The Masnavi, Book Three Read online

  And there he showed them all his beaming face.

  He gave gifts and showed friendship to each man,

  Then promised them the world, as rulers can.

  Finally, he said, ‘By God, I wish tonight

  You’d all sleep in the square until first light.’

  870

  They answered, ‘If you wish, we all will stay

  For a whole month—we’d dutifully obey.’

  How Pharaoh returned from the square to the city, glad to have separated the Israelites from their wives on Moses’ night of conception

  The king returned so pleased with the deception:

  ‘They’re far from wives on the night of conception.’

  Emran, his treasurer, was present too,

  Attending Pharaoh as companions do.

  Pharaoh told him, ‘Emran, sleep by the gate.

  Don’t dare go near your wife to copulate!’

  ‘I’ll sleep at this gate,’ Emran then replied,

  ‘And think of how to keep you satisfied.’

  875

  For Emran was as well an Israelite,

  Though he was very dear in Pharaoh’s sight.

  He never thought Emran would disobey

  And do what would cause him the most dismay.

  Emran makes love to the mother of Moses and she becomes pregnant

  Pharaoh left, Emran slept then by the gate.

  His wife at midnight came, though it was late.

  She kissed his lips and lay down, pressed so tight

  Against him, rousing him from sleep that night.

  Emran woke up and saw his own wife there

  Kissing him fondly in the open air.

  880

  Emran asked, ‘Why did you now come to me?’

  She said, ‘Out of desire and God’s decree.’

  Romantically, he pulled her to his side

  And didn’t try at all to stem the tide:

  They made love, and when he ejaculated,

  ‘This is no trivial thing,’ he intimated.

  ‘A spark was born when iron was struck on stone

  To burn the Pharaoh and all he might own.

  I’m cloud, you’re earth: Moses was cultivated.

  God is the King and we’ve both been checkmated.

  885

  Wife, checkmate, and success come from the King,

  Not us, so don’t blame us for anything.

  What Pharaoh feared most somebody would do

  Happened the moment I made love to you.’

  After they have made love, Emran advises his wife to pretend she hasn’t seen him

  Don’t say a word about our time last night

  Or else we’ll suffer from an awful plight.

  The outcome in the end will be made clear

  Just as its signs are shown already here.

  Suddenly from the area of the square

  Loud human cries began to fill the air.

  890

  The Pharaoh rushed out barefoot, terrified:

  ‘What’s all the noise that I could hear inside?

  What uproar is it that we all can hear

  And which would fill the demons too with fear?’

  Emran said, ‘Long live Pharaoh! Every Jew

  Is celebrating surely due to you.

  Your gifts have filled them with such happiness,

  That they now clap and dance, delirious.’

  ‘Maybe that is the case,’ Pharaoh then said,

  ‘But it brings deep suspicions to my head.’

  895

  Pharaoh is scared of the uproar

  ‘This tumult has disturbed my soul,’ said Pharaoh,

  ‘And aged me through its bitter grief and sorrow.’

  Pharaoh paced to and fro all night so torn

  Like women hours before their child is born.

  He kept on saying, ‘Emran, all these screams

  Are troubling me and I will have bad dreams.’

  Poor Emran lacked the courage to confess

  That he had had sex that night nonetheless,

  That his dear wife had come to meet him here,

  So that the tale of Moses would appear.

  900

  The time a prophet is conceived his star

  Shines in the sky and is seen from afar.

  The appearance of Moses’ star in the sky and the astrologers’ shrieking in the square

  Moses’ star appeared then in the sky,

  Confounding Pharaoh and the schemes he’d try.

  When day broke he told Emran, ‘Go, find out

  What all that uproar from the square’s about!’

  Emran rode there and asked, ‘Why do you bawl?

  Last night the Pharaoh couldn’t sleep at all.’

  Astrologers with heads bare and clothes torn

  Kissed the ground solemnly like men who mourn.

  905

  Their voices too were hoarse like mourning men

  From moaning and lamenting too much. Then

  Each pulled his beard out, smeared his face with mud,

  And gashed his head, as his eyes filled with blood.

  He said, ‘Is all well? What’s all this commotion?

  Does this year show already an ill omen?’

  They begged forgiveness and said, ‘Noble sir,

  Fate’s hand has made us all its prisoner.

