Rumiurdu.blogspot.com-Masnavi Book 1 12 the Fall of Adam

8/11/2019 Rumiurdu.blogspot.com-Masnavi Book 1 12 the Fall of Adam

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(Masnavi Book 1: 12) The Fall of Adam
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The story of Adam, on whom be peace, and how the Divine destiny sealed up his sight so that he

failed to observe the plain meaning of the prohibition and to ref rain from interpreting it.

The father of mankind, who is the lord of He (God) taught (Adam) the Names, hath hundreds of thousands

of sciences in every vein.

1235. To his so ul accrued (knowledge of ) the name of every thing, even as that thing exists (in its real

nature) unto the end (of the world).

No t itle that he gave became changed: that one whom he called brisk did not become lazy.Whoso is (to be) a believer at the last , he saw at the f irst ; whoso is (to be) an inf idel at the last, to him it

became manifest .

Do thou hear the name of every thing f rom the knower: hear the inmost meaning of the mystery of He

taught t he Names.

With us, the name of every thing is its o utward (appearance); with t he Creato r, the name of every thing is

its inward (reality).

1240. In the eyes of Moses the name of his rod was staf f ; in the eyes o f the Creator its name was

dragon.

Here the name of Umar was idolater, but in Alast . his name was believer.

That of which the name, with us, was seed was, in the sight o f God, thou who art at this moment beside

me.

This seed was a f orm (idea) in non-existence (potentiality), existent with God, neither more nor less (than

the f orm in which it appeared externally).

In brief , that which is our end is really our name with God.

1245. He bestows on a man a name according to his f inal state, not according to that (s tate) to which He

gives the name of a loan.

Inasmuch as the eye of Adam saw by means of the Pure Light, the so ul and inmost sense of the names

became evident to him.

Since the angels perceived in him the rays of God, they f ell in worship and hastened to do homage.The Adam like this whose name I am celebrating, if I praise (him) till the Resurrect ion, I f all short (of what is

due).

All this he knew; (yet ) when the Divine destiny came, he was at f ault in the knowledge of a single

prohibition,

1250. Wondering whether the prohibition was f or the purpose of making unlawful (the thing prohibited), or

whether it admitted of an interpretat ion and was a cause o f perplexity.

When (the view that it admitted o f ) interpretation prevailed in his mind, his nature hastened in bewilderment

towards the wheat.

When the thorn went into the f oo t o f the gardener (Adam), the thief (Satan) found an opportunity and

quickly carried of f the goods.

As soon as he escaped f rom bewilderment, he returned int o the (right) ro ad; (then) he saw that the thief

had carried of f the wares f rom the shop.

He cried, O Lord, we have done wrong, and Alas, that is to say, darkness came and the way was lost .

1255. This Divine destiny is a cloud that covers the sun: thereby lions and dragons become as mice.

If I (the hoo poe) do no t see a snare in the hour o f Divine ordainment, tis not I alone who am ignorant in the

course of Divine ordainment.

Oh, happy he that clave to righteousness , he (that) let (his own) strength go and took to supplication!

If the Divine destiny shrouds thee in black like night, yet the Divine destiny will take thy hand (and guide

thee) at the last.If the Divine destiny a hundred times attempts thy lif e, yet the Divine destiny gives thee life and heals thee.


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1260. This Divine destiny, if a hundred times it waylays t hee, (nevertheless) pitches thy tent on the top of

Heaven.

Know that this is f rom the loving kindness (of God), that He terrif ies thee in order that He may establish

thee in the kingdom of security.

This subject hath no end. Tis late. Hearken (now) to t he sto ry of the hare and the lion.

How the hare drew back f rom the lion when he approached the well.

When the lion came near the well, he saw that the hare lagged on the way and stepped back.

He said, Why have you stepped back? Do not step back, come on!

1265. The hare said, Where is my (power to move a) foo t? f or (both) hand and f oo t are gone. My soul

trembles and my heart (courage) has f led.

Seest thou not the colour of my f ace (pale) as gold? My colour indeed is giving knowledge of my inward

state.

Since God has called the (external) sign (aspect) inf ormative, the eye of the gnos tic has remained turned

towards the sign.

Colour and scent are signif icant like a bell: the neigh of a horse makes (one) acquainted with t he horse.

The sound made by any thing conveys knowledge of it, so that you may dist inguish the bray of an ass f rom

the creak of a door.

1270. Touching the discrimination o f persons (o ne f rom another), the Prophet said, A man is hidden when

his to ngue is f olded up.

The colour of the f ace indicates the state of the heart: have pity on me, implant love of me in thy heart.

A red complexion has the sound o f (declares and expresses) thankf ulness (satisf action); the sound

(signif ication) of a pale complexion is patience and unthankfulness.

There has come upon me that which to ok away hand and fo ot , took away colour of f ace and strength and

(every outward) mark;

That which shatters every thing it comes upon, tears up every tree f rom root and bott om;

1275. There has come upon me that by which man and animal, mineral and plant have been checkmated.

These indeed are (only) parts, (but) wholes (to o) are by him (Doom) made yellow in hue and corrupt inodour,

So that the world is now patient, now thankful; the garden now puts on a robe (of verdure) and again is

bare.

