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Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rumi : Masnavi (1263-73)
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Taken from: Minoo Southgate: The negative Images of Blacks In some Medieval Iranian Writings. In : Iranian studies 1984 and also; www.dar-al-masnavi.org
Mawlana is his nick name (our master) officially: Jelal Ad-din Muhammad Balkhi.
others call him : Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi
He who has never known enlightenment, is content to live in his state of error. Like a Zangi who, in his blackness is pleased (with himself) for he has (always) been a negro by birth and nature, but he that even for a day is beloved and beautiful, if he becomes black, will seek to repair the misfortune.
The negro� is happy and pleased, he does not see his face, (though) others see it.
It is better to put a sword in the hand of an intoxicated negro then that knowledge should come in the possession of a worthless person.
One of his poems has the following verse:
So that you may see the image of heart-attracting (beloveds),
(and) so that you may see the colors of the tulip garden.
From this reflection, earth and water became colored (and) life
rained upon Turks and (those from) Zanzibar ("Zang-bar")
Note: for him the north of the Muslim world were the Turks, the south Zanzibar.
