Rumi’s Rules of Life

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (called Rumi in English) was born in 1207 in Greater Khorasan in Greater Iran (modern-day, Afghanistan). His Masnavi (Mathnawi) is one of the greatest and very popular poems for Iranians, Afghans, Tajiks, Turks and Azerbaijanians, Kurds, Greeks, Central and South Asian regions. Rumi’s work has been translated into many of languages, including English, Russian, German, Urdu, Turkish, Arabic, Bengali, French, Italian, Spanish, Telugu and Kannada and is being presented in a growing number of formats, including concerts, workshops, readings, dance performances, and other artistic creations. Rumi has been the “best selling poet” in the United States. Rumi’s poetry speaks of love which infuses the world. Rumi believed passionately in the use of music, poetry and dance as a path for reaching God. For the details of the Rumi’s life and works in the Encyclopaedia Iranica, click here and here. In this section, the philosophical rules of life will be presented from the Masnavi (Mathnawi) compiled by Rumi.

the following posts will be updated regularly ……………..

(translated by Reynold Alleyne Nicholson)

آن چه حق آموخت مر زنبور را ** آن نباشد شیر را و گور را
آن چه حق آموخت کرم پیله را ** هیچ پیلی داند آن گون حیله را
That which God taught to the bees is not (belonging) to the lion and the wild ass.
That which God taught to the silkworm—does any elephant know such a device?

آب در کشتی هلاک کشتی است ** آب اندر زیر کشتی پشتی است‌‌
Water in the boat is the ruin of the boat; (But) water underneath the boat is a support.

حفره کن زندان و خود را وارهان‌‌
Dig a hole in the prison and let yourself out!

یک دو روزک جهد کن باقی بخند
Exert yourself (in doing good works) for one or two little days (i.e. during this brief life), and
laugh unto everlasting!

سر شکسته نیست این سر را مبند
Your head is not broken, do not bandage this head.

Sow (the seed), then rely upon the almighty.
کشت کن پس تکیه بر جبار کن‌‌

پای داری چون کنی خود را تو لنگ ** دست داری چون کنی پنهان تو چنگ‌‌
خواجه چون بیلی به دست بنده داد ** بی‌‌زبان معلوم شد او را مراد
دست همچون بیل اشارتهای اوست ** آخر اندیشی عبارتهای اوست
سعی شکر نعمتش قدرت بود ** جبر تو انکار آن نعمت بود
شکر قدرت قدرتت افزون کند ** جبر نعمت از کفت بیرون کند
You have feet: why do you make yourself out to be lame? You have hands: why do you conceal
the fingers (whereby you grasp)?
When the master put a spade in the slave’s hand; His object was made known to him (the slave)
without (a word falling from his) tongue.
Hand and spade alike are His (God’s) implicit signs; (Our powers of) thinking upon the end are
His explicit declarations.
Freewill is the endeavour to thank (God) for His beneficence; Your necessitarianism is the denial
of that beneficence.
Thanksgiving for the power (of acting freely) increases your power; Necessitarianism takes the
(Divine) gift (of freewill) out of your hand.

از توکل در سبب کاهل مشو
Through trusting in God do not become neglectful as to the (ways and) means.

با قضا پنجه مزن ای تند و تیز ** تا نگیرد هم قضا با تو ستیز
Do not grapple with Destiny, O fierce and furious one; Lest Destiny also pick a quarrel with thee.

عاریت باقی نماند عاقبت‌‌
A loan is impermanent in the end.

ذوق جنس از جنس خود باشد یقین ** ذوق جزو از کل خود باشد ببین‌‌
The delight of (every) kind is certainly in its own kind (congener); The delight of the part,
observe, is in its whole;

جزوها را سوی کل باشد طریق‌‌
The way of particulars (components) is towards the universal (whole).

مرکب استیزه را چندین مران‌‌
Do not drive the steed of obstinacy so far.

آتش طبعت اگر غمگین کند ** سوزش از امر ملیک دین کند
آتش طبعت اگر شادی دهد ** اندر او شادی ملیک دین نهد
چون که غم بینی تو استغفار کن ** غم به امر خالق آمد کار کن‌‌
چون بخواهد عین غم شادی شود ** عین بند پای، آزادی شود
If the fire of your nature make you suffer pain; It burns by command of the Lord of religion.
If the fire of your nature give you joy; (That is because) the Lord of the Judgment puts joy
therein.
When you feel pain, ask pardon of God; Pain, by command of the Creator, is efficacious.
When He pleases, pain itself becomes joy; Bondage itself becomes freedom.

