The Parable of the Chickpea in Book Three of Jalaluddin Rumi's *Masnavi* (Sections 198–200) serves as a profound allegory for the necessity and spiritual utility of suffering, trials, and tribulation (*imtihan* or *bala*).

In this story, a chickpea leaps and cries out in pain as it is boiled in a pot by a housewife (representing the spiritual master or Divine Will). The housewife explains that the boiling is not out of hatred or punishment, but to cook the chickpea so it can be consumed, integrated into human life, and ultimately transformed into spirit and intellect.

### Key Themes:
1. **Spiritual Maturity through Suffering**: Just as raw ingredients must be cooked to become tasty and nutritious food, the human soul (*nafs*) is raw, tasteless, and proud. It requires the 'fire' of earthly trials to dissolve its egotistical shell and attain spiritual maturity.
2. **Divine Mercy Preceding Wrath**: Rumi emphasizes that God's mercy precedes His wrath. The painful trials are acts of di...

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## Original content
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بنگر اندر نخودی در دیگ چون 
می‌جهد بالا چو شد ز آتش زبون
هر زمان نخود بر آید وقت جوش 
بر سر دیگ و برآرد صد خروش
که چرا آتش به من در می‌زنی 
چون خریدی چون نگونم می‌کنی
می‌زند کفلیز کدبانو که نی 
خوش بجوش و بر مجه ز آتش‌کنی
زان نجوشانم که مکروه منی 
بلک تا گیری تو ذوق و چاشنی
تا غذی گردی بیامیزی بجان 
بهرخواری نیستت این امتحان
آب می‌خوردی به بستان سبز و تر 
بهراین آتش بدست آن آب خور
رحمتش سابق بدست از قهر زان 
تا ز رحمت گردد اهل امتحان
رحمتش بر قهر از آن سابق شدست 
تا که سرمایهٔ وجود آید بدست
زانک بی‌لذت نروید لحم و پوست 
چون نروید چه گدازد عشق دوست
زان تقاضا گر بیاید قهرها 
تا کنی ایثار آن سرمایه را
باز لطف آید برای عذر او 
که بکردی غسل و بر جستی ز جو
گوید ای نخود چریدی در بهار 
رنج مهمان تو شد نیکوش دار
تا که مهمان باز گردد شکر ساز 
پیش شه گوید ز ایثار تو باز
تا به جای نعمتت منعم رسد 
جمله نعمتها برد بر تو حسد
من خلیلم تو پسر پیش بچک 
سر بنه انی ارانی اذبحک
سر به پیش قهر نه دل بر قرار 
تا ببرم حلقت اسمعیل‌وار
سر ببرم لیک این سر آن سریست 
کز بریده گشتن و مردن بریست
لیک مقصود ازل تسلیم تست 
ای مسلمان بایدت تسلیم جست
ای نخود می‌جوش اندر ابتلا 
تا نه هستی و نه خود ماند ترا
اندر آن بستان اگر خندیده‌ای 
تو گل بستان جان و دیده‌ای
گر جدا از باغ آب و گل شدی 
لقمه گشتی اندر احیا آمدی
شو غذی و قوت و اندیشه‌ها 
شیر بودی شیر شو در بیشه‌ها
از صفاتش رسته‌ای والله نخست 
در صفاتش باز رو چالاک و چست
ز ابر و خورشید و ز گردون آمدی 
پس شدی اوصاف و گردون بر شدی
آمدی در صورت باران و تاب 
می‌روی اندر صفات مستطاب
جزو شید و ابر و انجمها بدی 
نفس و فعل و قول و فکرتها شدی
هستی حیوان شد از مرگ نبات 
راست آمد اقتلونی یا ثقات
چون چنین بردیست ما را بعد مات 
راست آمد ان فی قتلی حیات
فعل و قول و صدق شد قوت ملک 
تا بدین معراج شد سوی فلک
آنچنان کان طعمه شد قوت بشر 
از جمادی بر شد و شد جانور
این سخن را ترجمهٔ پهناوری 
گفته آید در مقام دیگری
کاروان دایم ز گردون می‌رسد 
تا تجارت می‌کند وا می‌رود
پس برو شیرین و خوش با اختیار 
نه بتلخی و کراهت دزدوار
زان حدیث تلخ می‌گویم ترا 
تا ز تلخیها فرو شویم ترا
ز آب سرد انگور افسرده رهد 
سردی و افسردگی بیرون نهد
تو ز تلخی چونک دل پر خون شوی 
پس ز تلخیها همه بیرون روی

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## English translation
Look at a chickpea in the pot, how
it leaps upward when subdued by the fire.

Every moment the chickpea rises at the boil
to the rim of the pot and raises a hundred cries:

"Why do you set fire to me?
Since you bought me, why do you turn me upside down?"

The mistress of the house strikes with her ladle: "No!
Boil well and do not leap away from the fire's work.

I do not boil you because you are hateful to me,
but so that you may acquire taste and savor,

So that you become nourishment and mingle with the soul—
this trial is not for your humiliation.

You drank water in the green and verdant garden—
that water-drinking was for the sake of this fire.

His mercy precedes His wrath for this reason:
so that through mercy, the people of trial may come to be.

His mercy precedes His wrath for this reason:
so that the capital of existence may be obtained.

For without pleasure, flesh and skin do not grow—
if they do not grow, what will the Friend's love melt?

From that demand, if wraths come,
it is so that you may sacrifice that capital.

Again, grace comes as excuse for it,
saying: 'You performed ablution and leapt out of the stream.'

It says: 'O chickpea, you grazed in spring—
suffering has become your guest; receive it well,

So that when the guest returns, it will give thanks,
and speak before the King of your self-sacrifice,

So that in place of your blessing, the Bestower of blessings may arrive,
and all blessings may envy you.'

