Be Lost in the Call (1)

Lord, said David, since you do not need us,
why did you create these two worlds?

Reality replied: O prisoner of time,
I was a secret treasure of kindness and generosity,
and I wished this treasure to be known,
so I created a mirror: its shining face, the heart;
its darkened back, the world;
The back would please you if you've never seen the face.

Has anyone ever produced a mirror out of mud and straw?
Yet clean away the mud and straw,
and a mirror might be revealed.

Until the juice ferments a while in the cask,
it isn't wine. If you wish your heart to be bright,
you must do a little work.

My King addressed the soul of my flesh:
You return just as you left.
Where are the traces of my gifts?

* * * * * * * *

tuhan, kata daud, oleh sebab tuan tidak memerlukan kami,
kenapa tuan cipta dua dunia ini?

realiti menjawab: wahai tawanan waktu,
sayalah khazanah rahsia penuh rahmat dan kebaikan,
dan saya mahu khazanah itu diketahui,
lalu saya ciptakan sebuah cermin: muka bersinarnya, hati;
sedang wajah belakangnya yang hitam, dunia ini;
belakangnya itu akan gembirakan tuan, jika tuan tidak pernah lihat mukanya.

pernahkah sesiapa membuat cermin dengan jerami dan lumpur?
tapi, bersihkan jerami dan lumpur itu,
dan mungkin sebuah cermin akan terserlah.

sehingga jus menapai seketika di dalam pak,
ia bukanlah wain. jika tuan mahu hati tuan benderang terang,
tuan mestilah berusaha sedikit.

raja saya bertitah kepada jiwa jasad saya;
tuan kembali seperti ketika tuan pergi,
di manakah tanda-tanda anugerah saya kepada tuan?
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(1) Love is a Stranger: Rumi, translated by Kabir Helminski, Threshold Books, 1993.