Mevlânâ — Mesnevî (tam, İngilizce çeviri)

Ah! rob not their words of their technical meanings! Zulaikha applied to Yusuf the names of all things, Beginning with wild rue and ending with frankincense. She veiled his name under all other names, And imparted her secret meaning to her confidants. When she said, "The wax is melted by the fire," She meant, "My lover is wroth with me." So when she said, "See, the moon is risen!" Or, "Lo! the willow-bough is putting forth leaves;" Or if she said, "The leaves quiver in the wind," Or, "The wild rue yields perfume as it burns;" Or if she said, "The rose tells her tale to the Bulbul," Or, "The king sings his love-strain;" Or if she said, "Ah! what a blessed lot!" Or, "Who hath disturbed my heart's repose?" Or if she said, "The water-carrier hath brought water,' Or, "Lo! the sun emerges from the clouds;" Or if she said, "Last night the victuals were boiled," Or, "The food was perfectly cooked;" Or if she said, "My bread is without savor" Or, "The heavens are revolving the wrong way; Or if she said, "My head aches with pain," Or, "My headache is now relieved;" If she gave thanks, 'twas for being united to Yusuf; If she wailed, 'twas that she was separated from him. Though she gave vent to thousands of names, Her meaning and purport was only Yusuf; Was she an hungred, when she pronounced his name, She became filled and cheered by his nourishment. Her thirst was quenched by Yusuf 's name, His name was spiritual water to her soul. Was she in pain, by pronouncing his mighty name At once her pain was turned into joy. In the cold it was a warm garment; Her lover's name accomplished all this through love. Strangers may pronounce the "pure name" of God, Yet it effects no such marvels, for they lack love. All that 'Isa accomplished by the name of Jehovah, Zulaikha attained through the name "Yusuf." When the soul is intimately united with God, To name the one is the same as naming the other. Zulaikha was empty of self and filled with love of Yusuf, And there flowed out of her jar what it contained. The scent of the saffron of union made her smile, The stench of the onion of separation made her weep. Each to have in his heart a hundred meanings, Such is not the creed of true love and devotion. "The Friend" is to the lover as day to the sun, The material sun is a veil over the face of the real day. Whoso distinguishes not the veil from "The Friend's" face Is a worshipper of the sun; of such a one beware! "The Friend" is the real day, and daily food of lovers, The heart and the heart's torment of His lovers. After enduring many toils and misfortunes the three princes at last arrived in the metropolis of China, and there- upon the eldest prince expressed his intention of presenting himself before the king, as he could wait no longer. His brothers tried to dissuade him from risking his life, point- ing out that if he acted on blind impulse and vain conceit he would surely go astray, for "a conceit hath naught of 12 truth;" and they further urged him to listen to the coun-

sels of the Pir, or Spiritual Director. But the eldest brother refused to be dissuaded from his purpose, saying he would no longer hide his passion for his beloved, like one who beats a drum under a blanket, but would proclaim it open- ly, and take the risk of whatever might ensue. He added that he was convinced that he should obtain his desire in some way or other, if not in the way that he expected; according to the text, "Whoso feareth God, to him will he grant a prosperous issue, and will provide for him in a way he reck- oned not." Seekers after God fancy that He is far from them, and that they must travel far to reach Him; but these are both erroneous suppositions; and just as arithmeticians work out true answers to their problems by the "Method of Errors," so must the seekers of God from these errors work out the conviction that God is very nigh to them that call upon Him faithfully. To illustrate this an anecdote is told of a man of Baghdad who was in great distress, and who, after calling on God for aid, dreamt that a great trea- sure lay hid in a certain spot in Egypt. He accordingly jour- neyed to Egypt, and there fell into the hands of the patrol, who arrested him, and beat him severely on suspicion of being a thief. Calling to mind the proverb that "falsehood is a mischief but truth a remedy," he determined to confess the true reason of his coming to Egypt, and accordingly told them all the particulars of his dream. On hearing them they believed him, and one of them said, "You must be a fool to journey all this distance merely on