Moses and Paraoh (part one)

[Ibrahim Gamard]

[Re-posted from SUNLIGHT - a Rumi mailing list
(subscription information at bottom)]

With Sunlight's pleasure and gratitude come this week's
verses from Rumi's Mathnawi, selected by Abraham Sarmad
Brody and translated by Ibrahim Gamard:

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Moses and Pharaoh (part one)

Mathnawi IV: 2301-2309, 2340-2365

In explanation that imagination* is the counterfeit of
discerning reason, and is in opposition to it; it resembles
it, but
it is not (it). And the story of the answers of Moses-- may
the
peace (of God) be upon him, who was endowed with
discerning reason,* (which he gave) to Pharaoh who was
endowed with suspicious imagination.

2301 The discerning intellect is the opposite of
craving
desire,* O brave hero. That which craving desire has

woven don't call it clear reason.
That which is the beggar of craving, call it
imagined
ideation. Fanciful opinions are the counterfeit of
the true
coin of clear discernments.
(But) without a touchstone,* (the
differences
between) fanciful opinion and discerning reason are
not
revealed.
(So) quickly carry both to the touchstone.
The touchstone (is) the Qur'an, as well as
the
[inspired] state of the Prophets.* Like the
touchstone, it
says to counterfeit (money): "Come!
2305 "So that you may see yourself, from my rubbing
(against you). Since you are not worthy of (either)
my
height or base."*
If a saw makes clear reason* (to be cut into)
two halves,
it will be smiling like gold in the fire.*
Suspicious imagination is particular to
Pharaoh,* the
world-burner. (Whereas) discerning reason is
particular to
Moses, the spirit-increaser.
Moses traveled on the Way of not-being.* Pharaoh
said
to him, "Tell who you are."
2309 He replied, "I am discerning reason, the
Messenger of the Lord of Majesty.* I am the Proof of

God. I am the protection from being lost and astray.

. . . . .
. .

2340 "Outwardly, I'm destroying your business, but
I'm
(actually) making a thorn into a rose garden.*

(In) explanation that cultivation and building are after
destruction, tranquillity is after being scattered, mending
is after
being broken, (attainment of) desire is after lack (of
fulfillment)
of desire, existence is after non-existence, in addition to
(all) the
other opposites and pairs.

"Someone came (and) was tearing up the ground. A

fool could not turn away (from the sight) and
shouted,
"`For what (reason) are you destroying the
ground,
tearing (it) up, and scattering (it)?
"He replied, `O fool, go (away) (and) don't move

against me.* Know the difference (between)
cultivation
and destruction.
"`It will never become a rose garden or wheat
field as
long as it doesn't become ugly and ruined (first).
2345 "`It will never become an orchard or a planted
field,
leaves or fruit, as long as it's arrangement doesn't
become
turned upside down.'
"As long as you don't tear (open) the foul
wound* with
a surgical knife, it will never become well and will
never
change to excellent.
"As long as (the doctor) doesn't cleanse your
bodily
humors* by means of medicine, the disturbance (in
your
body) will never go (away. A cure will never come.
"(If) the tailor has cut a garment into pieces,*
will
someone hit that knowledgeable tailor, "(And) say,
`Why
did you cut this (specially) chosen satin? What can
I
do with a shredded (garment)?'
2350 "Every old building which is made habitable
(again),
is not the old building first destroyed? "Just the
same,
the carpenter, blacksmith, and butcher--* there is
destruction prior to putting into shape with them
(as well).
"By means of the destruction of myrobalan fruit*
(by)
pounding, the body's restoration (to health) is
accomplished.
"As long as you don't grind wheat in the mill,
our table
cloth will never be decorated by it.*
"(And) the bread and salt (on the table cloth)
made the
demand* that I should liberate you, O fish, from the
net.*
2355 "(So, O Pharaoh), if you accept the advice of
Moses,
you will escape from such a wicked (and) endless
net.
"You have made yourself so much the slave of
craving
desire, (that) you have made a little worm (into) a
dragon.*
"I have brought a dragon for (your) dragon, so
that I
may bring reformation-- breath by breath,*
"So that the breath of that one may be
defeated by the
breath of this one, (and so that) my snake may
eradicate
that dragon (of yours).*
"If you accept, you will escape from two snakes.
But if
not, (your dragon) will bring destruction to your
soul."
2360 (Pharaoh) said, "Truly you are a very masterful
magician, since you have thrown duality into this
place by
means of trickery.*
"(For) you have made a single hearted people
(into) two
groups.* Magic makes cracks in rocks and
mountains."
(Moses) replied, "I am (actually) drowned in the

message of God. Magic is never seen together with
the
Name of God.*
"The substance of magic is disregard and denial
(of
God). (Whereas) the soul of Moses is the (luminous)
torch
of (true) religion.
"How do I resemble magicians, O shamelessly
rude
one?-- since the Messiah is becoming full of
jealousy
because of my (life-giving) breath.*
2365 "How do I resemble magicians, O foul one?--
since
(holy) books are getting light from my soul."*

