Islamic mysticism and Sufi scholarship

The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi, Volume 2

Name: The Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi, Volume 2
Author: R. A. Nicholson

R. A. Nicholson1926

AdvancedPrimary Sourcepartial

The continuation of Nicholson's definitive scholarly translation of Rumi's Mathnawi, presenting further books of this towering 13th-century Persian Sufi masterpiece. As in the earlier volumes, the work proceeds through an intricate tapestry of parables, Quranic allusions, and mystical discourse, exploring the ego's resistance to the divine pull, the nature of spiritual guidance, and the soul's progressive return to its Source. Essential reading alongside the complete edition for scholars and devotees of Sufi literature.

Also known asMasnavi Vol. 2 · Spiritual Couplets Vol. 2

This edition1926

EditionR. A. Nicholson translation 1926, E. J. W. Gibb Memorial Series; original Persian 13th century

meditationdivine love and the BelovedReligious philosophyMystical experiencemeditation and contemplationMysticismmystical theologyspiritual ascentPoetic Mysticismcontemplative practiceIslamic traditionMystical philosophyallegorical interpretationmystical unionSufism

Contents448 chapters

01Preface (in prose)
02The description of Mohammed in the Gospel
03The punishment inflicted on a man who scoffed at Mohammed
04The Wind which destroyed the people of ‘Ád
05Azrael and the man who took refuge with Solomon
06Proem
07Solomon and the Hoopoe
08The Fall of Adam
09The Holy War against the Flesh
10How Adam acknowledged, while Iblís denied, responsibility for sin
11“And He is with you, wheresoever ye be”
12“Let him who desires to sit with God sit with the Súfís”
13The Spiritual Birds that are Divine Intelligences
14Commentary on a saying of Farídu’ddín ‘Attár
15The respect paid to Moses by Pharaoh’s magicians
16Commentary on a saying of Saná’í, and a Discourse on a Tradition of the Prophet concerning the jealousy of God
17The harmfulness of being honoured by the people
18“Whatsoever God wills cometh to pass”
19Explanation of a Tradition of the Prophet concerning Divine inspiration
20Commentary on a verse of Saná’í
21“Take advantage of the coolness of the spring season”
22Luqmán and his fellow-servants
23The conflagration in Medina in the days of the Caliph ‘Umar
24The self-conceit shown by Adam towards Iblís
25The unworldliness of the Prophet
26Preface (in prose)
27The Caliph ‘Umar and the man who thought he saw the new moon
28The answer of an ascetic who was warned not to weep, lest he should become blind
29The peasant who stroked a lion in the dark
30Parable for those who say “if”
31The man who killed his mother because he suspected her of adultery
32The thirsty man who threw bricks into the water
33The reverence of Bilqís for the message of Solomon which was brought to her by the hoopoe
34The philosopher who showed disbelief in the Qur’án
35The Amír and the sleeping man into whose mouth a snake had crept
36The blind beggar who said, “I have two blindnesses”
37Júhi and the child
38The Caliph and Laylá
39The nature of intuitive knowledge
40John the Baptist and Jesus
41Mute eloquence
42The search for the Tree of Life
43How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name
44How Mohammed established unity amongst the Anṣár
45The ducklings that were fostered by a hen
46The miracles wrought by an ascetic in the desert
47Page 1
48Page 2
49Page 3
50Page 4
51Page 5
52Page 6
53Page 7
54Page 8
55Page 9
56Page 10
57NEW SERIES
58Page 12
59Page 13
60INTRODUCTION
61Page 15
62Page 16
63Page 17
64POSTSCRIPT
65Page 19
66TABLE OF CONTENTS
67CONTENTS
68BOOK II
69CONTENTS
70Page 24
71Page 25
72Page 26
73Page 27
74Page 28
75Page 29
76Page 30
77Page 31
78Page 32
79Page 33
80Page 34
81Page 35
82Page 36
83Page 37
84Page 38
85Page 39
86Page 40
87Page 41
88Page 42
89Page 43
90Page 44
91Page 45
92Page 46
93How the vizier brought the Christians into doubt and perplexity.
94Page 48
95Page 49
96Story of the Caliph's seeing Laylá.
97Explanation of the envy of the vizier.
98Page 52
99Page 53
100Page 54
101Page 55
102Page 56
103Page 57
104Page 59
105Page 60
106Page 61
107Page 62
108Page 63
109Page 64
110Page 65
111The story of another Jewish king who endeavoured to destroy the religion of Jesus.
112Page 68
113How a child began to speak amidst the fire and urged the people to throw themselves into the fire
114Page 70
115Page 72
116How the Jewish king scoffed and denied and would not accept the counsel of his intimates.
117Setting forth how the beasts of chase told the lion to trust in God and cease from exerting himself.
118Page 76
119How the lion again pronounced exertion to be superior to trust in God.
120How the beasts once more asserted the superiority of trust in God to exertion.
121Page 80
122How the superiority of exertion to trust in God was established.
123Page 82
124Page 83
125Page 84
126Page 85
127How the lion roared wrathfully because the hare was late in coming.
128Page 87
129Page 88
130Page 89
131Page 91
132Page 93
133How the hare drew back from the lion when he approached the well.
134Page 96
135Page 97
136Page 98
137Page 99
138How the beasts gathered round the hare and spoke in praise of him.
139Page 102
140Page 103
141Page 104
142How the ambassador of Rúm questioned the Commander of the Faithful, may God be well-pleased with him.
143Page 107
144Page 110
145Page 111
146Page 115
147Page 116
148Page 117
149Page 118
150Page 119
151Page 120
152Page 122
153Page 123
154Page 124
155Page 125
156Page 128
157Page 129
158Page 130
159Page 132
160Page 133
161Page 134
162Page 137
163Page 138
164Page 139
165Page 140
166Page 141
167Page 142
168Page 143
169Page 144
170Page 145
171Page 146
172Page 147
173Page 148
174Page 149
175Page 150
176Page 151
177Page 152
178Page 153
179Page 154
180Page 155
181Page 156
182Page 157
183Page 158
184Page 159
185Page 160
186Page 161
187Page 162
188Page 163
189Page 164
190Page 165
191Page 166
192The moral of the altercation of the Arab and his wife.
193Page 168
194Page 169
195Page 170
196Page 171
197Page 172
198Page 173
199Page 174
200Page 175
201Page 176
202Page 177
203Page 178
204How the Arab delivered the gift, that is, the jug to the Caliph’s servants.
205The story of what passed between the grammarian and the boatman.
206Page 181
207Page 182
208Page 183
209Page 184
210Page 185
211Page 186
212Page 187
213Page 188
214Page 189
215Page 190
216Page 191
217Page 192
218Description of Unification.
219How the lion punished the wolf who had shown disrespect in dividing (the prey).
220Page 195
221Page 196
222Page 197
223Page 198
224Page 199
225Page 200
226Page 201
227Page 202
228Page 203
229Page 204
230Page 205
231Page 206
232Page 207
233How the deaf man went to visit his sick neighbour.
234Page 209
235Page 210
236Explaining that one must keep one’s own (spiritual) state and (mystical) intoxication hidden from the ignorant.
237Page 212
238Page 213
239Page 214
240Page 215
241Page 216
242Page 217
243Page 218
244Page 219
245Page 221
246Page 222
247Page 223
248Page 224
249Page 225
250Page 227
251Page 228
252Page 229
253Page 230
254Page 231
255Page 232
256Page 233
257Page 234
258Page 235
259Page 237
260Page 238
261Page 240
262Page 241
263Page 242
264Page 243
265Page 244
266Page 245
267IN THE NAME OF GOD THE MERCIFUL THE COMPASSIONATE
268Page 248
269Page 249
270Page 250
271Page 251
272Page 253
273Page 254
274Page 255
275Page 256
276Page 257
277Page 258
278Page 259
279Page 260
280Page 261
281Page 262
282How the King found his falcon in the house of a decrepit old woman.
283Page 264
284Page 265
285Page 266
286Page 267
287Page 268
288Page 270
289Page 271
290How the Ṣúfís sold the traveller’s beast (to pay) for the (expenses of the) mystic dance.
291Page 274
292Page 275
293Page 276
294Page 277
