Mahmud and Ayaz. (continued). Mahmud again presses Ayaz to reveal his secrets, remark- ing that even if they suggest sad thoughts, they will benefit the hearers. The wise man is as a guest-house, and he admits all the thoughts that occur to him, whether of joy or of sor- row, with the same welcome, knowing that, like Abraham, he may entertain angels unawares. This is illustrated by the story of a woman who drove away a valued guest by a petu- lant remark, which he was not intended to hear, and after- wards repented her discourtesy so deeply that she put on mourning and turned her house into an inn. Let grief as well as joy lodge in the heart, for grief is sent for our benefit as well as joy. Endure woe patiently, like Joseph and Job, and regard it as a blessing, saying with Solomon, "Stir me up, O Lord, to be thankful for Thy favor which Thou hast showed upon me!" Mahmud then praises Ayaz for being a true man who can control both lust and anger. Those who are carried away by anger or lust, like the girl of whom an anecdote is told, do not deserve the name of men. When anger or lust takes hold of a man reason departs from him. Then comes an anecdote of a cowardly Sufi who boasted of his bravery, but had not courage enough even to slay a cap- tive infidel. Verily, the "greater warfare," viz., that against one's own lusts and passions, demands as much courage as the "lesser warfare" against the infidels. This is illustrated by a story of a saint named Iyazi, who, after having been a great warrior against the infidels, renounced the world and applied himself to wage the "greater warfare" against his own lusts. One day, while sitting in his cell, he heard the noise of the army going out to fight, and his carnal passion urged him to go and join in the fight, but he thus rebuked it: Iyazi's rebuke to his passion, whish lusted to join in the "lesser warfare". I said, "O foul and faithless passion, Whence have you derived this inclination to war? Tell me truly, O passion, is this your trickery? Or else is it stubbornness shunning obedience to God? If you say not truly I will attack you, And will afflict you more severely with discipline." Passion then heaved a cry from its breast, And without mouth vented the following complaints: "In this cell you slay me every day; You slay my life like the life of a Gueber. Not a soul is aware of my condition; You drag me along without food or sleep. In the fight with one wound I shall quit the body, And the people will admire my valor and self-devotion." I said, "O bad passion, you live as an infidel, And as an infidel you will die; shame be upon you! In both worlds you are naught but a hypocrite; In the two worlds only an unprofitable servant. I have vowed to God never to quit this cell While life remains in this body; Because whatever the body does in this privacy Is not done to make a fair show before men. Its movements and its rest in the privacy of this cell Are not intended for the sight of any besides God. This is the 'greater warfare,' that the 'lesser;' Both these warfares have their Rustams and Haidars. They are not to be fought by one whose reason and sense

Mahmud and Ayaz. (continued). Mahmud again presses Ayaz to reveal his secrets, remark- ing that even if they suggest sad thoughts, they will benefit the hearers. The wise man is as a guest-house, and he admits all the thoughts that occur to him, whether of joy or of sor- row, with the same welcome, knowing that, like Abraham, he may entertain angels unawares. This is illustrated by the story of a woman who drove away a valued guest by a petu- lant remark, which he was not intended to hear, and after- wards repented her discourtesy so deeply that she put on mourning and turned her house into an inn. Let grief as well as joy lodge in the heart, for grief is sent for our benefit as well as joy. Endure woe patiently, like Joseph and Job, and regard it as a blessing, saying with Solomon, "Stir me up, O Lord, to be thankful for Thy favor which Thou hast showed upon me!" Mahmud then praises Ayaz for being a true man who can control both lust and anger. Those who are carried away by anger or lust, like the girl of whom an anecdote is told, do not deserve the name of men. When anger or lust takes hold of a man reason departs from him. Then comes an anecdote of a cowardly Sufi who boasted of his bravery, but had not courage enough even to slay a cap- tive infidel. Verily, the "greater warfare," viz., that against one's own lusts and passions, demands as much courage as the "lesser warfare" against the infidels. This is illustrated by a story of a saint named Iyazi, who, after having been a great warrior against the infidels, renounced the world and applied himself to wage the "greater warfare" against his own lusts. One day, while sitting in his cell, he heard the noise of the army going out to fight, and his carnal passion urged him to go and join in the fight, but he thus rebuked it: Iyazi's rebuke to his passion, whish lusted to join in the "lesser warfare". I said, "O foul and faithless passion, Whence have you derived this inclination to war? Tell me truly, O passion, is this your trickery? Or else is it stubbornness shunning obedience to God? If you say not truly I will attack you, And will afflict you more severely with discipline." Passion then heaved a cry from its breast, And without mouth vented the following complaints: "In this cell you slay me every day; You slay my life like the life of a Gueber. Not a soul is aware of my condition; You drag me along without food or sleep. In the fight with one wound I shall quit the body, And the people will admire my valor and self-devotion." I said, "O bad passion, you live as an infidel, And as an infidel you will die; shame be upon you! In both worlds you are naught but a hypocrite; In the two worlds only an unprofitable servant. I have vowed to God never to quit this cell While life remains in this body; Because whatever the body does in this privacy Is not done to make a fair show before men. Its movements and its rest in the privacy of this cell Are not intended for the sight of any besides God. This is the 'greater warfare,' that the 'lesser;' Both these warfares have their Rustams and Haidars. They are not to be fought by one whose reason and sense

