Search Poetry

(Masnavi Book 4: 58) Like attracts like








2710. Pass, O true believer, for your light, when it sweeps by, quenches my fire.”
The man destined for Hell, also, is recoiling from the light, because he has the nature of Hell, O
worshipful one.
Hell flees from the true believer just as the true believer flees with (all) his soul from Hell, Because his light is not homogeneous with the Fire: the seeker of the light is in reality the
contrary of the Fire
It is related in the Hadith that when the true believer prays to. God for protection from Hell,

2715. Hell also begs earnestly for protection from him, saying, O God, keep me far from such-and-such a one!
It is the attracting power of homogeneity (that indicates one’s real nature): consider now with whom you art congenial in respect of infidelity or true religion.
If you art inclined towards Hámán, you have the nature of Hámán, and if you art inclined towards Moses, you art a glorifier of God.
And if you art inclined and impelled towards both, you art carnal soul and reason both mingled
together.
Both (these) are at war: take heed, take heed, and strive that the spiritual realities may prevail over the (sensuous) forms.

2720. In the world of war it is joy enough that you shouldst always, see defeat (inflicted) on the enemy.
Finally that quarrelsome-looking (contumacious) man (Pharaoh) in his hardness (of heart) told
mán, for the purpose of consultation.
He told (him) the promises pf the one (Moses) with whom God spoke, and made that misguided person his confidant.

How Pharaoh took counsel with ha vizier, Hámán, as to believing in Moses, on whom be peace.

He told Hamán when he saw him alone: Hámán sprang up and rent the bosom of his shirt. That accursed one uttered loud cries and sobs and beat his turban and cap on the ground,

2725. Saying, “How durst he say those vain words so impudently in the face of the king? You have made the whole world subject (to your sway); thou, (attended) by fortune, have made your estate (brilliant) as gold.

From all parts of the East and West sultans, without (raising); opposition, bring tribute to you. Kings are rubbing their lips joyfully on the dust of your thresh old, O mighty emperor.
When the enemy’s horse sees our horse, it turns its face and flees without flogging.

2730. Hitherto you have been worshipped and adored by the (whole) world: (now) you wilt become the meanest of slaves.
To go into a thousand fires is better than this, that a lord should become the servant of a slave. Nay, kill me first, 0 king of China, that mine eye may not be hold this (servility) in the king.
O emperor, behead me first, that mine eye may not behold this ignominy.
Truly never has there been—and never may there be!—such a thing as this, that the earth should become the sky, and the sky become the earth;

2735.  (That) our slaves should become our fellow-servants, (and that) our timorous ones should become those who (cruelly) wound our hearts;
(That our) enemies (should be) bright-eyed and (our) friends blind: then (in that case) the rose- garden has become for us (like) the bottom of the tomb.”

Showing the falsity of Hámáns speech the curse (of God) be upon him!

He did not know friend from enemy: he was playing back gammon (all) wrong, like a blind man. Thy enemy is none but yourself, O accursed one: do not de spitefully call the innocent (your) enemies.
In your sight this evil state (in which you art) is dawlat (worldly fortune), whereof the beginning
is dawádaw (running to and fro) and the end lat (blows).

2740. If by degrees you do not run away from this worldly fortune, autumn will come o’er this spring of yours.
East and West have seen many like you, whose heads have been severed from their bodies. After all, how should East and West, which are not permanent, make any one enduring?
You takest pride in the fact that men, from fear and bondage, have become your flatterers for a
few days.
When men bow in adoration to any one, they are (really) cramming poison into his soul.

2745. When his adorer turns away from him, he knows that that (adoration) was poisonous and destructive to him.
Oh, blest is he whose carnal soul was abased! Alas who became like a mountain from arrogance
Know that this pride is a killing poison: that fool toxicated by the poisonous wine.
When an unhappy wretch drinks the poisonous wine, his head in delight for one moment. After one moment the poison falls on his spirit the poison exercises (complete) sway over his spirit.

2750. If you have not firm belief in its being poisonous (and do not know) what (a deadly)
poison it is, look at the people of ‘Ad.
When one king gains the upper hand (prevails) over another. king, he kills him or confines him in a dungeon;
But if he find a fallen wounded man, the king will make a plaster for him and bestow gifts on him.
If that pride is not poison, then why did he kill the (vanquished) king without (his having committed any) crime or offence?
And how did he treat this other (helpless) man (so) kindly without (his having performed any)
service? From these two actions you may recognise (the poisonous nature of) pride.

2755. No highwayman ever attacked a beggar does a wolf ever bite a dead wolf?

Khizr made a breach in the boat in order that the boat might be saved from the wicked.
Since the broken (contrite) one will be saved, be you broken (contrite). Safety lies in poverty enter into poverty
The mountain that possessed some cash in its mine was riven to pieces by the strokes of the
pick-axe.
The sword is for him who has a (high and proud) neck; no blow falls on the shadow that is thrown (flat upon the ground).

2760. Eminence is naphtha and fire, O misguided one: O brother, how (why) art you going into the fire?
How should anything that is level with the earth become a target for arrows? Consider! (But if) it raise its head from the earth, then, like targets, it will suffer blows irremediable.
This egoism is the ladder of (climbed by) the creatures (of God): they must fall from this ladder in the end.
The higher any one goes, the more foolish he is, for his bones will be worse broken.

2765. This is (constitutes) the derivatives (of the subject), and its fundamental principles are that to exalt one’s self is (to claim) copartnership with God.
Unless you have died and become living through Him, th6u art an enemy seeking to reign in
copartnership (with Him)
When you have become living through Him, that (which you have become) is in sooth He: it is absolute Unity; how is it co partnership?
Seek the explanation of this in the mirror of (devotional) works, for you wilt not gain the
understanding of it from speech and discourse.
If I tell that which I have within, many hearts will immediately be turned into blood,

2770. I will refrain; indeed, for the intelligent this (which has been said) is enough: I have shouted twice, if any one is in the village
To sum up, Hámán by means of those evil words waylaid Pharaoh in such a (terrible) way as this.
The morsel, felicity, had reached his (Pharaoh’s) mouth, (when) he (Hámán) suddenly cut his throat.
He gave Pharaoh’s stack to the wind (destroyed him): may no king have such a minister!

How Moses, on whom be peace, despaired of Pharaohs accepting the true faith, because the words of Hámán made an impression on Pharaoh’s heart.

Moses said, “We have shown kindness and generosity, (but) verily it was not the portion allotted to your dominion

2775. The dominion that is not righteous—regard it as having neither hand nor sleeve The dominion that is stolen (usurped) is without heart and without soul and without eye. The dominion which the vulgar have given to you they will take back from you as a debt.
Give up to God the dominion held on loan, that He may bestow on you the dominion to which all consent.”

No comments:

Post a Comment