The sun, which rises f ire-coloured, at another hour sinks headlong.

Stars shining in the f our quarters (of the sky) are, f rom time to time, af f licted with (consumed by) burning.

1280. The moo n, which excels the stars in beauty, becomes like a phantom f rom the malady of a hectic

f ever.

This earth, quiet and contro lled, is thrown by earthquakes into f everish t remors .

Oh, f rom this inherited woe many a mountain in the world has become tiny f ragments and (grains of ) sand.This air is conjoined with the (vital) spirit, (but) when the Divine dest iny comes, it turns f oul and st inking.

The sweet water that was a s ister (congenial) to the spirit, (af ter s tanding) in a poo l, became yellow and

bitter and turbid.

1285. The f ire that has wind in its moustachea single puf f of wind calls death upon it.

The state of the sea (is such that) f rom its agitation and commot ion (you may) perceive the changes of its

mind.

The whirling heaven, which is (ever engaged) in seeking and searchingits state is like the state o f its

children;

Now nadir, now middle, now zenith: therein are host o n host o f stars f ortunate and unlucky.

From thyself, O part made up of wholes, apprehend the state o f every simple (uncompounded) thing.


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1290. Inasmuch as wholes suf f er grief and pain, how should their part not be pale-f aced (sick and subject

to decay)?

Especially a part which is composed of contrariesof water and earth and f ire and air.

It is no wonder that the sheep recoiled f rom the wolf ; the wonder is that this sheep set its heart on

(became f riendly with) the wolf .

Life is the peace (harmony) of contraries; death is the fact that war arose between them.

The grace of God has given amity to t his lion and wild-ass these two f ar distant contraries.

1295. Since the world is s ick and a priso ner, what wonder if the sick one is passingaway?

From this point of view he (the hare) recited counsels to the lion. I have lagged behind, said he, because

of these bonds.

How the lion asked the reason of the hare's drawing back.

The lion said to him, Amongst (all) the causes of your malady tell (me) the special cause, f or t his is my

object.

That lion, he said, lives in this well: within this f ort ress he is saf e f rom harms.

Every one who is wise chose the bot to m of the well (to live in), because spiritual joys are (to be attained

only) in solitude.

1300. The darkness of the well is better than the dark shades of the world: he that f ollowed at the heels o f

the world never saved his head.

Come on, said the lion; my blow subdues him: see thou whether that lion is in the well at present.

The hare answered, I am consumed with (dread of ) that f ieriness (wrath): perhaps t hou wilt take me beside

thee,

That with thy support , O mine of generos ity, I may open my eyes and look into the well.

How the lion looked into t he well and saw the ref lexion of himself and the hare in the

water.

When the lion took him to his side, under the lion's protection he began to run towards the well.

1305. As soon as t hey loo ked at the water in the well, there shone f orth in the water the light (ref lected)f rom the lion and him (the hare).

The lion saw his o wn ref lexion: fro m the water shone the image of a lion with a plump hare at his s ide.

When he beheld his adversary in the water, he lef t him (the hare) and sprang into t he well.

He fell into the well which he had dug, because his iniquity was coming (back) on his o wn head.

The iniquity of evil-doers became (f or them) a dark well: so have said all the wise.

1310. The more iniquito us o ne is, the more f rightf ul is his well: (Divine) Just ice has o rdained worse

(punishment) f or worse (sin).

O you who f rom iniquity are digging a well (for o thers), you are making a snare for yourself .

Do not weave (a cocoon) round yourself , like the silkworm. You are digging a well for yourself (to f all in):dig with moderation (not too deep).

Deem not the weak to be without a champion: recite f rom the Qurn (the words), When the help of God

shall come.

If you are an elephant and your foe f led fro m you, lo, the retribution came upon you, birds in f locks.

1315. If any poor man on the earth beg for mercy, a loud tumult f alls o n (arises among) the Host of

Heaven.

If you bite him with your teeth and make him bleed, to othache will att ack youhow will you do (then)?

The lion saw himself in the well, and in his f ury he did not know himself at that moment f rom the enemy.

He regarded his own ref lexion as his enemy: necessarily he drew a sword against himself .

Oh, many an iniquity that you see in others is your own nature (ref lected) in them, O reader!


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1320. In them shone f orth all that you are in your hypocrisy and iniquity and insolence.

You are that (evil-doer), and you are striking those blows at yourself: tis yourself you are cursing at that

moment.

You do not see clearly the evil in yourself , else you would hate yourself with (all) your so ul.

You are assaulting yourself , O simpleton, like the lion who made a rush at himself .

When you reach the bott om of your own nature, then you will know that that vileness was f rom yourself .

1325. At the bot tom (of the well) it became manifest to t he lion that he who seemed to him to be another

was (really) his o wn image.Whoever tears o ut the teeth of a poor wretch is doing what the falsely-seeing lion did.

