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6
3684-3708

  • You have ridden in chase of a deer and have made yourself the prey of a hog.
  • You have run after some gain for the purpose of stuffing yourself: the gain has not reached (you) and you have been cast into prison. 3685
  • You have dug pits for others and have seen yourself fall into them.
  • Since the Lord has disappointed you in regard to the means (of obtaining your desire), then why do not you become suspicious of the means?
  • Many a one has become an emperor by dint of toil, while (many) another has been made destitute by that (same) toil.
  • Many a one has been made (rich as) Qárún by marriage, and many a one has been made bankrupt by marriage.
  • The means, then, is turning about, like the tail of an ass: ’tis better not to rely upon it. 3690
  • And if you take the means, you should not take it boldly, for beneath it there are many hidden banes.
  • This prudence and precaution is the gist of the saving clause, for this (Divine) decree (often) makes the ass appear to be a goat.
  • Although he whose eye it (the Divine decree) has bandaged is clever, (yet) because of his seeing double, in his eyes the ass is a goat.
  • Since God is the Turner of eyes, who (else) should turn the heart and the thoughts?
  • (Hence) you deem a pit to be a pleasant house, you deem a trap to be a dainty bait. 3695
  • This is not sophistry (scepticism), it is God's turning: it shows where the realities are.
  • He who denies the realities is wholly involved in a phantasy.
  • He does not say (to himself), “Thy thinking (that all is) phantasy (illusion) is also a phantasy: rub an eye (and see)!”
  • How the Sultan's sons went to the forbidden fortress, inasmuch as man eagerly covets that which he is refused—“We rendered our service, but thy evil nature could not buy the servant (could not profit by the service that we rendered).” They trod all their father's injunctions and counsels underfoot, so that they fell into the pit of tribulation, and their reproachful souls (consciences) were saying to them, “Did not a warner come to you?” while they, weeping and contrite, replied, “If we had been wont to hearken or understand we should not have been among those who dwell in the flaming Fire.”
  • This discourse hath no end. The party (of travellers) took their way to seek that castle.
  • They approached the tree of the forbidden fruit, they went forth from the file of the sincere. 3700
  • Since they were made more ardent by their father's prohibition and veto, they raised their heads (rebelliously) towards that fortress.
  • In spite of the orders of the elect King (they advanced) to the fortress which is the destroyer of self-restraint and the robber of rationality.
  • Turning their backs on the (bright) day, they came in the dark night in defiance of counsel-bestowing Reason
  • Into the beautiful fortress adorned with pictures, (which had) five gates to the sea and five to the land—
  • Five of those (gates), like the (external) senses, facing towards colour and perfume (the material world); five of them, like the interior senses, seeking the (world of) mystery. 3705
  • By those thousands of pictures and designs and decorations they (the princes) were made mightily restless (so that they wandered) to and fro (in amazement).
  • Do not be intoxicated with these cups, which are (phenomenal) forms, lest thou become a carver of idols and an idolater.
  • Abandon the cups, namely, the (phenomenal) forms: do not tarry! There is wine in the cup, but it is not (derived) from the cup.