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

After short anecdotes of Pharaoh's magicians, of the mule who complained to the camel that he was always stumbling, and of the prophet Ezra, comes the story of the old man who wept not for the death of his sons. An old man who was noted for sanctity, and who realized the saying of the Prophet, "The 'ulama of the faith are as the prophets of Israel," lost all his sons, but showed no grief or regret. His wife therefore rebuked him for his want of feeling, whereupon he replied to her as follows: He turned to his wife and said, "O dame, The harvest of December is not as that of July; Though they be dead or though they be living, Are they not equally visible to the eyes of the heart? I behold them clearly before me, Wherefore should I disfigure my countenance like you? Though they have gone forth by revolution of fortune, They are with me still, playing round me. The cause of lamentation is separation or parting, But I am still with my dear ones, and embrace them. Ordinary people may see them in dreams, But I see them clearly, though wide awake. I conceal myself a while from this world, I shake down the leaves of outward sense from the tree. Know, O wife, outward sense is captive to reason, And reason, again, is captive to spirit. Spirit unlooses the chained hands of reason; Yea, it opens all things that are closed. Sensations and thoughts resemble weeds Which occupy the surface of pure water. The hand of reason puts these weeds aside, And the pure water is then visible to the wise. Weeds in plenty cover the stream like bubbles; When they are swept aside, the water is seen; But when God unlooses not the hands of reason, The weeds on our water grow thick through carnal lust; Yea, they cover up your water more and more, While your lust is smiling and your reason weeping. When fear of God binds the hands of lust, Then God unlooses the two hands of reason. Then the powerful senses are subdued by you, When you submit to reason as your commander Then your sleepless sense is lulled into sleep, That mysteries may appear to the soul. You behold visions when broad awake, And the gates of heaven are open before you."

STORY XI. Bahlol and the Darvesh.

The foregoing story is followed by anecdotes of a blind saint who was miraculously enabled to read the Koran, of Luqman and David, and a description of the saints who, mindful of the saying, "Patience is the key of happiness, resign themselves to the dispensations of Providence, and never pray to have them altered. The story of Bahlol and the Darvesh is then given as an example of this resignation to the will of God. Bahlol once paid a visit to a saintly Darvesh, and asked him how he fared. The Darvesh replied, "I fare like a man who directs the course of the world as he wills, to whom death and life are subservient, and whom the stars themselves obey." Bahlol then pressed him to explain his meaning more clearly, and the Darvesh replied as follows: He said, "This at least is notorious to all men, That the world obeys the command of God. Not a leaf falls from a tree Without the decree and command of that Lord of lords; Not a morsel goes from the mouth down the throat Till God says to it, 'Go down.' Desire and appetite, which are the reins of mankind, Are themselves subservient to the rule of God. Hear this much, that, whereas the totality of actions Is not effected without God's direction, When the decree of God becomes the pleasure of man, Then man desires the fulfillment of God's decrees; And this too spontaneously, not in hope of reward, But because his very nature is congruous therewith. He desires not even his own life for himself, Nor is he relying on the hope of sweets of life to come. Whatever path is taken by the eternal decree, Whether it be life or death, 'tis all one to him. He lives for the sake of God, not for wealth; He dies for the sake of God, not in fear and grief. His faith is based on his desire to do God's will, Not on hope to gain paradise with its groves and founts. His avoidance of infidelity is also for God's sake, It proceeds not from fear of falling into the fire. Thus this temper of his arises from his very nature, Not from any discipline and endeavor of his own. At times he laughs when he contemplates God's pleasure, God's decrees are to him as sweetmeats of sugar. I ask, does not the world march agreeably to the will And commands of a man rejoicing in this disposition? Why, then, should such a one make prayers and petitions, Saying, 'O God, change such and such a decree?' His own death and his children's deaths For God's sake seem to him as sweets in the mouth. In the view of that faithful one his children's deaths Are as sweetmeats to a starving beggar. Why, therefore, should he make prayers Unless he pray for what is pleasing to God? These prayers and petitions, not those of self-pity Make that man to be endued with salvation. He utterly burned up all his self-pity, At the time when he lit the lamp of love to God. His love was the hell that burned up his inclinations; Yea, ho burned up his own inclinations one by one."