Flee away as soon as a mouse wags its tail. Such persons must shun the array of battle, And keep aloof from it even as women do." This is followed by an anecdote of another brave warrior who "was among the faithful, and made good what he had promised to God." Then comes a long story of a prince of Egypt who saw the portrait of a damsel belonging to the Chief of Mausil, and conceived an ardent passion for her, and sent an army to take her by force. The army succeeded in capturing her, and set out on the return march; but on the way the captain of the army fell in love with the damsel, and she returned his affection. When they reached Egypt she was made over to the prince, but at once took a dislike to him, as he was not nearly so manly as her beloved cap- tain. The prince discovered her secret, and though he might justly have resented the treachery of the captain, he refrained, and showed true manliness in the "greater war- fare" by pardoning his fault and uniting him with the damsel to whom he was so much attached. Ideas gained from hearing a thing lead to seeing it. A person put this question to a philosopher, "O sage, what is true and what is false?" The sage touched his ear and said, "This is false, But the eye is true and its report is certain." The ear is false in relation to the eye, And most assertions are related to the ear. If a bat turn away its eyes from the sun, Still it is not veiled from some idea of the sun; Its very dread of the sun frames an idea of the sun, And that idea scares it away to the darkness. That idea of light terrifies it, And makes it cling to the murky night. Just so 'tis your idea of your terrible foe Which makes you cling to your friends and allies. O Moses, thy revelations shed glory on the mount, But that frightened one endured not thy realities. Be not too proud, but know that you must first endure The idea of the Truth, and thence come to the reality. No one is frightened by the mere idea of fighting, For "no courage is needed before fighting begins." In the mere idea of fighting a coward can imagine Himself as attacking and retreating like Rustam. The pictures of Rustam on the wall of a bath Are similar to a coward's ideas of fighting. But when these ideas are tested by actual sight, What of the coward then? His bravery is gone! Strive, then, from mere hearing to press on to seeing; What ear has told you falsely eye will tell truly. Then ear too will acquire the properties of an eye; Your ears, now worthless as wool, will become gems; Yea, your whole body will become a mirror, It will be as an eye or a bright gem in your bosom. First the hearing of the ear enables you to form ideas, Then these ideas guide you to the Beloved. Strive, then, to increase the number of these ideas, That they may guide you, like Majnun, to the Beloved. Concerning the unbelievers who say, "There is only this our present life; we live and we die, and naught but time destroyeth us. " To return; that prince played the fool, And took delight in the society of the damsel. O prince, suppose your dominion extend from east to west,

Flee away as soon as a mouse wags its tail. Such persons must shun the array of battle, And keep aloof from it even as women do." This is followed by an anecdote of another brave warrior who "was among the faithful, and made good what he had promised to God." Then comes a long story of a prince of Egypt who saw the portrait of a damsel belonging to the Chief of Mausil, and conceived an ardent passion for her, and sent an army to take her by force. The army succeeded in capturing her, and set out on the return march; but on the way the captain of the army fell in love with the damsel, and she returned his affection. When they reached Egypt she was made over to the prince, but at once took a dislike to him, as he was not nearly so manly as her beloved cap- tain. The prince discovered her secret, and though he might justly have resented the treachery of the captain, he refrained, and showed true manliness in the "greater war- fare" by pardoning his fault and uniting him with the damsel to whom he was so much attached. Ideas gained from hearing a thing lead to seeing it. A person put this question to a philosopher, "O sage, what is true and what is false?" The sage touched his ear and said, "This is false, But the eye is true and its report is certain." The ear is false in relation to the eye, And most assertions are related to the ear. If a bat turn away its eyes from the sun, Still it is not veiled from some idea of the sun; Its very dread of the sun frames an idea of the sun, And that idea scares it away to the darkness. That idea of light terrifies it, And makes it cling to the murky night. Just so 'tis your idea of your terrible foe Which makes you cling to your friends and allies. O Moses, thy revelations shed glory on the mount, But that frightened one endured not thy realities. Be not too proud, but know that you must first endure The idea of the Truth, and thence come to the reality. No one is frightened by the mere idea of fighting, For "no courage is needed before fighting begins." In the mere idea of fighting a coward can imagine Himself as attacking and retreating like Rustam. The pictures of Rustam on the wall of a bath Are similar to a coward's ideas of fighting. But when these ideas are tested by actual sight, What of the coward then? His bravery is gone! Strive, then, from mere hearing to press on to seeing; What ear has told you falsely eye will tell truly. Then ear too will acquire the properties of an eye; Your ears, now worthless as wool, will become gems; Yea, your whole body will become a mirror, It will be as an eye or a bright gem in your bosom. First the hearing of the ear enables you to form ideas, Then these ideas guide you to the Beloved. Strive, then, to increase the number of these ideas, That they may guide you, like Majnun, to the Beloved. Concerning the unbelievers who say, "There is only this our present life; we live and we die, and naught but time destroyeth us. " To return; that prince played the fool, And took delight in the society of the damsel. O prince, suppose your dominion extend from east to west,

Yet, as it endures not, esteem it transitory as lightning Yea, O sleeping heart, know the kingdom that endures not Forever and ever is only a mere dream. I marvel how long you will indulge in vain illusion, Which has seized you by the throat like a headsman. Know that even in this world there is a place of refuge; Hearken not to the unbeliever who denies it. His argument is this: he says again and again, "If there were aught beyond this life we should see it." But if the child sees not the state of reason, Does the man of reason therefore forsake reason? And if the man of reason sees not the state of love, Is the blessed moon of love thereby eclipsed? The beauty of Joseph was not visible to his brethren; Was it therefore hidden from the eyes of Jacob? The eyes of Moses regarded his staff as a stick, But the divine eye saw it to be a deadly serpent. The eye of the head was at issue with the divine eye, But the latter prevailed and gave convincing proof. To the eyes of Moses his hand looked a mere hand, But to the divine eye it appeared a flashing light. This subject in its entirety is endless, But to the unbeliever it is a mere fanciful idea. The only realities to him are lust and gluttony; Speak not then to him of the mysteries of the Beloved. To us believers lust and gluttony are only ideas, Therefore we behold always the beauty of the Beloved. To all men whose creed is lust and gluttony, Applies the text, "To you be your creed, to me mine." In the face of negations like these cut short speech, "O Ahmad, say little to an old Fire-worshipper!" "We distribute among them, " to some carnal lusts, and to others angelic qualities. If the prince lacked the animal manliness of asses, Yet he possessed the true manliness of the prophets. He renounced lust and anger and concupiscence, And showed himself a man of the lineage of the prophets. Grant that he lacked the virility of asses, Yet God esteemed him a lord of lords. Let me be dead, so long as God regards me with favor! I am better off than the living who are rejected of God; The former is the kernel of manliness, the latter only the rind; The former is borne to Paradise, the latter to hell. The Prophet says, "Paradise is annexed to tribulation, But hell-fire follows indulgence in lust." O Ayaz, who slayest demons like a male lion, Manliness of asses is naught, manliness of mind much. What sort of man dost thou think him who sports as a boy, But who has no comprehension of these chief matters? o thou who hast seen the delight of my connnandments, And risked thy life to perform them faithfully, Hear a tale of the sweetness of my commandments, That the meaning of this sweetness may be made plain.