-- From "The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî" [Rhymed Couplets of
Deep Spiritual Meaning] of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard (with
gratitude for R.A. Nicholson's 1930 British
translation)
(c) Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, &
transliteration)

*Imagination [wahm]:The word means thinking, imagining;
conceiving a false idea; opinion, conjecture; suspicion,
doubt;
apprehension, anxiety. "Wahm is associated with the carnal
reason (`aql-i ma`ásh)" [= reasoning for the sake of
subsistence, livelihood, income]." "Wahm is opposed to `aql
(the spiritual reason), as fallibility and illusion to
unerring
perception of the truth." "Wahm cannot apprehend the
essential
truth of things." (Nicholson Commentary)
"It means that it [= imagination, opinion, conjecture]
is not
pure reason, but is one faculty of perception. It is mixed
with
an appearance of reason, since it perceives a little bit of
reality.
And in its perception, it is not free from mistakes and
blunders.
And it is the enemy and opponent of discerning reason."
(Translated here from a Persian translation of Anqaravi's
famous 17th century Turkish Commentary on the
Mathnawi/Masnavi)
*"Discerning reason" [`aql]: means intellect, reason,
discrimination; rationality; prudence. Nicholson translated,

"Reason," with a capital letter, indicating "higher
intellection"
approaching the highest mentation possible for the
perfected, or
completed, human being-- "Universal Reason." This is in
contrast to "partial reason" used by the ego for worldly
survival, gain, and greed. "Reason is the substance or
essence,
of which memory and other mental faculties are only the
accidents or attributes." "`Aql refers to the spiritual
reason
(`aql-i ma`ád) [= ultimate reason]." (Commentary)
(2301) craving desire [shahwat]: Nicholson translate,
"sensuality." However, in addition to meaning lust, it means

"appetitive" desire for physical pleasures in general. "It
means,
someone who still weaving (his opinions, based) upon the
desires of (his) ego and the demands of his personality,
don't
call him rational." (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2303) touchstone: a stone used by assayers to determine
if a
metal is authentic gold or not. When rubbed against genuine
gold, a change of color takes place.
(2304) the Qur'an, as well as the [inspired] state of
the
Prophets: "The touchstone is the Glorious Qur'an and the
spiritual state of the Prophets [= Noah, Abraham, Moses,
David, Jesus, Muhammad, among others mentioned in the
Qur'an]-- may the peace (of God) be upon them. Because the
Glorious Qur'an and the states of the prophets-- upon them
be
peace, (are) like a touchstone against counterfeit. They
say,
`Come and connect yourself to our existence. The time of
your
becoming connected (will be) the time (when) you will know
and perceive.'" (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2305) height or base: means the uppermost and lowermost

part. May refer to the dimensions of the touchstone itself.
Nicholson translated, "thou art not worthy of my high and
lower (degrees of spirituality)." And he explained: "may
signify
mystical knowledge and religious faith." (Commentary)
"The intended meaning of `height' (is) the level of
loftiness,
which is the ranks and states of the Prophets-- peace be
upon
them, and the noble saints. And the intended meaning of
`base'
is the level of being humble, which is the ranks and states
of
those (true) believers who have firmness in the stages of
faith
(in God)." (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2306) clear reason [`aql]: "i.e. the holy man inspired
by
Reason. The verse probably alludes to the martyrdom of
Zakariyyá (father of John the Baptist), who was sawn asunder

inside a tree where he was miraculously concealed."
(Nicholson, Commentary) Here, Nicholson referred to a
non-Qur'anic Islamic legend. "Just as the venerable
(Prophet)
Zakariyya [= the father of the Prophet John (the Baptist)]--

