"Like one soul"

God said, "Truly there has never been a people
lacking a friend of God,"
someone with the power of the spirit;
and it is he who makes soul-birds sing
unanimously, sincerely,
free of all ill-will.
They become as kind as a mother:
Muhammad said of the Muslims,
"They are like one soul."
Through the Messenger of God they become one;
otherwise they were all enemies absolutely.

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

Goft khvod khâli na-budast ommati
az khalifeh-ye Haqq o sâheb-e hemmati
Morgh-e jân-hâ-râ chonân yekdel konad
kaz safâshân bi ghashsh va bi ghell konad
Moshfeqân gardand hamchon vâledeh
Moslemun-râ goft "Nafsun wâhidah"
Nafs-e vâhed az Rasul-e Haqq shodand
var nah haryek doshmani-ye motlaq bodand

-- Mathnawi II: 3709-3712
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

The media:

"Like one soul"