Yet, as it endures not, esteem it transitory as lightning Yea, O sleeping heart, know the kingdom that endures not Forever and ever is only a mere dream. I marvel how long you will indulge in vain illusion, Which has seized you by the throat like a headsman. Know that even in this world there is a place of refuge; Hearken not to the unbeliever who denies it. His argument is this: he says again and again, "If there were aught beyond this life we should see it." But if the child sees not the state of reason, Does the man of reason therefore forsake reason? And if the man of reason sees not the state of love, Is the blessed moon of love thereby eclipsed? The beauty of Joseph was not visible to his brethren; Was it therefore hidden from the eyes of Jacob? The eyes of Moses regarded his staff as a stick, But the divine eye saw it to be a deadly serpent. The eye of the head was at issue with the divine eye, But the latter prevailed and gave convincing proof. To the eyes of Moses his hand looked a mere hand, But to the divine eye it appeared a flashing light. This subject in its entirety is endless, But to the unbeliever it is a mere fanciful idea. The only realities to him are lust and gluttony; Speak not then to him of the mysteries of the Beloved. To us believers lust and gluttony are only ideas, Therefore we behold always the beauty of the Beloved. To all men whose creed is lust and gluttony, Applies the text, "To you be your creed, to me mine." In the face of negations like these cut short speech, "O Ahmad, say little to an old Fire-worshipper!" "We distribute among them, " to some carnal lusts, and to others angelic qualities. If the prince lacked the animal manliness of asses, Yet he possessed the true manliness of the prophets. He renounced lust and anger and concupiscence, And showed himself a man of the lineage of the prophets. Grant that he lacked the virility of asses, Yet God esteemed him a lord of lords. Let me be dead, so long as God regards me with favor! I am better off than the living who are rejected of God; The former is the kernel of manliness, the latter only the rind; The former is borne to Paradise, the latter to hell. The Prophet says, "Paradise is annexed to tribulation, But hell-fire follows indulgence in lust." O Ayaz, who slayest demons like a male lion, Manliness of asses is naught, manliness of mind much. What sort of man dost thou think him who sports as a boy, But who has no comprehension of these chief matters? o thou who hast seen the delight of my connnandments, And risked thy life to perform them faithfully, Hear a tale of the sweetness of my commandments, That the meaning of this sweetness may be made plain.

The story which follows is one in which Ayaz is himself the chief actor, and hence it may perhaps be inferred that this part of the poem had not received its final revision when the poet died. The king showed to all his courtiers in turn a valuable jewel, and asked them its value. Each declared it to be priceless. He thereupon ordered each of them to break it to pieces, but they refused, one after the other; on which he praised them highly and gave them pre- sents. Finally the jewel came into the hands of Ayaz, and he, not being a mere imitator like the rest, nor being tempted by the rewards given to the rest, decided that the king's command ought to be obeyed at all costs, and therefore broke the jewel to pieces. Blind imitation of current fash- ions and ruling "public opinion" is the way of the world, but its worthlessness is at once manifested when it is put to the test. True faith is a reasonable faith, not one adopted and held in mechanical and parrot-like fashion. The king then commanded that those courtiers whose faith had been shown to be mere "taqlid" or imitation, and not vital and intelligent, should be put to death; but Ayaz interceded for them, saying, "O Lord, punish them not if they forget or fall into sin;" although their plea that they sinned through forgetfulness is of no more weight than the plea of having sinned through drunkenness, seeing that both forgetfulness and drunkenness are willfully incurred. Those who die in amity with God have no cause to fear death, "It cannot harm them, for to their Lord will they return;" but those who die at enmity with God are in a very different position, and have therefore a very strong claim for mercy. The Egyptian magicians, when threatened by Pharaoh with death for believing in Moses, recognized the truth that death in such a cause would unite them with God, and that extinction of the phenomenal self, on which Pharaoh prid- ed himself, would bring them to the real Self from whom they had been estranged by life on earth. Like Habib, the carpenter of Antioch, who was martyred for taking the part of 'Isa's two apostles in that city, they said, "O that my peo- ple knew how gracious God hath been to me, and that He hath made me one of His honored ones!" A man can only say "I" with truth when he has mortified self and unlearnt to say "I" in the sense in which Pharaoh said it. Fakhru-'d- Din Razi discoursed learnedly on this point, saying much of "incarnation" and "union" as the modes in which the real "I" of the Deity indwells in the human soul; but as he lacked the true mystic unction, his words only serve to darken counsel. But here Ayaz breaks off; saying, "Who

The story which follows is one in which Ayaz is himself the chief actor, and hence it may perhaps be inferred that this part of the poem had not received its final revision when the poet died. The king showed to all his courtiers in turn a valuable jewel, and asked them its value. Each declared it to be priceless. He thereupon ordered each of them to break it to pieces, but they refused, one after the other; on which he praised them highly and gave them pre- sents. Finally the jewel came into the hands of Ayaz, and he, not being a mere imitator like the rest, nor being tempted by the rewards given to the rest, decided that the king's command ought to be obeyed at all costs, and therefore broke the jewel to pieces. Blind imitation of current fash- ions and ruling "public opinion" is the way of the world, but its worthlessness is at once manifested when it is put to the test. True faith is a reasonable faith, not one adopted and held in mechanical and parrot-like fashion. The king then commanded that those courtiers whose faith had been shown to be mere "taqlid" or imitation, and not vital and intelligent, should be put to death; but Ayaz interceded for them, saying, "O Lord, punish them not if they forget or fall into sin;" although their plea that they sinned through forgetfulness is of no more weight than the plea of having sinned through drunkenness, seeing that both forgetfulness and drunkenness are willfully incurred. Those who die in amity with God have no cause to fear death, "It cannot harm them, for to their Lord will they return;" but those who die at enmity with God are in a very different position, and have therefore a very strong claim for mercy. The Egyptian magicians, when threatened by Pharaoh with death for believing in Moses, recognized the truth that death in such a cause would unite them with God, and that extinction of the phenomenal self, on which Pharaoh prid- ed himself, would bring them to the real Self from whom they had been estranged by life on earth. Like Habib, the carpenter of Antioch, who was martyred for taking the part of 'Isa's two apostles in that city, they said, "O that my peo- ple knew how gracious God hath been to me, and that He hath made me one of His honored ones!" A man can only say "I" with truth when he has mortified self and unlearnt to say "I" in the sense in which Pharaoh said it. Fakhru-'d- Din Razi discoursed learnedly on this point, saying much of "incarnation" and "union" as the modes in which the real "I" of the Deity indwells in the human soul; but as he lacked the true mystic unction, his words only serve to darken counsel. But here Ayaz breaks off; saying, "Who

