How Water Cleanses All and Is Cleansed
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 8 of 175: How the water cleanses all impurities and then is cleansed of impurity by God most High. Verily, God most High is exceeding holy (پاک کردن آب همه پلیدیها را و باز پاک کردن خدای تعالی آب را از پلیدی لاجرم قدوس آمد حق). Below, each of its 34 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
How the water cleanses all impurities and then is cleansed of impurity by God most High. Verily, God most High is exceeding holy. پاک کردن آب همه پلیدیها را و باز پاک کردن خدای تعالی آب را از پلیدی لاجرم قدوس آمد حق تعالی
آب چون پیگار کرد و شد نجس
تا چنان شد که آب را رد کرد حس
When the water had done battle (in its task of ablution) and had been made dirty and had become such that the senses rejected it,
حق ببردش باز در بحر صواب
تا به شستش از کرم آن آب آب
God brought it back into the sea of Goodness, that the Origin of the water might generously wash it (clean).
سال دیگر آمد او دامن‌کشان
هی کجا بودی به دریای خوشان
Next year it came sweeping proudly along. “Hey, where hast thou been?” “In the sea of the pure.
من نجس زینجا شدم پاک آمدم
بستدم خلعت سوی خاک آمدم
I went from here dirty; I have come (back) clean. I have received a robe of honour, I have come to the earth (again).
هین بیایید ای پلیدان سوی من
که گرفت از خوی یزدان خوی من
Hark, come unto me, O ye polluted ones, for my nature hath partaken of the nature of God.
در پذیرم جمله‌ی زشتیت را
چون ملک پاکی دهم عفریت را
I will accept all thy foulness: I will bestow on the demon purity like (that of) the angel.
چون شوم آلوده باز آنجا روم
سوی اصل اصل پاکیها رو
When I become defiled, I will return thither: I will go to the Source of the source of purities.
دلق چرکین بر کنم آنجا ز سر
خلعت پاکم دهد بار دگر
There I will pull the filthy cloak off my head: He will give me a clean robe once more.
کار او اینست و کار من همین
عالم‌آرایست رب العالمین
Such is His work, and my work is the same: the Lord of all created beings is the beautifier of the world.”
گر نبودی این پلیدیهای ما
کی بدی این بارنامه آب را
Were it not for these impurities of ours, how would the water have this glory?
کیسه‌های زر بدزدید از کسی
می‌رود هر سو که هین کو مفلسی
It stole purses of gold from a certain One: (then) it runs in every direction, crying, “Where is an insolvent?”
یا بریزد بر گیاه رسته‌ای
یا بشوید روی رو ناشسته‌ای
Either it sheds (the treasure) on a blade of grass that has grown, or it washes the face of one whose face is unwashed,
یا بگیرد بر سر او حمال‌وار
کشتی بی‌دست و پا را در بحار
Or, porter-like, it takes on its head (surface) the ship that is without hand or foot (helplessly tossing) in the seas.
صد هزاران دارو اندر وی نهان
زانک هر دارو بروید زو چنان
Hidden in it are myriads of salves, because every salve derives from it its nature and property.
جان هر دری دل هر دانه‌ای
می‌رود در جو چو داروخانه‌ای
The soul of every pearl, the heart of every grain, goes into the river (for healing) as (into) a shop of salves.
زو یتیمان زمین را پرورش
بستگان خشک را از وی روش
From it (comes) nourishment to the orphans of the earth; from it (comes) movement (growth) to them that are tied fast, the parched ones.
چون نماند مایه‌اش تیره شود
هم‌چو ما اندر زمین خیره شود
When its stock (of spiritual grace) is exhausted, it becomes turbid: it becomes abject on the earth, as we are.
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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