Couplet 54

بود شاہے در زمانے پیش ازیں

There were a king a long time ago

ملک دنیا بودش وہم ملک دیں

(who is ruling) both the worldly as well as spiritually

          This is the start of the story titled "A king and the handmaiden". There were a king in the previous era as پیش ازیں means the previous nations.  He was a king having worldly favours, but he was also a good mannered spiritually.

Couplet 53

فہم گردارید  جاں  راہ رہ دہید

If you have understanding, then give way to the rooh

بعد ازاں از شوق پادر رہ نہید

And then tread that path merrily

           گرد is the plural of life and hence is referred to heart. The meaning is that keep your intellect united, in unison and inclined to your heart i.e. when you understand this story,  your present status and aware of the path to Allah Ta’ala as described above, then adopt the way of sulook (seekers).

[a person needs first to nourish the rooh and then commence the journey in the path of love.]

Couplet 51-52

نقد حالِ  خویش را گر پے بریم

If we keep track of our present condition

ہم زدنیا ہم زعقبیٰ بر خوریم

We would get fruits both from this world and hereafter

ایں حقیقت  راشنو از گوش دل

Try to listen to this reality from the ears of your heart

تابروں آئی بکلّی زآب و گل

So that you would come out of water and clay

            If you take care of your present condition, then you will get the benefits of both worlds i.e. the present as well as the one that will come.  

آب و گل  refers to worldly relations and tastes of desires, as these are from the carnal attribute.  As human being is made of clay and water, and hence referred to آب و گل

Couplet 50

بشنو ید اے دوستاں ایں داستاں

O’ friends! Listen to this story

خود حقیقت نقد حال ماست آں

Which is the true reflection of our present condition

           It says that listen to a story which is in fact really like our own status on the day. The reason for relation is that the way a king became mad for a handmaiden in the story, in the similar way the king i.e. rooh (روح -soul) is indulged with the girl i.e. nafs (نفس)and obedient to it. The way the girl was in love with the goldsmith, similarly, the nafs is tasting and relishing the desires of this world. The way the king went for inexperienced or weak doctors for treatment of the girl and did not get profited, similarly, one is not getting benefitted with the company of fake and inexperienced masters i.e. sheikhs. The way the experienced doctor has treated the illness by making the goldsmith ugly through medicines so that the girl started disliking him and then killed him. The girl became hale and healthy. Similarly when an experienced master separates the desires of world from the nafs slowly to the extent that it automatically rejects these desires and become cured of the illness of the nafs and the king i.e. rooh will again start getting benefited from it. The gist of learning of the path of seeking Allah Ta’ala is that if you want to remove the rust from your heart, then you have to move to an experienced master i.e. sheikh and act according to his advice, who will cure you as per your illness.

Benefit – Major portion of the contents of Maulana’s  Mathnavi is dedicated to two specifics: one is the oneness of Allah Ta’ala (توحید )and the second is its approach, which is through an experienced master i.e. sheikh.

Couplet 49

رو ،  تو زنگار از  رْخِ اْو پاک کن

Go and clean the its face from rust

بعد ازاں آں نور را اِدراک کن

Thereafter  get the light

           When you understand the reason for lighting and darkening of heart then you have to clean the rust of your mirror and make it neat and clean so that you can comprehend the light of Allah Ta’ala (انوار الاہی).

Benefit – The preface of this delectable book is full of sulook (seeking nearness to Allah), as the main intent of sulook is the remembrance (ذکر) of Allah Ta’ala and pondering (فکر) over the hereafter. Thus in the starting couplets, the very origin has been discussed  as what was the original status of yours and then the details are there to recreate the same old status back, the way of achieving the same has been described summarily and this is what the pondering for hereafter.

             This is the last couplet of the preface (proem) of this great book and with the next couplet, a story titled “A king and the handmaiden” will start. The Mathnavi contains numerous stories intertwined to communicate the message.

Couplet 48

آئینہ کز زنگ و آلایش جداست

The mirror which is free from rust and filth

پْر شعاع نورِ خورشیدخداست

That is filled with rays of sun of Allah

             The mirror with full of rust has been described above and now the description of clean mirror without rust is being made. Such a heart is glittered with light of Allah Ta’ala (انوار الاہی) and are luminous and are witnessing the maarifah (معارف)and revelation.

Couplet 47

آئینہ ات دانی چرا غماّز  نیست

You know why is your mirror not resplendent

زانکہ ز نگار از رخش ممتاز نیست

Because its face is not free from rust

               Reason for not explaining the details of ishq above was that the listener  do not have the ability to understand and now Maulana details the reason for this so that the interest for burnishing one’s heart may be initiated. The reason is that the mirror i.e. heart of yours is full of rust of love for other than Allah and needs to be cleansed and because of this rust, the ability for comprehension of this subject is missing.

