8
MATHNAWÍ, BOOK I
When he comes, he is the skilled physician: deem him
veracious, for he is trusty and true.
In his remedy behold absolute magic, in his temperament behold the might of God!"
When the promised hour arrived and day broke and the sun, (rising) from the east, began to burn the stars,
The king was in the belvedere, expecting to see that which had been shown mysteriously.
He saw a person excellent and worshipful, a sun amidst a shadow,
Coming from afar, like the new moon (in slenderness and radiance): he was non-existent, though existent in the form of phantasy.
In the spirit phantasy is as naught, (yet) behold a world (turning) on a phantasy!
Their peace and their war (turn) on a phantasy, and their pride and their shame spring from a phantasy;
(But) those phantasies which ensnare the saints are the reflexion of the fair ones[1] of the garden of God.
In the countenance of the stranger-guest was appearing that phantasy which the king beheld in his dream.
The king himself, instead of the chamberlains, went forward to meet his guest from the Invisible.
Both were seamen who had learned to swim, the souls of both were knit together without sewing.
The king said, "Thou wert my Beloved (in reality), not she; but in this world deed issues from deed.
O thou who art to me (as) Mustafá (Mohammed), while I am like unto 'Umar-I will gird my loins to do thee service."
Beseeching the Lord, who is our Helper, to help us to observe self-control in all circumstances, and explaining the harmful and pernicious consequences of indiscipline.
Let us implore God to help us to self-control: one who lacks self-control is deprived of the grace of the Lord.
The undisciplined man does not maltreat himself alone, but he sets the whole world on fire.
A table (of food) was coming down from heaven without headache (trouble) and without selling and buying,
(When) some of[2] the people of Moses cried disrespectfully, "Where is garlic and lentils?"
(Straightway) the heavenly bread and dishes (of food) were cut off: there remained (for all of them) the toil of sowing and (labouring with) mattock and scythe,
Again, when Jesus made intercession, God sent food and bounty (from heaven) on trays,