Venice masks

Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Love endures hardships at the hands of the Beloved - Jalal al-Din Rumi

Through love bitter things seem sweet,
Through love bits of copper are made gold.
Through love dregs taste like pure wine,
Through love pains are as healing balms.
Through love thorns become roses,
And through love vinegar becomes sweet wine.
Through love the stake becomes a throne,
Through love reverse of fortune seems good fortune.
Through love a prison seems a rose bower,
Without love a grate full of ashes seems a garden.
Through love burning fire is pleasing light,
Through love the Devil becomes a Houri.
Through love hard stones become soft as butter,
Without love soft wax becomes hard iron.
Through love grief is as joy,
Through love Ghouls turn into angels.
Through love stings are as honey,
Through love lions are harmless as mice.
Through love sickness is health,
Through love wrath is as mercy.
Through love the dead rise to life,
Through love the king becomes a slave.

Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207 - 1273) Persia (Iran)
Translated by E.H. Whinfield
Source: Masnavi i Ma'navi; the spiritual couplets of Maulána Jalálu-'d-Dín Muhammad Rúmi, Translated and Abridged by E.H. Whinfield, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd., 1898
From: The Masnavi, Book 2, Story VII

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