In Book 3 of Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi, the story of Majnun affectionately petting a street dog serves as a profound allegory for transcending superficial forms to perceive deeper spiritual realities. A critic rebukes Majnun for kissing a creature that eats filth, to which Majnun replies that the critic is constrained by outward appearances. Through the eyes of love, Majnun sees the dog not as a dirty animal, but as a noble watchman of Layla's lane and a companion in his grief. Rumi uses this metaphor to teach that spiritual seekers must break past the outer form to reach the inner meaning. He immediately contrasts Majnun's enlightened vision with the naivety of a hospitable townsman, who is dangerously deceived by the mere outward form of a deceitful villager's empty flattery.

The Tale of Majnun and Layla's Dog in the Masnavi

## Original content

همچو مجنون کاو سگی را مینواخت
بوسهاش میداد و پیشش میگداخت

گرد او میگشت خاضع در طواف
هم جلاب شکرش میداد صاف

بوالفضولی گفت ای مجنون خام
این سگ کل را چه میبوسی مدام

## English translation

Like Majnun, who was petting a dog,
Giving it kisses and melting before it,

Walking around it humbly in circumambulation,
And giving it pure, sweet rosewater.

A meddler said, 'O foolish Majnun!
Why do you continually kiss this scabby dog?'

Google

## Original content
<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right; line-height: 2; margin-top: 0.5rem;">

خواجه و بچگان جهازی ساختند 
بر ستوران جانب ده تاختند
شادمانه سوی صحرا راندند 
سافروا کی تغنموا بر خواندند
کز سفرها ماه کیخسرو شود 
بی سفرها ماه کی خسرو شود
از سفر بیدق شود فرزین راد 
وز سفر یابید یوسف صد مراد
روز روی از آفتابی سوختند 
شب ز اختر راه می‌آموختند
خوب گشته پیش ایشان راه زشت 
از نشاط ده شده ره چون بهشت
تلخ از شیرین‌لبان خوش می‌شود 
خار از گلزار دلکش می‌شود
حنظل از معشوق خرما می‌شود 
خانه از همخانه صحرا می‌شود
ای بسا از نازنینان خارکش 
بر امید گل‌عذار ماه‌وش
ای بسا حمال گشته پشت‌ریش 
از برای دلبر مه‌روی خویش
کرده آهنگر جمال خود سیاه 
تا که شب آید ببوسد روی ماه
خواجه تا شب بر دکانی چار میخ 
زانک سروی در دلش کردست بیخ
تاجری دریا و خشکی می‌رود 
آن بمهر خانه‌شینی می‌دود
هر که را با مرده سودایی بود 
بر امید زنده‌سیمایی بود
آن دروگر روی آورده به چوب 
بر امید خدمت مه‌روی خوب
بر امید زنده‌ای کن اجتهاد 
کو نگردد بعد روزی دو جماد
مونسی مگزین خسی را از خسی 
عاریت باشد درو آن مونسی
انس تو با مادر و بابا کجاست 
گر به جز حق مونسانت را وفاست
انس تو با دایه و لالا چه شد 
گر کسی شاید بغیر حق عضد
انس تو با شیر و با پستان نماند 
نفرت تو از دبیرستان نماند
آن شعاعی بود بر دیوارشان 
جانب خورشید وا رفت آن نشان
بر هر آن چیزی که افتد آن شعاع 
تو بر آن هم عاشق آیی ای شجاع
عشق تو بر هر چه آن موجود بود 
آن ز وصف حق زر اندود بود
چون زری با اصل رفت و مس بماند 
طبع سیر آمد طلاق او براند
از زر اندود صفاتش پا بکش 
از جهالت قلب را کم گوی خوش
کان خوشی در قلبها عاریتست 
زیر زینت مایهٔ بی زینتست
زر ز روی قلب در کان می‌رود 
سوی آن کان رو تو هم کان می‌رود
نور از دیوار تا خور می‌رود 
تو بدان خور رو که در خور می‌رود
زین سپس بستان تو آب از آسمان 
چون ندیدی تو وفا در ناودان
معدن دنبه نباشد دام گرگ 
کی شناسد معدن آن گرگ سترگ
زر گمان بردند بسته در گره 
می‌شتابیدند مغروران به ده
همچنین خندان و رقصان می‌شدند 
سوی آن دولاب چرخی می‌زدند
چون همی‌دیدند مرغی می‌پرید 
جانب ده صبر جامه می‌درید
هر که می‌آمد ز ده از سوی او 
بوسه می‌دادند خوش بر روی او
گر تو روی یار ما را دیده‌ای 
پس تو جان را جان و ما را دیده‌ای

