[Sunlight] The lightning's deception

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All selfish pleasures are false:
surrounding that flash of lightning is a wall of darkness.
The lightning gleams but a moment,
then surrounded by darkness, you'll find the way long.
By that light you can neither read a letter
nor ride to your destination.
But, because of your enchantment with the lightning,
the beams of sunrise withdraw from you.
Mile after mile through the night
the lightning's deception leads you,
without a guide, in a dark wilderness.

One moment you fall against a mountain, the next into a river;
now you wander in this direction, now in that.
O seeker of worldly position, you'll never find the guide;
and if you find him, you'll turn your face from him,
saying, "I've already traveled sixty miles on this road,
and now this guide tells me I've lost my way.
If I pay attention to his strange advice,
I'd have to begin my journey all over again under his orders.
I've devoted my life to this journey:
I'll pursue it come what may. Go away, O master!"

"Yes, you have journeyed far,
but only in opinion insubstantial as lightning:
come, make even a tenth of that journey
for the sake of the glorious sun of Divine inspiration.
You have read the verse, Opinion cannot serve instead of truth,
and yet by a lightning flash like that
you've been blinded to a rising sun.
Listen, climb into our boat, O wretched one,
or at least tie that boat of yours to this boat."

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Jomleh lazzat-e havâ makrast o zarq
sur-e târikist gerd-e nur-e barq
Barq nur-e kuteh o kezb o majâz
gerd-e u zolomât o râh-e to darâz
Nah be-nuresh nâmeh tavâneh khvândan
nah beh be-manzel asp dâni rândan
Lik jarm ânkeh bâshi rahn-e barq
az to ru andar keshad anvâr-e sharq
Mi keshânad makr-e barqet bi dalil
dar mafâzeh-'i mozlemi shab mil mil

Bar koh ofti gâh o dar juy ufti
gah bedin su gah bedân suy ufti
Khvod na-bini to dalil ay jâh ju
var be-bini ru be-gardâni azu
Keh "Safar kardam darin rah shesad mil
mar marâ gomrâh guyad in dalil
Gar neham man gush su-ye in shegeft
ze amr-e u râham ze sar bâyad gereft
Man darin rah `omr khvod kardam geraw
harcheh bâdâ bâd ay khvâjeh be-raw"

"Râh kardi lik dar zann cho barq
`oshr-e ân rah kon pay-e vahy cho sharq
Zann lâ yughnî min al-haqq khvândeh-'i
vaz chonân barqi ze sharqi mândeh-'i
Hay dar â dar kashti-ye mâ ay nezhand
yâ to ân kashti barin kashti be-band"

-- Mathnawi VI: 4094-4106
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
"Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance"
Threshold Books, 1996
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyá Monastra

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[Sunlight] The lightning's deception