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 rast-e bashad alim
Harse dam chon su-ye gandom fozud
Az del-e dam salimi-ro bud
Pas dorugh o ashve-et gush kard
Ghereh gasht va zahr-e qatel nush kard
Kazhdom az gandom na-danast an nafs
Miparad tamiz az maste havas
Khalq mast rozand o hava
Zan pazirand dastan tera
Har keh khod-ra az hava kho baz kard
Chashm-e khod-r shenayi raz kard
— Mathnawi II: 2738-2743
Version by Camille and Kabir Helminski
“Rumi: Daylight”
Threshold Books, 1994
Persian transliteration courtesy of Yahya’ Monastra
