Remorse for Missing Congregational Prayer
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 2, section 72 of 113: The excellence of the remorse felt by one who was sincere (in his devotion) for having missed the congregational prayers (فضیلت حسرت خوردن آن مخلص بر فوت نماز جماعت). Below, each of its 18 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
The excellence of the remorse felt by one who was sincere (in his devotion) for having missed the congregational prayers. فضیلت حسرت خوردن آن مخلص بر فوت نماز جماعت
آن یکی میرفت در مسجد درون
مردم از مسجد همیآمد برون
A certain man was going into the mosque (when) the people were coming out of the mosque.
گفت پرسان که جماعت را چه بود
که ز مسجد میبرون آیند زود
He began to ask (one of them), saying, “What ails the congregation that they are coming out of the mosque (so) soon?”
آن یکی گفتش که پیغمبر نماز
با جماعت کرد و فارغ شد ز راز
That person said to him, “The Prophet has prayed with the congregation and finished (his) communion.
تو کجا در میروی ای مرد خام
چون که پیغمبر بداده ست السلام
How art thou going in, O foolish man, when the Prophet has given the blessing?”
گفت آه و دود از آن اه شد برون
آه او میداد از دل بوی خون
He cried, “Ah!” and smoke issued from that (burning) sigh: his sigh was giving forth the smell of blood from his heart.
آن یکی از جمع گفت این آه را
تو به من ده و آن نماز من ترا
A certain man said, “Give (me) that sigh and may this (ritual) prayer of mine be (bestowed) on thee as a gift!”
گفت دادم آه و پذرفتم نماز
او ستد آن آه را با صد نیاز
He answered, “I give the sigh and accept the prayers.” He (the other) took that sigh with a hundred yearnings (towards God).
شب به خواب اندر بگفتش هاتفی
که خریدی آب حیوان و شفا
At night, whilst (he was) asleep, a Voice said to him, “Thou hast bought the Water of Life and salvation.
حرمت این اختیار و این دخول
شد نماز جملهی خلقان قبول
In honour of this choice and this appropriation the prayers of all the people have been accepted.”
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