"Delusion is a divine curse"

Delusion is a divine curse
that makes someone envious, conceited, malicious,
so that he doesn't know the evil he does
will strike him back.
If he could see his nothingness
and his deadly, festering wound,
pain would arise from looking within,
and that pain would save him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

La`nat in bâshad keh kazhbinesh konad
hâsed o khvod-bin o por kinesh konad
Tâ na-dânad keh har ânke kard bod
`âqebat bâz âyad va bar vay zanad
Jomleh-ye farzin band-hâ binad be-`aks
mât be-rui gardad o naqsân o kas
Zânke u gar hich binad khvish-râ
mohlek o nasur besinad rish-râ
Dard khizad zin chonin didan darun
dard u-râ az hejâb ârad berun

-- Mathnawi II:2513-2517
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Daylight"
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

The media:
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"Delusion is a divine curse"