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542-566

  • Or dost thou know (that) and art thou showing disdain and purposely tearing out (such) a (fine) broidery?

  • Oh, there is many a disdain that becomes a sin and causes the servant to fall from favour with the King (God).

  • To show disdain is sweeter than sugar; but chew it not, for it hath a hundred perils.

  • The place of safety is the way of want (lowliness): abandon disdain and make up with (be satisfied with) that way. 545

  • Oh, many a disdainfulness flapped its wings and plumes, (but) in the end it became a bane to that (arrogant) person.

  • If the sweetness of disdain exalts thee for a moment, (yet) its latent fear and dread consumes thee;

  • (While) this want (lowliness), though it make (thee) lean, will make thy breast (heart) like the brilliant full-moon.

  • Since He (God) draws forth the living from the dead, he that has become dead (to this world) keeps the right course;

  • (And) since He brings forth the dead from the living, the living (carnal) soul moves towards a state of death (self-mortification). 550

  • Become dead, that the Lord who brings forth the living may bring forth a (spiritually) living one from this dead one.

  • (If) thou become December (Winter), thou wilt experience the bringing forth of Spring; (if) thou become night, thou wilt experience the advent of day.

  • Do not tear out thy feathers, for ’tis irreparable: do not rend thy face in grief, O beauteous one.

  • Such a face that resembles the morning sun—’tis sinful to rend a countenance like that.

  • ’Tis (an act of) infidelity (to inflict) scratches upon a countenance (of) such (beauty) that the moon's countenance wept at parting from it. 555

  • Or dost not thou see (the beauty of) thy face? Abandon that contumacious disposition (which prevents thee from seeing it).”

  • Explaining that the purity and simplicity of the tranquil soul are disturbed by thoughts, just as (when) you write or depict anything on the surface of a mirror, though you may (afterwards) obliterate it entirely, (yet) a mark and blemish will remain (on the mirror).

  • The face of the tranquil soul in the body suffers wounds inflicted by the nails of thought.

  • Know that evil thought is a poisonous nail: in (the case of) deep reflection it rends the face of the soul.

  • In order that he (the thinker) may loose the knot of a difficulty, he has put a golden spade into ordure.

  • Suppose the knot is loosed, O adept (thinker): ’tis (like) a tight knot on an empty purse. 560

  • Thou hast grown old in (the occupation of) loosing knots: suppose a few more knots are loosed (by thee, what then?).

  • The knot that is (fastened) tight on our throat is that thou shouldst know whether thou art vile or fortunate.

  • Solve this problem, if thou art a man: spend thy breath (life) on this, if thou hast the breath (spirit) of Adam (within thee).

  • Suppose thou knowest the definitions of (all) substances and accidents, (how shall it profit thee?): know the (true) definition of thyself, for this is indispensable.

  • When thou knowest the definition of thyself, flee from this definition, that thou mayst attain to Him who hath no definition, O sifter of dust. 565

  • (Thy) life has gone (to waste) in (the consideration of logical) predicate and subject: (thy) life, devoid of (spiritual) insight, has gone in (study of) what has been received by hearsay.