If you are wise like the Friend of God,
the fire is water to you, especially this fire of Love,
which is the soul of all waters . . . and you are a moth.
But the ignorant moth behaves differently than we do:
it sees the light and ends up in the fire.
The heart of the mystic sees fire and goes into the Light.
A fire has been made to look like water,
while within the apparent fire is a real fountain.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~
Chon Khalil-e Haqq agar farzÄÂneh-‘i
ÄÂtesh ÄÂb-e tost va to parvÄÂneh-‘i
KhÄÂsseh in ÄÂtesh keh jÄÂn-e ÄÂb-hÄÂst
kÄÂr-e parvÄÂneh beh `aks-e kÄÂr-e mÄÂst
U be-binad nur va dar nÄÂri ravad
del be-binad nÄÂr va dar nuri shavad
teshi-rÄ shakl-e ÄÂbi dÄÂdeh-‘and
va andar ÄÂtesh cheshmeh-‘i bo-g’shÄÂdeh-‘and
— Mathnawi V:438; 442-443; 445
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
“Rumi: Jewels of Remembrance”
Threshold Books, 1996
(Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahyį Monastra)