The Jinn Created from Smokeless Fire
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 75 of 175: (On the words of God) “He created the Jinn from smokeless fire,” and His words concerning Iblís: “verily he was one of the Jinn, and he transgressed.” (خلق الجان من مارج من نار و قوله تعالی فی حق ابلیس انه کان من الجن ففسق). Below, each of its 47 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
(On the words of God) “He created the Jinn from smokeless fire,” and His words concerning Iblís: “verily he was one of the Jinn, and he transgressed.” خلق الجان من مارج من نار و قوله تعالی فی حق ابلیس انه کان من الجن ففسق
شعله می‌زد آتش جان سفیه که آتشی بود الولد سر ابیه
The fire (of pride and jealousy) was flaming in the soul of the fool (Iblís), because he was (born) of fire: the son is (endued with) the inward nature of his father.
نه غلط گفتم که بد قهر خدا علتی را پیش آوردن چرا
No; I have spoken in error; ’twas the compelling might of God: why, (then), adduce any cause (for it)?
کار بی‌علت مبرا از علل مستمر و مستقرست از ازل
The causeless action (of God) is quit of (all) causes: it is lasting (without change) and firmly stablished from eternity.
در کمال صنع پاک مستحث علت حادث چه گنجد یا حدث
In the perfection of the holy work sped on (by Him) what room is there for (any) temporal cause or temporal thing?
سر آب چه بود آب ما صنع اوست صنع مغزست و آب صورت چو پوست
What is (the real meaning of) “the inward nature of (his) father”? His (God’s) work (creative energy) is our father: (His) work is the kernel, and the formal (physical) father is the skin (shell).
عشق دان ای فندق تن دوستت جانت جوید مغز و کوبد پوستت
O nut-like body, know that Love is thy friend: thy soul (inspired by Love) will seek thy kernel and batter thy shell (to pieces).
دوزخی که پوست باشد دوستش داد بدلنا جلودا پوستش
The man doomed to Hell whose skin is his friend (God who hath said) “We will give them (other) skins in exchange” bestows a (new) skin upon him.
معنی و مغزت بر آتش حاکمست لیک آتش را قشورت هیزمست
Thy spiritual principle and kernel is dominant over the Fire, but thy skins (sensual faculties) are fuel for the Fire.
کوزه‌ی چوبین که در وی آب جوست قدرت آتش همه بر ظرف اوست
(In the case of) a wooden pot in which river-water is (contained), the power of fire is entirely (directed) against the vessel containing it.
معنی انسان بر آتش مالکست مالک دوزخ درو کی هالکست
Man’s spiritual principle is a ruler over the Fire: when is Málik (the Ruler) of Hell destroyed therein?
پس میفزا تو بدن معنی فزا تا چو مالک باشی آتش را کیا
Do not, then, increase (pamper) thy body; increase (cherish and cultivate) thy spiritual principle, in order that thou mayst be the Fire’s sovereign, like Málik.
پوستها بر پوست می‌افزوده‌ای لاجرم چون پوست اندر دوده‌ای
Thou hast ever been adding skins to thy skin: necessarily thou art (black) as a skin (enveloped) in (layers of) soot.
زانک آتش را علف جز پوست نیست قهر حق آن کبر را پوستین کنیست
Since the Fire hath no fodder (fuel) except the skin, the vengeance of God will tear the skin off that pride (of thine).
این تکبر از نتیجه‌ی پوستست جاه و مال آن کبر را زان دوستست
This arrogance is a product of the skin; hence power and riches are friends to that pride.
این تکبر چیست غفلت از لباب منجمد چون غفلت یخ ز آفتاب
What is this arrogance? (It consists in) being oblivious to the essential principle and frozen (insensible) like the oblivion of ice to the sun.
چون خبر شد ز آفتابش یخ نماند نرم گشت و گرم گشت و تیز راند
When it (the ice) becomes conscious of the sun, the ice does not endure: it becomes soft and warm and moves on rapidly.
شد ز دید لب جمله‌ی تن طمع خوار و عاشق شد که ذل من طمع
From seeing the kernel (essential principle) the whole body becomes (filled with) desire: it becomes miserable and passionately in love, for “Wretched is he who desires.”
چون نبیند مغز قانع شد به پوست بند عز من قنع زندان اوست
When it does not see the kernel, it is content with the skin: (then) the bondage of “Glorious is he who is content” is its prison.
عزت اینجا گبریست و ذل دین سنگ تا فانی نشد کی شد نگین
Here glory is infidelity, and wretchedness is (true) religion: until the stone became naughted, when did it become the gem set in a ring?
در مقام سنگی آنگاهی انا وقت مسکین گشتن تست وفنا
(To remain) in the state of stoniness and then (to say) “I” (is absurd): ’tis time for thee to become lowly and naughted (dead to self).
کبر زان جوید همیشه جاه و مال که ز سرگینست گلحن را کمال
Pride always seeks power and riches because the bath-furnace derives its perfection from dung;
کین دو دایه پوست را افزون کنند شحم و لحم و کبر و نخوت آکنند
For these two nurses increase (foster) the skin: they stuff it with fat and flesh and pride and arrogance.