رحم خواهی بر ضعیفان رحم آر
If you desire mercy, show mercy to the weak.

هر کجا آب روان سبزه بود
Wherever is flowing water, there is greenery.

آخر هر گریه آخر خنده‌‌ای است ** مرد آخر بین مبارک بنده‌‌ای است‌‌
The end of every weeping is laughter at last; The man who foresees the end is a blessed servant
(of God).

چون خدا خواهد که‌‌مان یاری کند ** میل ما را جانب زاری کند
When God wishes to help us; He turns our inclination towards humble lament.

چون خدا خواهد که پرده‌‌ی کس درد ** میلش اندر طعنه‌‌ی پاکان برد
چون خدا خواهد که پوشد عیب کس ** کم زند در عیب معیوبان نفس‌‌
When God wishes to rend the veil of any one (expose him to shame); He turns his inclination
towards reviling holy men.
And if God wishes to hide the blame of any one; He (that person) does not breathe a word of
blame against the blameworthy.

صد سبو را بشکند یک پاره سنگ‌‌
A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers.

چون سزای این بت نفس او نداد ** از بت نفسش بتی دیگر بزاد
Inasmuch as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self; From the idol of his self the
other idol was born.

آن چه از دریا به دریا می‌‌رود ** از همانجا کامد آن جا می‌‌رود
That which is of the sea is going to the sea; It is going to the same place whence it came.

هر که او بنهاد ناخوش سنتی ** سوی او نفرین رود هر ساعتی
نیکوان رفتند و سنتها بماند ** وز لئیمان ظلم و لعنتها بماند
Whosoever establishes an evil way (practice); Towards him goes malediction every hour.
The righteous departed and their ways remained; And from the vile there remained (nothing
but) injustice and execrations.

هین غذای دل بده از هم دلی ** رو بجو اقبال را از مقبلی‌‌
Oh, give your heart food from (conversation with) one who is in accord with it; Go, seek
(spiritual) advancement from one who is advanced.

کوی نومیدی مرو امیدهاست ** سوی تاریکی مرو خورشیدهاست‌‌
Go not to the neighbourhood of despair: there are hopes; Go not in the direction of darkness:
there are suns.

صحبت مردانت از مردان کند
Companionship with (holy) men makes you one of the (holy) men.

گر اناری می‌‌خری خندان بخر ** تا دهد خنده ز دانه‌‌ی او خبر
If you would buy a pomegranate, buy (it when it is) laughing (having its rind cleft open); so that
its laughter (openness) may give information as to its seeds.

تیغ چوبین را مبر در کارزار ** بنگر اول تا نگردد کار زار
Do not take a wooden sword into the battle! First see (whether your sword is a real one); in order
that your plight may not be wretched.

هست دانا رحمة للعالمین‌‌
The wise man is a (Divine) mercy to created beings.

گر نداری تو سپر واپس گریز
If you have not the shield (of capacity to understand), turn back and flee!

چون که گل بگذشت و گلشن شد خراب ** بوی گل را از که یابیم از گلاب‌‌
Since the rose is past and the garden ravaged; from whom shall we get the perfume of the rose?
From rosewater.

ز آن که هر مرغی به سوی جنس خویش ** می‌‌پرد او در پس و جان پیش پیش‌‌
Because every bird flies to its own congener; it (follows) behind, and its spirit (goes) before,
(leading it on).

پس تو سرهنگی مکن با عاجزان‌‌
Then do not act like an officer (tyrannously) towards the helpless.

بسته در زنجیر چون شادی کند
When does the captive in prison behave like the man who is free?

هر که او بیدارتر پر دردتر ** هر که او آگاه‌‌تر رخ زردتر
The more wakeful any one is, the more full of suffering he is; the more aware he is, the paler he
is in countenance.

نقش باشد پیش نقاش و قلم ** عاجز و بسته چو کودک در شکم‌‌
Before the painter and the brush the picture is helpless and bound like a child in the womb.