the faith of a dream. I myself have many times dreamt of a treasure lying hid in a certain spot in Baghdad, but was never foolish enough to go there." Now the spot in Baghdad named by this person was none other than the house of the poor man of Baghdad, and he straightway returned home, and there found the treasure. And he gave thanks, and recognized how "God causes ease to follow troubles," and how "Men hate what is good for them," and how God delays the answer to prayer, and allows men to remain poor and hungry for a season, in order to make them call upon Him, even as the Prophet said, "My servant is a lute which sounds best when it is empty." Why the answer to prayer is delayed. Ah! many earnest suppliants wail forth prayers, Till the smoke of their wailing rises to heaven; Yea, the perfume of the incense of sinners' groans Mounts up above the lofty roof of heaven. Then the angels supplicate God, saying, "O Thou that hearest prayer and relievest pain, Thy faithful slave is bowing down before Thee. He knows of none on whom to rely save Thee; Thou bestowest favors on the helpless. Every suppliant obtains his desire from Thee." God makes answer, "The delay in granting his prayer Is intended to benefit him, not to harm him. His pressing need draws him from his negligence to me; Yea, drags him by the hair into my courts. If I at once remove his need he will go away, And will be destroyed in his idle sports. Though he is wailing with heartfelt cry of 'O Aider!' Bid him wail on with broken heart and contrite breast. His voice sounds sweet in my ears, And his wailing and cries of O God!'

In this way by supplication and lamentation He prevails with me altogether." It is on account of their sweet voices That choice parrots and nightingales are jailed in cages. Ugly owls and crows are never jailed in cages; Such a thing was never heard of in history. The disappointments of the pious, be sure, Are appointed for this wise purpose. The eldest brother then delayed no longer, but rushed into the presence of the King and kissed his feet. The King, like a good shepherd, was well aware of the troubles and cravings of his sheep. He knew that the prince had abjured earthly rank and dignity through love for his daughter, even as a Sufi casts away his robe when overpowered by ecstatic rapture. The only reason why the prince had lagged behind in the race and not presented himself to the King before was that hitherto he had lacked the "inner eye" or spiritual sense which discerns spiritual verities, and had been consequent- ly blind to the King's perfections. They who lack this inner spiritual sense can no more appreciate spiritual pleasures than a man lacking the sense of smell can enjoy the perfume of flowers, or a eunuch the society of fair women. But his eyes had now been opened by the King's grace, and he had escaped from the bondage of worldly lusts and illusions, and, taught by experience, had resolved never again to be led captive by them. This is illustrated by the anecdote of the Qazi who was beguiled by the wife of a dwarf. The dwarf and his wife were very poor, and one day the dwarf said to his wife, "God has given you arched brows and arrowy glances and all manner of witchery; go and ensnare some rich man, so that we may extract money from him!" So the woman went to the court of the Qazi, pretending to have a grievance; and when she saw the Qazi she beguiled him, and induced him to pay her a visit at night. While the Qazi was sitting with her the dwarf returned home and knocked violently at the door, and the Qazi, in a great fright, hid himself in a large chest. The dwarf at once fetched a porter, and told him to take the chest to the bazar and sell it. On the way to the bazar the Qazi cried out to the porter to fetch the Deputy; and when the Deputy came he redeemed the chest for one hundred Dinars, and thus the Qazi escaped. Next year the woman went to the court and tried to seduce the Qazi a second time; but he said, "Begone; I have escaped from your toils once, and will not fall into them again. The action of the Deputy in freeing the Qazi reminds the poet of the saying of the Prophet, "Of him, of whom I am the master, 'Ali also is master," and is therefore able to free him from slavery. The eldest prince at last fell sick of hope deferred, and gave up the ghost. But though he failed to obtain the King's daughter, the object of his earthly attachment, he obtained union with the King, the real spiritual object of his love, and the eternal fruition of dwelling in Him. The joys of union with the Spiritual Beloved are inexpressible in speech.

