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6
3985-4009

  • Or, like the much-enduring and glorious Ismá‘íl (Ishmael), offered a throat to Love and his dagger. 3985
  • Story of Imra’u ’l-Qays, who was the king of the Arabs and exceedingly handsome: he was the Joseph of his time, and the Arab women were desperately in love with him, like Zalíkhá (with Joseph). He had the poetic genius (and composed the ode beginning)— “Halt, let us weep in memory of a beloved and a dwelling-place.” Since all the women desired him with (heart and) soul, one may well wonder what was the object of his love-songs and lamentations. Surely he knew that all these (beauteous forms) are copies of a (unique) picture which have been drawn (by the Artist) on frames of earth. At last there came to this Imra’u ’l-Qays such a (spiritual) experience that in the middle of the night he fled from his kingdom and children and concealed himself in the garb of a dervish and wandered from that clime to another clime in search of Him who transcends all climes: “He chooseth for His mercy whom He will”; and so forth.
  • Imra’u ’l-Qays was weary of his empire: Love carried him away from the country of the Arabs,
  • So that he came and worked as a brick-maker at Tabúk. The king was told that a royal personage,
  • Imra’u ’l-Qays (by name), having fallen a prey to Love, had come thither and was making bricks by (his own) labour.
  • The king rose up and went to him at night and said to him, “O king of beauteous countenance,
  • Thou art the Joseph of the age. Two empires have become entirely subject to thee—(one), of the territories (under thy sway), and (the other), of Beauty. 3990
  • Men are enslaved by thy sword, while women are the chattels of thy cloudless moon.
  • (If) thou wilt dwell with me, ’twill be my fortune: by union with thee my soul will be made (equal to) a hundred (enraptured) souls.
  • Both I (myself) and my kingdom are thine to hold as thine own, O thou who in high aspiration hast abandoned kingdoms!”
  • He reasoned with him for a long time, and he (Imra’u ’l-Qays) kept silence, (till) suddenly he unveiled the mystery.
  • Think what (secrets) of love and passion he (must have) whispered into his ear! Immediately he made him a crazy wanderer like himself. 3995
  • He (the king of Tabúk) took his hand and accompanied him: he too renounced his throne and (royal) belt.
  • These two kings went to distant lands: not once (only) has Love committed this crime.
  • It (Love) is honey for the grown-up and milk for children: for every boat it is (like) the last bale (which causes the boat to founder).
  • Besides these two, many kings, (kings) beyond number, hath Love torn from their kingdoms and families.
  • The souls of these three princes also were roaming around China in every direction, like birds picking up grain. 4000
  • They durst not open their lips to utter the thoughts hidden (in their hearts), because it was a perilous and grave secret.
  • A hundred thousand heads (go) for a farthing at the moment (when) Love strings his bow in anger.
  • Even without anger, at the time when he is well-pleased, Love is always accustomed to kill recklessly.
  • This is (his habit) at the moment when he is contented: how shall I describe (what he does) when he is angered?
  • But may the soul's pasture be the ransom for his (Love's) lion who is killed by this Love and his scimitar! 4005
  • (’Tis) a killing better than a thousand lives: (all) sovereignties are mortally enamoured of this servitude.
  • They (the princes) were telling each other their secrets allusively in low tones with a hundred fears and precautions.
  • None but God was the confidant of their secret, their sighs were breathed to Heaven alone.
  • They were using certain mystical terms among themselves in order to convey information.