(Masnavi Book 2: 47) Juhí and the child

The story of Júhí and the child who cried lamentably beside his father's bier.

A child was crying bitterly and beating his head beside his father's coffin,

Saying, “Why, father, where are they taking you to press you tight under some earth? They are taking you to a narrow and noisome house: there is no carpet in it, nor any mat; No lamp at night and no bread by day; neither smell nor sign of food is there.

3120. No door in good repair, no way to the roof; not one neighbour to be (your) refuge.

Your body, which was a place for the people's kisses—how should it go into a blind and murky house?— A pitiless house and narrow room, where neither (your) face will be lasting nor (your) colour.”

In this manner was he enumerating the qualities of the house, whilst he wrung tears of blood from his two eyes.

Júhí said to his father, “O worthy (sir), by God they are taking this (corpse) to our house.”

3125. The father said to Júhí, “Don't be a fool!” “O papa,” said he, “hear the marks (of identity).

These marks which he mentioned one by one—our house has them (all), without uncertainty or doubt. (It has) neither mat nor lamp nor food; neither its door is in good repair, nor its court nor its roof.”

In this wise the disobedient have a hundred marks upon themselves, but how should they see them?

The house, namely, the heart that remains unlighted by the beams of the sun of (Divine) Majesty,

3130. Is narrow and dark as the souls of Jews, (being) destitute of (spiritual)

savour of the loving King.

Neither has the radiance of the Sun shone into that heart, nor is there (in it any) spaciousness or opening of the door. The tomb is better for you than a heart like this. Come now, arise from the tomb which is your heart!

You art living and born of the living. O gay and winsome one, art not you choked by this narrow tomb?

You art the Joseph of the time and the sun of heaven: arise from this pit and prison, and show your face!

3135. your Jonah has been cooked in the fish's belly: for his deliverance there is no means but glorification of God.

If he had not glorified (God), the fish's belly would have been his gaol and prison until they shall be raised (from the dead).

Through glorification he escaped from the body of the fish. What is glorification? The sign (and token) of the Day of Alast.

If you have forgotten that glorification (rendered to God) by your spirit, hearken to the glorifications of (uttered by) those Fishes

(the prophets and saints).

Whosoever has seen God is of God: whosoever has seen that Sea is that Fish.

3140. This world is a sea, and the body a fish, and the spirit is the Jonah debarred from the light of the dawn. If it be a glorifier (of God), it is delivered from the fish; otherwise, it becomes digested therein and vanishes.

The spiritual Fishes abound in this sea (the world), (but) you seest them not, (though) they are flying around you. Those Fishes are darting at you: open yours eye, that you mayst see them clearly.

If you art not seeing the Fishes plain—after all, yours ear has heard their glorification (of God).

3145. To practise patience is the soul of your glorifications: have patience, for that is the true glorification.

No glorification has such a (high) degree (as patience has); have patience: patience is the key to relief (from pain). Patience is like the bridge Sirát, (with) Paradise on the other side: with every fair (boy) there is an ugly pedagogue.

So long as you flee from the pedagogue, there is no meeting (with the boy), because there is no parting of the handsome boy

from the pedagogue.

What should you know of the (sweet) savour of patience, O you of brittle heart—especially, of patience for the sake of that Beauty of Chigil?

3150. A man's delight is in campaigns (for Islam) and in the glory and pomp (of war); pathico voluptas e pene est. Nihil est religio et precatio ejus nisi penis: his thought has borne him down to the lowest depth.

Though he rise to the sky, be not afraid of him, for (it is only) in love of lowness (degradation) he has studied (and gained eminence).

He gallops his horse towards lowness, albeit he rings the bell (proclaims that he is going) aloft.

What is there to fear from the flags of beggars?—for those flags are (but) a means for (getting) a mouthful of bread.