Pass Away from Selfhood
An Excerpt From The Poetry of Rumi's Son, Sultan Valad
That (world) is illumination, delight, and permanence;1 and this
(world) is darkness, affliction, and transience.
The result of this is: pass away from selfhood, so that you may
gaze upon God continually.
Become purified from pride and from (self-) existence, so that
drunkenness may come (to you) without (need of) goblet and wine.
Ascend like Jesus2 without (need of) the donkey of the body, upon
the heavens, and pass beyond Moses.3
-- From "Walad-nâma" (also known as "Ibtidâ-nâma" and
"Masnavi-yé Valadî") of SulTân Walad (son of Jalaluddin Rumi,
died 1312), lines 11-14, p. 7 of the edition of Mâhdokht Bânû
Homâ'î
--Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard
© Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, &
transliteration)
(8/02)
NOTES
1permanence [baqâ]: a technical sufi term referring to a state of
mystical permanence in God, and a term which contrasts with
"transience" [fanâ].
2Ascend like Jesus: refers to the bodily ascension into Heaven of
Jesus (Qur'an 4:158). In the stories about Jesus in the Islamic
tradition, he is depicted as riding humbly on a donkey.
3beyond Moses: perhaps means that, while Moses died, Jesus was
raised bodily by God into Heaven (like Elijah and Enoch), and it is
believed by Muslims that Jesus will return to earth as a sign of the
imminent coming of the Day of Judgment, will die and be buried,
and will be raised up together with humanity at the Resurrection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ân hama rôshanî-wo `aysh-o baqâ-st
w-în hama Zulmat-o `anâ-wo fanâ-st
HâSil în-ast k-az khwodî be-gozar
tâ kon-î dar khodâ mudâm naZar
pâk shô az ghurûr-o az hastî
tâ ke bê-jâm-o may ras-ad mastî
bê-khar-é tan bar-ây chûn `îsà
bar falak-hâ-wo be-g'Zar az mûsà
(meter: XoXX oXoX XX/ooX)
