Khawaja and the Hindi Parrot
Why need to adore a beautiful face after all (1)
if you don’t have one, to rudeness don’t fall
Your eye is open yet blind, It’s a sin
An ugly face thy adoration may win
Listen to Sage from Ghazna; what he’s to say
Thy old body revived in new spirit sway
Listen to this quatrain with heart and soul
Freeing yourself from everything material
Listen carefully to the advice from him (2)
In soul and heart, consciousness may brim
Wiseman from Ghazna hath thus suggested
Learn by heart! He hath us so commanded
In front of Joseph, vanity does not stay
Be humble! Like Jacob did resolve to pray
The dead parrot hath sensed humility (3)
So! Annihilate thyself; dwell in poverty
Jesus may revive thine Ruh by Divine spirit (4)
Transform in pious blessed soul, you!
Spring does not turn stone into green splendor
Be dust! Growing flowers full of wonder
Lo! You have been carved for years
Be clay for a while that mold bears
A window to Mathnavi Maulvi Ma’nvi
Translation and Commentary Seema Arif
Further Links for Rumi
- Learn to witness and appreciate beauty because beauty is truth, truth, beauty. If a person cannot appreciate beauty with an open eye, he is blind and cursed. If he appreciates evil with an open eye, he’s accepted evil as evil and is doomed to Hell.
(2)Consciousness of the soul is the real consciousness.
(3) The dead bird means the soul getting rid of worldly knowledge and reliving means abiding by “New Knowledge” of spiritual transformation.
(4) See In the Spirit of Jesus… Click for Details!
Rumi has invited us all to come out of the vanity of the material knowledge “that we know enough” in `QUEST’ of the unknown with the humility “that we know nothing.” That spirit shall charge us with renewed life, blessing us with a better disposition and vision to look at ourselves and the world around us.
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