If a lover, don't wash the complaint from your head!
Like Sadi, wash selfishness from you, instead!
From his object, a faithful one will not refrain,
Although on his head stones and arrows they rain!
I have told you don't enter this ocean at all!
If you do; yield your life to the hurricane squall!
FROM the dust, the Pure God to you entity gave ;
Be humble resembling the dust, then, oh, slave !
Shun pride and oppression, and sordid desire!
Out of dust they created you, do not be fire!
When the terrible Fire raised its arrogant crown,
The Earth cast its body in helplessness down.
When Fire haughtiness showed; Earth submissiveness, then,
From That they made demons, from This they made men!
From a cloud there descended a droplet of rain ;
'Twas ashamed when it saw the expanse of the main,
Saying, "Who may I be, where the sea has its run?
If the sea has existence, I, truly, have none!"
Since in its own eyes the drop humble appeared,
In its bosom, a shell with its life the drop reared;
The sky brought the work with success to a close,
And a famed royal pearl from the rain-drop arose.
Because it was humble it excellence gained;
Knocked at Nullity's door till it being obtained.
On Men of God viewing Themselves with
Contempt
A wise youth with a nature from wickedness free,
Arrived at the harbour of Rum, from the sea.
Devoutness, discernment and wisdom he showed;
They placed his effects in a holy abode.
The chief-of-the-pious addressed him, one day :
"From the mosque, brush the dust and the rubbish away!"
The instant the wanderer heard this affair,
He departed and no one again saw him there.
From that the companions and elders opined,
That the needy young man was to work disinclined.
A servant next day met him walking along,
And said, "Through your folly you did very wrong!
You were not aware, oh self-satisfied swain !
That people by service their wishes obtain."
With sincereness and warmth he began tears to shed :
"Oh heart-lighting, life-guarding comrade," he said ;
"Neither rubbish nor dust in that spot could I trace;
I alone was defiled in that sanctified place.
I therefore determined my feet to withdraw;
For a mosque, pure, is better than rubbish and straw.”
No pathway, save this, for the Dervish is seen—
He must count his own body as humble and mean.
Humility choose, if you wish to be high;
For that ladder, alone, to this roof can come nigh!
On the Humility of Bayazid.
I have heard that one morning, the day being Eed,
There came from a warm-bath the good Bayazid.
Without knowing, a basin of ashes, 'tis said,
Some one threw from a house on the top of his head.
He was saying-disordered his turban and hair
And rubbing his face with his palms, as in pray'r—
"Oh spirit of mine, I am worthy of fire,
Since for ashes, I wrinkle my features in ire!"
The great do not look on themselves as select;
From a selfish man, piety, do not expect!
True greatness, with fame and fine speech is not bound,
With pretensions and fancies, high place is not found.
At the Judgment in Paradise, him you will find,
Who searched for the truth and put claims from his mind.
Humility raises sublimity's crown,
And arrogance, under the dust casts you down.
The hot-tempered rebel falls headlong below;
If you wish to be great, do not arrogance show!
On Pride and its Result, and Sadness and its Blessing.
Do not ask for the Faith from one proud of his pelf!
Do not piety seek from a lover of self!
If rank you desire do not copy the base!
With the eye of humility limit your gaze!
1 Eed, a feast after the fast of the Ramazan.
2 Bayazid, a celebrated saint of Bastām, in Persia.
When will an intelligent person surmise,
That power exalted in arrogance lies?
For a nobler position than this, do not seek!
That in praise of your nature the multitude speak!
When a man, like yourself, makes you feel his pride's
With wisdom's clear eye, can you view him as great?
You also from haughtiness do just the same;
You resemble the proud who preceding you came.
When in station exalted, securely you stand,
Do not laugh at the fallen, if sense you command!
Many persons established have suffered disgrace,
And those who were fallen have seized on their place.
I admit, that from faults you are perfectly free!
Do not curse me! Of faults I'm as full as can be.
The Kába's ring-knocker, one holds in his hand;
In a tavern, another's so drunk, he can't stand.
If He wills that the former may near Him remain,
And drives off the latter, to call him again;
The first is not helped by his own acts of grace,
And the door is not shut in the other one's face.
(OF JESUS-ON HIM BE SAFETY! —AND THE PHARISEE).
I have heard the narrators of history tell,
That when Jesus was living (may peace on Him dwell),
A person had wasted his life in vile ways,
And in folly and error had squandered his days.
He was froward and sinful, for heartlessness famed :
At his vileness, the Devil himself was ashamed!
He had brought, without profit, his days to a close;
As long as he lived, not a soul had repose.
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