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4
647-671

  • Worldly riches are a trap for the weak birds; the kingdom of the next world is a trap for the noble birds,
  • To the end that by means of this kingdom, which is a deep trap, the great birds may be ensnared.
  • “I, Solomon, do not desire your kingdom; nay, but I will deliver you from every destruction;
  • For at this time ye are indeed slaves to the kingdom; the owner of the kingdom is he that escaped from destruction.” 650
  • Preposterously, O prisoner of this world, thou hast named thyself prince of this world.
  • O thou slave of this world, thou whose spirit is imprisoned, how long wilt thou call thyself lord of the world?
  • How Solomon, on whom be peace, showed affection and kindness to the envoys and removed (feelings of) resentment and injury from their hearts and explained to them the reason for declining the gift.
  • “O envoys, I will send you as envoys (to Bilqís): my refusal (of the gift) is better for you than acceptance.
  • Relate to Bilqís what marvellous things ye have seen concerning the desert of gold,
  • That she may know we do not covet gold: we have gotten gold from the gold-Creator, 655
  • At whose will the whole earth’s soil from end to end would become gold and precious pearls.”
  • On that account, O thou who choosest gold, God will make this earth silvern on the Day of Resurrection.
  • “We have no need of gold, for we are very skilful: we make earthly beings entirely golden.
  • How shall we beg gold of you? We (can) make you (spiritual) alchemists.
  • Abandon (all) that, (even) if it is the kingdom of Saba, for beyond (this) water and earth there are many kingdoms.” 660
  • That which thou hast called a throne is (really) a splint- bandage: thou deemest (it) the seat of honour, but (in truth) thou hast remained at the door.
  • (If) thou hast not sovereignty over thine own beard, how wilt thou exercise sovereignty over good and evil?
  • Without thy wish, thy beard grows white: be ashamed of thy beard, O thou whose hopes are perverse.
  • He (God) is the Possessor of the Kingdom: whosoever lays his head before Him, to him He gives a hundred kingdoms without the terrestrial world;
  • But the (inward) savour of a single prostration before God will be more sweet to thee than two hundred empires: 665
  • Then thou wilt cry (in humble entreaty), “I desire not kingdoms: commit unto me the kingdom of that prostration.”
  • The kings of the world, because of their evil nature, got no scent of the wine of service (to God);
  • Otherwise, dizzy and dumbfounded like (Ibráhim son of) Adham, without delay they would have dashed their sovereignty to pieces.
  • But (this they do not inasmuch as), for the maintenance of this world, God set a seal upon their eyes and mouths,
  • To the end that throne and crown should be sweet to them, "for" (they say) "we will exact tribute from the rulers of the world." 670
  • If by way of tribute thou amass gold as (though it were) sand, at last it will be left behind thee as an inheritance.