am I that I should say to the Almighty, 'Grant pardon to these offenders'?" The Omniscient God needs not to be informed of their case, for He knows all; nor to be remind- ed of it, for He forgets nothing; nor to be urged to act mer- cifully, for He created men "for their own benefit, and not to derive benefit from them." Such intercession, therefore, implies ignorance of God, and "such only of His servants as are possessed of knowledge of God truly fear God." 18 God is at once center and circumference of the universe, and the only true wisdom consists in absolute self-surrender to His will, and this surrender of self will bring with it its own exceeding great reward. 1. Alluding to Story vii. Book II. 3. Koran xxxiii. 23. 4. i.e., are based on hearsay. 5. "When God manifested Himself to the mount He turned it to dust, and Moses fell in a swoon" (Koran vii. 139). As the bat cannot endure the sight of the sun, men cannot at once endure the full blaze of the beatific vision. 6. A proverb which is not given by Freytag. 7. Ideas and types lead men on to actual sight when they are strong enough to bear it. Job xlii. 5. 9. Place of refuge, i.e., heavenly visions; a foretaste of the world to come (Gulshan i Raz, I. 679). 11. Koran xliii. 31. 12. Cp. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, vol ii. p. 165. 15. Koran xxxvi. 25. 16. A great theologian of Khorasan who lived from A.D. 1150 to 1210. De Slane's Ibn Khallikan, ii. 652. 17. See Gulshan i Raz, I. 453, note. THE SPIRITUAL COUPLETS MAULANA JALALU-'D-DIN MUHAMMAD RUMI O LIFE of the heart, Husamu-'d-Din, My zeal burnt within me to write this sixth part! The Masnavi became a standard through thy influence, Thy sword (Husam) has made it an exemplar to the world O spiritual one, I now offer it to thee, This sixth part of the entire Masnavi. Enlighten the world's six sides with its six parts, That it may illuminate him who is not illuminated! Love has naught to do with five senses or six sides, Its only aim is to be attracted to the Beloved! But haply leave may be given me hereafter To tell those mysteries so far as they can be told, In a discourse more closely approximating to the facts Than these faint indications of those abstruse matters. Mysteries are not communicable, save to those who know; Mystery in the ear of infidels is no mystery. Nevertheless, this is a call to you from God; It matters not to Him whether ye accept or reject it. Noah repeated His call for nine hundred years, But his people only increased in rebellion. Never did he draw back from admonishing them, Never did he retire into the cave of silence. He said, "At the barking and howling of the dogs No caravan ever turned back in its road. Nor does the full moon on a bright night cease shining Because of the howling of dogs on earth. The moon sheds her light, and the dogs howl; Every one acts according to his nature. To each one his office is allotted by the divine decree, And he acts agreeably to his nature."

am I that I should say to the Almighty, 'Grant pardon to these offenders'?" The Omniscient God needs not to be informed of their case, for He knows all; nor to be remind- ed of it, for He forgets nothing; nor to be urged to act mer- cifully, for He created men "for their own benefit, and not to derive benefit from them." Such intercession, therefore, implies ignorance of God, and "such only of His servants as are possessed of knowledge of God truly fear God." 18 God is at once center and circumference of the universe, and the only true wisdom consists in absolute self-surrender to His will, and this surrender of self will bring with it its own exceeding great reward. 1. Alluding to Story vii. Book II. 3. Koran xxxiii. 23. 4. i.e., are based on hearsay. 5. "When God manifested Himself to the mount He turned it to dust, and Moses fell in a swoon" (Koran vii. 139). As the bat cannot endure the sight of the sun, men cannot at once endure the full blaze of the beatific vision. 6. A proverb which is not given by Freytag. 7. Ideas and types lead men on to actual sight when they are strong enough to bear it. Job xlii. 5. 9. Place of refuge, i.e., heavenly visions; a foretaste of the world to come (Gulshan i Raz, I. 679). 11. Koran xliii. 31. 12. Cp. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, vol ii. p. 165. 15. Koran xxxvi. 25. 16. A great theologian of Khorasan who lived from A.D. 1150 to 1210. De Slane's Ibn Khallikan, ii. 652. 17. See Gulshan i Raz, I. 453, note. THE SPIRITUAL COUPLETS MAULANA JALALU-'D-DIN MUHAMMAD RUMI O LIFE of the heart, Husamu-'d-Din, My zeal burnt within me to write this sixth part! The Masnavi became a standard through thy influence, Thy sword (Husam) has made it an exemplar to the world O spiritual one, I now offer it to thee, This sixth part of the entire Masnavi. Enlighten the world's six sides with its six parts, That it may illuminate him who is not illuminated! Love has naught to do with five senses or six sides, Its only aim is to be attracted to the Beloved! But haply leave may be given me hereafter To tell those mysteries so far as they can be told, In a discourse more closely approximating to the facts Than these faint indications of those abstruse matters. Mysteries are not communicable, save to those who know; Mystery in the ear of infidels is no mystery. Nevertheless, this is a call to you from God; It matters not to Him whether ye accept or reject it. Noah repeated His call for nine hundred years, But his people only increased in rebellion. Never did he draw back from admonishing them, Never did he retire into the cave of silence. He said, "At the barking and howling of the dogs No caravan ever turned back in its road. Nor does the full moon on a bright night cease shining Because of the howling of dogs on earth. The moon sheds her light, and the dogs howl; Every one acts according to his nature. To each one his office is allotted by the divine decree, And he acts agreeably to his nature."

