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

This is followed by an anecdote of another brave warrior who "was among the faithful, and made good what he had promised to God." 3 Then comes a long story of a prince of Egypt who saw the portrait of a damsel belonging to the Chief of Mausil, and conceived an ardent passion for her, and sent an army to take her by force. The army succeeded in capturing her, and set out on the return march; but on the way the captain of the army fell in love with the damsel, and she returned his affection. When they reached Egypt she was made over to the prince, but at once took a dislike to him, as he was not nearly so manly as her beloved captain. The prince discovered her secret, and though he might justly have resented the treachery of the captain, he refrained, and showed true manliness in the "greater warfare" by pardoning his fault and uniting him with the damsel to whom he was so much attached. Ideas gained from hearing a thing lead to seeing it. A person put this question to a philosopher, "O sage, what is true and what is false?" The sage touched his ear and said, "This is false, But the eye is true and its report is certain." The ear is false in relation to the eye, And most assertions are related to the ear. 4 If a bat turn away its eyes from the sun, Still it is not veiled from some idea of the sun; Its very dread of the sun frames an idea of the sun, And that idea scares it away to the darkness. That idea of light terrifies it, And makes it cling to the murky night. Just so 'tis your idea of your terrible foe Which makes you cling to your friends and allies. O Moses, thy revelations shed glory on the mount, But that frightened one endured not thy realities. 5 Be not too proud, but know that you must first endure The idea of the Truth, and thence come to the reality.

No one is frightened by the mere idea of fighting, For "no courage is needed before fighting begins." 6 In the mere idea of fighting a coward can imagine Himself as attacking and retreating like Rustam. The pictures of Rustam on the wall of a bath Are similar to a coward's ideas of fighting. But when these ideas are tested by actual sight, What of the coward then? His bravery is gone! Strive, then, from mere hearing to press on to seeing; 7 What ear has told you falsely eye will tell truly. Then ear too will acquire the properties of an eye; Your ears, now worthless as wool, will become gems; Yea, your whole body will become a mirror, It will be as an eye or a bright gem in your bosom. First the hearing of the ear enables you to form ideas, Then these ideas guide you to the Beloved. Strive, then, to increase the number of these ideas, That they may guide you, like Majnun, to the Beloved. Concerning the unbelievers who say, "There is only this our present life; we live and we die, and naught but time destroyeth us." 8 To return; that prince played the fool, And took delight in the society of the damsel. O prince, suppose your dominion extend from east to west, Yet, as it endures not, esteem it transitory as lightning Yea, O sleeping heart, know the kingdom that endures not Forever and ever is only a mere dream. I marvel how long you will indulge in vain illusion, Which has seized you by the throat like a headsman. Know that even in this world there is a place of refuge; 9 Hearken not to the unbeliever who denies it. His argument is this: he says again and again, "If there were aught beyond this life we should see it." But if the child sees not the state of reason, Does the man of reason therefore forsake reason? And if the man of reason sees not the state of love,

Is the blessed moon of love thereby eclipsed? The beauty of Joseph was not visible to his brethren; Was it therefore hidden from the eyes of Jacob? The eyes of Moses regarded his staff as a stick, But the divine eye saw it to be a deadly serpent. The eye of the head was at issue with the divine eye, But the latter prevailed and gave convincing proof. To the eyes of Moses his hand looked a mere hand, But to the divine eye it appeared a flashing light. This subject in its entirety is endless, But to the unbeliever it is a mere fanciful idea. The only realities to him are lust and gluttony; Speak not then to him of the mysteries of the Beloved. To us believers lust and gluttony are only ideas, Therefore we behold always the beauty of the Beloved. To all men whose creed is lust and gluttony, Applies the text, "To you be your creed, to me mine." 10 In the face of negations like these cut short speech, "O Ahmad, say little to an old Fire-worshipper!" "We distribute among them," 11 to some carnal lusts, and to others angelic qualities. If the prince lacked the animal manliness of asses, Yet he possessed the true manliness of the prophets. He renounced lust and anger and concupiscence, And showed himself a man of the lineage of the prophets. Grant that he lacked the virility of asses, Yet God esteemed him a lord of lords. Let me be dead, so long as God regards me with favor! I am better off than the living who are rejected of God; The former is the kernel of manliness, the latter only the rind; The former is borne to Paradise, the latter to hell. The Prophet says, "Paradise is annexed to tribulation, But hell-fire follows indulgence in lust." 12 O Ayaz, who slayest demons like a male lion, Manliness of asses is naught, manliness of mind much.