Mystical poem · 1898

The Masnavi (abridged), Books I–VI

The Spiritual Couplets, abridged and translated by E. H. Whinfield

by Jalal al-Din Rumi

Translated by E. H. Whinfield (abridged; 1898)

Rumi's great Persian Sufi teaching poem in six books, here in E. H. Whinfield's abridged English version, opening with the lament of the reed-flute torn from its reed-bed and moving through tales of the prince and the handmaid, the lion and the beasts, the harper and 'Omar, and the elephant in the dark room.

Contents · 80 parts

• Book I — Prologue71 lines
• Book I — Story I. The Prince and the Handmaid82 lines
• Book I — Story II. The Oilman and his Parrot44 lines
• Book I — Story III. The Jewish King, his Vazir, and the Christiansabout 140 lines
• Book I — Story IV. Another Tyrannical Jewish King36 lines
• Book I — Story V. The Lion and the Beastsabout 210 lines
• Book I — Story VI. Omar and the Ambassador82 lines
• Book I — Story VII. The Merchant and his Clever Parrotabout 130 lines
• Book I — Story VIII. The Harper62 lines
• Book I — Story IX. The Arab and his Wifeabout 280 lines
• Book I — Story X. The Man who was Tattooed62 lines
• Book I — Story XI. The Lion who Hunted with the Wolf and the Fox19 lines
• Book I — Story XII. Joseph and the Mirror36 lines
• Book I — Story XIII. The Prophet's Scribe37 lines
• Book I — Story XIV. The Chinese and the Greek Artists44 lines
• Book I — Story XV. Counsels of Reserve given by the Prophet to his Freedman Zaid65 lines
• Book I — Story XVI. 'Ali's Forbearance97 lines
• Book I — Epilogue28 lines
• Book II — Prologue18 lines
• Book II — Story I. The Sufi's Beastabout 140 lines
• Book II — Story II. The Pauper and the Prisonersabout 110 lines
• Book II — Story III. The King and his Two Slaves74 lines
• Book II — Story IV. The Falcon and the Owls26 lines
• Book II — Story V. The Thirsty Man who threw Bricks into the Water38 lines
• Book II — Story VI. Luqman's Master examines him and discovers his Acuteness46 lines
• Book II — Story VII. Moses and the Shepherd96 lines
• Book II — Story VIII. The Man who made a Pet of a Bear66 lines
• Book II — Story X. Bayazid and the Saintabout 180 lines
• Book II — Story XI. Mo'avia and Iblis86 lines
• Book II — Story XIII. The Old Man and the Physician16 lines
• Book II — Story XV. The Man who boasted that God did not punish him for his sins, and Jethro's answer to him66 lines
• Book II — Story XVI. The Gluttonous Sufi85 lines
• Book II — Story XVII. The Tree of Life26 lines
• Book II — Story XVIII. The Young Ducks who were brought up under a Hen44 lines
• Book III — Story I. The Travelers who ate the Young Elephantabout 120 lines
• Book III — Story II. The Villager who invited the Townsman to visit himabout 130 lines
• Book III — Story IV. Moses and Pharaoh28 lines
• Book III — Story V. The Elephant in a Dark Roomabout 130 lines
• Book III — Story VI. The Lover who read Sonnets to his Mistress28 lines
• Book III — Story VII. The Man who prayed earnestly to be fed without work28 lines
• Book III — Story IX. The Darvesh who Broke his Vow68 lines
• Book III — Story X. The Old Man who made no Lamentation at the Death of his Sons36 lines
• Book III — Story XI. Bahlol and the Darvesh44 lines
• Book III — Story XII. The Visions seen by the Saint Daquqiabout 130 lines
• Book III — Story XIII. The People of Sabaabout 200 lines
• Book III — Story XIV. Miracles performed by the Prophet Muhammad22 lines
• Book III — Story XV. The Man who asked Moses to teach him the language of animals27 lines
• Book III — Story XVI. The Woman who lost all her infants56 lines
• Book III — Story XVII. The Vakil of the Prince of Bokharaabout 240 lines
• Book III — Story XVIII. The Deadly Mosqueabout 150 lines
• Book IV — Story I. The Lover and his Mistressabout 100 lines
• Book IV — Story II. The Building of the "Most Remote Temple" at Jerusalemabout 310 lines
• Book IV — Story III. The Youth who wrote a letter of complaint about his rations to the King44 lines
• Book IV — Story IV. Bayazid and his impious sayings when beside himselfabout 120 lines
• Book IV — Story V. The Three Fishes70 lines
• Book IV — Story VI. Moses and Pharaohabout 160 lines
• Book IV — Story VII. The Courtier who quarreled with his Friend for saving his Life51 lines
• Book IV — Story VIII. The Prince who, after having been beguiled by a Courtesan, returned to his True Love23 lines
• Book IV — Story IX. The Mule and the Camelabout 140 lines
• Book V — Story I. The Prophet and his Infidel Guestabout 110 lines
• Book V — Story III. The Sage and the Peacock83 lines
• Book V — Story IV. Muhammad Khwarazm Shah and the Rafizis of Sabzawar22 lines
• Book V — Story V. The Man who claimed to be a Prophet21 lines
• Book V — Story VI. The Disciple who blindly imitated his Shaikh92 lines
• Book V — Story VII. How Adam was created out of a handful of earth brought by an Angel88 lines
• Book V — Story VIII. Mahmud and Ayaz37 lines
• Book V — Story IX. The sincere repentance of Nasuh12 lines
• Book V — Story X. The Lion, the Fox, and the Assabout 140 lines
• Book V — Story XI. The Mosalman who tried to convert a Magian42 lines
• Book V — Story XII. The Devotee who broke the noble's wine-jar20 lines
• Book V — Story VIII. Mahmud and Ayaz (continued)about 180 lines
• Book VI — Prologueabout 150 lines
• Book VI — Story II. The Fowler and the Bird39 lines
• Book VI — Story III. The Drunken Turkish Amir and the Minstrel73 lines
• Book VI — Story IV. The Purchase of Bilal30 lines
• Book VI — Story V. The Sufi and the Qaziabout 130 lines
• Book VI — Story VI. The Faqir and the Hidden Treasureabout 140 lines
• Book VI — Story VII. The Three Travelersabout 110 lines
• Book VI — Story VIII. The Man who received a Pension from the Prefect of Tabriz60 lines
• Book VI — Story IX. The King and his Three Sonsabout 280 lines

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