Rumi's Mathnawi (selections)Week 6: Middle East - Assignments - Reading - Resources - Images |
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Quarreling Over Names, translated by Ibrahim GamardReading time: 3 minutes. Word count: 400 words. |
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| 3679 Pass beyond (external) names and look at the (underlying) qualities, so that the qualities may show you the way to the essence. | 3679 dar-goZar az
nâm-o be-n'gar dar Sifât |
| 3680 The opposition (among) people takes place because of names. Peace occurs when they go to the real meaning. | 3680 ikhtilâf-é khalq
az nâm ôftâd chûn ba-ma`nà raft, ârâm ôftâd |
| The argument of four persons over grapes, which each one had understood by a different name | munâza`at-é chahâr kas jehat-é angûr ke har yakê ba-nâm-é dîgar fahm karda bûd ân-râ |
| A man gave four persons a silver coin. The (first) one (who was a Persian) said, "I will give this for (buying) some angûr." | châr kas-râ dâd
mardê yak deram ân yakê goft în ba-angûrê deh-am |
| An other one (who) was an Arab said, "No! I want `inab -- not angûr, O deceitful (man)!" | ân yakê dêgar `arab
bod goft lâ man `inab khwâh-am na angûr ay daghâ |
| The (third) one was a Turk and he said, "This (coin) is mine. I don't want `inab. I want üzüm." | ân yakê torkê bod-o
goft în ban-om man na-mê-khwâh-am `inab khwâh-am uzum |
| The (fourth) one, an Anatolian Greek, said, "Quit (all) this talk! I want istâfîl." | ân yakê rûmî
be-goft în qîl-râ tark kon, khwâh-êm istâfîl-râ |
| 3685 In (their) disagreement, those individuals were (soon) in a fight -- since they were uninformed of the hidden (meaning) of the names. | 3685 dar tanâzu` ân nafar
jangî shod-and ke ze sirr-é nâm-hâ ghâfil bod-and |
| They were striking at each other (with their) fists out of ignorance. They were full of foolishness and (were) devoid of knowledge. | mosht bar-ham mê-zad-and
az ablahî |
| If a master of (the meaning of) secrets, a venerable one (with knowledge) of numerous languages, had been there, he would have given them reconciliation and peace. | SâHib-é sirrê,
`azîzê Sad zabân gar body ân-jâ, be-dâdî SulH-éshân |
| Then he would have said, "By means of this one silver coin, I will grant the wishes of all of you. | pas be-goftî ô ke man
z-în yak deram ârzôy-é jumla-tân-râ mê-deh-am |
| "This coin will cause effects such as these when you submit (your) hearts (to me) without deceit. | chûn-ke be-s'pâr-êd
del-râ bê-daghal în deram-tân mê-kon-ad chand-în `amal |
| 3690 "Your one coin will become (like) four (coins) for the desired (result). (And) four enemies will become (as) one from unity (of friendship). | 3690 yak deram-tân mê-shaw-ad
châr al-murâd châr doshman mê-shaw-ad yak z-ittiHâd |
| "The words of each one of you offer (only) fighting and separation. But my words will bring you harmonious agreement. | goft-é har yak-tân deh-ad
jang-o firâq goft-é man âr-ad shomâ-râ ittifâ q |
| 3692 "Therefore, you be quiet (and) stay silent! So that I may become your tongue for (needed) conversation." | 3692 pas shomâ khâmôsh
bâsh-êd 'anSitû tâ zabân-tân man shaw-am dar goft-o gô |
| 3699 Tranquillity and peaceful association come from (hearing) the sayings of the spiritual master, (but) the words of envious people bring discord and separation. | 3699 az HadîS-é shaykh
jam`iyyat ras-ad tafriqa âr-ad dam-é ahl-é Hasad |
| (mathnawi meter: XoXX XoXX XoX) |
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Questions. Make sure you can answer these questions about what you just read:
Source: From The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî [Rhymed Couplets of Deep Spiritual Meaning] of Jalaluddin Rumi. Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard. © Ibrahim Gamard [translation, footnotes, & transliteration]. Weblink. |
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Modern
Languages / Anthropology 3043: Folklore & Mythology.
Laura Gibbs, Ph.D.
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