Why Abraham Killed the Crow
From Rumi’s Masnavi (مثنوی معنوی), Book 5, section 35 of 175: The reason why Khalíl (Abraham), killed the crow, indicating (thereby) the subjugation of certain blameworthy and pernicious qualities in the disciple (صفت کشتن خلیل علیه‌السلام زاغ را کی آن اشارت به قمع کدام صفت بود از صفات مذمومه‌ی مهلکه). Below, each of its 30 couplets is given in Persian, followed by R. A. Nicholson’s English translation.
The reason why Khalíl (Abraham), on whom be peace, killed the crow, indicating (thereby) the subjugation of certain blameworthy and pernicious qualities in the disciple. صفت کشتن خلیل علیه‌السلام زاغ را کی آن اشارت به قمع کدام صفت بود از صفات مذمومه‌ی مهلکه در مرید
این سخن را نیست پایان و فراغ
ای خلیل حق چرا کشتی تو زاغ
There is no end and completion to this discourse. O Friend of God, why didst thou kill the crow?
بهر فرمان حکمت فرمان چه بود
اندکی ز اسرار آن باید نمود
Because of the (Divine) command. What was the wisdom of the (Divine) command? A small part of the mysteries thereof must (now) be shown.
کاغ کاغ و نعره‌ی زاغ سیاه
دایما باشد به دنیا عمرخواه
The cawing and noisy cry of the black crow is ever asking for (long) life in this world.
هم‌چو ابلیس از خدای پاک فرد
تا قیامت عمر تن درخواست کرد
Like Iblís, it (the crow) besought the holy and incomparable God for bodily life till the Resurrection.
گفت انظرنی الی یوم الجزا
کاشکی گفتی که تبنا ربنا
He (Iblís) said, “Grant me a respite till the Day of Retribution.” Would that he had said, “We repent, O our Lord.”
عمر بی توبه همه جان کندنست
مرگ حاضر غایب از حق بودنست
Life without repentance is all agony of spirit: to be absent from God is present (instant) death.
عمر و مرگ این هر دو با حق خوش بود
بی‌خدا آب حیات آتش بود
Life and death both these are sweet with (the presence of) God: without God the Water of Life is fire.
آن هم از تاثیر لعنت بود کو
در چنان حضرت همی‌شد عمرجو
Moreover, ’twas from the effect of the (Divine) curse that in such a Presence he was requesting (long) life.
از خدا غیر خدا را خواستن
ظن افزونیست و کلی کاستن
To crave of God aught other than God is (merely) the supposition of gain, and (in reality) it is entire loss;
خاصه عمری غرق در بیگانگی
در حضور شیر روبه‌شانگی
Especially (to desire) a life sunk in estrangement (from God) is to behave like a fox in the presence of the lion,
عمر بیشم ده که تا پس‌تر روم
مهلم افزون کن که تا کمتر شوم
(Saying), “Give me longer life that I may go farther back; grant me more time that I may become less.”
تا که لعنت را نشانه او بود
بد کسی باشد که لعنت‌جو بود
(The result is) that he (such an one) is a mark for the (Divine) curse: evil is that one who seeks to be accursed.
عمر خوش در قرب جان پروردنست
عمر زاغ از بهر سرگین خوردنست
The goodly life is to nourish the spirit in nearness (to God); the crow’s life is for the sake of eating dung.
عمر بیشم ده که تا گه می‌خورم
دایم اینم ده که بس بدگوهرم
(The crow says), “Give me more life that I may be ever eating dung: give me this always, for I am very evil-natured.”
گرنه گه خوارست آن گنده‌دهان
گویدی کز خوی زاغم وا رهان
Were it not that that foul-mouthed one is a dung-eater, he would say, “Deliver me from the nature of the crow!”
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by: Reza about (category: Masnavi, Persian Poetry)
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