VI. The Greater (Spiritual) Warfare.
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
Great Princes all! We’ve killed our dread external foe.
Within us, still, a worse than he remains, I trow.
To slay this inner foe is not the task of mind;
Our moral lion’s not destroyed by tricks refined.
Our flesh, a hell; that hell a fiery dragon is.
Whole oceans can’t extinguish those fierce flames of his.
Earth’s seven oceans all were lost within his maw;
His raging fires would still burn high, to mankind’s awe.
Pitcoal, hard-hearted miscreants; these are its food;178
They sink within it, miserable, abject brood.5
Withal, its craving hunger ne’er will be appeased,
Until the voice of God cry unto it: “Art eased?”
“Eased?” will it answer; “No; not yet awhile by far;
Behold my flame, my fury,—burning, fiery roar.”
It swallows down a universe in its fell mood;
And instantly shrieks out: “More food! More food! More food!”
God, from nubiquity,179 His foot will stamp on hell.
Then will it cease to burn: “He willed, and it befell!”180
Our fleshly lusts in us are but a part of hell;
Parts have the qualities of their universal.10
The foot of God alone can stamp out hell’s alarms.
Who else but God supreme to bend such bow has arms?
Straight arrows serve alone to be shot from a bow;
But lust’s distorted spring shoots crooked arrows too.
Be thou in mind upright as arrow straight for bow.
A bow will not shoot straight, unless the arrow’s so.
We’ve fought our fight and conquered in our outward strife.
Now turn we our attention to the inner life.
We’ve done with outer warfare, lesser as it is;
And as the Prophet, wage the greater warfare, his.15
We put our trust in God; from Him we ask for aid;
With His assistance faith can move a mountain staid.
To rout an armed foe is nothing very fresh;
A lion true is he who conquers his own flesh.
To illustrate this truth, give ear unto a tale,
That thou of these few words the moral mayest inhale.
From Cæsar181 an ambassador to ‘Umer came,182
Through deserts far-extending, from Madīna’s fame.183
He asked: “Where is the palace of the Caliph, men;184
That I to it may lead my cavalcade, my train?”20