O you who see the bad ref lexion on the face of your uncle, it is not your uncle that is bad, it is you: do not

run away f rom yourself !

The Faithf ul are mirrors t o one another: this saying is related f rom the Prophet.

You held a blue glass bef ore your eye: f or t hat reason the world seemed to you to be blue.

1330. Unless you are blind, know that this blueness comes f rom yourself : speak ill of yourself , speak no

more ill of any one (else).

If the t rue believer was not seeing by the Light of God, how did things unseen appear naked (plainly

revealed) to the true believer?

Inasmuch as you were seeing by the Fire of God, you did not discern the dif f erence between good and evil.

Litt le by litt le throw water on the f ire, that your f ire may become light, O man of so rrow!

Throw Thou, O Lord, the purif ying water, that this world-f ire may become wholly light.

1335. All the water of the sea is under Thy command; water and f ire, O Lord, are Thine.

If Thou willest, f ire becomes sweet water; and if Thou willest not, even water becomes f ire.

This search (aspiration) in us is also brought into existence by Thee; deliverance f rom iniquity is T hy gif t, O

Lord.

Without (our) seeking Thou hast given us this search, Thou hast given (us) gif ts without number and

(without) end.

How the hare brought to the beasts o f chase the news that t he lion had fallen into thewell.

When the hare was gladdened by deliverance (f rom the lion), he began to run towards the beasts until (he

came to) the desert.

1340. Having seen the lion miserably slain in the well, he was skipping joyously all the way to the meadow,

Clapping his hands because he had escaped f rom the hand of Death; f resh and dancing in the air, like

bough and leaf .

Bough and leaf were set f ree f rom the prison of earth, lif ted their heads, and became comrades of the

wind;

The leaves, when they had burst (f orth f rom) the bough, made haste to reach the top of the tree;With the tongue of (seed that put f orth) its sprouts each f ruit and tree severally is s inging thanks to God,


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1345. Saying, The Bounteous Giver nourished our ro ot until the t ree grew big and stood upright.

(Even so) the spirits bound in clay, when they escape glad at heart f rom their (prisons of ) clay,

Begin to dance in the air of Divine Love and become f lawless like the f ull moon's o rb,

Their bodies dancing, and their soulsnay, do not ask (how their souls f are); and those things f rom which

comes the soul's

delightnay, do not ask (of those things)!

The hare lodged the lion in priso n. Shame on a lion who was discomfited by a hare!

1350. He is in such a disgrace, and st illthis is a wonderhe would fain be addressed by the t itle of Fakhr-

i Dn.

O thou lion that liest at the bot to m of this lonely well, thy hare-like soul (nafs) has shed and drunk thy

blood;

Thy hare-soul is feeding in the desert , (whilst ) thou art (lying) at the bot tom of this well of How? and

Why?

That lion-catcher (the hare) ran towards the beasts, crying, Rejoice, O people, since the announcer of joy

is come.

Glad news! Glad news, O company of merry-makers! That hell-hound has gone back to Hell.

1355. Glad news! Glad news! The enemy of your liveshis t eeth have been torn out by the vengeance of

his Creator.He who smote many heads with his clawshim too the broom of Death has swept away like rubbish.

How the beasts gathered round the hare and spoke in praise of him.

Then all the wild beast s assembled, joyous and laughing gleefully in rapture and excitement.

They formed a ring, he (the hare) in the midst like a candle: all the animals o f the desert bo wed (in homage)

to him.

Art thou a heavenly angel or a peri? No, thou art the Azrael of f ierce lions.

1360. Whatever thou art, our souls are of f ered in sacrif ice to thee. Thou hast prevailed. Health to t hy hand

and arm!

God turned this water into thy stream. Blessing on thy hand and arm!

Explain how thou didst meditate with guile, and how thou didst guilef ully wipe out that ruf f ian.

Explain, in order that the tale may be the means o f curing (our malady); explain, that it may be a salve f or

our souls.

Explain! f or in consequence of the iniquity of that t yrant our so uls have myriads of wounds.

1365. O Sirs, said he, it was (by) God's aid; else, who in the world is a hare (who am I, that I should have

been able to do this)?

He (God) bestowed power on me and gave light to my heart: the light in my heart gave strength to hand and

foot.

From God come preferments (t o high posit ion), f rom God also come changes (which bring one to low

estate).God in (due) course and turn is ever displaying this (Divine) aid to doubters and seers (alike).

Take heed! Do not exult in a kingdom bestowed in turns (pass ing fro m one to another).

O thou who art t he bondsman of Vicissitude, do not act as though thou wert f ree!

1370. (But) those f or whom is prepared a kingdom beyond Viciss itude, for them the drums (o f sovereignty)

are beaten beyond the Seven Planets.

Beyond Vicissitude are the kings everlasting: their spirits are circling with the Cupbearer perpetually.

If thou wilt renounce this drinking (of worldly pleasures) f or a day or two (f or thy brief lifet ime), thou wilt dip

thy mouth in the drink of Paradise.

Rumiurdu.blogspot.com-Masnavi Book 1 12 the Fall of Adam

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