Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana, 1207-1273; Mevleviyeh; Sufi literature
The world is right jealous, for reason that best:
God first jealous was, long before all the rest.[227] 220
He’s soul. The two worlds His august body form.[228]
The body, through soul must receive good or harm.
Whoso in his worship turns truly to God,
Foul shame ’twould be for him to bow to faith’s rod.
Whoever’s a keeper of wardrobe to king,
Brings loss to his sovereign by petty trading.
With potentate, whoso, by grade, council holds,
If placed as a guard at a gate, roundly scolds.
Admitted to honour by kissing of hands,
To stoop, kiss the foot, degradation now stands. 225
To kiss foot of sovereign’s a great honour, sure.
Compared with hands-kissing, ignominy pure.
A king would be jealous of servant so base
His foot who should kiss, when his hand was the place.
God’s jealousy wheat is on full threshing-floor;
Man’s jealousy, chaff blown away out of door.
Know: Jealousy rise doth take, still, in our God;
Man’s jealousy budded from that noble rod.
Let’s quit that deep subject; take up plaint and wail,
Against the great hardship of love’s chastening flail.[229] 230
I cry, for that He loves to hear all my cries.
My moans, lamentations, are what He enjoys.
How should I cease wailing at His fell caprice?
I’m not of His darlings, nor in His service.
How should I not be, in my soul, black as night?
Deprived of His look, sweetness, warmth, and mild light.
All his disagreements are pleasant to me.
My life I’d give up, sacrifice I would be.
I love all my anguish; I dote on my pain,
So long as it pleases my heart’s treasured swain. 235
My sorrow’s my eyes’ choicest collyrium;
My tears are as pearls from deep-sea tedium.
Tears poured forth by lovers at His adored feet,
Are pearls; though we’re used them as tears to misgreet.
My soul’s Soul’s the tyrant of whom I complain.
Complaint I make not. I describe but my pain.
My heart but pretends it has been too much hurt;
Excuse is this merely. I smile at such blurt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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