Art thou thirsting for the Ocean of spirituality? Disport thyself on this island of the Masnavi! Disport thyself so long as thou seest every moment Spiritual verities revealed in this Masnavi. When the wind blows the grass off the water, The water then shows forth its own purity. Behold the bright and fresh sprays of coral, And the princely fruits growing in the water of life! So, when the Masnavi is purged of letters and words, It drops all these, and appears as the sea of Unity. Then speaker and hearer and spoken words All three give up the ghost in that consummation. Bread-giver and bread-eater and bread itself Are purified of their forms and turn to dust. But their essences in each of these three grades Are distinguished, as in those states, so eternally. Their form turns to dust, but their essence not; If one says it does, tell him it does not. In the world of spirits all three await judgment, Sometimes wearing their earthly forms, sometimes not. The worth of a man depends on the objects of his aspiration. One day a student asked a preacher, Saying, "O most orthodox ornament of the pulpit, I have a question to ask, O lord of learning; Tell me the answer to it in this congregation. A bird sat on the top of a wall; Which was best, its head or its tail?" He replied, "If its face was towards the town, And its tail to the villages, then its face was best. But if its tail was towards the town, and its face Towards the villages, then prefer its tail to its face." A bird flies with its wings towards its nest, The wings of a man are his aspiration and aim. If a lover be befouled with good and evil, Yet regard not these; regard rather his aspiration. Though a falcon be all white and unmatched in form, If he hunts mice he is contemptible and worthless. And if an owl fixes his affection on the king, He is a falcon in reality; regard not his outward form. Adam's clay was kneaded in the limits of a trough, Yet was he exalted above heaven and stars. "We have honored Adam" was not addressed to the sky, But to Adam himself full of defects as he was. Did one ever propose to earth or heaven to receive Beauty, reason, speech and aspiration? Would you ever offer to the heavens Beauty of face and acuteness of thought? O son, did you ever present your silver body As an offering to the damsels pictured on bath walls? Nay, you pass by those pictures though fair as Huris, And offer yourself sooner to half-blind old women. What is there in the old women which the pictures lack, Which draws you from the pictures to the old women? Say not, for I will say it in plain words, 'Tis reason, sense, perception, thought, and life. In the old woman life is infused, While the pictures of the bath have no life. If the pictures of the bath should stir with life (soul), They would uproot your love to all the old women. What is soul? 'Tis acquainted with good and evil, Rejoicing at pleasant things, grieving at His. Since, then, the principle of soul is knowledge, He who knows most is most full of soul. Knowledge is the effect flowing from soul; He who has most of it is most godlike. Seeing then, beloved, that knowledge is the mark of soul, He who knows most has the strongest soul.

Art thou thirsting for the Ocean of spirituality? Disport thyself on this island of the Masnavi! Disport thyself so long as thou seest every moment Spiritual verities revealed in this Masnavi. When the wind blows the grass off the water, The water then shows forth its own purity. Behold the bright and fresh sprays of coral, And the princely fruits growing in the water of life! So, when the Masnavi is purged of letters and words, It drops all these, and appears as the sea of Unity. Then speaker and hearer and spoken words All three give up the ghost in that consummation. Bread-giver and bread-eater and bread itself Are purified of their forms and turn to dust. But their essences in each of these three grades Are distinguished, as in those states, so eternally. Their form turns to dust, but their essence not; If one says it does, tell him it does not. In the world of spirits all three await judgment, Sometimes wearing their earthly forms, sometimes not. The worth of a man depends on the objects of his aspiration. One day a student asked a preacher, Saying, "O most orthodox ornament of the pulpit, I have a question to ask, O lord of learning; Tell me the answer to it in this congregation. A bird sat on the top of a wall; Which was best, its head or its tail?" He replied, "If its face was towards the town, And its tail to the villages, then its face was best. But if its tail was towards the town, and its face Towards the villages, then prefer its tail to its face." A bird flies with its wings towards its nest, The wings of a man are his aspiration and aim. If a lover be befouled with good and evil, Yet regard not these; regard rather his aspiration. Though a falcon be all white and unmatched in form, If he hunts mice he is contemptible and worthless. And if an owl fixes his affection on the king, He is a falcon in reality; regard not his outward form. Adam's clay was kneaded in the limits of a trough, Yet was he exalted above heaven and stars. "We have honored Adam" was not addressed to the sky, But to Adam himself full of defects as he was. Did one ever propose to earth or heaven to receive Beauty, reason, speech and aspiration? Would you ever offer to the heavens Beauty of face and acuteness of thought? O son, did you ever present your silver body As an offering to the damsels pictured on bath walls? Nay, you pass by those pictures though fair as Huris, And offer yourself sooner to half-blind old women. What is there in the old women which the pictures lack, Which draws you from the pictures to the old women? Say not, for I will say it in plain words, 'Tis reason, sense, perception, thought, and life. In the old woman life is infused, While the pictures of the bath have no life. If the pictures of the bath should stir with life (soul), They would uproot your love to all the old women. What is soul? 'Tis acquainted with good and evil, Rejoicing at pleasant things, grieving at His. Since, then, the principle of soul is knowledge, He who knows most is most full of soul. Knowledge is the effect flowing from soul; He who has most of it is most godlike. Seeing then, beloved, that knowledge is the mark of soul, He who knows most has the strongest soul.

