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1
820-869

  • Wherever is flowing water, there is greenery: wherever are running tears, (the Divine) mercy is shown. 820
  • Be moaning and moist-eyed like the water-wheel, that green herbs may spring up from the courtyard of your soul.
  • If you desire tears, have mercy on one who sheds tears; if you desire mercy, show mercy to the weak.
  • How the fire reproached the Jewish king.
  • The king turned his face to the fire, saying, “O fierce-tempered one, where is thy world-consuming natural disposition?
  • How art thou not burning? What has become of thy specific property? Or has thy intention changed because of our fortune?
  • Thou hast no pity (even) on the fire-worshipper: how (then) has he been saved who does not worship thee? 825
  • Never, O fire, art thou patient: how burnest thou not? What is it? Hast thou not the power?
  • Is this a spell, I wonder, that binds the eye or the mind? How does such a lofty flame not burn?
  • Has some one bewitched thee? Or is it magic, or is thy unnatural behaviour from our fortune?”
  • The fire said: “I am the same, O idolator: come in, that thou mayst feel my heat.
  • My nature and element have not changed: I am the sword of God and by (His) leave I cut. 830
  • The Turcoman dogs fawn at the tent-door before the guest,
  • But if any one having the face of a stranger pass by the tent, he will see the dogs rushing at him like lions.
  • I am not less than a dog in devotion, nor is God less than a Turcoman in life (living power).”
  • If the fire of your nature make you suffer pain, it burns by command of the Lord of religion;
  • If the fire of your nature give you joy, (that is because) the Lord of the Judgment puts joy therein. 835
  • When you feel pain, ask pardon of God: pain, by command of the Creator, is efficacious.
  • When He pleases, pain itself becomes joy; bondage itself becomes freedom.
  • Air and earth and water and fire are (His) slaves: with you and me they are dead, but with God they are alive.
  • Before God, fire is always standing (ready to do His behest), writhing continually day and night, like a lover.
  • If you strike stone on iron, it (the fire) leaps out: ’tis by God's command that it puts forth its foot. 840
  • Do not strike together the iron and stone of injustice, for these two generate like man and woman.
  • The stone and the iron are indeed causes, but look higher, O good man!
  • For this (external) cause was produced by that (spiritual) cause: when did a cause ever proceed from itself without a cause?
  • And those causes which guide the prophets on their way are higher than these (external) causes.
  • That (spiritual) cause makes this (external) cause operative; sometimes, again, it makes it fruitless and ineffectual. 845
  • (Ordinary) minds are familiar with this (external) cause, but the prophets are familiar with those (spiritual) causes.
  • What is (the meaning of) this (word) “cause” (sabab) in Arabic? Say: “cord” (rasan). This cord came into this well (the world) by (Divine) artifice.
  • The revolution of the water-wheel causes the cord (to move), (but) not to see the mover of the water-wheel is an error.
  • Beware, beware! Do not regard these cords of causation in the world as (deriving their movement) from the giddy wheel (of heaven),
  • Lest you remain empty and giddy like the (celestial) wheel, lest through brainlessness you burn like markh wood. 850
  • By the command of God the wind devours (extinguishes) fire: both are drunken with the wine of God.
  • O son, when you open your eyes you will see that from God too are the water of clemency and the fire of anger.
  • Had not the soul of the wind been informed by God, how would it have distinguished (the believers and unbelievers) amongst the people of ‘Ád?
  • The story of the wind which destroyed the people of ‘Ád in the time of (the prophet) Húd, on whom be peace.
  • Húd drew a line round the believers: the wind would become soft (subside) when it reached that place,
  • (Although) it was dashing to pieces in the air all who were outside of the line. 855
  • Likewise Shaybán the shepherd used to draw a visible line round his flock
  • Whenever he went to the Friday service at prayer-time, in order that the wolf might not raid and ravage there:
  • No wolf would go into that (circle), nor would any sheep stray beyond that mark;
  • The wind of the wolf's and sheeps' concupiscence was barred because of (by) the circle of the man of God.
  • Even so, to those who know God (‘árifán) the wind of Death is soft and pleasant as the breeze (that wafts the scent) of (loved) ones like Joseph. 860
  • The fire did not set its teeth in Abraham: how should it bite him, since he is the chosen of God?
  • The religious are not burned by the fire of lust which bore all the rest down to the bottom of the earth.
  • The waves of the sea, when they charged on by God's command, discriminated the people of Moses from the Egyptians.
  • The earth, when the (Divine) command came, drew Qárún (Korah) with his gold and throne into its lowest depth.
  • The water and clay, when it fed on the breath of Jesus, spread wings and pinions, became a bird, and flew. 865
  • Your glorification (of God) is an exhalation from the water and clay (of your body): it became a bird of Paradise through the breathing (into it) of your heart's sincerity.
  • Mount Mount Sinai, from (seeing) the radiance of Moses, began to dance, became a perfect Súfí, and was freed from blemish.
  • What wonder if the mountain became a venerable Súfí? The body of Moses also was (formed) from a piece of clay.
  • How the Jewish king scoffed and denied and would not accept the counsel of his intimates.
  • The king of the Jews beheld these marvellous things, (but) he had naught (to say) except mockery and denial.