VII. The Merchant and the Parrot.
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
No soul can imagine what pleasure is felt,
Or grace seen, in all the fell blows you have dealt.
Your wrath is thus sweet; how much more so your grace!
If mourning so grieve, what from feast would take place?
He weeps; but he hopes you’ll believe not his tears;
And, out of affection, not lessen his fears.
He loves your great kindness, your anger as well.
He equally dotes on those opposites fell.
The thorn escape should he, and visit the rose,
He’d warble as nightingale, moved by love’s throes.25
Most wondrous this bird’s strangest use of his bill;
With thorns, as with roseleaves, he would his mouth fill.
Not nightingale this; fiery dragon it is;
All wrongs seem to him, through his love, purest bliss.
He loveth a rose, and himself is a rose.
He loveth himself; and seeks love for its woes.”
Just so is the soul. Its tale, just parrot’s tale.
O where is the One to whom all souls make wail?
Where is the man, feeble, who’s yet innocent?
His heart, Solomon and his whole armament.30
When he, with tears bitter, is heard to complain,
The seven vaults of heaven re-echo the strain.
In anguish he groans; God, in mercy, him hears.
His cry is: “O Lord!” And God wipes off his tears.
Abasement in him, is by God highly prized.
His blasphemies, o’er other men’s faith are raised.206
Each instant, in soul, he ascends to heaven’s gate;
His mitre’s with crowns capped, of infinite state.207
His frame’s here on earth; his pure soul with the Lord
In heaven’s highest sphere, above man’s thought or word.35
A heaven such as this thou contemplatest not;
Thou every moment imaginest—what?
With him “where” and “nowhere” are quite equal felt.
To angels the “four rivers” seem a mere belt.208
Break off we this theme. Let’s discuss other things.
Cease trifling. “’Tis God who knows best” sense’s rings.209
Let’s seek to inquire how it fares with our friends,—
The merchant, his parrot. Who is’t understands?
The former had promised, at latter’s request,
To give to the birds of far Hind his bequest.40