The Spirit Like Butter in Buttermilk
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 4, section 114 of 137: Explaining that the animal spirit and the particular (discursive) reason and the imagination and the fancy may be compared to buttermilk (بیان آنک روح حیوانی و عقل جز وی و وهم و خیال بر مثال دوغند و روح کی باقیست درین دوغ). Below, each of its 42 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
Explaining that the animal spirit and the particular (discursive) reason and the imagination and the fancy may be compared to buttermilk, while the spirit, which is everlasting, is hidden in this buttermilk, like the butter. بیان آنک روح حیوانی و عقل جز وی و وهم و خیال بر مثال دوغند و روح کی باقیست درین دوغ هم‌چون روغن پنهانست
جوهر صدقت خفی شد در دروغ
هم‌چو طعم روغن اندر طعم دوغ
Thy true substance is concealed in falsehood, like the taste of butter in the taste of buttermilk.
آن دروغت این تن فانی بود
راستت آن جان ربانی بود
Thy falsehood is this perishable body; thy truth is that lordly spirit.
سالها این دوغ تن پیدا و فاش
روغن جان اندرو فانی و لاش
(During many) years this buttermilk, (which is) the body, is visible and manifest, (while) the butter, (which is) the spirit, is perishing and naughted within it,
تا فرستد حق رسولی بنده‌ای
دوغ را در خمره جنباننده‌ای
Till God send a messenger (prophet), a (chosen) servant, a shaker of the buttermilk in the churn,
تا بجنباند به هنجار و به فن
تا بدانم من که پنهان بود من
That he may shake (it) with method and skill, to the end that I may know that (my true) ego was hidden;
یا کلام بنده‌ای کان جزو اوست
در رود در گوش او کو وحی جوست
Or (till) the speech of a (chosen) servant, which is part is part of (the speech of) him (the prophet), enter into the ear of him who is seeking inspiration.
اذن ممن وحی ما را واعیست
آنچنان گوشی قرین داعیست
The true believer’s ear is retaining our inspiration: such an ear is closely linked to the caller (the perfect saint).
هم‌چنانک گوش طفل از گفت مام
پر شود ناطق شود او درکلام
Just as (for example) the infant’s ear is filled with its mother’s words, (and then) it (the infant) begins to speak articulately;
ور نباشد طفل را گوش رشد
گفت مادر نشنود گنگی شود
And if the infant have not a right (rightly-hearing) ear, it does not hear its mother’s words and becomes a mute.
دایما هر کر اصلی گنگ بود
ناطق آنکس شد که از مادر شنود
Every one born deaf has always been dumb: (only) that one who heard (speech) from his mother became a speaker.
دانک گوش کر و گنگ از آفتیست
که پذیرای دم و تعلیم نیست
Know that the deaf ear and the dumb man are the result of a grave disease (of the soul); for it (the deaf ear) is not capable of (hearing) words and being taught.
آنک بی‌تعلیم بد ناطق خداست
که صفات او ز علتها جداست
The (only) one that possessed speech without being taught is God, whose attributes are separated (exempt) from infirmities,
یا چو آدم کرده تلقینش خدا
بی‌حجاب مادر و دایه و ازا
Or one like Adam whom God instructed without the screen (mediation) of mother and nurse and necessaries,
یا مسیحی که به تعلیم ودود
در ولادت ناطق آمد در وجود
Or the Messiah (Christ) who, through being taught by the Loving (God), at his birth came speaking into the world,
از برای دفع تهمت در ولاد
که نزادست از زنا و از فساد
For the purpose of repelling the suspicion as to his birth (and proving) that he was not born of fornication and wickedness.
جنبشی بایست اندر اجتهاد
تا که دوغ آن روغن از دل باز داد
A (great) shaking was required in the effort that the buttermilk might render back that butter from its (inmost) heart.
روغن اندر دوغ باشد چون عدم
دوغ در هستی برآورده علم
The butter in the buttermilk is (invisible) like non-existence; the buttermilk has raised its banner (has become manifest) in existence.
آنک هستت می‌نماید هست پوست
وآنک فانی می‌نماید اصل اوست
That which seems to you to be (really) existent is (mere) skin, while that which seems to have perished that (in reality) is the root.
دوغ روغن ناگرفتست و کهن
تا بنگزینی بنه خرجش مکن
The buttermilk has not (yet) taken (the form of) butter and is old: lay it (in store) and do not squander it till you pick out (the butter from it).
هین بگردانش به دانش دست دست
تا نماید آنچ پنهان کرده است
Hark, turn it knowingly from hand to hand (side to side), that it may reveal that which it has hidden;
زآنک این فانی دلیل باقیست
لابه‌ی مستان دلیل ساقیست
For this perishable (body) is a proof of the everlasting (spirit): the maundering of the intoxicated is a proof of (the existence of) the Cupbearer.
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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