Discourses of Rumi

FIHI MA FIHI V 129Amir who has just left our company—though hedid not understand in detail what we were saying,yet he realizes in general that we were calling himto God. I take the wagging of his head, his smileof affection and his flush of passion as a sign ofhis understanding. If people from the countrycome into the city and hear the call to prayer,though they do not know in detail the meaning ofthe call, still they understand its purpose.16Rumisaid: Whoever is loved is beautiful, but this doesn’tmean that whoever is beautiful is loved.”Thereare girls more beautiful than Laila,” they used totell Majnun. “Let us bring some to you.””I do notlove Laila for her form,” Majnun would reply.“Laila is like a cup in my hand. I drink wine fromthat cup. I am in love with that wine. You onlyhave eyes for the goblet and do not know thewine. A golden goblet studded with preciousstones, but containing only vinegar, what use isthat to me? An old broken gourd with wine is betterin my eyes than a hundred goblets of gold.”Aperson must be moved with passion and yearningfor them to tell the wine from the cup. This is thesame as someone who is hungry, who hasn’t eatenfor ten days, and another who has eaten five times