"If thou fare on the Way"

Mathnawi V:1105-1118

On the meaning of this verse:

"If thou fare on the Way,
the Way will be revealed to thee;
and if thou become non-existent,
(real) existence will be conferred on thee." *

Though Zalikha shut the doors on every side, still Joseph
gained return (to safety) by bestirring himself.
Lock and door opened, and the way (out) appeared: when
Joseph put trust in God, he escaped.
Though the world hath no visible crevice (means of exit),
(yet) one must run (to and fro) recklessly, like Joseph,
In order that the lock may open and the doorway become clear,
and the region of non-spatiality become your dwelling-place.
Thou camest into the world, 0 afflicted one: dost thou ever
see the way of thy coming?
Thou camest from a certain place and abode: dost thou
know the way of thy coming? Nay.
If thou knowest (it) not, (yet) beware of saying that
there is no way: by this wayless way we (all) shall depart.
In dreams thou wanderest happily to left and right: hast thou
any knowledge where the way is that leads to that arena?
Shut that (sensual) eye and give thyself up: thou wilt
find thyself in the ancient City**.
How shouldst thou shut thy (sensual) eye when in this
direction*** a hundred inebriated (languishing) eyes
are (as) a bandage on thine eye because of (thy)
infatuation (with them)?
From love of (having) a purchaser (admirer) thou art
(looking) with four eyes (intently) in the hope of
(gaining) eminence and chieftainship.
And if thou fall asleep thou seest the purchaser in thy dreams:
how should the ill-omened owl dream of aught but
a wilderness? At every moment thou wantest a purchaser
cringing (before thee): what hast thou to sell?
Nothing, nothing.
If thy heart had any (spiritual) bread or breakfast,
it would have been empty of (desire for worldly)
purchasers.

*this verse: the first half of a Persian quatrain, author unknown.
Another manuscript of the Mathnawi adds the second half: "And if you
become humble, you will not be contained by the world; then you will
be shown yourself with (the real) you and without (the false) you!"
(Translation by Ibrahim Gamard).
** i.e. the world of Reality.
*** i.e. the material world.

-- From The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi
Translation and Commentary by Reynold A. Nicholson
Published and Distributed by The Trustees of
The "E.J.W. Gibb Memorial"

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~

gar zulaykhâ bast dar-hâ har Taraf
yâft yûsuf ham ze jonbesh munSaraf

bâz shod qufl-o dar-o shod rah padîd
chôn tawakkul kard yûsuf, bar jahîd

garche rakhna nêst `âlam-râ padîd
khîra, yûsuf-wâr mê-bây-ad dawîd

tâ goshây-ad qufl-o dar paydâ shaw-ad
sôy-é bê-jâyî shomâ-râ jâ shaw-ad

âmad-î andar jahân ay mumtaHan
hêch mê-bîn-î Tarîq-é âmadan?

tô ze jâyê âmad-î w-az mawTinê
âmadan-râ râh dân-î hêch? nay

gar na-dân-î tâ na-gôy-î râh nêst
z-în rah-é bê-râha mâ-râ raftanê-st

mê-raw-î dar khwâb shâdân chapp-o râst
hêch dân-î râh-é ân maydân kojâ-st?

tô bo-band ân chashm-o khwad taslîm kon
khwêsh-râ bîn-î dar ân shahr -é kohon

chashm chôn band-î ke Sad chashm-é khumâr
band-é chashm-é tô-st în sû az ghirâr?

châr chashm-î tô ze `ishq-é mushtarî
bar omêd-é mehtariy-o sarwarî

w-ar be-khosp-î, mushtarî bîn-î ba-khwâb
choghdebad kay khwâb bîn-ad joz kharâb?

moshtarî khwâh-î ba-har dam pêch pêch
tô che dâr-î ke forûsh-î? hêch hêch

gar del-at-râ nân bod-y yâ châshtî
az karîdâr-ân farâghat dâsht-y

-- Rumi's Mathnawi V:1105-18
Persian transliteration (C) Ibrahim Gamard

Sunlight thanks Dr. Gamard for his many contributions, and for his
friendship to Sunlight.

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"If thou fare on the Way"