VII. The Merchant and the Parrot.
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana and Redhouse, James W. (James William), Sir
What care I if cities in ruins should fall,
In ruins we treasures find dear to us all.
Man merged in God, most entirely is drowned
As wave of a sea, soul but goes a set round.
Is bottom of that sea preferred more, or top?
Is God’s shaft desired more, or shield, it to stop?
By doubts and by fears thou’lt piecemeal be torn, heart.
If thou well distinguish from joy, sorrow’s smart.
Desir’st thou to taste, then, true happiness, joy?
’Tis not thine to choose. Beauty ever’s most coy.205
Each spangle of beauty’s star outshines the moon.
To wreck a whole world’s naught to beauty’s full moon.
What is it we’re good for? To sacrifice self.
Then hasten, my good friend, to offer thyself.
A lover’s whole life is but self-sacrifice;
He wins not a heart, save his own heart’s the price.
A heart I once courted with soft blandishment;
With pretexts was put off, most magniloquent.
I said my heart brimful was quite with her love;
Said she: “Hold thy tongue, now; that theme let’s not move.”210
What have you been doing, you two eyes of mine?
Why saw you that cruel one? Left me to pine?
Presumptuous man! Didst thou hold her so cheap,
Because, by her kindness, made easy thy sleep?
What’s easily got in this world, ’s easy spent.
A child will give jewels at cake’s allurement.
With love I’m o’erwhelm’d, now, of such a sad sort,
That ancients and moderns to it are all sport.
I’ve made short my story; details are not given.
’Twould otherwise scorch heart and tongue’s whole joint leaven.215
When I may say “lip,” I mean “margin of sea;”
When “No!” you may take its true sense “Yes!” to be.
My sourness of looks by much sweetness is caused.
By words’ multitude, silence strict I’ve imposed.
My sweetness I’ll hide, in this world, in the next.
As veil, austere features I’ve firmly annexed.
My secrets to shield from the ken of all ears,
One out of a hundred, alone, here appears.
The world is right jealous, for reason that best:
God first jealous was, long before all the rest.227220