Do Not Become Hidden
Ghazal 4511
Do not become hidden, for your face is a blessing to us; your gazing upon all souls is a blessing.
Do not draw (back) your shadow (any) farther from our heads for a single moment; you have known that the shadow of the Phoenix (bird)2 is a blessing.
Come, O spring-season3 of beauty, for that delightful breeze (of yours) (blowing) upon orchard, meadow, flower-garden, and desert plain is a blessing.
(May) a hundred thousand holy souls (be) his (willing) sacrifice when he comes to the lane of love, for that place is a blessing.
Because of you, we are (in a state of) yearning and idleness, (drifting from) place to place; for us, being idle and yearning like this is a blessing.
O (people) bound to the body! Go (see) the sights of the soul. For in the end, the Messenger (Muhammad) said, "Seeing the sights is a blessing."
Each leaf and each tree is a messenger from non-existence--meaning that seeds (that have been) strained are a blessing.
Since the leaf and tree have spoken without (need of) a tongue, you (also) should hear without (need of) ears, for these (abilities) are a blessing.
O soul of the world's four elements, (the influence of) your beauty upon water, air, fire, and earth is a blessing--
Meaning anything you sow, that is never lost: no one sows the seed of (the true) religion except that it is a blessing.
I prostrate (in obeisance to you),4 since your dust upon my head is like a crown. I put my feet (forward), since for feet, your path is a blessing.
(In) this moment your (mental) image is coming to me, to (my) eyes. By God! It has come fortunately, and truly it is a blessing.
An image that (is) connected to the earth in color is lacking faith, (whereas) an image that (is) connected to (the world) above is a blessing.
For earthly creatures, the beauty of the spring (season) is fortunate. For fish, the pulsation of the sea is a blessing.
That sun which shone forth upon heaven and earth and the blue vault (of the sky)5 from the heart in the chests (of lovers) is a blessing.
The heart lacks vigor to breathe (normally) because of (mystical) "taste."6 (And) the soul is prostrating (in worship), saying, "O God, it is a blessing."
(As for) any heart that has become the comrade of yearning for you tonight, know surely that, for it, tomorrow is a blessing.
Increase his raw wine and make us silent! For in hiding things within there is a blessing.
--From The Dîwân-é Kabîr (also known as "Kulliyât-é Shams" and "Dîwân-é Shams-é Tabrîz") of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard, 5/27/20
© Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration)
Notes on the text:
1Ghazal 1786: Compare to the translation by Jeffrey R. Osborne, "Divan-i Kabir, Vol. 6, The Fourth Meter," no. 567, pp. 48-49, 2018.
2the shadow of the Phoenix (bird): This refers to a legendary and miraculous bird [anqâ, sîmorgh], the shadow of which, if it fell upon a man, he would become kIing.Therefore, it is a symbol of divine favor.
3spring-season: Symbolizes the invisible spiritual grace of the spiritual master and its beneficent effects.
4prostrate (in obeisance) [sajda]: not a prostation of worship, but of submisssion to someone of high rank, such as a king (or sometimes, a Sufi master).
5the blue vault (of the sky) [gonbad-é:khaZrâ]: The starry heavens are viewed poetically as resembling a vault or arch or dome, according to the geocentric view. Here, the color of the sky (literally "green") is translated as "blue," but is better compared to cyan, a mixture of blue and green (sometimes called "sky blue").
6(mystical) "taste" [dhawq]: means a state of ecstasy or bliss beyond the ordinary mind. Related to the Sufi saying: "The one who does not taste does not know."
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[For listening to an audio recitation of this ghazal in Persian click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.]
penhân ma-shaw ke rôy-é tô bar mâ mubârak-ast
naZâra-yé tô bar hama jân-hâ mubârak-ast
yak lahZa sâya az sar-é mâ dûr-tar ma-kon
dânasta-yé ke sâya-yé `anqâ mubârak-ast
ay nawbahâr-é Husn be-y-â, k-ân hawây-é khwosh
bar bâgh-o râgh-o golshan-o SaHrâ mubârak-ast
ay Sad hezâr jân-é muqaddas fidây-é ô
k-ây-ad ba kûy-é `ishq, ke ân jâ mubârak-ast
Sawdâyî-êm az tô-wo baTâl-o kû ba-kû
mâ-râ chonîn baTâlat-o sawdâ mubârak-ast
ay basta-gân-é tan! ba-tamâshâ-yé jân raw-îd
k-âkhir rasûl goft: tamâshâ mubârak-ast
har barg-o har derakht rasûlê-st az `adam
ya`nî ke kesht-hây-é muSaffâ mubârak-ast
chûn barg-o chûn derakht be-goft-and bê-zabân
bê-gôsh be-sh'naw-îd ke în-hâ mubârak-ast
ay jân-é châr `unSar-é `âlam, jamâl-é tô
bar âb-o bâd-o âtesh-o ghabrâ mubârak-ast
ya`nî ke har che kâr-î gom na-mê-shaw-ad
kas tokhm-é dîn na-kâr-ad illå mubârak-ast
sajda bar-am ke khâk-é tô bar sar chô afsar-ast
pâ dar neh-am ke râh-é tô bar pâ mubârak-ast
mê-âyad-am ba-chashm hamîn laHZa naqsh-é tô
wa 'llâh khojasta âmad-o Haqqâ mubârak-ast
naqshê ke rang bast az în khâk bê-wafâ-st
naqsh ke rang bast ze-bâlâ mubârak-ast
bar khâkiy-ân jamâl-é bahâr-an khojasta-st
bar mâhiy-ân Tapîdan-é daryâ mubârak-ast
ân âftâb k-az del dar sîna-hâ be-tâft
bar `arsh-o farsh-o gonbad-é khaZrâ mubârak-ast
del-râ majâl nêst ke az Zauq dam zan-ad
jân sajda mê-kon-ad ke khodâ-yâ mubârak-ast
har del ke bå hawâ-yé tô emshab shaw-ad Harîf
ô-râ yaqîn be-dân tô ke fardâ mubârak-ast
be-f'zâ sharâb-é khâm-ash-o mâ-râ khamûsh kon
k-andar darûn nohoftan-é ashyâ mubârak-ast
Meter 4: XXo XoXo oXXo XoX
muZâri` akhrab makfûf maHdhûf