  Fortune has dimmed, as all our efforts failed—

  Pharaoh’s foe was conceived, so he’s prevailed.

  910

  Last night that boy’s star could be seen, so we

  Are filled with terror and anxiety.

  The prophet’s star shone in the sky so clear,

  While we all wept tear after star-like tear.’

  Happy inside, but acting sad instead,

  Emran screamed, ‘All is lost!’ and beat his head.

  He acted stern and angry, as if serious,

  And showed a temper like one who’s delirious.

  He spoke like a barbarian, with no care

  About expletives though crowds gathered there,

  915

  Pretending he was bitter and dismayed—

  Such fine backgammon moves Emran now played.

  He faced the crowd, ‘Have you tricked our king, men?

  When will your treachery and greed stop? When?

  You lured down here the ruler of our nation

  And now you’ve caused him deep humiliation.

  You said, with hand on heart as guarantee:

  We will release you from anxiety.’

  The king heard this and started then to bawl:

  ‘Traitors, without delay I’ll hang you all!

  920

  I made myself a laughing-stock for you,

  And squandered wealth on you most vile foes too,

  So that last night each single Israelite

  Would lie alone, with wives far out of sight;

  With no result, I’ve lost wealth and good standing—

  Was that “help”? That is not my understanding!

  For years you’ve gained robes and remuneration,

  Consuming more wealth than a whole new nation—

  Was this your reading through astrology?

  You seem like lying, greedy pigs to me!

  925

  I’ll tear you up and set you all aflame,

  Cut your ears, nose, and lips off—you’re to blame!

  I’ll make you firewood, for you’re such a waste!

  Past pleasures will now leave an awful taste.’

  They said, ‘O lord!’ and bowed down at his feet,

  ‘The Devil this time made us taste defeat,

  But we have warded off for years all kinds

  Of harm—what we’ve done boggles people’s minds.

  This act deceived us, and he’s been conceived:

  Sperm shot out and by one womb was received.

  930

  We seek forgiveness and won’t miss a thing,

 
; Up to the day of his birth, noble king.

  We’ll watch out for that day for all we’re worth,

  Preventing this way his expected birth.

  If we don’t solve this, send us to our graves!

  To your thoughts and opinions we are slaves.’

  For nine whole months, he’d count each day to see

  His foe slain by the spear of destiny.

  Whoever tries to strike at realms beyond

  Falls upside down; his spilled blood forms a pond.

  935

  If soil should try to pick fights with the sky,

  It would turn barren and its plants would die.

  If paintings punch their painter, all they do

  Is self-harm, losing all respect they knew.

  Pharaoh summons women with newborn babies to the square as the next part of his plot

  After nine months the ruler brought his throne

  Out to the square and made this order known:

  ‘Women, go with your babies to the square!

  All Israelites must come out and stand there.

  Your men gained robes of honour just last year

  As well as gold when they chose to appear—

  940

  Women, this year is your turn to acquire

  Through fortune everything that you desire.

  Fine robes of honour wait for worthy women

  And gold caps for the heads of all their children.

  Each woman who has this month given birth

  Will gain from Pharaoh treasures of much worth.’

  Women came out with children, and they went

  Joyfully straight towards the royal tent.

  Each one who’d given birth just recently

  Came unaware of Pharaoh’s treachery.

  945

  When all the women finally gathered round,

  His men took the male babies that they found,

  And chopped their heads off, saying: ‘That is so

  A foe does not survive and chaos grow.’

  How Moses was born and officers came to Emran’s house and revelation came to Moses’ mother, saying: ‘Cast Moses into the fire!’

  Emran’s wife, who’d borne Moses, kept away

  From the commotion on that dreadful day.

  Pharaoh sent midwives to men’s houses, so

  They could investigate and let him know:

  They pointed out, ‘She has a child in there—

  Why didn’t she come out then to the square?

  950

  That pretty woman who lives on this street

  Has a newborn child, but she’s been discreet.’

  Officers came; she followed God’s command

  To put him in a stove with her own hand.

  Then revelation came from the Divine:

  ‘This boy’s from Abraham’s most blessed line.

  And, fire be cool! Protect this holy child.

  This fire’s bright flames will not be hot and wild.’*

  Due to these words from God she now felt calm,

  Placing him there, and fire caused him no harm.