چار پا را قدر طاقت بار نه ** بر ضعیفان قدر قوت کار نه‌‌
دانه‌‌ی هر مرغ اندازه‌‌ی وی است ** طعمه‌‌ی هر مرغ انجیری کی است‌‌
طفل را گر نان دهی بر جای شیر ** طفل مسکین را از آن نان مرده گیر
چون که دندانها بر آرد بعد از آن ** هم بخود گردد دلش جویای نان‌‌
مرغ پر نارسته چون پران شود ** لقمه‌‌ی هر گربه‌‌ی دران شود
چون بر آرد پر بپرد او به خود ** بی‌‌تکلف بی‌‌صفیر نیک و بد
Lay on the beast a burden in proportion to its endurance; Lay on the weak a task in proportion
to their strength.
The bait for every bird is according to its (the bird’s) measure (capacity); How should a fig be
the food (lure) for every bird?
If you give a babe bread instead of milk; Take it (for granted) that the poor babe will die of the
bread.
(Yet) afterwards, when it grows teeth; That babe will of its own accord its heart will crave bread.
When an unfledged bird begins to fly; It becomes a mouthful for any rapacious cat.
(But) when it grows wings; It will fly of itself without trouble and without whistling (prompting),
good or bad.

مدتی خاموش خو کن، هوش دار
Do thou for a time make a habit of silence, Take heed!

خیر کن امروز را فردا مکن‌‌
Show kindness to-day, do not (put off till) to-morrow.

گر چه در خشکی هزاران رنگهاست ** ماهیان را با یبوست جنگهاست‌‌
Although there are thousands of colours on dry land; (Yet) fishes are at war with dryness.

لیلی‌‌ات از صبر تو مجنون شود
By your self-denial your Laylá (beloved) becomes your Majnún (lover).

ظاهر نقره گر اسپید است و نو ** دست و جامه می سیه گردد ازو
آتش ار چه سرخ روی است از شرر ** تو ز فعل او سیه کاری نگر
برق اگر نوری نماید در نظر ** لیک هست از خاصیت دزد بصر
If the surface of silver is white and new; (Yet) the hands and dress are blackened by it.
Although fire is red-faced (bright and glorious) with sparks; Look at the black behaviour
(displayed) in its action.
If the lightning appears luminous to the eye; (Yet) from its distinctive property it is the robber of
sight (it strikes men blind).

ای خنک آن کش حسد همراه نیست ** عقبه‌‌ای زین صعب‌‌تر در راه نیست‌‌
In the Way there is no harder pass than envy; Oh, fortunate he who is not companioned by envy!

شکر کن مر شاکران را بنده باش‌‌
Give thanks (to God) and be a slave to those who give thanks.

چون غرض آمد هنر پوشیده شد ** صد حجاب از دل به سوی دیده شد
When self-interest appears, virtue becomes hidden; A hundred veils rise from the heart to the
eye.

خشم و شهوت مرد را احول کند
Anger and lust make a man squint-eyed.

چون بسی ابلیس آدم روی هست ** پس به هر دستی نشاید داد دست‌‌
Since there is many a devil who hath the face of Adam; It is not well to give your hand to every
hand.

در هزاران لقمه یک خاشاک خرد ** چون در آمد حس زنده پی ببرد
When, amongst thousands of morsels (of food), one little piece of rubbish entered (his mouth),
the living man’s sense (of touch or taste) tracked it down.

زر قلب و زر نیکو در عیار** بی‌‌محک هرگز ندانی ز اعتبار
Without the touchstone you will never know in the assay adulterated gold and fine gold by (using
your own) judgement.

هر دو نی خوردند از یک آب خور** این یکی خالی و آن پر از شکر
Both reeds drank from the same water-source; (But) this one is empty and that one full of sugar.

هر دو گون آهو گیا خوردند و آب ** زین یکی سرگین شد و ز ان مشک ناب‌‌
Both species of deer ate grass and drank water; From this one came dung, and from that one
pure musk.

هر دو گون زنبور خوردند از محل ** لیک شد ز ان نیش و زین دیگر عسل‌‌
Both species of zanbúr ate and drank from the (same) place; but from that one (the hornet)
came a sting, and from this other (the bee) honey.

کار پاکان را قیاس از خود مگیر** گر چه ماند در نبشتن شیر و شیر
Do not measure the actions of holy men by (the analogy of) yourself; Though shér (lion) and shír
(milk) are similar in writing.

با کریمان کارها دشوار نیست‌‌
Dealings with the generous are not difficult.

می‌‌بلرزد عرش از مدح شقی
The highest heaven trembles at praise of the wicked.

بهر آن است امتحان نیک و بد ** تا بجوشد بر سر آرد زر زبد
The testing of good and bad is in order that the gold may boil and bring the scum to the top.