Couplet 46

عشق خوابد کایں  سحن بیروں رود

The love likes things to be revealed

آئینہ ات غماز نبود چوں بود

Why don’t be your mirror be your informer

             The details of love like its effects, its secrets, its praise and its deeds have been continuing from top and now it has been stated that the explanation or expression  of love is boundless as these are the details of the Beloved and their being boundless and limitless as has been confirmed from Quran (18:109) –

Say, "If the sea were ink for [writing] the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even if We brought the like of it as a supplement."

             And because of being boundless, this story has become stretched & detailed and since the listeners also do not possess the clarity of understanding, the detailed explanation is of no use, as without having the understanding the nuances, one cannot comprehend the matter. Thus in the second part of the couplet, the example of mirror is given, which if not clear  and clean (termed as غماز), then the reflection of any item or image formation of anything is not possible.

[Every heart is required to be filled with tajalli (), but every heart is not capable of holding it because of its corrosion.]

Couplet 45

نور او در یمن و یسر تحت و فوق

His light is on right & left and below & above

بر سرو بر گردنم چوں تاج و طوق

Like a crown and yoke on my head and collar

            The same companionship of Allah Ta’ala has been explained in this couplet as well that I am being encircled with the His light, favour and kindness.

Couplet 44

من چہ گوےم ہوش دارم پیش و پش

What do I say that I am keeping knowledge of back and front

چوں نہ باشد نور یارم  ہم نفس

If the light from my friend is not with me

              In this couplet also, the details of same content of awareness from Allah Ta’ala and His inclination and company towards the seekers has been made. Otherwise, if he does not extend His company, which is termed as نفسی in the couplet, then I am not at all aware of the knowledge of what is in front of me and what is behind me and also of the difficulties of this path (طریقت) and how can I be safe in the path. The following verse is there in the Quran (7:17) in praise of Allah Ta’ala:

Then I will come to them from before them and from behind them and on their right and on their left, and You will not find most of them grateful [to You]."

Couplet 42-43

چوں نہ باشد عشق را پروائے او

When love has no attachment for him

او چو مرغے ماند  بے پر وائے او

He would be like a bird without feathers, regrettable

پر و بال ما کمند عشق اوست

Our hairs and feathers are his hooks

مو کشانش مے کشد تا کوئے دوست

His hairs drags him all the way to his doorstep

         In the couplets before these, it has been explained that the near-end objective of love and then followed by the praise of love and subsequently, explanation of various secrets. Now again we move back to the same context and try to find out why did we say as near-end objective of love. One apparent reason has been expressed above in the couplet 29 (Book 1):

ہر  اجامہ  ز عشقے چاک  شد

           Now the second real reason is being explained i.e. the reason for approaching the desired  is that the beloved  i.e. Allah Ta’ala (which is termed in the first stanza of the couplet as عشق) himself aware of the conditions of the seeker and keep him under His supervision and develops an attraction. Otherwise had He not shown His mercy and inclination, then the seeker will be helpless & distressed and his condition would be like a bird without wings. His condition then would become nothing but for regret only.

[Maulana Rum, in the second part, states that our hair and skin are like hook (anchor) of His love, which once latched, Inshallah (if Allah wills), will let him reach the destination i.e. کوچہ دوست]

Couplet 41

جملہ معشوق ست و عاشق پردہ

The complete universe is beloved, and lover is veil

زندہ معشوق ست و عاشق مردہ

Only beloved is a living entity, and lovers are dead

          Although, the secret of love, which is basically matter related to unique existence, was not revealed in the couplets above as this veiling is for the commoners, who  could not comprehend its reality and could be indulged in distraction. However,  in this couplet, this secret has somewhat been revealed and indicated  for the chosen people.

               The first part of the couplet is the proclamation of the matter and second part is its explanation. Thus جملہ معشوق ست is a similar to ‘pantheism’ (a doctrine which has belief that God and the material world are one and the same thing and that God is present in everything).   عاشقrefers to the total possibilities in the world, which are subdued to Allah. پردہ  means external existence which is concealing or keeping hidden the Real Existence. پردہ    is used as simile as this also is used to hide something as it is only seen whereas the veiled one is kept as secret. Thus the meaning of پردہ    is existence of external, which is visible. The detail of this proclamation is this that the possibilities are only externally visible and in reality these are no more a real entity with any real power as compared to Allah.

Couplet 39-40

چونکہ گل رفت و گلستاں در گذشت

When flowering ceases and beauty of garden goes

نشنوی  زیں پس ز بلبل سرگذشت

You won’t be able to hear the chirping of nightingale

چونکہ گل رفت و گلستاں شد خراب

When flowering ceases and garden becomes desolate

بوئے گل را از کہ جویم از گلاب

Where do I find the fragrance of flower? In (scent of) rose

          In these couplets, the substantiation of previous content has been mentioned. See when spring is over & the blossoming of flowers ceased. The autumn follows and the gardens are devoid of flowers leading to nightingale to stops chirping. It is because of the fact that the attraction of its singing is flowers blossomed in the garden, which are not there. Similarly a good speaker is dependent on the correct, attentive and acceptive audience and once they are not there, it is better to be silent.