  955

  The officers went off without success;

  Informers stayed suspicious nonetheless:

  In front of Pharaoh they condemned the way

  The officers searched, eyeing extra pay—

  They said, ‘Go, officers immediately,

  And search each of the rooms more carefully.’

  Revelation came to Moses’ mother, saying: ‘Cast Moses in the water!’

  ‘Cast him in water!’ revelation said,

  ‘Have faith and don’t tear out your hair in dread!

  Cast him into the Nile and trust in me—

  I’ll bring him back unharmed assuredly.’

  960

  This discourse has no end. Vile Pharaoh’s plots

  Entangled his own legs and feet in knots.

  He killed a million children brought outside,

  But Moses was at home, unseen inside.

  This tyrant must have turned insane and blind

  To kill all embryos that he could find.

  The plot of unjust Pharaoh was a snake,

  Devouring plots the other kings could make,

  But one much greater had now come to view,

  Which gulped his plot down, swallowing Pharaoh too.

  965

  It was a snake—Moses’ rod was made

  Into one which devoured his through God’s aid.*

  There’s one upon another till the end—

  The end is to Him.* Don’t you comprehend?

  And That One is an ocean with no shore,

  While all the rest are torrents and no more.

  Although they’re snakes, each trickery and plot

  Next to ‘None but God’ is in truth worth naught.*

  My explanation has now reached the end.

  It now must fade; God knows the right course, friend.

  970

  What was in Pharaoh is inside you too,

  But your snakes hide inside pits far from view;

  Inside you are sick traits which are the same,

  Although on Pharaoh you pin all the blame.

  If men say they’re your traits, you’ll turn belligerent,

  If someone else’s, you’ll remain indifferent.

  What ruins you? The self that is abhorred—

  It leads you off the path, far from the Lord.

  Your fire does not have Pharaoh’s kind of wood,

  Or else it would shoot flames too like fire should.

  975

  Story about the snake-catcher who thought a frozen snake was dead, tied it up, and brought it to Baghdad

  Listen now to a chronicler’s old tale

  For hints about this mystery through its veil:

  A hunter went up to the hills one day

  To catch a snake with spells that he could say—

  Whether the seeker’s slow or fast, my friend,

  He will find what he’s seeking in the end.

  Strive hard in seeking and search far and wide,

  For, on this path, to seek is a fine guide.

  Though you should be hunchbacked, uncouth, or lame,

  Keep seeking Him, crawl even to your aim!

  980

  By smelling scents, by silence, or by speech,

  Catch whiffs of the great King you wish to reach.

  Jacob told his sons, ‘Search for Joseph please

  Beyond all borders and all boundaries.

  Search using all your senses, vigilantly;

  Wherever you go, seek him out for me!’

  Of God’s pure spirit you must not despair.*

  Like one who’s lost his son, search everywhere!

  Use your mouth to ask people for a lead,

  Then listen, all ears, so you can take heed;

  985

  When sweet scents come, then smell in that direction,

  For you’re familiar with that higher dimension;

  When you receive a kindness, seek a way

  To the pure source of kindness straight away—

  These lovely things are all from a deep sea;

  Ignore the part, view the entirety!

  Mankind’s wars aim for goodness actually;

  Strength from God points towards the Tuba tree.*

  Men’s rages are all for the sake of peace:

  Restlessness leads to rest once it should cease.

  990

  Each blow aims to give comfort, not distress;

  Complaints help us to value thankfulness.

  Find a way from a mere part to the whole,

  From one thing to its opposite, wise soul!

  Wars aim to bring you peace and harmony;

  This hunter sought a snake for company.

  He caught it to gain an associate

  To care for, though it won’t reciprocate.

  That man searched for a big snake even though

  The hills he climbed we
re covered then with snow.

  995

  He saw a massive serpent that looked dead,

  But still filled up his trembling heart with dread.

  To find a snake the hunter looked around,

  But one dead serpent was all that he found.

  The snake-catcher will hunt just to amaze

  Stupid, impressionable people of these days:

  Man is a mountain—how should he be dazzled

  By a mere snake unless his brain has frazzled?

  Man doesn’t know himself well, obviously—

  He’s fallen down from wealth to poverty,

  1000

  And Man has cheaply sold himself—once rich

  With satin now mere rags are what he’ll stitch.

  A million snakes and mountains are in awe

  Of him, so why desire the snake he saw?