A review by sidharthvardhan
The Masnavi: Book Two by Rumi

4.0

"This world’s a playground and the night is death—
You go home empty-handed, out of breath."

Like part one of Masnavi (there are six parts in all), it is full of beautiful verses and stories, though I loved the verses from the first part more. Some of my favorite verses are the arguments that Satan forwards in one of the stories to prove that he is god's servant and so innocent:

"I am the touchstone which detects real gold.
I give God’s test to dogs and lions too,
Like gold and counterfeit—I see what’s true.
How can I ever blacken gold that’s real;
Like money-changers I can only deal:
I guide to goodness every passer-by,
And break of only branches which are dry."

Of course, though his arguments are logically sound, Satan wasn't really innocent. And this is really one of the main calls from Rumi - the abandonment of reason and arguments in favor of spiritual experience, for true wisdom is beyond knowledge that can be gained through senses or described in words:

"Since I’ve transcended all thoughts, I am now
Racing beyond the questions ‘why?’ and ‘how?’
I rule thought and don’t follow its instruction:
The builder has control of his construction"

"From all this art and wisdom all I gain
Is headaches and vain fancies in my brain!’

"For meaning’s open to interpretations,
And idle whims spring from loose estimations;
But inner truths which are made manifest
Can’t be interpreted, unlike the rest.
When each sense is the slave of that first sense"

"Names are nests, knowledge birds that live therein"

"So many times I tried to use my brain,
But now I’ll seek the fruits of being insane!’

This is something similar to Bhakti marg from Gita, there are other routes within both Islam and Hinduism - one of them is through reason but Rumi is critical of that path. So, why, then, then Rumi is using art and arguments for his own purpose? To help others:

"The self is Nimrod; spirit is God’s Friend:*
The self needs signs; spirits can view the end.
Signposts serve those still traveling, since they
Inside the desert often lose their way.
The eyes of those who’ve reached the destination
Don’t care for signposts to another station;
If such a man refers to signs, it’s so
The scholars too can have a chance to know:
A father for his child makes baby sounds,
Even if his own knowledge knows no bounds"

and, of course, only sufis know the true value of mysticism:

"Till turned to gold, copper no flaws can see;
Till made king, one can’t measure poverty."

The first book was broadly about search of the true path, the second is about the guides who will lead you on that path - and Sufi mystics are the ones to be trusted for a job. There is a lot of promotion:

"The shaikh could read this person’s thoughts with ease—
Hearts are the jungles which this lion sees:
He enters in their hearts like hope and fear;
The secrets of the world to him are clear,
So guard your hearts, you useless slaves of greed,
When near the masters of your hearts—take heed"

which would have been okay with me if it wasn't for Rumi's misogyny that starts annoying the taste by the middle:

"How hidden things are brought to view, my brother!
Like fickle women you love flattery"

"Worse than a woman is your carnal soul,
For she is just a part, while it’s the whole"

Those are the less offensive statements. And what struck me is the inherent assumption that Rumi is basically writing only for men since the 'you' is compared to women, one can see it doesn't include them. Actually, correction, 'you' only includes only native men:

"An Indian burnt his mirror when in pain,
“This makes men’s faces look black!” he’d complain,
“It’s not my fault!” the blameless mirror said,
“Blame the one who has polished me instead!
He made me tell the truth"

And that is why this part is three stars instead of four + 1 star for the efforts of translator. This translation also comes with notes about the original context of the metaphors used in poem (I said 'original' as Rumi will often allude - use phrases from Quran or sayings of prophets in a context different from original). The notes make a very good in themselves, containing a lot to learn about Islamic theology, myths and legends.