
فرق را آخر ببینی والسلام
To this one the water in the orchard is lawful, to that one (it is) unlawful. In the end thou wilt see the difference, and (so) farewell.
عدل چه بود آب ده اشجار را
ظلم چه بود آب دادن خار را
What is justice? Giving water to trees. What is injustice? To give water to thorns.
عدل وضع نعمتی در موضعش
نه بهر بیخی که باشد آبکش
Justice is (consists in) bestowing a bounty in its proper place, not on every root that will absorb water.
ظلم چه بود وضع در ناموضعی
که نباشد جز بلا را منبعی
What is injustice? To bestow (it) in an improper place that can only be a source of calamity.
نعمت حق را به جان و عقل ده
نه به طبع پر زحیر پر گره
Bestow the bounty of God on the spirit and reason, not on the (carnal) nature full of disease and complications.
بار کن بیگار غم را بر تنت
بر دل و جان کم نه آن جان کندنت
Load the conflict of (worldly) cares upon thy body: do not lay thy anxiety upon the heart and spirit.
بر سر عیسی نهاده تنگ بار
خر سکیزه می‌زند در مرغزار
The pack is laid upon the head of Jesus, (while) the ass is frisking in the meadow.
سرمه را در گوش کردن شرط نیست
کار دل را جستن از تن شرط نیست
Tis not right to put collyrium in the ear: ’tis not right to demand from the body the work of the heart (spirit).
گر دلی رو ناز کن خواری مکش
ور تنی شکر منوش و زهر چش
If thou art a (devotee of the) heart, go, scorn (the world), do not suffer contumely (from it); and if thou art a (devotee of the) body, do not eat sugar but taste poison.
زهر تن را نافعست و قند بد
تن همان بهتر که باشد بی‌مدد
Poison is beneficial to the body, and sugar noxious: ’tis better that the body should be deprived of supplies.
هیزم دوزخ تنست و کم کنش
ور بروید هیزمی رو بر کنش
The body is fuel for Hell, do thou weaken it; and if it produce a (new) growth of fuel, go, destroy it.
ورنه حمال حطب باشی حطب
در دو عالم هم‌چو جفت بولهب
Else, O (thou who art) firewood, thou wilt be a carrier of firewood in both worlds, like the wife of Bú Lahab.
از حطب بشناس شاخ سدره را
گرچه هر دو سبز باشند ای فتی
Know (discriminate) the bough of the Sidra from the firewood, though both are green, O youth.
اصل آن شاخست هفتم آسمان
اصل این شاخست از نار و دخان
The origin of that bough is the Seventh Heaven, the origin of this bough is from fire and smoke.
هست مانندا به صورت پیش حس
که غلط‌بینست چشم و کیش حس
To sense-perception they are similar in appearance, for the eye and habit of sense-perception is seeing falsely;
هست آن پیدا به پیش چشم دل
جهد کن سوی دل آ جهد المقل
(But) that (difference) is manifest to the eye of the heart (spirit): exert thyself, advance towards the heart (spirit) with the exertion of one whose means are small.
ور نداری پا بجنبان خویش را
تا ببینی هر کم و هر بیش را
And if thou hast no foot (means), (yet) bestir thyself that thou mayst behold every less and more.
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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