'I am Khalīl, you are the son—come forward a little;
lay your head down: "Verily I see in vision that I sacrifice thee."

Lay your head before wrath, keep your heart steadfast,
so that I may cut your throat in the manner of Ismā'īl.

I will cut your head—but this head is that kind of head
that is free from being severed and from dying.

But the eternal purpose is your surrender—
O Muslim, you must seek taslīm.'

O chickpea, boil in tribulation
until neither existence nor self remains to you.

If you blossomed in that garden,
you are the rose of the garden of soul and vision.

If you were separated from the garden of water and clay,
you became a morsel and entered into life.

Become nourishment and strength and thoughts—
you were milk; become a lion in the forests.

You grew first from His attributes, by God—
return into His attributes, agile and swift.

You came from cloud and sun and the heavens;
then you became attributes and ascended to the heavens.

You came in the form of rain and warmth—
you go into praiseworthy attributes.

You were part of sun and cloud and stars;
you became breath and deed and word and thoughts.

The existence of the animal came from the death of the plant—
true indeed is: 'Kill me, O trustworthy ones.'

Since such is our prize after death,
true indeed is: 'Verily in my slaying is life.'

Deed and word and truthfulness became the nourishment of the angel,
so that by this, the mi'rāj was made toward the heavens—

Just as that food became nourishment for the human:
from the mineral it rose and became animal.

A broad exposition of this speech
shall be given in another place.

The caravan constantly arrives from the heavens,
conducts its trade, and returns.

So go sweetly and gladly, with free will,
not bitterly and reluctantly, like a thief.

I speak these bitter words to you
so that I may wash you clean of bitternesses.

By cold water, the frozen grape is freed—
it casts out its coldness and frozenness.

When you, through bitterness, fill your heart with blood,
you will pass beyond all bitternesses entirely.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۹۸ - تمثیل گریختن مؤمن و بی‌صبری او در بلا به اضطراب و بی‌قراری نخود و دیگر حوایج در جوش دیگ و بر دویدن تا بیرون جهند / Book Three - Section 198 - The Parable of the Believer's Fleeing and His Impatience in Affliction, Likened to the Agitation and Restlessness of the Chickpea and Other Ingredients Boiling in the Pot and Leaping Up to Escape

## Original content
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آن ستی گوید ورا که پیش ازین 
من چو تو بودم ز اجزای زمین
چون بنوشیدم جهاد آذری 
پس پذیرا گشتم و اندر خوری
مدتی جوشیده‌ام اندر زمن 
مدتی دیگر درون دیگ تن
زین دو جوشش قوت حسها شدم 
روح گشتم پس ترا استا شدم
در جمادی گفتمی زان می‌دوی 
تا شوی علم و صفات معنوی
چون شدم من روح پس بار دگر 
جوش دیگر کن ز حیوانی گذر
از خدا می‌خواه تا زین نکته‌ها 
در نلغزی و رسی در منتها
زانک از قرآن بسی گمره شدند 
زان رسن قومی درون چه شدند
مر رسن را نیست جرمی ای عنود 
چون ترا سودای سربالا نبود

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## English translation
That lady says to it: "Before this,
I too was like you, of the parts of the earth.

When I drank in the fiery striving (jihād-i āzharī),
then I became receptive and fitting.

For a time I boiled within time,
and for another time within the cauldron of the body.

From these two boilings I became the power of the senses;
I became spirit, then I became your master (ustā).

In the mineral state (jamādī) I said, 'That is why you flee —
so that you may become knowledge and spiritual qualities.'

Since I have become spirit, now once more,
boil again — pass beyond the animal state.

Ask of God that from these subtle points (nakta-hā)
you do not slip and that you reach the utmost end.

For many went astray from the Quran;
by that rope a people fell into the pit.

The rope has no fault, O stubborn one,
since you had no desire to climb upward."

دفتر سوم - بخش ۲۰۰ - عذر گفتن کدبانو با نخود و حکمت در جوش داشتن کدبانو نخود را / Book Three - Section 200 - The Lady Making Excuses to the Chickpea and the Wisdom in the Lady Keeping the Chickpea Boiling

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

## Original content
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سگ شکاری نیست او را طوق نیست 
خام و ناجوشیده جز بی‌ذوق نیست
گفت نخود چون چنینست ای ستی 
خوش بجوشم یاریم ده راستی
تو درین جوشش چو معمار منی 
کفچلیزم زن که بس خوش می‌زنی
همچو پیلم بر سرم زن زخم و داغ 
تا نبینم خواب هندستان و باغ
تا که خود را در دهم در جوش من 
تا رهی یابم در آن آغوش من
زانک انسان در غنا طاغی شود 
همچو پیل خواب‌بین یاغی شود
پیل چون در خواب بیند هند را 
پیلبان را نشنود آرد دغا

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## English translation
He is no hunting hound, he has no collar—
Raw and unboiled, he is nothing but tasteless.

The chickpea said: Since it is so, O lady,
Let me boil happily — give me your true help.

You in this boiling are like my architect,
Strike me with your ladle, for you strike so well.

Strike wound and brand upon my head as on an elephant,
So that I may not dream of Hindustan and garden.

So that I may surrender myself into my boiling,
So that I may find a path into that embrace.

For man in abundance becomes a rebel,
Like the dream-seeing elephant, he grows unruly.

When the elephant in dream sees India,
He heeds not the elephant-keeper, and brings treachery.

دفتر سوم - بخش ۱۹۹ - تمثیل صابر شدن مؤمن چون بر شر و خیر بلا واقف شود / Book Three - Section 199 - The Parable of the Believer's Becoming Patient When He Becomes Aware of the Evil and Good of Affliction

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Key Themes:

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