زیر          means shrill call and بمmeans loud call, which is also meant by دوباب.  This means that, whatever the lovers are expressing  in short, if explained in detail the secrets and truth, the whole world will be destroyed and this secret is the unity of existence (وحدہ الوجود). As the sum total of lovers’ expression is that there is no existence of anything except Allah and He is the real one who exists, the great beloved.

Couplet 38

ہر کہ او از ہم زبانے شد جدا

A person who is separated from his friend

بے نواشد گرچہ دارد شد نوا

He became helpless, despite having hundreds of helper

         A general convention has been mentioned in this couplet, which is because of the contents stated above that once a person is separated from its friend, he will remain in penury despite having a lot of things, knowledge and resources in his possession.

Couplet 34-37

عشق جان  طور آمد  عاشقا

O’ you who love, the love became the life of Mount Toor

طور مست و خر موسٰی صٰعقا

And the Toor started dancing and Moses became faint

سر پنہاں ست اندر زیر و بم

There are secrets hidden in zair and bam

فاش اگرگویم جہاں برہم زنم

The world will be destroyed, had it been explained clearly

آنچہ نے می گوید اندریں ایں دوباب

Whatever the flute in saying in these two conditions

گر بگویم من جہاں گرد و خارب

If I explain them, the world would be destroyed

بالب دمساز خودگر جفتمے

If I had been in proximity of lips of my beloved

ہمچو نے من گفتنیہا گفتمے

Then I could have explained as being done by the flute

             In the above couplets, the detailed description of majesty of love has been made. The demand of the situation was to continue to state the effects and secrets of love but all of these effects and secrets are the things to be experienced, which cannot be attained without attaining love. Further, the secrets, besides to be experienced, are quite subtle, minute and erudite and their expression could cause misunderstanding of disbelief and non-belief. Therefore, discontinuing  the current content, Maulana Rum  takes excuse and says that had any of my listeners were true, then I would have told and explained the secrets of love like a beloved.

Couplet 33

جسم  خاک  از  عشق بر افلاک شد

       This body of clay reached to the sky due to love

               کوہ  در  رقص آمد  و  چالاک شد   

 The mountain started dancing and became aware

       ‘جسم خاک’ means the pious body of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam and ‘افلاک’ means the journey of ascension of the prophet to heaven and ‘رقص’ means dancing refers to the story of desire of Prophet Moses to witness Allah.  The meaning is that the ascension of the prophet to heaven became possible because of love as you were the beloved and a beloved is due for nearness and elevation. The story of Moses to see Allah  also happened because of love only and in this case Moses was lover and due to its feeling, you requested for the sight and because of this witnessing, the mountain started dancing i.e. started shaking and Moses became unconscious. On one side , the effect is due to beloved and on other, it is of lover, which is due to love.

Couplet 31-32

شادباش  اے عشق خوش سودائے  ما

Be happy, O’ my passionate love

اے  تبیب  جملہ علتہائے  ما

O’ you the doctor of all my ailments

اے  دوائے  نخوت  و  ناموش   ما

O’ the cure of pride and desire of being famous

اے  تو  افلاطون  و  جالینوس  ما

O’ you are our Plato and Galen

           In these couplets, the praise of love has been mentioned and metaphorically, it is addressed and said that you are the one because of which conducts are corrected (سوداis thought/ conduct). You are the remedy for all types of ills and as described above, you are the one to remove pride and self seeking honour. Love has an special privilege in correcting this shameful thing (pride and honor) as love has humbleness as a desired attribute and honor & humbleness cannot go hand in hand and hence the elevation of one will reduce the other. Thus Maulana compares the love with the Aflatoon (Plato, a famous philosopher) and Jaaleenoos (Galen, a famous Greek physician).

Couplet 30

ہر  اجامہ  ز عشقے چاک  شد

The one whose apparel tore up owing to love

اوز حرص و عیب  کل  پاک شد

He becomes clear of greed and other bad habits

         In this couplet, the increase of spiritual relation and reduction of greediness of the world has been desired to mention and its achievement is very easy via the path of love. Through this process, a person is cleansed off the greed, all defects and bad habits.