دیده را بر لب لب نفراشتند پوست را زان روی لب پنداشتند
They have not raised their eyes to the kernel of the kernel: on that account they have deemed the skin to be the kernel.
پیش‌وا ابلیس بود این راه را کو شکار آمد شبیکه‌ی جاه را
Iblís was the leader on this way, for he fell a prey to the net (temptation) of power (eminence).
مال چون مارست و آن جاه اژدها سایه‌ی مردان زمرد این دو را
Riches are like a snake, and power is a dragon: the shadow (protection and guidance) of (holy) men is the emerald (which is fatal) to them both.
زان زمرد مار را دیده جهد کور گردد مار و ره‌رو وا رهد
At (the sight of) that emerald the snake’s eye jumps (out of its head): the snake is blinded and the traveller is delivered (from death).
چون برین ره خار بنهاد آن رئیس هر که خست او گفته لعنت بر بلیس
When that Prince (Iblís) had laid thorns on this road, every one that was wounded (by them) cried, “Curse Iblís!”
یعنی این غم بر من از غدر ویست غدر را آن مقتدا سابق‌پیست
Meaning to say, “This pain is (fallen) upon me through his treachery”: he (Iblís) who is taken as a model (by the wicked) was the first to tread the path of treason.
بعد ازو خود قرن بر قرن آمدند جملگان بر سنت او پا زدند
Truly, generation on generation came (into being) after him, and all set their feet on his way (followed his practice).
هر که بنهد سنت بد ای فتا تا در افتد بعد او خلق از عمی
Whosoever institutes an evil practice, O youth, in order that people may blindly fall in after him,
جمع گردد بر وی آن جمله بزه کو سری بودست و ایشان دم‌غزه
All their guilt is collected (and piled) on him, for he has been (as) a head (to them), while they are (like) the root of the tail.
لیک آدم چارق و آن پوستین پیش می‌آورد که هستم ز طین
But Adam brought forward (and kept in view) the rustic shoon and sheepskin jacket, saying, “I am of clay.”
چون ایاز آن چارقش مورود بود لاجرم او عاقبت محمود بود
By him, as by Ayáz, those shoon were (often) visited: consequently he was lauded in the end.
هست مطلق کارساز نیستیست کارگاه هست‌کن جز نیست چیست
The Absolute Being is a worker in non-existence: what but non-existence is the workshop (working material) of the Maker of existence?
بر نوشته هیچ بنویسد کسی یا نهاله کارد اندر مغرسی
Does one write anything on what is (already) written over, or plant a sapling in a place (already) planted?
کاغذی جوید که آن بنوشته نیست تخم کارد موضعی که کشته نیست
(No); he seeks a sheet of paper that has not been written on and sows the seed in a place that has not been sown.
تو برادر موضع ناکشته باش کاغذ اسپید نابنوشته باش
Be thou, O brother, a place unsown; be a white paper untouched by writing,
تا مشرف گردی از نون والقلم تا بکارد در تو تخم آن ذوالکرم
That thou mayst be ennobled by Nún wa ’l-Qalam, and that the Gracious One may sow seed within thee.
خود ازین پالوه نالیسیده گیر مطبخی که دیده‌ای نادیده گیر
Assume, indeed, that thou hast never licked (tasted) this pálúda (honeycake); assume that thou hast never seen the kitchen which thou hast seen,
زانک ازین پالوده مستیها بود پوستین و چارق از یادت رود
Because from this pálúda intoxications arise, and the sheepskin jacket and the shoon depart from thy memory.
چون در آید نزع و مرگ آهی کنی ذکر دلق و چارق آنگاهی کنی
When the death-agony comes, thou wilt utter a (great) cry of lamentation: in that hour thou wilt remember thy ragged cloak and clumsy shoon;
تا نمانی غرق موج زشتیی که نباشد از پناهی پشتیی
(But) until thou art drowning in the waves of an evil plight in which there is no help (to be obtained) from any refuge,
یاد ناری از سفینه‌ی راستین ننگری رد چارق و در پوستین
Thou wilt never call to mind the right ship (for thy voyage): thou wilt never look at thy shoon and sheepskin jacket.
چونک درمانی به غرقاب فنا پس ظلمنا ورد سازی بر ولا
When thou art left helpless in the overwhelming waters of destruction, then thou wilt incessantly make (the words) we have done wrong thy litany;
دیو گوید بنگرید این خام را سر برید این مرغ بی‌هنگام را
(But) the Devil will say, “Look ye at this half-baked (fool)! Cut off the head of this untimely bird (this cock that crows too late)!”
دور این خصلت ز فرهنگ ایاز که پدید آید نمازش بی‌نماز
Far from the wisdom of Ayáz is this characteristic, (namely), that his prayer should be uttered without (being a real) prayer.
او خروس آسمان بوده ز پیش نعره‌های او همه در وقت خویش
He has been the cock of Heaven from of old: all his crowings are (taking place) at their (proper) time.
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