The world of souls is itself entirely knowledge, And he who is void of knowledge is void of soul. When knowledge is lacking in a man s nature, His soul is like a stone on the plain. Primal Soul is the theatre of God's court, Soul of souls the exhibition of God Himself. All the angels were pure reason and soul, Yet when the new soul of Adam came, they were as its body. When in joy they crowded round that new soul, They bowed before it as body does before soul. Fear of men's censure the greatest obstacle to acceptance of the true faith. O Husamu-'d-Din, I might tell some of thy many virtues, Were it not for the fear of the evil eyes. From evil eyes and malice-empoisoned breaths Already have I suffered fatal wounds. Therefore I cannot relate thy ecstatic states, Save by hints of the ecstatic states of others. This manoeuvre is one of the devices of the heart, Whereby the heart's feet wend their way to the truth. Many hearts and souls would become lovers of God Did not evil eyes or evil ears hold them back. Of these Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle, was one; The malice of the Arabs scared him from the faith. He said, "What will the Arabs say of me? That my own nephew has perverted me from my reli- gion!" Muhammad said, "O uncle, confess the faith to me, That I may strive with God for thee!" He said, "Nay; it will be published by them that hear; A secret known to more than two is known to every one.' As I live in the midst of these Arabs, It will cause me to lose caste with them. Yet, had the mighty grace of God led the way, How could this fear have vied with God's attraction? O Granter of aid, lend us aid In this dilemma of the feeble will. Prayers for right guidance in the use of free will, which gift was refused by heavens and earth, but accepted by man to his own. This flux and reflux of resolves came to me from Thee, Else these tides of will had rested still, O God! By the same fiat whereby Thou madest me thus irresolute, Of Thy mercy deliver me from this irresolution! Thou triest me; O give me aid! For men are as women through this trial. How long, O Lord, is this trial to last? Give me one ruling principle, not ten principles! The whole world flees away from its own will and being Towards self-abandonment and intoxication. In order to escape a while from self-consciousness, Men incur the reproach of wine and strong drink; For all know well this existence is a snare, This thought and memory and will only a hell. Therefore they flee from self to being beside themselves, Call it intoxication or call it preoccupation, O guided one. Ere it is annihilated, no single soul Finds admittance to the divine hall of audience. What is "ascension" to heaven? Annihilation of self; Self-abandonment is the creed and religion of lovers. 1. Koran xxxvi. 32: "But all gathered together shall be set before us." 3. "We proposed to the heavens and to the earth to receive the deposit, but they refused the burden. Man undertook to bear it, but bath proved unjust and senseless" (Koran xxxiii. 72). 4. "We said unto the angels, 'Prostrate yourselves before Adam,' and they prostrated themselves, except Iblis" (Koran vi. 10). 5. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, iii. 222.

The world of souls is itself entirely knowledge, And he who is void of knowledge is void of soul. When knowledge is lacking in a man s nature, His soul is like a stone on the plain. Primal Soul is the theatre of God's court, Soul of souls the exhibition of God Himself. All the angels were pure reason and soul, Yet when the new soul of Adam came, they were as its body. When in joy they crowded round that new soul, They bowed before it as body does before soul. Fear of men's censure the greatest obstacle to acceptance of the true faith. O Husamu-'d-Din, I might tell some of thy many virtues, Were it not for the fear of the evil eyes. From evil eyes and malice-empoisoned breaths Already have I suffered fatal wounds. Therefore I cannot relate thy ecstatic states, Save by hints of the ecstatic states of others. This manoeuvre is one of the devices of the heart, Whereby the heart's feet wend their way to the truth. Many hearts and souls would become lovers of God Did not evil eyes or evil ears hold them back. Of these Abu Talib, the Prophet's uncle, was one; The malice of the Arabs scared him from the faith. He said, "What will the Arabs say of me? That my own nephew has perverted me from my reli- gion!" Muhammad said, "O uncle, confess the faith to me, That I may strive with God for thee!" He said, "Nay; it will be published by them that hear; A secret known to more than two is known to every one.' As I live in the midst of these Arabs, It will cause me to lose caste with them. Yet, had the mighty grace of God led the way, How could this fear have vied with God's attraction? O Granter of aid, lend us aid In this dilemma of the feeble will. Prayers for right guidance in the use of free will, which gift was refused by heavens and earth, but accepted by man to his own. This flux and reflux of resolves came to me from Thee, Else these tides of will had rested still, O God! By the same fiat whereby Thou madest me thus irresolute, Of Thy mercy deliver me from this irresolution! Thou triest me; O give me aid! For men are as women through this trial. How long, O Lord, is this trial to last? Give me one ruling principle, not ten principles! The whole world flees away from its own will and being Towards self-abandonment and intoxication. In order to escape a while from self-consciousness, Men incur the reproach of wine and strong drink; For all know well this existence is a snare, This thought and memory and will only a hell. Therefore they flee from self to being beside themselves, Call it intoxication or call it preoccupation, O guided one. Ere it is annihilated, no single soul Finds admittance to the divine hall of audience. What is "ascension" to heaven? Annihilation of self; Self-abandonment is the creed and religion of lovers. 1. Koran xxxvi. 32: "But all gathered together shall be set before us." 3. "We proposed to the heavens and to the earth to receive the deposit, but they refused the burden. Man undertook to bear it, but bath proved unjust and senseless" (Koran xxxiii. 72). 4. "We said unto the angels, 'Prostrate yourselves before Adam,' and they prostrated themselves, except Iblis" (Koran vi. 10). 5. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, iii. 222.

6. Koran xxxiii. 72, quoted above. "Deposit" is here interpreted of the will, the ability to go right or wrong. STORY I. The Hindu Slave who loved his Master's Daughter. A certain man had a Hindu slave, whom he had brought up along with his children, one of whom was a daughter. When the time came for giving the girl in marriage many suitors presented themselves, and offered large marriage portions to gain her alliance. At last her father selected one who was by no means the richest or noblest of the number, but pious and well-mannered. The women of the family would have preferred one of the richer youths, but the father insisted on having his own way, and the marriage was settled according to his wishes. As soon as the Hindu slave heard of this he fell sick, and the mistress of the family dis- covered that he was in love with her daughter, and aspired to the honor of marrying her. She was much discomposed at this unfortunate accident, and consulted her husband as to what was best to be done. He said, "Keep the affair quiet, and I will cure the slave of his presumption, in such a way that, according to the proverb, 'The Shaikh shall not be burnt, yet the meat shall be well roasted.'" He directed his wife to flatter the slave with the hope that his wish would be granted, and the girl given to him in marriage. He then celebrated a mock marriage between the slave and the girl, but at night substituted for the girl a boy dressed in female attire, with the result that the bridegroom passed the night in quarrelling with his supposed bride. Next morning he had an interview with the girl and her mother, and said he would have no more to do with her, as, though her appear- ance was very seductive at a distance, closer acquaintance with her had altogether destroyed the charm. Just so the pleasures of the world seem sweet till they are tried, and then they are found to be very bitter and repulsive. The Prophet has declared that "Patience is the key of joy;" in other words, that he who controls and restrains himself from grasping at worldly pleasures will find true happiness; but this precept makes no lasting impression on the bulk of mankind. When bitter experience overtakes them, as the pain of burning afflicts children, or moths sporting with fire, or the pain of amputation a thief, they curse the delu- sive temptations which brought this pain upon them; but no sooner is the pain abated than they run after the same pleasures as eagerly as ever. This is divinely ordained, that "God may bring to naught the craft of the infidels." Their hearts have, as it were, been kindled on the tinder-box of bitter experience, but God has put out the sparks of good resolution, and caused them to forget their experience and vows of abstinence according to the text, "Often as they kindle a beacon-fire for war doth God quench it." This is illustrated by an anecdote of a man who heard a footstep in his house at night, and at once struck a light; but the thief put it out without being observed, and the man remained under the impression that it had gone out of itself. This leads the poet again to dwell on his favorite theme of the sole agency of Allah.

