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2
2105-2154

  • When, amazed and bewildered, I approached them, (then) indeed I saw that both of them were lame.” 2105
  • In particular, (how should) a royal falcon, which is of the highest heaven, (consort) with an owl, which is of the low earth?
  • That one is the sun of ‘Illiyyún, while the other is a bat which belongs to Sijjín.
  • That one is a luminary, free from every defect, while this (other) one is a blind man begging at every door.
  • That one is a moon that strikes (its beams) upon the Pleiades, while this (other) one is a worm that lives in dung.
  • That one has the face of a Joseph, the breath of a Jesus, while this (other) one is a wolf or an ass with a bell. 2110
  • That one has flown to Spacelessness, while this (other) one is in the straw-barn, like the dogs.
  • With the tongue of (unspoken) meaning the rose is saying to the beetle this—“O stinking (creature),
  • If thou art fleeing from the rose-bed, doubtless that aversion (shown by thee) is (a sign of) the perfection of the rose-garden.
  • My jealousy (sense of dignity) smites thee on the head with a baton, (warning thee to) keep far away from here, O vile one;
  • For if, base wretch, thou shouldst mix with me, it will be thought that thou art of my stock. 2115
  • For nightingales the garden is the proper place; for the beetle the best home is in ordure.”
  • Since God has kept me pure from filth, how were it seemly to appoint a foul one for (companionship with) me?
  • I had (in me) a vein of them (of their nature). He (God) cut it out: how (then) will he with the vein of evil attain unto me?
  • One mark of Adam from eternity was this, that the angels should lay their heads (on the ground) before him, because it was his place (proper to his dignity).
  • Another mark was that Iblís, saying, “I am the king and chief,” should not lay down his head before him. 2120
  • If, then, Iblís too had become a worshipper (of Adam), he (Adam) would not have been Adam: he would have been another.
  • At once the worship of every angel is the test of him, and the denial (of him) by that enemy (Iblís) is the proof of him.
  • At once the acknowledgment (made) by the angels is witness for him, and the disbelief of that petty cur (Iblís) is witness for him.
  • Conclusion of the (story concerning the) trust of that deluded man in the fawningness of the bear.
  • The man fell asleep, and the bear kept driving away the flies (which were) on him, but in spite of him they soon came back again.
  • Several times he drove them from the youth’s face, but soon they came hurrying back once more. 2125
  • The bear was enraged with the flies and went off. He picked up a very big stone from the mountain-side.
  • He fetched the stone, and saw the flies again settled comfortably on the face of the sleeper.
  • He took up that millstone and struck at the flies, in order that they might retire.
  • The stone made powder of the sleeping man’s face, and published to the whole world this adage––.
  • “The love of a fool is for sure the love of a bear: his hate is love and his love is hate.” 2130
  • His promise is infirm and corrupt and feeble; his word stout and his performance lean.
  • Do not believe him, even if he take an oath: the man whose speech is false will break his oath.
  • Inasmuch as, without the oath, his word was a lie, do not be entrapped by his deceit and oath.
  • His fleshly soul is in command, and his intellect captive; even suppose that he has sworn on a hundred thousand Qur’áns,
  • (Yet), since without (taking) an oath he will break his pact- if he take an oath, he will break that too; 2135
  • Because the fleshly soul becomes (all) the more infuriated by your binding it with a heavy oath.
  • When a captive puts bonds upon a governor, the governor will burst them and leap out;
  • He will bang those bonds on his (the captive’s) head in wrath, dashing the oath in his face.
  • Wash your hands (give up hope) of his (obeying the Divine command), “Fulfil your promises”; do not say to him, “Keep your oaths.”
  • But he that makes God his support in (keeping) his promise will make his body (thin) as a thread and wind (himself) about Him. 2140
  • How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, went to visit the (sick) Companion; and an exposition of the profit of visiting the sick.
  • A notable amongst the Companions (of Mohammed) fell ill, and in that illness of his became (thin) as a thread.
  • Mustafá went to visit him, since his (Mustafá's) nature was all kindness and generosity.
  • There is profit in your visiting the sick: the profit thereof is returning to you again.
  • The first profit is that the sick person may perchance be a Qutb and a glorious (spiritual) king;
  • And if he be not a Qutb, he may be a friend of the (Súfí) Way; if he be not the king, he may be the cavalier of the host. 2145
  • Deem it, then, incumbent (on you) to attach yourselves to the friends of the Way, whosoever it may be, and whether (he be) footman or rider.
  • And if he be a foe (to you), still this kindness is good, for by kindness many a foe hath been made a friend;
  • And though he do not become a friend, his enmity is lessened, because kindness becomes the balm for enmity.
  • There are many profits besides these, but I am afraid of being tedious, good friend.
  • The gist (of the matter) is this: be the friend of the whole community (of Súfís): like the idol-maker, carve a friend out of the stone, 2150
  • Because the throng and multitude of a caravan will break the backs and spears of the highwaymen.
  • Inasmuch as you have not the heart's two eyes, O contumacious man, so that you cannot distinguish firewood from aloes-wood,
  • (You may despair of finding the true friend of God; but) since there exists a treasure in the world, do not grieve: deem no ruined place empty of treasure.
  • Betake yourself to every dervish at random, and when you find the mark (of the true saint), frequent (him) assiduously.