Lust of Asses, Strength of Prophets
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 169 of 175: Explaining that the words “We have apportioned” mean that He (بیان آنک نحن قسمنا کی یکی را شهوت و قوت خران دهد و یکی را کیاست و قوت انبیا و فرشتگان). Below, each of its 10 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
Explaining that the words “We have apportioned” mean that He (God) bestows on one the lust and (physical) strength of asses and on another the intelligence and (spiritual) strength of the prophets and the angels. “To turn the head away from sensual desire is (a mark of) nobility; to abandon sensual desire is (a mark of) the (spiritual) strength that belongs to prophethood.” “The seeds that are not sown in lust their fruit only appears at the Resurrection.” بیان آنک نحن قسمنا کی یکی را شهوت و قوت خران دهد و یکی را کیاست و قوت انبیا و فرشتگان بخشد سر ز هوا تافتن از سروریست ترک هوا قوت پیغامبریست تخمهایی کی شهوتی نبود بر آن جز قیامتی نبود
گر بدش سستی نری خران بود او را مردی پیغامبران
If he (the Caliph) was deficient in the masculinity of asses, (yet) he possessed the manliness of the prophets.
ترک خشم و شهوت و حرص‌آوری هست مردی و رگ پیغامبری
It is (true) manliness and the nature of prophethood to abandon anger and lust and greed.
نری خر گو مباش اندر رگش حق همی خواند الغ بگلربگش
Let the masculinity of the ass be lacking in his nature, (what of that?): God calls him the great Beylerbey.
مرده‌ای باشم به من حق بنگرد به از آن زنده که باشد دور و رد
(If) I be a dead man and (if) God look on me (with favour), (my case is) better than (that of) the living man who is far (from God) and rejected (by Him).
مغز مردی این شناس و پوست آن آن برد دوزخ برد این در جنان
Recognise this (abandonment of sensuality) to be the kernel of manliness, and that (indulgence in sensuality) to be the husk: the latter leads to Hell, the former to Paradise.
حفت الجنه مکاره را رسید حفت النار از هوا آمد پدید
(The Tradition) “Paradise is encompassed with things disliked” has come (down to us); “Hell-fire is encompassed with sensual desire” has been declared.
ای ایاز شیر نر دیوکش مردی خر کم فزون مردی هش
“O Ayáz, fierce demon-killing lion, (thou in whom) the manliness of the ass is inferior (subjugated), the manliness of Reason superior (predominant),
آنچ چندین صدر ادراکش نکرد لعب کودک بود پیشت اینت مرد
That which so many eminent persons did not apprehend was to thee child’s play: lo, here is the (true) man!
ای به دیده لذت امر مرا جان سپرده بهر امرم در وفا
O thou who hast felt the delight of (obeying) my command and hast loyally devoted thy life for the sake of my command,
داستان ذوق امر و چاشنیش بشنو اکنون در بیان معنویش
Now hearken to the tale of the savour and relish of (obeying) the (Divine) command (as related) in the (following) spiritual exposition thereof.”
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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