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5
629-653

  • When the carcase of a donkey appears in the parish, a hundred sleeping dogs are awakened by it.
  • The greedy desires that had gone into the concealment of the Unseen rush out and display themselves. 630
  • Every hair on every dog becomes (like) a tooth, though they wag their tails (fawningly) for the sake of gaining their object.
  • His (the dog's) under-half is cunning, (while) the upper (half) is anger, like a poor fire that gets faggots (fuel);
  • Flame on flame reaches (it) from (the realm of) non-spatiality: the smoke of its blaze goes up to the sky.
  • In this body (of ours) a hundred such dogs are sleeping: when they have no prey (in sight), they are hidden.
  • Or they resemble falcons with eyes sealed (covered); (yet) in the veil (hood) consumed with passion for a prey, 635
  • Till he (the Falconer) lifts the hood and it (the falcon) sees the prey: then it circles the mountains (in pursuit).
  • The appetite of the sick man is quiescent: his thoughts are going (are turned) towards health.
  • When he sees bread and apples and water-melons, his relish and his fear of injury (to himself) come into conflict.
  • If he be very self-restrained, the sight (of the food) is a benefit to him: that stimulation (of appetite) is good for his enfeebled constitution;
  • But if he have not self-restraint, then it were better he had not seen (the food): ’tis better the arrow should be far from the man who is without a coat of mail. 640
  • The answer of the peacock to his interrogator.
  • When he (the peacock) had finished weeping, he said, “Begone, for thou art in pawn (bondage) to colour and perfume.
  • Dost not thou perceive that on account of these feathers a hundred afflictions approach me on every side?
  • Oh, many a pitiless fowler always lays a trap for me everywhere for the sake of these feathers.
  • How many an archer, for the sake of my plumage, shoots arrows at me (when I am) in the air!
  • Since I have not strength and self-control (to preserve me) from this destiny and this affliction and these tribulations, 645
  • ’Tis better I should be ugly and hideous, that I may be safe amidst these mountains and deserts.
  • These (feathers) are the weapons of my pride, O noble sir: pride brings a hundred afflictions on the proud.
  • Explaining that accomplishments and intellectual abilities and worldly wealth are enemies to (spiritual) life, like the peacock's feathers.
  • Accomplishments, then, are a destruction to the (spiritually) ignorant man, for in his pursuit of the bait he does not see the trap.
  • Free-will is good for him (alone) who is master of himself in (respect of obeying the command) ‘Fear ye (God).’
  • When there is no safeguarding (of one's self) and piety, beware, put far (from thee) the instrument (that serves as a means to sin): drop free-will. 650
  • Those feathers are the object of my display (pride) and freewill: I will tear out the feathers, for they are in quest of my head.
  • The self-restrained man deems his feathers to be naught, in order that his feathers may not cast him into calamity and bale.
  • Therefore his feathers are no harm to him: let him not tear them out, (for) if an arrow (of temptation) come (against him) he will present the shield (of self-restraint).