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^ISDOM OF THE EAST THE PERSIAN MYSTICS JALALU'D-DIN RUM! BY F. HADLAND DAVIS " AUTHOR OF IN THE VALLEY OF STARS " THERE IS A TOWER OP SILENCE "! LONDON STREET JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE 1912 ALL RIGHTS TO A. T. K. THIS LITTLE BOOK OF EASTERN WISDOM IS LOVINGLY INSCRIBED " OUR JOURNEY is TO THE ROSE-GARDEN OF UNION jALA"LU'D-DfN PREFACE DESIRE to thank Mr. R. A. Nicholson for kind and generous permission to use selections from his Dwani Shamsi Tabriz, and I his also his publishers, the Cambridge Press. I am deeply indebted to Mr. E. H. Whinfield for allowing me to use quotations from his rendering I of the Masnavi (Triibner's Oriental Series). thank Mr. John Hastie for giving permission to quote a few passages from the " " Festival of Spring late Rev. Professor Hastie's (James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow). The poems quoted from this volume are entitled : Rose," "I saw the Winter weaving," "Thy " " Love sounds the Music of the Spheres," The " The Beloved All in Souls Love-moved," and All the other translations from the lyrical All." poetry of Jalalu'd-Din Rumi are by Mr. R. A. also cordially me Nicholson. To these gentlemen, 7 and to those PREFACE 8 I have left unnamed, I tender my warmest thanks for their help, sympathy, and interest in " attempt to popularise the wisest of the Persian my Stiffs." F. LONDON, January 22, 1907. HADLANB DAVIS. CONTENTS 11 INTRODUCTION I. II. III. IV. V. ORIGIN OF SUFHSM. . . .11 . THE EARLY SUFIS THE NATURE OF SUFIISM THE INFLUENCE OF SUFIISM ANALYSIS OF THE RELIGION OF LOVE . . 14 -20 .27 . . . 31 . THE LIFE AND WORK OF JALILU'D-DIN KtiMf 34 I. II. III. LIFE SHAMSI TABRIZ . . . 34 36 . THE STORIES OP AL-AFLAKI AND THE DEATH OF JALALU'D-DIN RUM! 38 THE NATURE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF JALALU'DDIN RUMI'S POETRY 40 . IV. . . - . " " SELECTIONS FROM THE DIVANI SHAMSI TABRIZ 44 SELECTIONS FROM THE "MASNAVI" APPENDIX : A . NOTE ON PERSIAN POETRY . 68 . 101 EDITOBIAL NOTE of this series is a very object of the Editors above all things that, desire one. definite They in their humble way, these books shall be the TEE ambassadors of good-will and understanding between East and West the old world of Thought and the new of Action. In this endeavour, and in their own sphere, they are but followers of the highest example in the land. They are confident that a deeper knowledge of the great ideals and lofty philosophy of Oriental thought may help to a revival of that true spirit of Charity which neither despises nor fears the nation of another