The Disciples Ask Again
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 1, section 27 of 171: How the disciples repeated their request that he should interrupt his seclusion (مکرر کردن مریدان که خلوت را بشکن). Below, each of its 26 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How the disciples repeated their request that he should interrupt his seclusion. مکرر کردن مریدان که خلوت را بشکن
جمله گفتند ای حکیم رخنه جو
این فریب و این جفا با ما مگو
They all said: “O sage who seekest a crevice (means of evasion), say not to us this (word of) guile and harshness.
چار پا را قدر طاقت بار نه
بر ضعیفان قدر قوت کار نه
Lay on the beast a burden in proportion to its endurance, lay on the weak a task in proportion to their strength.
دانه‌‌ی هر مرغ اندازه‌‌ی وی است
طعمه‌‌ی هر مرغ انجیری کی است
The bait for every bird is according to its (the bird’s) measure (capacity): how should a fig be the food (lure) for every bird?
طفل را گر نان دهی بر جای شیر
طفل مسکین را از آن نان مرده گیر
If you give a babe bread instead of milk, take it (for granted) that the poor babe will die of the bread;
چون که دندانها بر آرد بعد از آن
هم بخود گردد دلش جویای نان
(Yet) afterwards, when it grows teeth, that babe will of its own accord its heart will crave bread.
مرغ پر نارسته چون پران شود
لقمه‌‌ی هر گربه‌‌ی دران شود
When an unfledged bird begins to fly, it becomes a mouthful for any rapacious cat;
چون بر آرد پر بپرد او به خود
بی‌‌تکلف بی‌‌صفیر نیک و بد
(But) when it grows wings, it will fly of itself without trouble and without whistling (prompting), good or bad.
دیو را نطق تو خامش می‌‌کند
گوش ما را گفت تو هش می‌‌کند
Thy speech makes the Devil silent, thy words make our ears (full of) intelligence.
گوش ما هوش است چون گویا تویی
خشک ما بحر است چون دریا تویی
Our ears are (full of) intelligence when thou art speaking; our dry land is a river when thou art the ocean.
با تو ما را خاک بهتر از فلک
ای سماک از تو منور تا سمک
With thee, earth is better to us than heaven, O thou by whom (the world from) Arcturus to the Fish is illumined!
بی‌‌تو ما را بر فلک تاریکی است
با تو ای ماه این فلک باری کی است
Without thee, darkness is over heaven for us, (but) compared with thee, O Moon, who is this heaven at all?
صورت رفعت بود افلاک را
معنی رفعت روان پاک را
The heavens have the form of sublimity, (but) the essence of sublimity belongs to the pure spirit.
صورت رفعت برای جسمهاست
جسمها در پیش معنی اسمهاست
The form of sublimity is for bodies; beside the essence (reality) bodies are (mere) names.”
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