The Love of Woman

If you rule your wife outwardly, yet inwardly you are ruled by her whom you desire,

This is characteristic of Man: in other animals love is lacking, and that shows their inferiority. [1]

The Prophet said that woman prevails over the wise, while ignorant men prevail over her; for in them the fierceness of the animal is immanent.

Love and tenderness are human qualities, anger and lust are animal qualities. Woman is a ray of God: she is not the earthly beloved. She is creative: you might say she is not created. [2]

Rumi, Mathnavi. I, 2431.

To this beautiful and intelligent poem must be added a few notes by R.A. Nicholson, the translator.

[1]. Although animals relatively to man are deficient in love, they "know what love is" and "he that is blind to love is inferior to a dog" (Math. V, 2008).

[2]. Sweeping aside the veil of form, the poet beholds in woman the eternal Beauty, the inspirer and object of all love, and regards her, in her essential nature, as the medium through which that Beauty reveals itself and excercises creative activity. Ibun'l-'Arabi went so far as to say that the most perfect vision of God is enjoyed by those who contemplate Him in woman.