The Masnavi, Book One (Oxford World's Classics)

Explanation of the vizier’s jealousy
That base vizier, the spawn of jealousies,
440
Wasting his faculties on vanities,
Hoped that his bitter envy’s poisonous breath
Would make the souls of poor men meet their death:
If out of envy men turn up their nose
They’ll lose their nose for striking such a pose,
Each person’s nose is there to breathe in scent
And one can send you to the 
firmament:
Whoever lacks it must forsake his nose,
This holy scent through which the spirit grows,
And should he catch a whi
ff, but not sing praise
445
His nose will be devoured for his sick ways,
Therefore give thanks and serve all grateful folk,
To live on, be as dead as dust and smoke!
Don’t waylay others like this sly vizier,
From ritual prayer don’t tempt away those near!
He acted holy, but he was a fake,
Like using garlic on an almond cake!
The perceptive Christians see through the vizier’s plot
Judging his words with taste-buds well re
fined
A few sensed sweet and bitter were combined:
The Jewish Vizier who Misled Christians
30

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He’d mixed the words of saints with those of cheats,
450
Like hiding poison in amongst the sweets,
He seemed to say, ‘Stand
firm while on the way!’
But to their souls, ‘Be weak!’ he’d really say:
Although the silver’s surface shines like new
It makes your hand turn black, your jacket too,
Though
fire by yellow flames each man discerns
Watch how it turns to black all things it burns,
Though lightning helps us see by shining bright
It’s also known for robbing men of sight.
For those who didn’t know how they could check
455
His words became a halter round their neck!
The six years he spent absent from his king
To Christians he claimed safety he would bring ––
People surrendered heart and soul to him,
They would have died to satisfy his whim!
The king corresponds secretly with the vizier
But with the king he still would correspond,
The king wrote secretly, thus kept their bond:
With this aim 
finally he wrote: that they
Like worthless dust should soon be blown away:
‘Of all my ministers you are the best,
460
Now it’s the time to put my mind at rest.’
He answered, ‘Please observe, your majesty,
The strife I’ve caused for Christianity.’
Explanation of the twelve divisions of the Christians
The Christians had agreed a leading role
For twelve of them to whom they gave control:
Each Christian group chose one and then obeyed
Expecting that through him they’d be repaid;
But through their leaders, whom they’d all revere,
They also came to follow this vizier:
Trusting that through his teachings they’d be saved
465
They’d imitate the way this man behaved,
The Jewish Vizier who Misled Christians
31

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And every leader would have gladly died
To please this man whom they all glori
fied.
The vizier deliberately mixes up the ordinances of the Bible
To every tribe he sent a document,
But what each scroll contained was di
fferent:
They each set separate rules to be obeyed
And contradicted points the others made:
In one it said, ‘The fast and discipline
Are needed for repentance to begin.’
The next said, ‘Discipline’s no use to you:
470
Resort to being liberal, as I do.’
Another: ‘Fasting and asceticism
Both really are a form of polytheism,
You should have trust in fate, abandon cares!
In ease and hardship, all you’ll
find are snares!’
In one he wrote, ‘God’s service is a must
To prove beyond a doubt your total trust.’
The next said, ‘End proscription and command,
It’s just to show we’re weak that things are banned:
Once we’ve observed our weakness through their light
475
We’ll then appreciate God’s power and might.’
The next one said, ‘Ignore your weaknesses,
Don’t be ungrateful for God’s kindnesses:
Give thanks for strength and sing his praise aloud,
Of God’s most generous gifts you should be proud!’
The next one said, ‘Don’t look at either one:
Things visible are idols you must shun.’
The next said, ‘Don’t blow out this candle’s
flame,
Vision of union shines bright just the same:
Your mental visions mustn’t be wiped out,
480
At midnight no one blows the candle out!’
The next one said, ‘Just blow it out, don’t grieve,
And in return great visions you’ll receive:
Extinguish it to make your soul expand,
Layli will ask Majnun then for his hand: