Listen to the (ney) reed flute, how it tells a tale complaining of separation
Saying, "Ever since I was separated from the reed bed my lament has caused man and woman
to moan,
I want a bosom torn by severance, that I may unfold the pain of love desire,
Every one who is left far from his source wishes back the time when he was united with it,
In every company I uttered my wailful notes, I consorted with the unhappy and with them that
rejoice,
Everyone became my friend from his own opinion; none sought out my secrets from within me,
My secret is not far from my plaint, but ear and eye lack the light (to apprehend it)
Body is not veiled from soul nor soul from body, yet none is permitted to see the soul."
This noise of the reed is fire, it is not wind; whoso has not this fire may he be naught!
'Tis the fire of Love that is in the reed, 'tis the fervour of love that is in the wine.
The reed is the companion of everyone who has been parted from a friend: its strains pierced
our hearts.
Who ever saw a poison and an antidote like the reed? Who ever saw a sympathiser and a
longing lover like the reed?
The reed tells of the Way full of blood and recounts stories of the passion of Majnun.
Only to the senseless is this sense confided: the tongue hath no customer save the ear.
In our woe the days (of life) have become untimely: our days travel hand in hand with burning
griefs.
If our days are gone let them go! - 'tis no matter. Do Thou remain, for none is holy as Thou art!
Whoever is not a fish becomes sated with His water; whoever is without daily bread finds the
day long.
None that is raw understands the state of the ripe: therefore my words must be brief. Farewell.
(Salaam)
Saying, "Ever since I was separated from the reed bed my lament has caused man and woman
to moan,
I want a bosom torn by severance, that I may unfold the pain of love desire,
Every one who is left far from his source wishes back the time when he was united with it,
In every company I uttered my wailful notes, I consorted with the unhappy and with them that
rejoice,
Everyone became my friend from his own opinion; none sought out my secrets from within me,
My secret is not far from my plaint, but ear and eye lack the light (to apprehend it)
Body is not veiled from soul nor soul from body, yet none is permitted to see the soul."
This noise of the reed is fire, it is not wind; whoso has not this fire may he be naught!
'Tis the fire of Love that is in the reed, 'tis the fervour of love that is in the wine.
The reed is the companion of everyone who has been parted from a friend: its strains pierced
our hearts.
Who ever saw a poison and an antidote like the reed? Who ever saw a sympathiser and a
longing lover like the reed?
The reed tells of the Way full of blood and recounts stories of the passion of Majnun.
Only to the senseless is this sense confided: the tongue hath no customer save the ear.
In our woe the days (of life) have become untimely: our days travel hand in hand with burning
griefs.
If our days are gone let them go! - 'tis no matter. Do Thou remain, for none is holy as Thou art!
Whoever is not a fish becomes sated with His water; whoever is without daily bread finds the
day long.
None that is raw understands the state of the ripe: therefore my words must be brief. Farewell.
(Salaam)
As well as of course our deep and undying gratitude to Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi for this and the following
pages we are grateful to the following persons:
Transliteration - courtesy of Goli Amini Rad. (Iran)
Translation by professor R.A. Nicholson.
The Persian manuscript is 'the old version' as used by Professor Nicholson when correcting his original
translation.
pages we are grateful to the following persons:
Transliteration - courtesy of Goli Amini Rad. (Iran)
Translation by professor R.A. Nicholson.
The Persian manuscript is 'the old version' as used by Professor Nicholson when correcting his original
translation.
| *Those concerned with a more sophisticated transliteration may like to try the excellent Dar al-Masnavi website. |
beshno az ney chond shokayat mikonad
az jodaayee ha hekaayat mikonad,
kaz neyestaan ta maraa bebrideh and,
dar nafiram mardo zan naalideh and,
sineh khaaham sharheh sharheh az faraagh,
ta begooyam sharheh dardeh eshtiyaagh,
har kasi ku door maand az asleh khish,
az jooyad roozegareh vasleh khish,
man be har jamiyati naalaan shodam,
jofteh bad haalaano khosh haalaan shodam,
har kasi az zanneh khod shod yaareh man,
az darooneh man najost asraareh man,
serreh man az naaleyeh man door nist,
lik chashmo goosh ra aan noor nist,
tan zeh jaano jaan zeh tan mastour nist,
lik kas ra dideh jaan dastour nist,
aatash ast in baangeh naayo nist baad,
har keh in aatash nadaarad nist baad,
aatasheh ishq ast kandar ney fetaad,
jooshesheh ishq ast kandar mey fetaad,
ney, harifeh har keh az yaari borid,
pardeh hayash pardeh hayeh ma darid,
hamcho ney zahri o taryaqi keh did?
hamchon ney damsaaz o moshtaqi ke did?
ney hadiseh raheh por khoon mikonad,
qesseh hayeh eshq e majnoon mikonad,
mahrameh in hoosh joz bihoosh nist,
mar zaban ra moshtari joz goosh nist,
dar ghameh ma rooz ha bigaah shod,
rouz ha ba souz ha hamraah shod,
rouz ha gar raft gu ro baak nist,
to bemaan , ey aankeh chin to paak nist,
har keh joz maahi zeh aabash dir shod,
har keh bi roozist, roozash dir shod,
dar nayaabad haaleh pokhteh hich khaam,
pas sokhan kootaah baayad, vassalaam.*
az jodaayee ha hekaayat mikonad,
kaz neyestaan ta maraa bebrideh and,
dar nafiram mardo zan naalideh and,
sineh khaaham sharheh sharheh az faraagh,
ta begooyam sharheh dardeh eshtiyaagh,
har kasi ku door maand az asleh khish,
az jooyad roozegareh vasleh khish,
man be har jamiyati naalaan shodam,
jofteh bad haalaano khosh haalaan shodam,
har kasi az zanneh khod shod yaareh man,
az darooneh man najost asraareh man,
serreh man az naaleyeh man door nist,
lik chashmo goosh ra aan noor nist,
tan zeh jaano jaan zeh tan mastour nist,
lik kas ra dideh jaan dastour nist,
aatash ast in baangeh naayo nist baad,
har keh in aatash nadaarad nist baad,
aatasheh ishq ast kandar ney fetaad,
jooshesheh ishq ast kandar mey fetaad,
ney, harifeh har keh az yaari borid,
pardeh hayash pardeh hayeh ma darid,
hamcho ney zahri o taryaqi keh did?
hamchon ney damsaaz o moshtaqi ke did?
ney hadiseh raheh por khoon mikonad,
qesseh hayeh eshq e majnoon mikonad,
mahrameh in hoosh joz bihoosh nist,
mar zaban ra moshtari joz goosh nist,
dar ghameh ma rooz ha bigaah shod,
rouz ha ba souz ha hamraah shod,
rouz ha gar raft gu ro baak nist,
to bemaan , ey aankeh chin to paak nist,
har keh joz maahi zeh aabash dir shod,
har keh bi roozist, roozash dir shod,
dar nayaabad haaleh pokhteh hich khaam,
pas sokhan kootaah baayad, vassalaam.*
From the Masnevi of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi
In original Persian from an early manuscript, transliteration into Latin
script, and translation of meaning by R. A Nicholson.
Book 1: lines 1 - 36. The complaint of the Ney - the first 18 couplets.
 |
Konya index
Konya photos index
Traveller's Guide
Masnevi
01 - 18 call of the reed
19 - 34
35 - 54
55 - 77
| Below is the translation of R.A, Nicholson - the best known prose translation. |