The Mesnevi of Rumi

“Mathnaoui ou Methnevi (in Persian and Turkish: Mesnevī). C’est le nom d’un des plus fameux Livres de l’Orient, composé en vers Persiens sur un grand nombre de différentes matières de Religion, d’Histoire, de Morale, et de Politique.

“Il a été composé par Gelaleddin Mohammed, fils de Mohammed, Al Balkhi, Al Konoui, environ l’an 600 de l’Hegire.

“Les surnoms de Balkhi et de Konoui sont donnés à cet Auteur, parce qu’il était natif de la ville de Balkh en Khorassan, et qu’il vint s’établir ensuite dans celle de Cogni en Natolie.

“Ce fut dans cette même ville qu’il institua un ordre de Derviches plus spirituels que les autres, lesquels on appelle ordinairement Mevlevis, qui font leur Capital de l’ouvrage de leur Maistre, auquel ils ne portent guères moins de respect qu’ à l’Alcoran. C’est pourquoi on donne aussi souvent au Mathnaoui le surnom de Mevlevi.

“Il y a un grand nombre de Commentaires Persiens et Turcs sur ce Livre, dont la poésie est estimée si excellente, que tous ses vers en sont cités, comme autant de sentences.”—D’Herbelot, Bibliothèque Orientale.

CONTENTS.

PAGE TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE vii

SELECTED ANECDOTES.

CHAP. I. Bahā’u-’d-Dīn, Veled, Sultānu-’l-‘Ulemā 3

II. Seyyid Burhānu-’d-Dīn, Sirr-Dān 13

III. Mevlānā Jelālu-’d-Dīn, Muhammed 18

IV. Shemsu-’d-Dīn, Tebrīzī 99

V. Sheykh Salāhu-’d-Dīn, Ferīdūn 110

VI. Chelebī Husāmu-’d-Dīn, Hasan 113

VII. Bahā’u-’d-Din, Sultān Veled 122

VIII. Chelebī Emīr ‘Ārif 126

IX. Genealogical 132

THE MESNEVĪ--BOOK I.

PREFACE i

INTRODUCTION.--PLAINT OF THE REED-FLUTE 1

TALE I. The Prince and the Handmaid 4

II. The Oilman and the Parrot 19

III. The Jewish King, Persecutor of Christians 25

IV. Another Jewish King, Persecutor of Christians 55

V. The Lion and the Beasts 67

VI. The Greater (Spiritual) Warfare 101

VII. The Merchant and the Parrot 114

VIII. The Harper 139

IX. The Poor Scenite Arab and his Wife 165

X. Patience and Perseverance 212

XI. The Lion’s Hunt 218

XII. Joseph and the Mirror 228

XIII. The Prophet’s Amanuensis 234

XIV. The Chinese and Roman Artists 248

XV. Zeyd’s Inspiration 254

XVI. ‘Ali’s Forbearance 270

CONCLUSION 289

TRANSLATOR’S PREFACE.[1]

The historian El Eflākī was a disciple of Chelebī Emīr ‘Ārif, a grandson of the author of the Mesnevī. ‘Ārif died in A.D. 1320; but as the dates of ‘Ārif’s successors are carried down to A.H. 754 (A.D. 1353), when Eflākī’s collection of anecdotes was completed, the historian must have outlived this last date. As a disciple of the Emīr ‘Ārif, he was a dervish of the order named Mevlevī, as being followers of the rule and practices of Mevlānā Jelālu-’d-Dīn, er-Rūmī, commonly known in English literature as “the dancing dervishes,” expressed by Americans: “whirling dervishes.” The dervishes of the order do not all dance or “whirl.” Some are musicians, and some singers or chanters, who may, however, be occasional dancers also.

Eflākī’s work gives a sufficiency of dates to fix the principal events that he commemorates. His dates do not agree exactly with those found in other historians. They are, however, sufficiently near for general purposes not of a chronologically critical nature. They commence with A.H. 605 (A.D. 1208), and thus cover a period of 145 years dated, besides another 30 years of the lifetime of Jelāl’s grandfather undated, who was a noble of such high standing and of so great a reputation for learning and sanctity at Balkh, that the king gave him his only daughter in marriage, unsolicited. His mother was also a princess of the same royal house with his wife.

This royal house was the one known in history as that of Kh’ārezm-shāh or the Kharezmians. They were overthrown, and Balkh (the ancient Bactra, or Zariaspa), their capital, destroyed, by Jengīz Khān in A.D. 1211. A remnant of their kingdom was continued for twelve years longer by the last of the line, who died, at once a fugitive and an invader, in Azerbāyjān, in a battle fought against the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor.