God Tells Moses: I Love Thee
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 4, section 110 of 137: How God made a revelation to Moses, saying, "O Moses, I who am the exalted Creator love thee." (وحی کردن حق به موسی علیه‌السلام کی ای موسی من کی خالقم تعالی ترا دوست می‌دارم). Below, each of its 24 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How God made a revelation to Moses, on whom be peace, saying, “O Moses, I who am the exalted Creator love thee.” وحی کردن حق به موسی علیه‌السلام کی ای موسی من کی خالقم تعالی ترا دوست می‌دارم
گفت موسی را به وحی دل خدا
کای گزیده دوست می‌دارم ترا
God spoke to Moses by inspiration of the heart, saying, “O chosen one, I love thee.”
گفت چه خصلت بود ای ذوالکرم
موجب آن تا من آن افزون کنم
He (Moses) said, “O Bountiful One, (tell me) what disposition (in me) is the cause of that, in order that I may augment it.”
گفت چون طفلی به پیش والده
وقت قهرش دست هم در وی زده
He (God) said, “Thou art like a child in the presence of its mother: when she chastises it, it still lays hold of her.
خود نداند که جز او دیار هست
هم ازو مخمور هم از اوست مست
It does not even know that there is any one in the world except her: it is both afflicted with headache (sorrow) by her and intoxicated (with joy) by her.
مادرش گر سیلیی بر وی زند
هم به مادر آید و بر وی تند
If its mother give it a slap, still it comes to its mother and clings to her.
از کسی یاری نخواهد غیر او
اوست جمله شر او و خیر او
It does not seek help from any one but her: she is all its evil and its good.
خاطر تو هم ز ما در خیر و شر
التفاتش نیست جاهای دگر
Thy heart, likewise, in good or evil (plight) never turns from Me to other quarters.
غیر من پیشت چون سنگست و کلوخ
گر صبی و گر جوان و گر شیوخ
In thy sight all besides Me are as stones and clods, whether (they be) boys or youths or old men.”
هم‌چنانک ایاک نعبد در حنین
در بلا از غیر تو لانستعین
Just as Thee we worship in yearning entreaty, (so) in tribulation we ask help of none but Thee.
هست این ایاک نعبد حصر را
در لغت و آن از پی نفی ریا
This Thee we worship is (used) idiomatically for the purpose of (expressing) appropriation, and that (appropriation) is for the purpose of negating hypocrisy.
هست ایاک نستعین هم بهر حصر
حصر کرده استعانت را و قصر
Of Thee we ask help also is for the purpose of appropriation: he (who recites these words) appropriates and restricts the asking of help,
که عبادت مر ترا آریم و بس
طمع یاری هم ز تو داریم و بس
Meaning, “We perform worship to Thee alone; we have hope of help from Thee alone.”
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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