این جهان کوه است و فعل ما ندا ** سوی ما آید نداها را صدا
This world is the mountain, and our action the shout; The echo of the shouts comes (back) to us.

گر چه دیوار افکند سایه‌‌ی دراز ** باز گردد سوی او آن سایه باز
Although the wall casts a long shadow; (Yet at last) the shadow turns back again towards it.

آن که کشتستم پی مادون من ** می‌‌نداند که نخسبد خون من‌‌
He who hath slain me for that which is other than I; Does not he know that my blood sleepeth
not (will not rest unavenged)?

دشمن طاوس آمد پر او ** ای بسی شه را بکشته فر او
The peacock’s plumage is its enemy; O many the king who hath been slain by his magnificence!

عشقهایی کز پی رنگی بود ** عشق نبود عاقبت ننگی بود
Those loves which are for the sake of a colour (outward beauty) are not love; In the end they are
a disgrace.

ای شده اندر سفر با صد رضا ** خود به پای خویش تا سوء القضا
O (fool), who with a hundred consents thyself with thine own foot didst enter on the journey to
the fated ill!

وعده‌‌ی اهل کرم گنج روان ** وعده‌‌ی نااهل شد رنج روان‌‌
The promise of the noble is a flowing (bountiful) treasure; The promise of the unworthy becomes
anguish of soul.

چون که اسرارت نهان در دل شود ** آن مرادت زودتر حاصل شود
When your heart becomes the grave of your secret; That desire of yours will be gained more
quickly.

که علاج اهل هر شهری جداست‌‌
Treatment suitable to the people of each town is separate.

آرزو می‌‌خواه لیک اندازه خواه ** بر نتابد کوه را یک برگ کاه‌‌
Ask thy wish, but ask with measure; A blade of straw will not support the mountain.

آفتابی کز وی این عالم فروخت ** اندکی گر پیش آید جمله سوخت‌‌
If the Sun, by whom this world is illumined; Should approach a little (nearer), all will be burned.

هست را از نسیه خیزد نیستی
That which is (in hand) is reduced to naught by postponing the payment.

آفتاب آمد دلیل آفتاب
The proof of the sun is the sun (himself)!

بوی هر هیزم پدید آید ز دود
The smell of every firewood appears from the smoke.

بی‌‌ادب تنها نه خود را داشت بد ** بلکه آتش در همه آفاق زد
The undisciplined man does not maltreat himself alone; But he sets the whole world on fire.

بر خیالی صلح‌‌شان و جنگشان ** وز خیالی فخرشان و ننگشان‌‌
Their peace and their war (turn) on a phantasy; And their pride and their shame spring from a
phantasy.

نیست وش باشد خیال اندر روان ** تو جهانی بر خیالی بین روان‌‌
In the spirit phantasy is as naught; (Yet) behold a world (turning) on a phantasy!

آن یکی خر داشت، پالانش نبود ** یافت پالان گرگ خر را در ربود
A certain man had an ass but no pack-saddle; (As soon as) he got a saddle, The wolf carried away
his ass.

کوزه بودش آب می‌‌نامد به دست ** آب را چون یافت خود کوزه شکست
He had a pitcher, but no water could be obtained; When he found water, the pitcher broke.

هر که او از هم زبانی شد جدا ** بی‌‌زبان شد گر چه دارد صد نوا
Whoever is parted from one who speaks his language becomes dumb; Though he have a hundred
songs.

گر بریزی بحر را در کوزه‌‌ای ** چند گنجد قسمت یک روزه‌‌ای‌‌
If thou pour the sea into a pitcher; How much will it hold? One day’s store.

بند بگسل، باش آزاد ای پسر ** چند باشی بند سیم و بند زر
O son, burst thy chains and be free! How long wilt thou be a bondsman to silver and gold?

درنیابد حال پخته هیچ خام ** پس سخن کوتاه باید و السلام‌‌
None that is raw understands the state of the ripe; Therefore my words must be brief. Farewell!

هر که جز ماهی ز آبش سیر شد ** هر که بی‌‌روزی است روزش دیر شد
Except the fish, everyone becomes sated with water; Whoever is without daily bread finds the
day long.

هر کسی کاو دور ماند از اصل خویش ** باز جوید روزگار وصل خویش‌‌
Every one who is left far from his source; Wishes back the time when he was united with it.

هر کسی از ظن خود شد یار من ** از درون من نجست اسرار من‌‌
Every one became my friend from his own opinion; None sought out my secrets from within me.