The Story of Hazrat Yusuf (as)
The guest’s saying to Joseph– (may) the peace (of God) be upon him, “I’ve brought you a mirror (as a gift), so that any time you look in it you will see your own beautiful face (and so that) you
may remember me.”
Hazrat Yusuf (AS) said: May I see my present, right away!
Groaning out of shame at this request, he nodded in dismay.
He said I thought of hundred things, and listed a few
But nothing worth enough came into my view
How would I bring a grain of gold to the king, owner of gold mines
Like taking a drop of water to the Sea of Oman (1)
Should I bring cumin-seeds to Kerman (2)
Better to bring my heart and soul to you
Everything in this world has a substitute
Except for your beauty, which is matchless (3)
I deem suitable to bring before you a mirror
Illuminated like your pure-hearted chest,
You may look at your beautiful face brimming grace
Like the Sun and other stars of heaven
So, my dear friend, for my eyes light glimmering
When you would look into it you may remember me
He took out the mirror from (under his) armpit.
The beautiful is suited with a mirror’s company
What is the mirror of existence? Non-existence. (4)
Choose non-existence if you aren’t foolish.
Existence reflects beams of non-existence,
As the benevolent bringing riches to the poor. (5)
A hungry person is the clear mirror for bread. (6)
As something burnable is the mirror for flint. (7)
Where something is lacking or non-existing, A mirror
It is needed to fill the gap with the craft of creation
Only a robe well stitched and befitting becomes
An index of its tailor’s superb craft and learning
the trunks of tree are saved from accident, so that
A carpenter may transform it into something.
Orthopedic, a doctor expert of bone setting
Can locate the exact place of a bone broken
And if there are no skinny or sickly persons
How would medicine exhibit its excellence
the magical properties of elixir are discovered (8)
when baser qualities of copper are known to public (9)
A window to Mathnavi Maulvi Ma’nvi
Translation and Commentary Seema Arif
Further Links for Rumi
Imperfections are the mirror to audacity of perfection,
lowliness of a soul is the mirror to Majesty of God.
Through opposite we realize the difference among things (10)
Sweet taste of honey tells about the sourness of vinegar.
Whoever has learned to see one’s flaws
Gallops at the pace of ten horses to remove them. (11)
Those who are arrogant of their assumed perfection
Cannot ascend to the Owner of Majesty because of it. (12)
O false pretender you keep falling from grace (13)
Better lose those high opinions of yourself
Let it go, your fantasy of narcissism
Or from heart and eyes let blood flow (14)
Satan committed a sin by saying, “I am better,”(15)
Alas! The germ is carried in being of all creatures. (16)
We witness people speaking of their lowliness
What if dung is hidden under the clear water
The Sufi saints are the men of knowledge (17)
Digging they are pure channels from the Universal Soul.(18)
Humans cannot purify the stream of (their thoughts)
For this they always need divine help of God. (19)
The sword can never carve its own handle
Move, entrust your wound to an able surgeon.
Flies come hovering over the top of each wound,
So that you may not see the ugliness it abounds.
Flies are like your anxious wants for your possessions.
And your wound is the darkness of your states. (20)
When the Sufi master puts a bandage on wound,
Your pain and shrill cries are soothed at once!
The injured imagines26 that he is spontaneously recovered.
Ignoring the healing balm that was put for his respite
Beware! Don’t be arrogant drawing attention away
Remember the balm relieving your pain and dismay.
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