In short, the King cherished him lovingly, And he like a moon waned in that sun. That waning of lovers makes them wax stronger, Just as the moon waxes brighter after waning. Ordinary sick persons crave a remedy for sickness But the lovesick one cries, "Increase my waning! I have never tasted wine sweeter than this poison, No health can be sweeter than this sickness! No devotion is better than this sin (of love), Years are as a moment compared to this moment!" Long time he dwelt with the King in this manner, With burning heart, as a lively sacrifice. Thus his life passed, yet he gained not the union He wished. Patient waiting consumed him, his soul could not bear it; He dragged on life with pain and gnashing of teeth. At last life ended before he had attained his desire. The form of his earthly Beloved was hidden from him; He departed, and found union with his Spiritual Beloved. Then he said, "Though she lacks clothes of silk and wool, 'Tis sweeter to embrace her without those veils. I have become naked of the body and its illusions, I am admitted into the most intimate union." The story admits of being told up to this point, Bat what follows is hidden and inexpressible in words. If you should speak and try a hundred ways to express it, 'Tis useless; the mystery becomes no clearer. You can ride on saddle and horse up to the sea-coast, But then you must use a horse of wood (i.e., a boat). A horse of wood is useless on dry land, It is the special conveyance of voyagers by sea. Silence is this horse of wood, Silence is the guide and support of men at sea. This Silence which causes you annoyance Is uttering cries of love audible to the spiritual. You say, "How strange the spiritual man is silent!" He answers, "How strange you have no ears! Though I utter cries, you hear them not; Sensual ears, however sharp, are deaf to my cries." The spiritual man, as it were, cries in his sleep, Uttering thousands of words of comfort; While the carnal man at his side hears nothing at all, For he is asleep, and deaf to the other's voice. But the perfect spiritualist who has broken his boat Plunges into the sea as a fish of the sea (of Truth). He is then neither silent nor speaking, but a mystery. No words are available to express his condition. That marvelous one is in neither of these states 'Twould be irreverent to explain his state more fully. These illustrations are weak and inappropriate, But no fitter ones are obtainable from sensible objects. When the eldest prince died, the youngest was sick and could not come; but the second brother came to the court

to attend his funeral. There the King observed him, and took pity on him and entreated him kindly. He instilled into him spiritual knowledge of the verities hidden beneath phenomenal objects, and conveyed to him as deep a per- ception of spiritual truths as is not gained by a Sufi after years of fasting and retirement from the world. It is a fact, that when the pure spirit escapes from the bonds of the body, God gives it sight to behold the things of the spirit. The logician denies the possibility of this divine illumina- tion of the heart, but he is confuted by the Prophet, who swore "by the star" that the Koran was revealed to him by divine illumination. Those who cleave to their heresy (Bid'at) and obstinate unbelief are like to incur the punish- ment inflected on the tribe of 'Ad for disbelieving the 20 Prophet Hud. Earthly forms are only shadows of the Sun of the Truth, a cradle for babes, but too small to hold those who have grown to spiritual manhood. When the prince was thus nourished by the spiritual food given him by the King, which was such as the angels of heaven subsist upon, not the unspiritual food of Christians and those who give partners to God, he began to be puffed up with self-conceit, and forgot what he owed to the King, and rebelled against him. The King was cut to the heart by his ingratitude, which exactly resembled that of Nimrod. When Nimrod was an infant he was taken by his mother to sea, and the ship being wrecked, all that were in it perished, save only the infant Nimrod who was saved through the pity of Izrail, the Angel of Death. God spared him, and nurtured him without the aid of mother or nurse; but when he grew up he proved ungrateful, and was puffed up with self-conceit and egotism, and showed enmity against God and Abraham His servant. When the prince found himself cast off by the King he came to himself, and repented and humbled him- self with deep contrition. The King then pardoned him; but his doom had already been decreed by God, and he was slain by the King he had injured, acknowledging the King's goodness to him with his latest breath. The death of the second prince. In short, the vengeance of That Jealous One (God) After one year bore him to the grave. When the King awoke out of his trance to consciousness, His Mars-like eyes shed tears of blood. When that incomparable one looked into his quiver, He saw that one of his arrow-shafts was missing. He cried to God, "What has become of my arrow?" God answered, "Thy arrow is fixed in his throat!" That King, bountiful as the sea, had pardoned him; Nevertheless his arrow had dealt him a mortal wound. He was slain, and cried out with his last breath, "The King is all in all, my slayer and my savior. If he is not both these, he is not all in all; Nay, he is both my slayer and my mourner!" That expiring martyr also gave thanks, That the King had smitten his body, not his spirit; For the visible body must perforce perish, Ere the spirit can live in happiness for evermore. Though he incurred chastisement, it affected his body only, And as a friend he now goes, free of pain, to his Friend. Thus at first he clung to the King's stirrup, But at last went his way guided by perfect sight.

