There Is No Monkery in Islam
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 27 of 175: In explanation of the saying of the Prophet, “There is no monkery in Islam.” (در بیان قول رسول علیه‌السلام لا رهبانیة فی‌الاسلام). Below, each of its 24 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
In explanation of the saying of the Prophet, on whom be peace, “There is no monkery in Islam.” در بیان قول رسول علیه‌السلام لا رهبانیة فی‌الاسلام
بر مکن پر را و دل بر کن ازو
زانک شرط این جهاد آمد عدو
“Do not tear out thy feathers, but detach thy heart from (desire for) them, because (the existence of) the enemy is the necessary condition for (waging) this Holy War.
چون عدو نبود جهاد آمد محال
شهوتت نبود نباشد امتثال
When there is no enemy, the Holy War is inconceivable; (if) thou hast no lust, there can be no obedience (to the Divine command).
صبر نبود چون نباشد میل تو
خصم چون نبود چه حاجت حیل تو
There can be no self-restraint when thou hast no desire; when there is no adversary, what need for thy strength?
هین مکن خود را خصی رهبان مشو
زانک عفت هست شهوت را گرو
Hark, do not castrate thyself, do not become a monk; for chastity is in pawn to (depends on the existence of) lust.
بی‌هوا نهی از هوا ممکن نبود
غازیی بر مردگان نتوان نمود
Without (the existence of) sensuality ’tis impossible to forbid sensuality: heroism cannot be displayed against the dead.
انفقوا گفتست پس کسپی بکن
زانک نبود خرج بی‌دخل کهن
He (God) hath said ‘Spend’: therefore earn something, since there can be no expenditure without an old (previously acquired) income.
گر چه آورد انفقوا را مطلق او
تو بخوان که اکسبوا ثم انفقوا
Although He used (the word) Spend absolutely, (yet) read (it as meaning) ‘Earn, then spend.’
هم‌چنان چون شاه فرمود اصبروا
رغبتی باید کزان تابی تو رو
Similarly, since the King (God) has given the command ‘Refrain yourselves,’ there must be some desire from which thou shouldst avert thy face.
پس کلوا از بهر دام شهوتست
بعد از آن لاتسرفوا آن عفتست
Hence (the command) ‘Eat ye’ is for the sake of the snare (temptation) of appetite; after that (comes) ‘Do not exceed’: that is temperance.
چونک محمول به نبود لدیه
نیست ممکن بود محمول علیه
When there is no ‘predicate’ (relative quality) in him (any one), the existence of the ‘subject’ (the correlative term) is impossible.
چونک رنج صبر نبود مر ترا
شرط نبود پس فرو ناید جزا
When thou hast not the pain of self-restraint, there is no protasis: therefore the apodosis (recompense) does not follow.
حبذا آن شرط و شادا آن جزا
آن جزای دل‌نواز جان‌فزا
How admirable is that protasis and how joyful is that apodosis (recompense), a recompense that charms the heart and increases the life of the spirit!
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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