Khawaja and the Hindi Parrot
Me busy rhyming, and my Beloved hath me asked
Stop thinking about anything, but Him so remarked
Rest at peace, my rhyming conscious mind
Thou before my eyes, thy favor on my hind
What are words so anxiously I do seek?
The thorns veiling the vineyard creep.
Words, sounds, speech, I do exterminate
In the absence of a trio, Thou art to obligate
The fact that I had kept hidden from Adam (1)
I shall reveal to thee O the marvelous One!
The fact that I had not revealed to Ishmael (2)
The fact that Gabriel does not know
The fact that Jesus Christ did not tell
God holds unto him, none may compel!
The question holds the answer: ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’
I am not “Yes” because I am “not” in being. Lo!
I have but found death in living a life (3)
Setting existence to annihilate, I smile
Strengthen thy defense when flood is to rise,
Or destroy and put everything to the sad demise
My grief had not brought me desolation
Royal treasure is buried in isolation
One lost in God still wants to lose more
Desire not to rise, though waves do allure
Happy sailing above the river or sinking below
One may prefer His shield or beseech His arrow.
Oh, heart! Ever caught in worries at thy brow
May discern between happiness and sorrow?
Thou, wanting to seek thy sweet objective
Being desire-less thy Beloved is reflective
His star is recompense for a hundred moon
He may kill and plunge the world to his boon
We do get the price; our due recompense
Who is ready to lose life at thy expense?
Kings bow to all who do them honor
All beloveds deeply love their lover
Kings are slaves of their humble serfs
All are dead in their folks’ graves
A window to Mathnavi Maulvi Ma’nvi
Translation and Commentary Seema Arif
Further Links for Rumi
Hunter putting himself on target; he may
Surely does it so to choose his own prey
Beloveds are in Love with lovers heartily
Beloveds are but sweet prey, essentially
Who is a lover, beloved thee may reckon
In Love, one enjoys but a twin disposition
Though the thirsty seek water on this earth
The water, too, waits for his drinker’s mirth
He is ‘The Love’ may cherish thy wish silently
He blessed your ears must listen to Him caringly
O Wayfarer! The lovers live, but “death.”
Without loosing thy heart, none bequeath
I had his favors implored but very gently
He got excused `cause He was too angry
I beseeched Him without any regret, humbly
That too He refused; me wounded by vanity
I said my mind and my heart seek only ‘You’!
He said: dare not bewitch me thou let it go
I don’t know what you have so far planned
Thy Twin eyes, which one is in Love, named
Oh, weak at heart! Thy had not valued me
Just because thou had bought me cheaply
Easy that had come, Easy may it go
A child buying bread for pearls, Lo!
Get thyself lost in Love in it is lost everything
Narrating Love till eternity from the beginning
I’ve just given a hint; not fully entertained
Burnt may be the reason my tongue inflamed
When I say “lips”: riverbank, then I do mean
My “No” “None but You ” thee may deem
I get bitter keeping sweetness at bay
I kept silent, though I’ve much to say
Our sweet connection may be kept veiled
Bitterness, By worldly eyes, is not hailed
Every ear may not listen to what I say
May unfold one secret among hundreds at bay
(1) It is referred to the completion of Deen on Hazrat Muhammad (SAW),
(2) Ishmael was the eldest son of Abraham (father of all prophets) from Hagar. Ishmael was the prophet sent to Arabs, and the pre-Islamic Arabs preserved a distorted version of his message. Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) is his descendant, though rightfully belonging to the clan of Abraham, the only one through Ishmael.
(3) See more on annihilation…Click for details
(4) See more on union…Click for details
Ali Hajveri has informed us in Kashaf-al-Mahjub, “ When a man sees God’s choice and abandons his own choice, he is delivered from all sorrow. However, it does not hold in absence from God (ghaybat); it requires presence With God (hudur), because ‘satisfaction expels sorrows and cures heedlessness’ and purges the heart of thoughts relating to other than God and frees it from the bounds of tribulation; for it is characteristic of satisfaction to deliver (rahanidan).” (P.178)
Happiness is Happiness only when it leads to the Giver of Happiness; otherwise, it is an affliction. But who is satisfied with the affliction that God sends is confident because in the affliction he sees the Author thereof and can endure its pain by contemplating Him who sent it; nay he does not account it painful, such is his joy in contemplating his Beloved. (Kashaf-al-Mahjub: p.178)
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