Piety and Ecstasy

PIETY AND ECSTASY

I am only relating to you the story of a mawlavi
I have no intention of showing my smartness

His pious nature was widely known
All the high and low respected him

He used to say that Shari‘ah was veiled in tasawwuf ¹
As meanings were veiled within words

His heart's flask was filled to the brim with piety's wine
He also had lees of the thought of pantology at the bottom

He often used to describe his supernatural powers
He always intended increase of his disciples' numbers

He had been living in my neighborhood since long
The ascetic and the rind were mutual friends since long

The dignitary asked a friend of mine one day
"Iqbal who is a dignitary in the field of literature

How is he in the obedience to the rules of Shari‘ah ?
Though in poetry he is envy of the Kalam of Hamadan ²

I hear he does not consider the Hindu a non-believer
He has such beliefs as a result of philosophy

He has accepted a little bit of Shiaism also
I have heard the greatness of ‘Ali ³ from him

He considers music as part of adoration
He aims at making a mockery of religion

He does not feel shy with amorous people
This is a very old habit of our poets

He has music at night, Qur’an's recitation in the morning
This secret is not yet fully understood by me

But the information obtained from my disciples is
That spotless like the dawn's whiteness his youth is

He is not Iqbal but a strange mixture of opposites he is
Treasure of wisdom is his heart, but enigmatic his temper is

He knows spiritual freedom as well as the Shari‘ah
Regarding tasawwuf, he is second only to Mansur ⁴

I am unable to understand his reality
Founder of another kind of Islam he appears to be"

In short he prolonged his sermon very much
He long continued this wonderful speech

Everyone soon hears all happenings in this city
I myself heard it through my friends in the city

One day as the respected ascetic met me in the street
The old story restarted during the talk in the street

He said, "That accusation was due to my affection
It was my duty to show you the path of the Shari‘ah"

I said, "I have no intention of any complaint at all
It was your right due to being my neighbor

I bow my head respectfully before you
My youth is accustomed to respect for the old

If you do not know the reality about me
It does not show any lack of pantology

I myself do not know my reality
Very deep is the sea of my thoughts

Since long I am also longing to see Iqbal
For long I have shed tears in his separation

Iqbal also is not acquainted with Iqbal
There is no joke in it, by God he is not