Finally, the youngest brother, who was the weakest of all, succeeded where his brothers had failed, and obtained his earthly mistress, the king's daughter, as his bride, and the Spiritual Beloved as well. Here the Masnavi breaks off; but, according to the Bulaq edition, the following conclusion was supplied by Jalalu-'d- Din's son, Bahau-'d-Din Sultan Valad: Part of the story remains untold; it was retained In his mind and was not disclosed. The story of the princes remains unfinished, The pearl of the third brother remains unstrung. Here speech, like a camel, breaks down on its road; I will say no more, but guard my tongue from speech. The rest is told without aid of tongue To the heart of him whose spirit is alive. 2. Surat, or "form," means picture, image, outward appearance as opposed to reality, conception or "form of thought," the "architypes" or "ideas" in the Divine mind, "the Substantial forms" of the Realist philosophy. Here the poet runs through nearly all these meanings. 3. Sale's Koran, p. 75, note. 4. i.e., the architypes in the "Intellectual Presence" or "world of command," which are afterwards set forth in the "world of creation or sensible objects. 5. See Koran xlii. 9. 6. i.e., the similitudes used in the Koran. 7. " The Truth," Al Haqq, the Divine Noumenon. 8. See Gulshan i Raz, Answer III., and the Hadis, "Whoso knows himself knows his Lord." 10. Simurgh, "Oiseau extraordinaire qui reside au Caucase," as M. Garcin de Tassy calls it, means "thirty birds" (Si murgh), and is used as a type of the Divine Unity which embraces all plurality. 1 1. i.e., the prophets and saints. 14. i.e., "The Rule of Position. "Khulasat ul Hisab, Book iv. 15. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, ii. 379. 18. i.e., hardened sinners like Pharaoh. Note on Apocryphal Supplements to the Masnavi. In the Lucknow edition there follows an epilogue written by Muhammad Ilahi Bakhsh, giving a continuation of the story of the third brother, but nothing of the kind is found in any of the other editions. The Bulaq edition adds a so-called Book VII., but this is known to be a comparatively recent forgery. Haji Khalfa says: "It is notorious that the Masnavi is contained in six books, but a seventh book has made its appearance, put forth by Ismail Dadah, the commentator. He also wrote a commentary on it, and therein replied with eloquence and strenuousness to those who denied its genuineness. He says in his commentary that when he came to write out his fifth volume in the year 1035 A.H., he met with Book VII. in a copy of the Masnavi dated 814 A.H. He bought it and read it through, and was satisfied that it was undoubtedly a com- position of the author of the Masnavi. But the other Darveshes of the Maulavi order denied the genuineness of the Seventh Book." The contents of this Seventh Book consist of comments on various texts and traditions, illustrated by stories of no interest. They have nothing in common with the Epilogue of Muhammad Ilahi Bakhsh, found in the Lucknow edi- tion. 1. Haji Khalfa, v. 377. Ismail was a Darvesh of the Maula order, surnamed Anguravi, from his native place Anguri, in Anatolia.