The Persian Mystics: Jalálu'd-dín Rúmí

WHITE NIGHTS Every night Thou freest our spirits from the body And its snare, making them pure as rased tablets. Every night spirits are released from this cage, And set free, neither lording it nor lorded over. At night prisoners are unaware of their prison, At night kings are unaware of their majesty.

"THE KINGLY SOUL" The kingly soul lays waste the body, And after its destruction he builds it anew. Happy the soul who for love of God Has lavished family, wealth, and goods!— Has destroyed its house to find the Hidden Treasure, And with that Treasure has rebuilt it in fairer sort; Has dammed up the stream and cleansed the channel, And then turned a fresh stream into the channel.

SAINT AND HYPOCRITE Watch the face of each one, regard it well, It may be by serving thou wilt recognise Truth's face. As there are many demons with men's faces, It is wrong to join hand with every one. When the fowler sounds his decoy whistle, That the birds may be beguiled by that snare, The birds hear that call simulating a bird's call, And, descending from the air, find net and knife. So vile hypocrites steal the language of Dervishes, In order to beguile the simple with their trickery. The works of the righteous are light and heat, The works of the evil treachery and shamelessness. They make stuffed lions to scare the simple, They give the title of Muhammad to false Musailima. But Musailima retained the name of "Liar," And Muhammad that of "Sublimest of beings." That wine of God (the righteous) yields a perfume of musk; Other wine (the evil) is reserved for penalties and pains.

HARSHNESS AND ADORATION Let me then, I say, make complaint Of the severity of that Fickle Fair One. I cry, and my cries sound sweet in His ear; He requires from the two worlds cries and groans. How shall I not wail under His chastening hand? How shall I not be in the number of those bewitched by Him? How shall I be other than night without His day? Without the vision of His face that illumes the day? His bitters are very sweets to my soul, I am enamoured of my own grief and pain, For it makes me well-pleasing to my peerless King I use the dust of my grief as salve for my eyes, That my eyes, like seas, may team with pearls.

THE DIVINE ABSORPTION Do me justice, O Thou who art the glory of the just, Who art the throne, and I the lintel of Thy door! But, in sober truth, where are throne and door-way? Where are "We" and "I"? There where our Beloved is! O Thou, who art exempt from "Us" and "Me," Who pervadest the spirits of all men and women; When man and woman become one, Thou art that One! When their union is dissolved, lo! Thou abidest! Thou hast made these "Us" and "Me" for this purpose, To wit, to play chess with them by Thyself. When Thou shalt become one entity with "Us" and "You," Then wilt Thou show true affection for these lovers. When these "We" and "Ye" shall all become One Soul, Then they will be lost and absorbed in the "Beloved."

LOVE MORE THAN SORROW AND JOY Come then, O Lord! Who art exalted above description and explanation! Is it possible for the bodily eye to behold Thee? Can mind of man conceive Thy frowns and Thy smiles? Are hearts, when bewitched by Thy smiles and frowns, In a fit state to see the vision of Thyself? When our hearts are bewitched by Thy smiles and frowns, Can we gain Life from these two alternating states? The fertile garden of Love, as it is boundless, Contains other fruits besides joy and sorrow. The true lover is exalted above these two states, He is fresh and green independently of autumn or spring! Pay tithe on Thy beauty, O Beauteous One! Tell forth the tale of the Beloved, every whit!

"THE HEART OF THE HARPER" The heart of the harper was emancipated. Like a soul he was freed from weeping and rejoicing, His old life died, and he was regenerated. Amazement fell upon him at that moment, For he was exalted above earth and heaven, An uplifting of the heart surpassing all uplifting. I cannot describe it; if you can, say on! Ecstasy and words beyond all ecstatic words;— Immersion in the glory of the Lord of glory! Immersion wherefrom was no extrication,— As it were identification with the Very Ocean!

