Table of Contents
Preface (About the Masnawi Book of Mawlana)
About the Author (Mawlana Rumi)
Story I: The Lover and his Mistress
Story II: The Building of the "Most Remote Temple" at Jerusalem
Story III: The Youth who wrote a letter of complaint about his rations to the King
Story IV: Bayazid and his impious sayings when beside himself
Story V: The Three Fishes
Story VI: Moses and Pharaoh
Story VII: The Courtier who quarreled with his Friend for saving his Life
Story VIII: The Prince who, after having been beguiled by a Courtesan, returned to his True Love
Story IX: The Mule and the Camel
Story I
The Lover And His Mistress
THE fourth book begins with an address to Husamu-'d-Din, and this is followed by the story of the lover and his mistress, already commenced in the third book. A certain lover had been separated from his mistress for the space of seven years, during which he never relaxed his efforts to find her. At last his constancy and perseverance were rewarded, in accordance with the promises "The seeker shall find," and "Whoso shall have wrought an atom's weight of good shall behold it." 1 One night, as he was wandering through the city, he was pursued by the patrol, and, in order to escape them, took refuge in a garden, where he found his long-sought mistress. This occasioned him to reflect how often men "hate the things that are good for them," 2 and led him to bless the rough patrol who had procured him the bliss of meeting with his mistress.