6. Koran xxxiii. 72, quoted above. "Deposit" is here interpreted of the will, the ability to go right or wrong. STORY I. The Hindu Slave who loved his Master's Daughter. A certain man had a Hindu slave, whom he had brought up along with his children, one of whom was a daughter. When the time came for giving the girl in marriage many suitors presented themselves, and offered large marriage portions to gain her alliance. At last her father selected one who was by no means the richest or noblest of the number, but pious and well-mannered. The women of the family would have preferred one of the richer youths, but the father insisted on having his own way, and the marriage was settled according to his wishes. As soon as the Hindu slave heard of this he fell sick, and the mistress of the family dis- covered that he was in love with her daughter, and aspired to the honor of marrying her. She was much discomposed at this unfortunate accident, and consulted her husband as to what was best to be done. He said, "Keep the affair quiet, and I will cure the slave of his presumption, in such a way that, according to the proverb, 'The Shaikh shall not be burnt, yet the meat shall be well roasted.'" He directed his wife to flatter the slave with the hope that his wish would be granted, and the girl given to him in marriage. He then celebrated a mock marriage between the slave and the girl, but at night substituted for the girl a boy dressed in female attire, with the result that the bridegroom passed the night in quarrelling with his supposed bride. Next morning he had an interview with the girl and her mother, and said he would have no more to do with her, as, though her appear- ance was very seductive at a distance, closer acquaintance with her had altogether destroyed the charm. Just so the pleasures of the world seem sweet till they are tried, and then they are found to be very bitter and repulsive. The Prophet has declared that "Patience is the key of joy;" in other words, that he who controls and restrains himself from grasping at worldly pleasures will find true happiness; but this precept makes no lasting impression on the bulk of mankind. When bitter experience overtakes them, as the pain of burning afflicts children, or moths sporting with fire, or the pain of amputation a thief, they curse the delu- sive temptations which brought this pain upon them; but no sooner is the pain abated than they run after the same pleasures as eagerly as ever. This is divinely ordained, that "God may bring to naught the craft of the infidels." Their hearts have, as it were, been kindled on the tinder-box of bitter experience, but God has put out the sparks of good resolution, and caused them to forget their experience and vows of abstinence according to the text, "Often as they kindle a beacon-fire for war doth God quench it." This is illustrated by an anecdote of a man who heard a footstep in his house at night, and at once struck a light; but the thief put it out without being observed, and the man remained under the impression that it had gone out of itself. This leads the poet again to dwell on his favorite theme of the sole agency of Allah.

Then, to supply the necessary corrective of this doctrine, another anecdote is told concerning Mahmud and Ayaz. The courtiers grumbled because Ayaz received the stipend of thir- ty courtiers, and Mahmud by a practical test convinced them that the talents of Ayaz equalled those of thirty men. The courtiers replied that this was due to God's grace, not to any merit on the part of Ayaz; and the king confuted them by pointing out that man's responsibility and merit, or demerit, for his actions are recognized in the Koran. Iblis was con- demned for saying to God, "Thou hast caused me to err," and Adam was commended or saying, "We have blackened ourselves." And elsewhere it is said, "Whosoever shall have wrought an atom's weight of good shall behold it; and whoso shall have wrought an atom's weight of evil shall behold it." 1. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, iii. 270. 4. Koran vii. 15 and 22. 5. Koran vii. 15 and 22. STORY II. The Fowler and the Bird. A fowler went out to catch birds, and disguised himself by wrapping his head up in leaves and grass, so as to avoid frightening the birds away from his snare. A bird of some sagacity came near him, and suspected something wrong, but foolishly lingered near, and began to question him as to his business. The fowler said he was a hermit who had retired from the world and dressed himself in weeds for the health of his soul. The bird said he was surprised to see a Mosalman doing this in contravention of the Prophet's pre- cept, "There is no monkery in Islam," and his repeated dec- larations that Islam involves association with the faithful and avoidance of a solitary life. The fowler replied that a solitary life was allowed in heathen countries for the soul's health. The bird then asked what the grains of wheat were that were strewed on the trap. The fowler replied that they were the property of an orphan, which had been deposited with him in consequence of his known probity. The bird then asked permission to eat some, as he was very hungry, and the fowler, with much pretended reluctance, allowed him to do so. The moment he touched the grain the trap closed upon him, and he found himself a prisoner. He then abused the fowler for his trickery, but the fowler said he had only himself to blame for his greediness in eating the food which belonged to an orphan. The moral is, that it is not destiny which leads people into afflictions, but their own errors and vices. The bird's cries to God for aid. When he had eaten the grain he was caught in the trap, And began to recite the chapters "Yasin" and "An am." Then he began to wail and cry loudly, So that the very fowler and his trap shook with grief. He said, "My back is broken by the conflict of my thoughts; Beloved One, come and stroke my head in mercy! The palm of Thy hand on my head gives me rest, Thy hand is a sign of Thy bounteous providence. Remove not Thy shadow from my head, 1 am afflicted, afflicted, afflicted! Sleep has deserted my eyes Through my longing for Thee, O Envy of cypresses! Though I be unworthy of Thy favor, how were it If thou shouldst regard the grieves of unworthy me? What claim of right can a non-existent thing make To have the doors of Thy bounty opened to it? Yet Thy bounty had regard to my senseless dust