"WHEN NIGHT RETURNS" When night returns and 'tis the time of the sky's levée, The stars that were hidden come forth to their work. The people of the world lie unconscious, With veils drawn over their faces, and asleep; But when the morn shall burst forth and the sun arise Every creature will raise its head from its couch; To the unconscious God will restore consciousness; They will stand in rings as slaves with rings in ears; Dancing and clapping hands with songs of praise, Singing with joy, "Our Lord hath restored us to life!"

SEPARATION Nothing is bitterer than severance from Thee, Without Thy shelter there is naught but perplexity. Our worldly goods rob us of our heavenly goods, Our body rends the garment of our soul. Our hands, as it were, prey on our feet; Without reliance on Thee how can we live?

"THE BELIEVER'S HEART" The Prophet said that God has declared, "I am not contained in aught above or below, I am not contained in earth or sky, or even In highest heaven. Know this for a surety, O beloved! Yet am I contained in the believer's heart! If ye seek Me, search in such hearts!"

"SELF-SATISFACTION" No sickness worse than fancying thyself perfect Can infect thy soul, O arrogant misguided one! Shed many tears of blood from eyes and heart, That this self-satisfaction may be driven out. The fate of Iblis lay in saying, "I am better than He," And this same weakness lurks in the souls of all creatures.

"TRUE KNOWLEDGE" The knowledge which is not of Him is a burden; Knowledge which comes not immediately from Him Endures no longer than the rouge of the tire-woman. Nevertheless, if you bear this burden in a right spirit 'Twill be removed, and you will obtain joy. See you bear not that burden out of vainglory, Then you will behold a store of True Knowledge within. When you mount the steed of this True Knowledge, Straightway the burden will fall from your back.

"THE FLAME OF LOVE" How long wilt thou dwell on words and superficialities? A burning heart is what I want; consort with burning! Kindle in thy heart the flame of Love, And burn up utterly thoughts and fine expressions. O Moses! the lovers of fair rites are one class, They whose hearts and souls burn with Love another.

A MOTHER WHOSE CHILDREN WERE IN THE BELOVED'S KEEPING A woman bore many children in succession, but none of them lived beyond the age of three or four months. In great distress she cried to God, and then beheld in a vision the beautiful gardens of Paradise, and many fair mansions therein, and upon one of these mansions she read her own name inscribed. And a voice from heaven informed her that God would accept the sorrows she had endured in lieu of her blood shed in holy war, as, owing to her sex, she was unable to go out to battle like the men. On looking again, the woman beheld in Paradise all the children she had lost, and she cried, "O Lord! they were lost to me, but safe with Thee!"

THE OPTIMISTIC ROSE In this tale there is a warning for thee, O Soul, That thou mayest acquiesce in God's ordinances, And be wary and not doubt God's benevolence, When sudden misfortune befalls thee. Let others grow pale from fear of ill fortune, Do thou smile like the rose at loss and gain; For the rose, though its petals be torn asunder, Still smiles on, and it is never cast down.

THE TRUE MOSQUE Fools laud and magnify the mosque, While they strive to oppress holy men of heart. But the former is mere form, the latter spirit and truth. The only true mosque is that in the hearts of saints. The mosque that is built in the hearts of the saints Is the place of worship of all, for God dwells there. So long as the hearts of the saints are not afflicted. God never destroys the nation.

"IGNORANCE" Blood is impure, yet its stain is removed by water; But that impurity of ignorance is more lasting, Seeing that without the blessed water of God It is not banished from the man who is subject to it. O that thou wouldst turn thy face to thy own prayers, And say, "Ah! my prayers are as defective as my being; O requite me good for evil!"

ALL RELIGIONS ARE ONE In the adorations and benedictions of righteous men The praises of all the prophets are kneaded together. All their praises are mingled into one stream, All the vessels are emptied into one ewer. Because He that is praised is, in fact, only One. In this respect all religions are only one religion. Because all praises are directed towards God's Light, These various forms and figures are borrowed from it.