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Peace and War As Manifested by Divine Attributes

Mathnawi VI:1847-1848, 1851-1852

1847 This Creator (of ours) is the One Who Brings Low and the
One Who Elevates.¹ No action arises without these two (Divine
Attributes).

1848 Observe the lowliness of the earth and the loftiness of the
heavens: (the heavens') revolution would not exist without these
two (qualities), O so-and-so.

. . . . . . .

1851 (Due to) the lowly and elevated (qualities) of this mixed
(physical) constitution (of ours), sometimes (there is) health, (and)
sometimes sickness with (painful) groans and cries.

1852 Know that all the conditions of the world (exist) in the same
way, (such as) famine and drought, peace and war -- because of
(Divine) test and trial.

--From "The Mathnawî-yé Ma`nawî" [Rhymed Couplets of
Deep Spiritual Meaning] of Jalaluddin Rumi.
Translated from the Persian by Ibrahim Gamard (with
gratitude for R. A. Nicholson's 1934 British translation)
© Ibrahim Gamard (translation, footnotes, & transliteration)
First published on "Sunlight" (yahoogroups.com), 5/23/02

Notes on the text, with line number:

¹(1847) One Who Brings Low and the One Who Elevates: "The
Creator is the Abaser [khâfiZ] and Exalter [râfi`] (and) these two
names are among His "Most Beautiful Names" [Qur'an 7:180;
17:110; 59:24; 20:8]. That Eternal King is such that He is always
the Contractor [qâbiZ] and the Expander [bâsiT], as well as the
Abaser and the Exalter." (Anqaravi, the 17th century Turkish
commentator, translated here into English from a Persian
translation)

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1847 khâfiZ-ast-o râfi`-ast în kard-gâr
bê az-în dô bar-na-y-ây-ad hêch kâr

1848 khafZ-é arZî bîn-o raf`-é âsmân
bê az-în dô nêst dawran-sh, ay folân

. . . . . . .

1851 khafZ-o raf`-é în mazâj-é muntazij
gâh SiHHat, gâh ranjûriy-é muZij

1852 ham-chon-în dân jumla-yé aHwâl-é jahân
qaHT-o jadb-o SulH-o jang az iftitân

(mathnawi meter: XoXX XoXX XoX)