Jalaluddin Rumi on Love – Reading Daar-u’l-Masnavi

Bi-‘smi ‘llâh

109 `âshiqî paydâ-st az zâriy-é del
nêst bîmârê chô bîmâriy-é del

110 illat-éâshiq ze illat-hâ jodâ-stishq asturlâb-é asrâr-é khodâ-st

111 âshiqî gar z-în sar-o gar z-ân sar-astâqibat mâ-râ ba-d-ân sar rahbar-ast

112  har-che gôy-am ishq-râ sharH-o bayân
chûn ba-ishq ây-am khajil bâsh-am az ân

113  gar-che tafsîr-é zabân rôshan-gar-ast
lêk `ishq-é bê-zabân rôshan-tar-ast

114  chûn qalam andar neweshtan mê-shetâft
chûn ba-`ishq âmad qalam bar khwad shekâft

115  aql dar sharH-ash chô khar dar gel be-khoft
sharH-éishq-o âshiqî hamishq goft

116  âftâb âmad dalîl-é âftâb
gar dalîl-at bây-ad az way rô ma-tâb.

109 Love intoxication is clearly shown by the heart’s misery. There
isn’t any sickness like the sickness of the heart.

110 The “madness” of the lover is distinct from other illnesses. Love is
the astrolabe of the secrets of God.

111 Whether being a lover is from this or that origin, eventually it is
our guide to that Origin.

112 Whatever I say about Love,  description and
explanation, when I reach Love I am ashamed of that.

113 Although the explanation of the tongue is
illuminator, yet Love without the tongue is clearer.

114 When the pen was hurrying in writing, when it
reached Love, it shattered against itself.

115 In its explanation, the intellect lay down like a
donkey in the mud.  Love spoke explanation of both love and being in love.

116 The sun is the example of the sun: if you need proof,
from — don’t turn face away!

Daar-u’l-Masnavi- Book I: 109-116 [1258 -1261CE]