</div>

## English translation
The master and the children prepared their gear; they urged the beasts toward the village. Joyfully they rode toward the open country, reciting, "Travel, that you may gain." For by journeys a moon becomes Kay Khusraw; without journeys, how could a moon become a Khusraw? Through travel a pawn becomes a wise vizier, and through travel Joseph found a hundred desires fulfilled. By day their faces were burned by the sun; by night they learned the road from the stars. The ugly road became beautiful to them; from delight in the village, the road became like paradise. Bitter things become pleasant through sweet-lipped ones; a thorn becomes charming through a rose garden. Colocynth becomes dates through the beloved; a house becomes open country through a housemate. How many delicate ones have become thorn-carriers in hope of a rose-cheeked, moonlike beloved. How many have become porters, their backs wounded, for the sake of their moon-faced beloved. A blacksmith blackens his beauty so that, when night comes, he may kiss the moon's face. The master is nailed to a shop until night because a cypress has taken root in his heart. A merchant goes over sea and land; he runs out of love for one who sits at home. Whoever has traffic with the dead has it in hope of a living-faced one. That reaper has turned toward wood in hope of serving a beautiful moon-faced one. Strive in hope of a living one who will not become inanimate after a day or two. Do not choose a base thing as companion out of baseness; the companionship in it is borrowed. Where is your intimacy with mother and father, if companions other than God are faithful to you? What became of your intimacy with nurse and tutor, if anyone besides God can serve as support? Your intimacy with milk and breast did not remain; your aversion to school did not remain. That was a ray upon their wall; that sign went back toward the sun. Whatever that ray falls upon, you too fall in love with it, brave one. Your love for anything that existed was because it was gilded with God's attribute. When the gold went back to its source and copper remained, nature became sated and drove it away in divorce. Draw your foot back from the gold-gilding of its qualities; out of ignorance, do not keep calling the counterfeit pleasant. For that pleasantness in counterfeits is borrowed; beneath the ornament is an unadorned substance. The gold on the face of the counterfeit goes to the mine; go toward that mine, for it too goes to the mine. Light goes from the wall to the sun; go toward that sun, for it goes to what is worthy. From now on, take your water from the sky, since you have seen no faithfulness in the drainpipe. The wolf's trap is not the source of fat-tail; how would that huge wolf know the source? They thought gold was tied up in the bundle; the deluded ones were hurrying to the village. Laughing and dancing like this, they went on, circling toward that waterwheel. Whenever they saw a bird flying toward the village, patience tore its garment. Whoever came from the village, from that direction, they happily kissed his face. If you have seen our friend's face, then you have seen the soul of the soul and have seen us.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۶ - رفتن خواجه و قومش به سوی ده / Book Three - Section 16 - The Master and His People Going Toward the Village

Root URL: https://ganjoor.net/
Source URL: https://ganjoor.net/

This Reference node represents the source used by the Literature-to-1Cademy migration agent.

Ganjoor

In Book 3 of the Masnavi, Rumi narrates the story of a townsman who, lured by the promises of a countryman, visits his village only to face great hardship and regret. This tale serves as a major allegory warning spiritual seekers against blind trust in worldly illusions and outward hospitality. Rumi nested several digressive allegories within this frame story, including the tale of Majnun and Layla's dog, to contrast worldly delusion with true spiritual vision.

The Tale of the Townsman and the Countryman in the Masnavi

دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۸ - رسیدن خواجه و قومش به ده و نادیده و ناشناخته آوردن روستایی ایشان را / Book Three - Section 18 - The Arrival of the Master and His People at the Village and the Villager's Pretending Not to Have Seen or Known Them

Learn Before

Original content

English translation

Related

Learn After