295Page 278
296Page 279
297Page 280
298Page 281
299Page 282
300Page 283
301Page 285
302Page 287
303Page 288
304Page 289
305How the King made trial of the two slaves whom he had recently purchased.
306How the King sent away one of the two slaves and interrogated the other.
307Page 292
308Page 293
309Page 294
310Page 295
311Page 296
312Page 297
313Page 298
314Page 299
315Page 300
316Page 301
317Page 302
318Page 303
319Page 304
320Page 305
321Page 306
322Page 308
323Page 309
324Page 310
325Page 311
326Page 312
327Page 313
328Page 314
329Page 315
330Page 316
331How friends came to the madhouse for Dhu 'l-Nún—may God sanctify his honoured spirit!
332Page 318
333How the disciples understood that Dhu 'l-Nún had not become mad, (but) had acted with intention.
334Page 320
335How Luqmán’s master tested his sagacity.
336Page 322
337Page 323
338How the excellence and sagacity of Luqmán became manifest to those who made trial (of him).
339Page 325
340Conclusion of (the story) how the (other) retainers envied the King's favourite slave.
341Page 327
342Page 329
343Page 331
344Page 332
345Page 333
346Page 334
347Page 335
348Page 336
349How the (Divine) revelation came to Moses, on whom be peace, excusing that shepherd.
350Page 338
351Page 339
352Page 340
353Page 341
354Page 342
355Page 344
356Page 345
357Page 346
358Page 347
359Continuation⁴ of the story of the bear and of the fool who had put trust in its good faith.
360Page 350
361Page 351
362Page 352
363Page 353
364How the madman sought to ingratiate himself with Jálínús (Galen), and how Jálínús was afraid.
365Page 355
366Page 356
367Page 357
368How the gardener isolated the Ṣúfí, the jurist, and the descendant of ‘Alí from one another.
369Page 359
370Page 360
371Story.
372Page 362
373Page 363
374Page 364
375Page 365
376Page 366
377Page 367
378Page 368
379Page 369
380Page 370
381Page 371
382Page 372
383Page 373
384Page 374
385Page 375
386Page 376
387Page 377
388Page 378
389Page 379
390Page 380
391How Iblís again made answer to Mu‘áwiya.
392Page 382
393How Mu'áwiya again exposed the deceitfulness of Iblís.
394How Iblís again replied to Mu'áwiya.
395How Mu’āwiya dealt sternly with Iblis
396How Mu'áwiya complained of Iblís to the most high God and besought His aid.
397How Mu‘āwiya once more pressed Iblís hard.
398Page 388
399Page 389
400Conclusion of the confession made by Iblís to Mu‘áwiya of his deceit.
401Page 391
402Page 392
403Page 393
404Page 394
405Page 395
406Page 396
407Story of the person who was seeking after his stray camel and inquiring about it.
408Page 398
409On making trial of everything, so that the good and evil which are in it may be brought to view.
410Explaining the moral of the story of the person seeking (the lost) camel.
411Page 401
412Page 402
413Page 403
414How the Ghuzz set about killing one man in order that another might be terrorised.
415Page 405
416Page 406
417Page 407
418Page 409
419Story of the desert Arab and his putting sand in the sack and the philosopher’s rebuking him.
420Page 412
421The miracles of Ibráhím son of Adham—may God sanctify his holy spirit!—on the sea-shore.
422Page 414
423Page 415
424Page 416
425Page 417
426Page 418
427Page 419
428Page 420
429Page 421
430Page 422
431Page 423
432Page 424
433Page 425
434Page 426
435The miracles of the dervish who was suspected of theft in a ship.
436How some Súfís abused a certain Súfí, saying that he talked too much in the presence of the Shaykh.
437How the dervish excused himself to the Shaykh.
438Page 430
439Page 431
440The answer to the difficulty.
441Page 437
442Page 440
443Page 441
444Page 444
445Page 445
446Page 446
447Page 447
448Page 448

By the Same Author

The Mathnawi

1925

Advanced

The Mystics of Islam

1914

Advanced

Ask the Hermetikon Archivist about this text

Search within this book, retrieve direct quotations with page references, or explore related ideas.

Ask the Archivist