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5
2840-2864

  • Saying, “Eat! This is all thou art worth: thou art not a waterfowl, thou art a bread-fowl.” 2840
  • Story of the disciple of whose greediness and secret thoughts his Shaykh became aware. He admonished him with his tongue and in the course of his admonition bestowed on him, by Divine command, the food of trust in God.
  • The Shaykh, accompanied by a disciple, was going without delay towards a certain town where bread was scarce,
  • And the dread of hunger and famine was continually presenting itself to the disciple's mind on account of his heedlessness.
  • The Shaykh was aware (of this) and acquainted with his secret thoughts: he said to him, “How long wilt thou remain in torment?
  • Thou art consumed (with grief) because of thy craving for bread: thou hast closed the eye of self-denial and trust in God.
  • Thou art not (one) of the honoured favourites (of God) that thou shouldst be kept without (deprived of) walnuts and raisins. 2845
  • Hunger is the daily bread of the souls of God's elect: how is it amenable to (in the power of) a beggarly fool like thee?
  • Be at ease: thou art not (one) of those, so that thou shouldst tarry without bread in this kitchen.”
  • There are always bowls on bowls and loaves on loaves for these vulgar belly-gods.
  • When he (such a person) dies, the bread comes forward, saying, “O thou who didst (almost) kill thyself from fear of having no food,
  • Thou art gone (from the world), (but) the bread is still there: arise and take it (if thou canst), O thou who didst (almost) kill thyself in agony!” 2850
  • Hark, put trust in God, do not let thy feet and hands tremble (with fear): thy daily bread is more in love with thee than thou (with it).
  • It is in love (with thee) and is lingering (only) because it knows of thy lack of self-denial, O trifler.
  • If thou hadst any self-denial, the daily bread would come and throw itself upon thee as lovers do.
  • What is this feverish trembling for fear of hunger? In (possession of) trust in God one can live full-fed.
  • Story of the cow that is alone in a great island. God most High fills the great island with plants and sweet herbs which are cows' fodder, and the cow feeds on all that (vegetation) till nightfall and grows fat (and big) as a mountain-crag. When night comes, she cannot sleep for anxiety and fear, (for she thinks), “I have fed on the whole field: what shall I eat to-morrow?” So in consequence of this anxiety she becomes thin like a toothpick. At daybreak she sees the whole field is greener and richer than it was yesterday, and again she eats and grows fat. Then again at nightfall the same anxiety seizes her. For years she has been experiencing the like of this, and (yet) she puts no confidence (in the Provider).
  • There is in the world a green island where a sweet-mouthed cow lives alone. 2855
  • She feeds on the whole field till nightfall, so that she grows stout and big and choice.
  • During the night she becomes thin as a hair from anxiety, because she thinks, “What shall I eat to-morrow?”
  • At rise of dawn the field becomes green: the green blades and grain have grown up to (a man's) middle.
  • The cow falls to ravenously: till night she feeds on that (vegetation and devours it) entirely.
  • Again she becomes stout and fat and bulky: her body is filled with fat and strength. 2860
  • Then again at night she (is stricken) by panic (and) falls into a fever (of anxiety), so that from fear of seeking (vainly) for fodder she becomes lean,
  • Thinking, “What shall I eat to-morrow at meal-time?” This is what that cow does for (many) years.
  • She never thinks, “All these years I have been eating from this meadow and this pasture;
  • My provender has never failed (even) for a day: what, (then), is this fear and anguish and heart-burning of mine?”