Masnavi i Ma'navi — trans. E. H. Whinfield (abridged) (1898)

A thirsty man discovered a tank of water, but could not drink of it because it was surrounded by a high wall. He took some of the bricks off the top of the wall and cast them over it into the water. The water cried out, "What advantage do you gain by doing this?" He made answer, "The first advantage is this, that I hear your voice; and the second, that the more bricks I pull off the wall, the nearer I approach to you." The moral is, that so long as the wall of the body intervenes, we cannot reach the water of life. The abasement of the body brings men nearer to union with the Deity. Destroy, therefore, the fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Then follows another parable to illustrate the folly of procrastination in this important matter. "It was not ye who shot, but God shot; and those arrows were God's not yours". 1 'Tis God's light that illumines the senses' light, That is the meaning of "Light upon light." 2 The senses' light draws us earthwards, God's light carries us heavenwards. As objects of sense are of base condition, God's light is an ocean, and the senses' light a dewdrop. But that light which is "upon this light" is not seen, Save through signs and holy discourses. Since the senses' light is gross and dense, It lies hidden in the black pupil of the eye. When you cannot see the senses' light with the eye, How can you see with the eye the Light of the mind? As the senses' light is hidden in these gross veils, Must not that Light which is pure be also hidden? Like the senses, this world is ruled by a hidden Power. It confesses its impotence before that hidden Power, Which sometimes exalts it and sometimes lays it low, Sometimes makes it dry and sometimes moist. The hand is hidden, yet we see the pen writing; The horse is galloping, yet the rider is hid from view. The arrow speeds forth, yet the bow is not seen; Souls are seen, the Soul of souls (God) is hidden. Break not the arrow, for it is the arrow of the King Yea, it is an arrow from the bow of Wisdom. "Ye shot not when ye shot," was said by God; God's action has predominance over all actions. Break your own passion, break not that arrow, The eye of passion takes milk to be blood. Kiss that arrow and bear it to the King, Yea, though it be stained with your own blood. Whatsoever is seen is weak and base and impotent; What is hidden is equally fierce and headstrong. We are the captured game; who is the snare? We are the balls; where is the bat? He tears and mends; who is this tailor? He fans and kindles the flame; who is this kindler? At one time He makes the faithful one an infidel, At another He makes the atheist a devotee! Next comes an anecdote of a dirty man who refused to bathe because he was ashamed to go into the water, with the moral that "Shame hinders religion;" 3 and then another of Zu'l Nun, a celebrated Egyptian Sufi of the third century A.H. Zu'l Nun appeared to his ignorant friends to be mad, and they accordingly confined him in a madhouse. After a time they thought that he was not really mad, but had feigned madness for some deep purpose, and they went to the madhouse to inquire into the state of his health. When they arrived there, Zu'l Nun asked them who they were, and they answered that they were his devoted friends, who were now convinced that the story of his being mad was a calumny. Zu'l Nun jumped up and drove them away with sticks and stones, saying that true friendship would have been manifested in sharing his troubles, even as pure gold is tried by fire.

NOTES:

• 1. Koran viii. 17, meaning, "God is the Fa'il i Hakiki, or Only Real Agent."
• 2. Koran xxiv. 35.
• 3. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, vol. ii. pp. 379 and 418, gives two proverbs - one, "Shame is a part of religion;" and the other, "Shame hinders getting a livelihood."

STORY VI. Luqman's Master examines him and discovers his Acuteness.

Luqman the Sage, 1 who is sometimes identified with Esop, and sometimes with the nephew of the prophet. Job, though "gifted with wisdom by God," was a slave. His master, however, discovered his worth, and became extremely attached to him, so that he never received any delicacy without giving Luqman a share of it. One day, having received a watermelon, he gave Luqman the best part of it, and Luqman devoured it with such apparent relish that his master was tempted to taste it. To his surprise he found it very bitter, and asked Luqman why he had not told him of this. Luqman replied that it was not for him, who lived on his master's bounty, to complain if he now and then received disagreeable things at his hands. Thus, though to outward appearance a slave, Luqman showed himself to be a lord. Love endures hardships at the hands of the Beloved. Through love bitter things seem sweet, Through love bits of copper are made gold. Through love dregs taste like pure wine, Through love pains are as healing balms. Through love thorns become roses, And through love vinegar becomes sweet wine. Through love the stake becomes a throne, Through love reverse of fortune seems good fortune. Through love a prison seems a rose bower, Without love a grate full of ashes seems a garden. Through love burning fire is pleasing light, Through love the Devil becomes a Houri. Through love hard stones become soft as butter, Without love soft wax becomes hard iron. Through love grief is as joy, Through love Ghouls turn into angels. Through love stings are as honey, Through love lions are harmless as mice. Through love sickness is health, Through love wrath is as mercy. Through love the dead rise to life, Through love the king becomes a slave. Even when an evil befalls you, have due regard; Regard well him who does you this ill turn. The sight which regards the ebb and flow of good and ill Opens a passage for you from misfortune to happiness. Thence you see the one state moves you into the other, 2 One opposite state generating its opposite in exchange. So long as you experience not fears after joys, How can you look for pleasures after disgusts? While ye fear the doom of the angel on the left hand, Men hope for the bliss of the angel on the right. 3 May you gain two wings! 4 A fowl with only one wing Is impotent to fly, O well-intentioned one! Now either permit me to hold my peace altogether, Or give me leave to explain the whole matter. And if you dislike this and forbid that, Who can tell what your desire is? You must have the soul of Abraham in order with light To see the mansions of Paradise in the fire. Step by step he ascended above sun and moon, And so lagged not below, as a ring that fastens a door. Since the "Friend of God" ascended above the heavens, And said, "I love not Gods that set;" 5 So this world of the body is a breeder of misconceptions In all who have not fled from lust.