peace be upon him, during the time when he was concealed
inside a tree, and the tree was cut into two halves with a
saw.
He never grieved or feared, but was counted among the
friends
(of God) and the grateful ones." (Anqaravi,Commentary)
(2306) smiling like gold in the fire: Nicholson referred
to
IV:822, which he translated, "The gold gladly cast (itself
with)
hands and feet into the crucible: its vein (original nature)
laughs
in the face of the fire." The "smiling," of course refers to
the
gleam of pure gold.
(2307) Suspicious imagination is particular to Pharaoh:
Pharaoh, who vainly imagined that he was himself God to his
people (Qur'an, 79:24; Mathnawi IV: 1556-57) was very
suspicious toward Moses for challenging his status and
authority. "It means specifically that he is the possessor
of
egotism [nafsî], for he is rebellious. And he is commanding
violation of the ways of justice." (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2308) the Way of not-being [Tarîq-é nęstî]: means the
path
of mystical annihilation of self-existence, ego-concerns,
arrogance, greed, etc. Nicholson translated, "the way of
non-existence (self-negation)."
(2309) the Messenger of the Lord of Majesty: a reference
to
the verse, "And Moses said, `O Pharaoh, truly I am a
messenger from the Lord of (all) the worlds.'" (Qur'an
7:104)
(2340) I'm (actually) making a thorn into a rose garden:
"It
means, `O Pharaoh, although according to appearance I am
destroying your thorny nature, your affairs, and works-- yet
in
regard to reality, after destroying that thorn, I am making
a rose
garden.' It means: `Every harmful and foul characteristic
and
quality-- like a thorn to you-- which is removed, in
exchange for
that I will make for you a rose garden with Divine
Attributes
and lordly characteristics...'" (Anqaravi, Commentary)
Nicholson referred to I: 303-307, which he
translated: "The
worldly sense is the ladder to this world; the religious
sense is
the ladder to Heaven. Seek ye the well-being of the former
sense to the physician; beg ye the well-being of the latter
sense
from the Beloved. The health of the former arises from the
flourishing state of the body; the health of the latter
arises from
the ruin of the body. The spiritual way ruins the body and,
after
having ruined it, restores it to prosperity: Ruined the
house for
the sake of the golden treasure, and with that same treasure

builds it better (than before)."
(2343) don't move against me: Nicholson translated, "do
not
interfere with me," and he explained: "Literally, `do not
advance
against me.'" (footnote). "It means, `Don't protest against
me
and don't interfere with my actions...'" (Anqaravi,
Commentary)
(2346) foul wound: "It is called a boil or abscess, and
a
wound." (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2347) bodily humors: Nicholson translated "(corrupt)
humours." "It means the corrupt humors which are evident
within you." (Anqaravi, Commentary) This refers to the four
"humors" or temperaments, which correspond to the four
elements. They were originated in the ancient Greek school
of
Hippocrates and further developed by Galen, after which they

became accepted medical doctrine for centuries. The
temperaments and their traditional qualities are as
follows: (1)
sanguine (air, warm-moist, red blood, sweet); choleric
(fire,
hot-dry, yellow bile, salty); (3) phlegmatic (water,
cold-moist,
white blood, bitter); (4) melancholic (earth, cool-dry,
black
bile, sour).
(2348) The tailor has cut a garment into pieces:
Nicholson
translated differently: "When a tailor cuts (the cloth for)
a
garment piece by piece." He also pointed out a similar
passage
in I: 3204-11.
(2351) and butcher: "And the butcher also-- as long as
he
doesn't slaughter an animal and doesn't cut the carcass in
pieces, its meat will not become fit and proper food."
(Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2352) myrobalan fruit: a dried astringent fruit of an
East
Indian tree used nowadays mainly in tanning and in inks.
Nicholson translated, "myrobalan and bastard myrobalan." He
referred to I:2933, which he translated: "Unless myrobalan
is
pounded up with medicines, how should the medicines by
themselves become health-increasing (acting as tonics)?" He
also explained: "Myrobalans, especially the yellow and black

varieties) were much in favour as tonics and purgatives."
(Commentary)
(2353) our table cloth will never be decorated by it: It
is the
traditional custom of Middle Eastern peoples to eat sitting
on the
floor with food placed on a piece of cloth or leather. Moses
may,
or may not, have been speaking to Pharaoh in all these
verses regarding these various analogies. He speaks directly
to
Pharaoh starting in the following verse.
(2354) the bread and salt (on the table cloth) made the
demand:
Nicholson translated, "(The obligation of gratitude for)
that
bread and salt (of thine) demanded..."
(2354) that I should liberate you, O fish, from the net:
"It
means: `O Pharaoh.... I am taking this action, O rebellious
one
and one resembling an ignorant and forgetful fish, so that I
may
liberate you from the trap of calamity and grant you
salvation
from the Wrath of God.'" (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2356) you have made a little worm (into) a dragon:
apparently, this is a metaphor of when egotism becomes
strong-- beginning as a baby snake, a large snake, and then
a
horrible dragon. It refers to the contest (mentioned in the
Bible
and the Qur'an) between Moses and Pharaoh's magicians. The
magicians used sorcery and threw down their staffs, or rods,

