When the heart becomes whole

When the heart becomes whole,
it will know the flavors of falsehood and truth.
When Adam’s greed for the forbidden fruit increased,
it robbed his heart of health.
Discernment flies
from one who is drunken with desire.
He who puts down that cup
lightens the inner eye,
and the secret is revealed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Chon shavad az ranj o ellat del salim
tam-e kezb o rst-r bshad alim
Hers-e dam chon su-ye gandom fozud
az del-e dam salimi-r robud
Pas dorugh o ashveh-et-r gush kard
gherreh gasht va zahr-e q tel nush kard
Kazhdom az gandom na-d nast n nafs
mi parad tamyiz az mast-e havas
Khalq mast rzu’and o hav
z-n pazir’and dastn ter
Har keh khvod-r az hav khu bz kard
chashm-e khvod-r shnyi rz kard

— Mathnawi II: 2738-2743
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
“Rumi: Daylight”
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahya¯ Monastra