Then, to supply the necessary corrective of this doctrine, another anecdote is told concerning Mahmud and Ayaz. The courtiers grumbled because Ayaz received the stipend of thir- ty courtiers, and Mahmud by a practical test convinced them that the talents of Ayaz equalled those of thirty men. The courtiers replied that this was due to God's grace, not to any merit on the part of Ayaz; and the king confuted them by pointing out that man's responsibility and merit, or demerit, for his actions are recognized in the Koran. Iblis was con- demned for saying to God, "Thou hast caused me to err," and Adam was commended or saying, "We have blackened ourselves." And elsewhere it is said, "Whosoever shall have wrought an atom's weight of good shall behold it; and whoso shall have wrought an atom's weight of evil shall behold it." 1. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, iii. 270. 4. Koran vii. 15 and 22. 5. Koran vii. 15 and 22. STORY II. The Fowler and the Bird. A fowler went out to catch birds, and disguised himself by wrapping his head up in leaves and grass, so as to avoid frightening the birds away from his snare. A bird of some sagacity came near him, and suspected something wrong, but foolishly lingered near, and began to question him as to his business. The fowler said he was a hermit who had retired from the world and dressed himself in weeds for the health of his soul. The bird said he was surprised to see a Mosalman doing this in contravention of the Prophet's pre- cept, "There is no monkery in Islam," and his repeated dec- larations that Islam involves association with the faithful and avoidance of a solitary life. The fowler replied that a solitary life was allowed in heathen countries for the soul's health. The bird then asked what the grains of wheat were that were strewed on the trap. The fowler replied that they were the property of an orphan, which had been deposited with him in consequence of his known probity. The bird then asked permission to eat some, as he was very hungry, and the fowler, with much pretended reluctance, allowed him to do so. The moment he touched the grain the trap closed upon him, and he found himself a prisoner. He then abused the fowler for his trickery, but the fowler said he had only himself to blame for his greediness in eating the food which belonged to an orphan. The moral is, that it is not destiny which leads people into afflictions, but their own errors and vices. The bird's cries to God for aid. When he had eaten the grain he was caught in the trap, And began to recite the chapters "Yasin" and "An am." Then he began to wail and cry loudly, So that the very fowler and his trap shook with grief. He said, "My back is broken by the conflict of my thoughts; Beloved One, come and stroke my head in mercy! The palm of Thy hand on my head gives me rest, Thy hand is a sign of Thy bounteous providence. Remove not Thy shadow from my head, 1 am afflicted, afflicted, afflicted! Sleep has deserted my eyes Through my longing for Thee, O Envy of cypresses! Though I be unworthy of Thy favor, how were it If thou shouldst regard the grieves of unworthy me? What claim of right can a non-existent thing make To have the doors of Thy bounty opened to it? Yet Thy bounty had regard to my senseless dust

And endued it with the ten jewels of the senses Five external senses and five internal senses, Whereby inanimate seed became a living man. O Light on high! what is repentance without Thy grace But a mere mockery of the beard of repentance; Thou rootest up the hairs of such repentance, Repentance is the shadow, Thou the shining Moon. Alas! Thou hast ruined my house and home; How can I cease wailing while Thou oppressest me? How can I flee away when there is no living away? Without Thy sustaining lordship there is no slave. take my life, Thou that art the source of life! For apart from Thee I am wearied of my life. 1 am a lover well versed in lovers' madness, I am weary of learning and sense. Since my bashfulness is destroyed, I will publish secrets; How long must I bear this trepidation and anxiety? Formerly I was covered by modesty as by a veil, Now I will leap from it under Thy coverlet! O comrades, our Beloved has closed up all paths; We are as lame deer, and He as a raging lion. 2 Say what remedy is there but resignation When one is fallen into the hands of the raging lion?" The poet then passes on to the subject of the need for constant watchfulness, in order to avoid the snares of the world, and not to miss the divine blessing whenever it may appear. There is a tradition, "When half the night has passed Allah will descend to earth, and cry, 'Ho, ye that ask, it shall be answered to you; and ye that crave pardon, it shall be pardoned to you; and ye that petition, your petitions shall be granted.'" But all who sleep the sleep of negligence will miss the promised blessing. This is illustrated by the story of a lover who obtained an assignation with his mis- tress, but when she came, was found asleep, and was accord- ingly rejected. 1. See Miskkat ul Masabih, ii. 541. 2. "To God I commit my case" (Koran xl. 47). STORY III. The Drunken Turkish Amir and the Minstrel. Then follow exhortations to undergo "the pains of nega- tion," as they are called in the Gulshan i Raz, i.e., even as

And endued it with the ten jewels of the senses Five external senses and five internal senses, Whereby inanimate seed became a living man. O Light on high! what is repentance without Thy grace But a mere mockery of the beard of repentance; Thou rootest up the hairs of such repentance, Repentance is the shadow, Thou the shining Moon. Alas! Thou hast ruined my house and home; How can I cease wailing while Thou oppressest me? How can I flee away when there is no living away? Without Thy sustaining lordship there is no slave. take my life, Thou that art the source of life! For apart from Thee I am wearied of my life. 1 am a lover well versed in lovers' madness, I am weary of learning and sense. Since my bashfulness is destroyed, I will publish secrets; How long must I bear this trepidation and anxiety? Formerly I was covered by modesty as by a veil, Now I will leap from it under Thy coverlet! O comrades, our Beloved has closed up all paths; We are as lame deer, and He as a raging lion. 2 Say what remedy is there but resignation When one is fallen into the hands of the raging lion?" The poet then passes on to the subject of the need for constant watchfulness, in order to avoid the snares of the world, and not to miss the divine blessing whenever it may appear. There is a tradition, "When half the night has passed Allah will descend to earth, and cry, 'Ho, ye that ask, it shall be answered to you; and ye that crave pardon, it shall be pardoned to you; and ye that petition, your petitions shall be granted.'" But all who sleep the sleep of negligence will miss the promised blessing. This is illustrated by the story of a lover who obtained an assignation with his mis- tress, but when she came, was found asleep, and was accord- ingly rejected. 1. See Miskkat ul Masabih, ii. 541. 2. "To God I commit my case" (Koran xl. 47). STORY III. The Drunken Turkish Amir and the Minstrel. Then follow exhortations to undergo "the pains of nega- tion," as they are called in the Gulshan i Raz, i.e., even as