Benefit – the cure of bad habits are two, one is individual i.e. specific and in this each and every person is being treated differently like as mentioned Ihya Uloom. This is known as pat of sulook and the other is complete i.e. common and is achieved by remembrance and practice or as directed by the perfect sheikh and develop the love of Allah in the heart. When this love blossoms, one’s ownself and ego starts  becoming weak and the bad habits, which are generated from this ego and self, will start reducing. This is known as path of attraction (جزب). The former tareeq is free of dangers but is a detailed and long one, whereas, the latter is dangerous but is short. Different sheikhs have different tastes, Maulana Rumi likes the latter one and hence he is describing this path.

Couplet 28-29

گر بریزی  بحر  را  در  کوزہ

If you put the whole river in a pitcher

چند   گنجد قسمت   یک    روزہ
How much does it contain? A day’s need
 
کوزہ  چشم حریصاں    پر نہ  شد

The pitcher of eyes of greedy has never been satiated

تا صدف قانع نہ شد  پردرنہ شد
Pearl did not form till the oyster contents itself

          In these couplets, the undesirability of greed has been described as the same may help in cutting off the relations with wealth seeking. If a pitcher is being filled from a sea, how much water does it contain? For a day’s use to the limit of the pitcher.  Thus even if there is enough water but you need only a pitcher full of water. Similarly the fate (kismet) is a pitcher, and even though there is huge wealth, but only so much would be attained and utilized that is there in the fate. Further the greedy people usually be never contented and they always need more and more. Now praising the contentment, it is stated that like the oyster, on receiving first drop of rain water shuts itself in contentment, will become the pearl and whereas those which kept opened even after the first drop will be wasted. Similarly if you observe contentment then you will become lighted with the noor like pearl.

Couplet 24-27

بادہ  در جوشش  گدائے  جوش  ماست

Wine requires our passion for its own fervor

چرخ  در گردش  اسیر    ہوش  ماست

Sky is the prisoner of our senses for its movement

بادہ  از  ما  مست شد  نے   ما  ازو

Wine is intoxicated because of us and not otherwise

قالب  از  ما  ہست شد نے  ما  ازو

The human body is created because of us and not we for the bodies

بر سماع  راست ہرکس چیر  نیست

Every person is not capable of listening to the truth

طمعہ  ہر  مرغکے    انجیر     نیست

Fig cannot be the food for any abject bird

بند  بگسل باش آزاد  اے  پسر

O’ my son! Break the shackles and become free

چند  باشی  بند سیم  و  بند  زر

Till when do you be the prisoner of gold and silver

         In above couplets, it has been mentioned that a weak person cannot understand the depth of a perfect one  and hence revelation of secrets is of no benefit. This creates a sort of perturbation amongst the seekers of secrets and the real understanding is dependent on becoming the perfect one. Thus question arises how do a weak one to become a perfect one. The reply is to cut off the relations and become free from the property and wealth seeking. As these are the things which prevent the development of relations with Allah and hindrance in its increment. When these relations with wealth and world seeking reduces, then the perfection becomes stronger and  stronger leading to complete achievement.

Benefit -  one must remember that there are three types of relations amongst the creations. Relations which are correct and their maintaining has been allowed in Islamic Code and its cut off is unlawful and called mahmood. The mazmoom are other type of relation which has been prohibited in the Islamic Code and its cut off is desirable. The third one is mubaah, in which there is no need of cut off rather reduction in concentration is required. Thus wherever, cut off of relations is preached, this does not mean the mahmood relations but that of mazmoom and mubaah relations – mazmoom for cutting off and mubaah with respect to reduction.

Couplet 23

در نیابد  حال  پختہ  ہیچ  خام

A weakened one cannot fathom the depth of a perfect one

پس سخن کوتاہ  باید   والسلام
Need to keep the talk succinct, wassalaam 

               Three kind of persons are described in the previous couplets – perfect, who is termed as Fish, weak who is termed as Part Fish and the ashamed who is termed as with no work (بیروزی). Since an ashamed one cannot fathom the position of one who is meeting and similarly a weak one cannot fathom the depth of a perfect one as in these conditions, comprehension cannot be made on the basis of guesswork or proof. Therefore, the fruits of the perfect love, which has been continuing from above, should now be stopped as the weak ones cannot understand the conditions of strong ones.

Couplet 22

ہر کہ جز  ماہی  ز  آبش  سیر شد

The one other than fish will be contended with the water

ہر کہ بیروزی ست روزش دیر شد
Those who are without food, have wasted their time

              In the above couplets, the description of those people have been made who are never contended with the witnessing, manifesttaion and inspiration/ revelation and remain hungry and uncontended. In technical soofi terminology, they are termed as Fish, which never satiates with the water where it lives. Now it describes two more kind of people, one of them is those who have achieved something and they got satiated with the same and termed as Part Fish(جز ماہی). The other who has not received anything and termed as ‘with no work’ (بیروزی) and their whole life has been spoiled for following the fake. The lesson of this couplet is to suggest that in the path of love, never be contended and never be stagnant.