which took on the appearance of snakes. Moses used Divine
power and threw down his staff, by the Command of God,
which turned into a snake and devoured the snakes of the
magicians. Nicholson cited a similar passage in II: 2285-86,

which he translated, "The black serpent that was (as) a
worm fallen on the road has become a dragon; (But) in thy
hand,
O thou with (love for) whom the soul of Moses is
intoxicated, the dragon or serpent became (as) the rod (in
the
hand of Moses)." He also cited III: 1053-56, which he
translated: "The dragon is thy sensual soul.... If it obtain
the
means of Pharaoh.... Then it will begin to act like Pharaoh
and
will waylay a hundred (such as) Moses and Aaron. That
dragon, under stress of poverty, is a little worm, (but) a
gnat is
made a falcon by power and riches."
(2357) so that I may bring reformation-- breath by
breath:
"Moses says that he has brought a dragon (i.e. his rod,
which
assumed the form of a dragon) in order to subdue the dragon
(i.e. the sensual nature) of Pharaoh. For dam [= breath]
applied
to the powerful enchantments of the nafs [= ego], cf. II
2289
seq. [which Nicholson translated, "breathe (thy) enchantment

over it..."] These are overcome by the Divinely inspired
\prophet
or saint. As the next verse shows, Fa [= Anqaravi] is
wrong in taking dam-ba-dam [= breath by breath] to mean `by
degrees'." (Nicholson, Commentary)
(2358) my snake may eradicate that dragon (of yours):
"(It
means): `Especially (so that) my snake, which is
manifesting
the power of God, may eradicate and suppress the dragon of
your ego-- which is admitting denial and ignorance (of God).

And so that you and your disposition may become delivered
from its evil and harmfulness.'" (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2359) If you accept: Nicholson translated, "If thou
submittest..." "It means: `If you accept my invitation and
the
worship of God Most High and surrender to me and become
(my) follower, you will find deliverance from the evil and
bites
of these two snakes. For the intended meaning of the two
snakes is: one of the snakes is your ego [nafs] and the
other one
is a snake which comes into manifestation from this rod....
And
if not, the dragon of your ego eventually will bring
destruction
for your soul, and it will defeat and torment you.'"
(Anqaravi,
Commentary)
(2360) you have thrown duality into this place by means
of
trickery: "Pharaoh did not accept the words of venerable
Moses-- peace be upon him, and told him.... `You have cast
duality and division in this place among the people by means
of
plotting and trickery.'" (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2361) two groups: Pharaoh accused Moses of dividing the

Egyptian people, who had been unified by his leadership,
into
those loyal to Pharaoh and those loyal to Moses--such as the

magicians who proclaimed faith in Moses and the God he
proclaimed (and were executed): "Pharaoh said, `Do you
believe in him before I give you permission? Certainly this
is a
trick which you have plotted in this city to drive out its
people...'" (Qur'an 7:123).
(2362) Magic is never seen together with the Name of
God:
"Because Truth is the opposite of falseness. And those acts
which are contrary to the usual, which come into
manifestation
by means of the name of God and (His) Lordly Attributes, are

called miracles and wonders. But those imaginary forms which

appear as a result of wickedness and denial and disregard
(of
God) are named magic." (Anqaravi, Commentary)
(2364) the Messiah is becoming full of jealousy because
of
my (life-giving) breath: "This reference to Jesus in the
course
of an argument addressed by Moses to Pharaoh will not
surprise any one who have observed Rúmí's contempt for
chronology.... Moses, no doubt, may be supposed to represent

the Súfí Perfect Man, and perhaps Rúmí was thinking of a
famous Tradition (Hadíthu `l-ghibtah) [= the saying about
wishing to be like someone without feeling envy] to the
effect
that the prophets themselves regard God's awliyá [= saints]
with feelings of benevolent envy." (Nicholson, Commentary)
(2365) (holy) books are getting light from my soul: "The

transcendental prophetic spirit is the Light of Revelation.
See
Qur. XLII 52". (Nicholson, Commentary) "But We have made
it [= the Divine Revelation] a Light by which We guide
whoever We will of Our servants..." (Qur'an 42:52) "It
means,
`O impure one, how do I resemble magicians and tricksters?
Since all books become illumined from my soul and obtain
life.'" (Anqaravi, Commentary)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dar bayân-é ân-ke wahm qalb-é `aql-ast wa setęza-yé ô-st,
ba-d-ô mând wa ô nęst wa qiSSa-yé mujâbât-é műsŕ-- `alay-hi
`s-salâm-- ke SâHib-é `aql bôd bâ fir`awn ke SâHib-é wahm
bűd

