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The Splendors of Salahuddin

Quatrain 437

May the splendors¹ of Salahuddin² be roused,
(And) be poured into the eyes and souls of the lovers.
May every soul that has become refined and has surpassed refinement
Be mingled with the dust³ of Salahuddin!⁴

--From "The Rubâ`iyât" of Jalâluddîn Rûmî (in the Dîwân-é Kabîr,
also known as "Kulliyat-é Shams" and "Dîwân-é Shams-é Tabrîz")
Adapted from "The Quatrains of Rumi," by Ibrahim Gamard and Ravan
Farhadi, an unpublished manuscript of over 800 pages.
© Ibrahim Gamard and Ravan Farhadi (translation, footnotes, &
transliteration)

Notes on the text:

This quatrain occurs in only one of Foruzanfar's manuscripts, the
least early (1368 C.E.).

1. splendors [anwâr]: lit., "lights." Means spiritual rays of light.

2. Salahuddin [SalâHu 'd-dîn]: Salahuddin, known as the
"Goldsmith" [Zar-kûb] was Rumi's primary spiritual
companion after the final disappearance of Shams-i Tabriz. He was
a fellow disciple with Rumi when they both studied for nine years
under Sayyid Burhânu 'd-dîn Tirmidhî (Rumi's first sufi teacher,
who had also been his father's leading disciple). Also Rumi's son,
Sultan Walad married Salahuddin's daughter, FâTima.

3. mingled with the dust [bâ khâk. . . dar-âmêkhta]: the word for
dust [khâk] also means the grave, as well as the dust that the body
is changed to after death. This phrase here means "blessed with the
same holiness."

4. line four: Aflaki relates (pp. 734-736) that, following a dispute
between his son, Sultan Walad, and his daughter-in-law, FâTima,
the daughter of Salahuddin, Rumi wrote a letter to Fatima in which
he supported her complaint against his son. He wrote that here
sorrows were his sorrows, as well as her concerns. He expressed
the highest respect for her (deceased) father, saying that he was so
indebted to him that he was unable to pay for it. "Only the treasury
of God Most High will be able to pay the gratitude for it." He told
her that his expectation from her was that she should not conceal
any suffering, so that he could help her as much as possible. He
said that if his son continued to trouble her, he would detach his
own heart from him, not answer greetings from him, and not wish
attendance at his own funeral from him -- or from any others that
supported him against her. "But I wish that you not suffer and not
be sad, for God, may He be glorified, will help you, and the
servants of God will aid you." This quatrain appears in Aflaki's
book following the end of the letter. The letter also appears in the
"Letters" [Maktûbât] (Letter no. 56) of Rumi, but without the
quatrain added to it. Excerpts from this letter have been partially
translated by Annemarie Schimmel ("The Triumphant Sun," 1978,
p. 26) and made into a version by Coleman Barks (based on a
literal translation by John Moyne, "This Longing: Versions of
Rumi," 1988, p. 83).

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anwâr-é SalâHu 'd-dîn bar angêkhta bâd

dar dîda-wo jân-é `âshiq-ân rêkhta bâd

har jân ke laTîf gasht-o az luTf goZasht

bâ khâk-é SalâHu 'd-dîn dar âmêkhta bâd


(rubâ`î meter: XXo oXoX oXXX X)