Darvish Khan Writes

Look outside, and you’ll see human faces,
You’ll see strange people from odd places.
God said “return!” Is this your return?
Look within, and see more than the races!

بیرون نگری صورت انسان بینی
خلقی عجب از روم و خراسان بینی
فرمود که ارجعی رجوع این باشد؟
بنگر بدرون که بجز انسان بینی

Note: “return” = part of the Koranic phrase
“O soul at peace, return to your Lord, well
pleased in his pleasure.” 89:27-28

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I bring wine from the Friend whose heart is fire,
And from the Burning One I bring love’s fire.
Never will the world imagine in dream
Those nights we brought to greet the dawn’s fire.

ما باده ز یار دلفروز آوردیم
ما آتش عشق عشق زوز آوردیم
تا دور ابد جهان نبیند در خواب
آن شبها را که ما بروز آوردیم

Note: Rumi’s master’s name, Shams, means the Sun.

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I have become the ruin of his ancient treasure,
And become the tale of his timeless cynosure.
Alas, that because of his wine and strong oath
All have confused their desire with his pleasure.

از گنج قدم شدیم ویرانه او
ز افسانه او شدیم افسانه او
آواخ زبیمان و ز پیمانه او
کس خانه خود نداند از خانه او

note: In Persian lore treasure is said to be found in ruins. The last line is a free translation of a somewhat ambiguous line: “he doesn’t know his (the friend’s)
house from his own,” ie he has poor boundaries. Re “wine and strong oath”-
Shams was a difficult personality.

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When you revolve around Saturn, you become Saturn,
And you become a Man when you revolve around Men.
You become ruby when you revolve around this mine,
And you become a mine when you whirl around Janan!

Note: Saturn is the planet of “fate”, and Janan means Beloved.

کیوان گردی چو گرد کیوان گردی
مردی گردی چو گرد مردان گردی
لعلی گردی چو گرد این کان گردی
کانی گردی چو گرد جانان گردی

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Joy laughs, that you snap your fingers.
Cup passes, that you snap your fingers.
I lift the veil and show you my eyebrow
Like a crescent, that you snap your fingers!

خندید فرح تا بزنی انگشتک
گردید قدح تا بزنی انگشتک
بنمودمت ابروی خود از زیر نقاب
چون قوس قزح تا بزنی انگشتک

note: I substituted crescent for rainbow
because the Persian idiom doesn’t work in English.

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O the veil of opinion cherished by your eyes,
And the ego’s illusion in the heart’s mad cries!
You are nothing, and such a dullard, that a jewel
Better than you can’t be placed before your eyes!

Note: The egoist values nothing more than self regard.

ای پرده پندار پسندیده تو
وی وهم خودی در دل شوریده تو
هیچی تو وهیچ را چنین چون گوهر
به زین نتوان نشاند در دیده تو

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If my cries fill the heavens, I am forgiven,
And if my tears flood the plains, I am forgiven.
You are my very soul, and I run after you:
If my own soul falls behind, I am forgiven!

گر چرخ پر از ناله کنم معذورم
ور دشت پر از ژاله کنم معذورم
تو جان منی می دوم در پی تو
جان را جو بدنباله کنم معذورم

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Those who cut off dear old friends,
Listen to black lies of brigands.
Like lame goats, they limp far behind;
Wolves tear them one and all to shreds.

آنها که ز یاران نکو ببریدند
افسون و دم راه زنان بشنیدند
همچون بز لنگ باز پس خیزیدند
گرگان همه را یکان یکان بدریدند

Note: Evidently, this quatrain refers to an admonition by the Prophet
not to betray the early and fragile Muslim community. Also, Rumi’s master,
Shams, is said to have been murdered by a member of Rumi’s own family.

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