2301 `aql Zidd-é shahwat-ast ay pahlawân
ân-ke shahwat mę-tan-ad `aql-ash ma-khwân

wahm khwân-ash ân-ke shahwat-râ gadâ-st
wahm qalb-é naqd-é zarr-é `aql-hâ-st

bę-miHak paydâ na-gard-ad wahm-o `aql
har dô-râ sôy-é miHak kon zűd naql

în miHak qur'ân-o Hâl-é anbiyâ
chűn miHak mar qalb-râ gôy-ad be-yâ

2305 tâ be-bîn-î khwęsh-râ z-âsęb-é man
ke na-î ahl-é farâz-o shęb-é man

`aql-râ gar arra'yé sâz-ad dô nîm
ham-chô zar bâsh-ad dar âtesh ô basîm

wahm mar fir`awn-é `âlam-sôz-râ
`aql mar műsŕ-yé jân-afrôz-râ

raft műsŕ bar Tarîq-é nęstî
goft fir`awn-ash be-gô tô kę-st-î

2309 goft man `aql-am, rasűl-é Zű `l-jalâl
Hujjatu `llâh-am, amân-am az Zalâl

. . . . . .
. .

2340 Zâhirâ kâr-é tô wîrân mę-kon-am
lęk khârę-râ golestân mę-kon-am

bayân-é ân-ke `imârat dar wîrânî-st wa jam`îyat dar
parâkandagî-st wa dorostî dar shekastagî-st wa murâd dar
bę-murâdî-st wa wujűd dar `adam-ast wa `alŕ haZâ baqiyyatu
`l-iZdâd wa `l-azwâj

ân yakę âmad zamîn-râ mę-shekâft
ablahę faryâd kard-o bar na-tâft

k-în zamîn-râ az che wîrân mę-kon-î
mę-shekâf-î-wo paręshân mę-kon-î?

goft ay ablah be-raw, bar man ma-rân
tô `imârat az kharâbî bâz dân

kay shaw-ad gol-zâr-o gandom-zâr în
tâ na-gard-ad zesht-o węrân în zamîn

2345 kay shaw-ad bostân-o kasht-o barg-o bar
tâ na-gard-ad naZm-é ô zęr-o zabar?

tâ be-na-sh'kâf-î ba-neshtar ręsh-é chaghz
kay shaw-ad nękô-wo kay gardîd naghz?

tâ na-shôy-ad khilTa-hâ-at az dawâ
kay raw-ad shôresh, ko-jâ ây-ad shifâ?

pâra-pâra karda darzî jâma-râ
kas zan-ad ân darzî-yé `allâma-râ?

ke che-râ în aTlas-é ba-g'zîda-râ
bar darîd-î, che kon-am ba-drîda-râ?

2350 har binây-é kohna k-âbâdân kon-and
ne ke awwal kohna-râ węrân kon-and?

ham-chon-în najjâr-o Haddâd-o qaSâb
hast-eshân pęsh az `imârat-hâ kharâb

ân halîla-wo ân balîla kôftan
z-ân talaf gard-and ma`műrîy-é tan

tâ na-kôb-î gandom andar âseyâ
kay shaw-ad ârâsta z-ân khwân-é mâ?

ân taqâZâ kard ân nân-o namak
ke ze-shast-at wâ rahân-am ay samak

2355 gar paZîr-î pand-é műsŕ wâ rah-î
az chon-în shast-é bad-é nâ-muntahî

bas ke khwad-râ karda-î banda-yé hawâ
kerm-akę-râ karda-î tô azhdahâ

azhdahâ-râ azhdahâ âwarda-am
tâ ba-iSlâH âwar-am man dam ba-dam

tâ dam-é ân az dam-é în be-sh'kan-ad
mâr-é man ân azhdahâ-râ bar kan-ad

gar riZâ dâd-î rahîd-î az dô mâr
war-na az jân-at bar âr-ad ân damâr

2360 goft al-Haq sakht ostâ-jâdowî
ke dar afkand-î ba-makr în-jâ dowî

khalq-é yak-del-râ tô kard-î dô gorôh
jâdowî rakhna kon-ad dar sang-o kôh

goft hast-am garq-é payghâm-é khodâ
jâdowî ke dîd bâ nâm-é khodâ?

ghaflat-o kufr-ast mâya-yé jâdowî
mash`ala-yé dîn-ast jân-é műsawî

man ba-jâdű-yân che mân-am ay waqîH
k-az dam-am por rashk mę-gard-ad masîH?

2365 man ba-jâdű-yân che mân-am ay junub
ke ze-jân-am nűr mę-gîr-ad kutub?

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