Mathnawi III:3669-3682
The question of the (mystical) annihilation and persistence* of the dervish:
The speaker* said, "There is no dervish* in the world, and if there is (one),that dervish (is) non-existent."
He exists* because of the persistence of his essence, (but) his qualitieshave become non-existent in His Qualities.
He is existent in (terms of being) countable, (but) he is (really) non-existentlike a candle flame in the presence of the sun.
It's essence is existent-- so if you put cotton on (it), it will be burned(up) by the sparks-- (But) it is (really) non-existent (since) it doesn'tgive you any light, (for) the sun will have made it reduced to nothing.
If you toss one ounce of vinegar into two hundred heaps of sugar, and ithas become dissolved in it,
The flavor of the vinegar is (really) non-existent if you take a taste,(although) if you draw it up (on the scales) the ounce exists (as an) increase.
A deer becomes insensible in the [overwhelming] presence of a lion; its existencebecomes (nothing more than) a face-veil for his existence.
These comparisons, (made) by those (who are) deficient (in knowledge) aboutthe workings of the Lord, are (like) the surging of (feelings of) love, (which)are not from neglecting courtesy and respect.*
(It is like when) the lover's pulse (of desire) jumps up, and lacking respect,he puts himself on the (same) level* of the king (on the scale).
There is no person in the world (who is) more disrespectful than he, (andyet) there is no person in secret (who is) more respectful than he.
(But) O chosen one, know also (that) these two contraries of respectful anddisrespectful (are) harmonious (by their) relation.
(The lover) is rude (only) if you look outwardly, since his claim of loveis (one of) equality.
(Yet) if you look inwardly, where is the claim?-- (since) both he and theclaim are annihilated in the presence of that Sultan.
If "Zayd" is the active agent (in the sentence), "Zayd died,"-- still, heis not the agent (in reality) because he is devoid (of existence).
He is (only) the agent in regard to the grammatical phrase, and if not, (then)he is the passive object and Death is his executioner.
What (is he) an agent of?* For he has become so conquered* (that) the qualitiesof being an agent have become far (distant) from him.
-- From "The MathnawO-yE Ma`nawO" [Rhymed Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning]of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard (with gratitude for R.A.Nicholson's 1930 British translation)
Footnotes courtesy of Ibrahim Gamard
*(mystical) annihilation and persistence: means, mystical "death" and "abidance."These terms (fan, and baq,) derive from the sufi interpretation of a versein the Qur'an: "All that is upon (the earth) will pass away [f,n-in], butthe Face of your Lord will abide [yabq*], full of Majesty and Glory" (55:26-27).
*The speaker: "an eminent mystic." (Nicholson, Commentary)
*There is no dervish: "i.e. the perfect faqOr, who is free from all connexionwith the phenomenal world" (Nicholson, Commentary).
The Persian word "darwIsh" (literally, "poor one") was a translation of theArabic word for a sufi, "faqOr," which derives from the verse,
"O men, you are poor [fuqar,] in relation to God, and God is the Rich (al-GhanO),the Praiseworthy" (Qur'an 35:15). So, in this respect, the true dervish doesnot exist because he is "poor in existence" in the presence of God, and thisadvanced degree of "spiritual poverty" [faqr] means that he is annihilatedof self.
*He exists: "i.e. he exists formally and externally in so far as his 'person'(dh.t-i bashariyyah) [="human essence"] is concerned; but... he is reallynon-existent as an individual agent and only 'persists' in virtue of theDivine life and energy which constitute his whole being. Cf. v. 3914 infra:wasf-i ' f.nI shud ' dh.t-ash baq."
[= "His (the lover's) attributes have passed away, and his essence remains"].(Nicholson, Commentary)
*from neglecting courtesy and respect: "See the Story of Moses and the Shepherd(II 1720 sqq.)..." (Nicholson, Commentary) In this story, Moses overhearsa simple-minded shepherd praising God with an over-familiarity which he condemnsas blasphemous. Moses then hears the voice of God, which rebukes him forbeing so harsh toward one of His most ardent and saintly lovers.
*on the (same) level: puts himself on the other tray of the scale, or balance,so that he of equal measure (as the king). A metaphor of becoming overly-familiarwith a superior.
*What (is he) an agent of?: Nicholson later changed his translation, to "What(power of) action (remains in him)?" (from, "What agent (is he)...?).
*he has become so conquered: "When the lover of God has died to self, allhis actions proceed immediately from God, the only Real Agent." (Nicholson,Commentary)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
mas'ala-yE fan, wa baq,y-E darwIsh
goft q,yOl dar jah,n darwIsh nIst
w-ar bow-ad darwIsh, ,n darwIsh nIst
hast az rUy-E baq,y-E Z,t-E U
nIst gashta waSf-E U dar waSf-E h*
ch*n zob,na-yE sham` pIsh-E ,ft,b
nIst b,sh-ad, hast b,sh-ad, dar His,b
hast b,sh-ad Z,t-E U, t, tU agar
bar neh-O panba be-sUz-ad z-,n sharar
nIst b,sh-ad, rUshanI na-d'h-ad to-r,
karda b,sh-ad ,ft,b U-r, fan,
dar dU Sad man shahd yak awqiyyah khal
chUn dar afkand-O-wo dar way gasht Hal
nIst b,sh-ad Ta`m-E khal ch*n mI-chash-O
hast awqiyyah faz*n ch*n bar kash-O
pIsh-E shIrI ,h*'I bI-hUsh shod
hastO-ash dar hast-I U rU-pUsh shod
On qiy,s-E n,qiS-,n bar k,r-E rab
jUshesh-E `ishq-ast na az tark-E adab
nabZ-E `,shiq bI-adab bar mI-jah-ad
khwIsh-r, dar kaffa-yE shah mI-neh-ad
bI-adab-tar nIst kas z-U dar jah,n
b,-adab-tar nIst kas z-U dar neh,n
ham ba-nisbat d,n wif,q ay muntajab
On dU Zidd-E b,-adab y, bI-adab
bI-adab b,sh-ad chU Z,hir be-n'gar-O
ke bow-ad da`wO-E `ishq-ash ham-sarO
ch*n ba-b,Tin be-n'gar-O da`wI ko-j,-st?
U-wo da`wO pIsh-E ,n sulT,n fan,-st
m,ta zayd-un, zayd agar f,'`il bow-ad
lIk f,'`il nIst, k-o `,Til bow-ad
U ze-rUy-E lafZ-E naHwO f,`il-ast
w-ar-na U maf`*l-o mawt-ash q,til-ast
f,'`il-E che? k-U chon-,n maqh*r shod
f,'`ilO-h, jomla az way d*r shod
-- Persian transliteration courtesy of Ibrahim Gamard
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