Aisha Asks the Meaning of the Rain
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 1, section 101 of 171: How the Siddíqa (‘Á’isha), asked Mustafá (Mohammed) and give him peace, saying, “What was the inner meaning of to-day's rain?” (پرسیدن صدیقه (س) از پیامبر (ص) که سر باران امروزینه چه بود). Below, each of its 24 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How the Siddíqa (‘Á’isha), may God be well-pleased with her, asked Mustafá (Mohammed), God bless him and give him peace, saying, “What was the inner meaning of to-day’s rain?” پرسیدن صدیقه (س) از پیامبر (ص) که سر باران امروزینه چه بود
گفت صدیقه که ای زبده‌‌ی وجود
حکمت باران امروزین چه بود
The Siddíqa said, “O (thou who art the) cream of existence, what was the (true) reason of to-day’s rain?
این ز بارانهای رحمت بود
یا بهر تهدید است و عدل کبریا
Was it (one) of the rains of mercy, or (was it) for the sake of menace and the justice of (Divine) Majesty?
این از آن لطف بهاریات بود
یا ز پاییزی پر آفات بود
Was it from the favour of the vernal attributes, or from a baneful autumnal attribute?”
گفت این از بهر تسکین غم است
کز مصیبت بر نژاد آدم است
He said, “This (rain) was for the purpose of allaying the grief that is upon the race of Adam in calamity.
گر بر آن آتش بماندی آدمی
بس خرابی در فتادی و کمی
If man were to remain in that fire (of grief), much ruin and loss would befall.
این جهان ویران شدی اندر زمان
حرصها بیرون شدی از مردمان
This world would at once become desolate: (all) selfish desires would go forth from men.”
استن این عالم ای جان غفلت است
هوشیاری این جهان را آفت است
Forgetfulness (of God), O beloved, is the pillar (prop) of this world: (spiritual) intelligence is a bane to this world.
هوشیاری ز آن جهان است و چو آن
غالب آید پست گردد این جهان
Intelligence belongs to that (other) world, and when it prevails, this world is overthrown.
هوشیاری آفتاب و حرص یخ
هوشیاری آب و این عالم وسخ
Intelligence is the sun and cupidity the ice; intelligence is the water and this world the dirt.
ز آن جهان اندک ترشح می‌‌رسد
تا نغرد در جهان حرص و حسد
A little trickle (of intelligence) is coming from yonder world, that cupidity and envy may not roar (too loudly) in this world.
گر ترشح بیشتر گردد ز غیب
نی هنر ماند در این عالم نه عیب
If the trickle from the Unseen should become greater, in this world neither virtue nor vice will be left.
این ندارد حد سوی آغاز رو
سوی قصه‌‌ی مرد مطرب باز رو
This (topic) has no bound. Go to the starting-point, go back to the tale of the minstrel.
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