In Ghazna there was an ascetic, abounding in knowledge (of divinity): his name was Mohammed and his title Sar-razí.
زاهدی در غزنی از دانش مزی ** بد محمد نام و کفیت سررزی
Every night he would break his fast with vine-tendrils (sar-i raz): during seven years he was continually (engaged) in one quest.
بود افطارش سر رز هر شبی ** هفت سال او دایم اندر مطلبی
He experienced many marvellous things from the King of existence, but his object was (to behold) the beauty of the King.
بس عجایب دید از شاه وجود ** لیک مقصودش جمال شاه بود
That man who was surfeited with himself went to the top of a mountain and said, “Appear, or I will fall (throw myself) to the bottom.”2670
بر سر که رفت آن از خویش سیر ** گفت بنما یا فتادم من به زیر
He (God) said, “The time for that favour is not (yet) come, and if thou fall down, thou wilt not die: I will not kill thee.”
گفت نامد مهلت آن مکرمت ** ور فرو افتی نمیری نکشمت
He, from love (of God), threw himself down: he fell into the depths of a (piece of) water.
او فرو افکند خود را از وداد ** در میان عمق آبی اوفتاد
When he (found that he) was not dead, on account of the shock (of disappointment) that man who was sick of life made lament over himself for having been parted from death;
چون نمرد از نکس آن جان‌سیر مرد ** از فراق مرگ بر خود نوحه کرد
For this (present) life seemed to him like a (state of) death: in his view the thing had become reversed.
کین حیات او را چو مرگی می‌نمود ** کار پیشش بازگونه گشته بود
He was begging death (as a gift) from the Unseen, he was crying, “Verily, my life is in my death.”2675
موت را از غیب می‌کرد او کدی ** ان فی موتی حیاتی می‌زدی
He had embraced death as (other people embrace) life, he had become in full accord with the destruction of his life.
موت را چون زندگی قابل شده ** با هلاک جان خود یک دل شده