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2
2361-2410

  • Thy friends seek on agers by hunting (them); thou in (mere) malice seekest a blind man in the street.”
  • The knowing dog has made the onager his prey, while this worthless dog has attacked a blind man.
  • When the dog has learned the knowledge (imparted to him), he has escaped from error: he hunts lawful prey in the jungles.
  • When the dog has become knowing (‘álim), he marches briskly; when the dog has become a knower of God (‘árif), he becomes (as) the Men of the Cave.
  • The dog has come to know who is the Master of the hunt. O God, what is that knowing light? 2365
  • (If) the blind man knows it not, ’tis not from (his) having no eye (to see); nay, ’tis because he is drunken with ignorance.
  • Truly, the blind man is not more eyeless than the earth; and this earth, by the grace of God, has become a seer of (God's) enemies.
  • It saw the Light of Moses and showed kindness to Moses; (but) Qárún it engulfed, (for) it knew Qárún.
  • It quaked for the destruction of every false pretender: it understood (the words that came) from God, “O earth, swallow (thy water)!”
  • Earth and water and air and sparking fire are unacquainted with us, but acquainted with God. 2370
  • Contrariwise, we are aware of (things) other than God, (but) unaware (heedless) of God and of so many warners (prophets).
  • As a necessary consequence, they (the elements) all shrank from (accepting) it (the trust offered to them): (the edge of) their impulse to partake of life was blunted.
  • They said, “We all are averse to this life, (namely), that one should be living in relation to created beings and dead in relation to God.”
  • When he (any one) remains away from created beings, he is orphaned (single): for intimacy with God, the heart must be free (from relations with aught besides).
  • When a thief steals some article of property from a blind man, the blind man is blindly lamenting. 2375
  • Until the thief say to him, “’Tis I that stole from thee, for I am an artful thief,”
  • How should the blind man know his thief, since he hath not the eye's light and that radiance (of vision)?
  • When he (the thief) speaks (and confesses), at once take tight hold of him, that he may tell the marks (descriptive) of the (stolen) goods.
  • The Greater Jihád (Holy War), then, consists in squeezing the thief, in order that he may tell what he has stolen and what he has carried off.
  • First, he has stolen your eye-salve; when you take it (from him), you will regain (your) insight. 2380
  • The goods of wisdom, which have been lost by (your) heart, are certainly to be found with the man of heart (the saint).
  • The blind of heart, notwithstanding (his possession of) life and hearing and sight, is never knowing the devilish thief by the traces (which he leaves).
  • Seek (that knowledge) from the man of heart; do not seek it from the inanimate, for (all other) people are inanimate beside (in comparison with) him.
  • The seeker of counsel approached him (the saint who was feigning madness), saying, “O father who hast become (as) a child, tell (me) a secret.”
  • He answered, “Begone from this door-ring, for this door is not open. Turn back: to-day is not the day for secrets. 2385
  • If the spatial had (any) access to the non-spatial, I should be (seated) on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs (spiritual directors).”
  • How the Police Inspector summoned the man who had fallen dead-drunk (on the ground) to (go to) prison.
  • The Inspector came at midnight to a certain place: he saw a drunken man lying at the bottom of a wall.
  • He cried, “Hey, you are drunk: tell (me), what have you been drinking?” Said the man, “I have drunk of this which is in the jar.”
  • “Pray,” said he, “explain what is in the jar.” He replied, “Some of what I have drunk.” “(But),” said the Inspector, “this is hidden (from sight).”
  • He asked (again), “What is it that you have drunk?” He rejoined, “That which is hidden in the jar.” 2390
  • These questions and answers were becoming a (vicious) circle. The Inspector was left (stuck) in the mud, like an ass.
  • The Inspector said to him, “Come now, say ‘Ah’”; (but) the drunken man, at the moment of utterance, said “Hú, Hú.”
  • “I told you to say ‘Ah’,” said he; “you are saying ‘Hú’.” “(Because) I am glad,” he replied, “while you are bent with grief.
  • ‘Ah’ is (uttered) on account of pain and grief and injustice; the ‘Hú, Hú’ of the wine-drinkers is from joy.”
  • The Inspector said, “I know nothing about this. Get up, get up! Don't retail mystic lore, and leave off this wrangling.” 2395
  • “Go away,” said the man; “what have you to do with me?” “You are drunk,” the Inspector said. “Get up and come to prison.”
  • Said the drunken man, “O Inspector, let me alone and go away. How is it possible to carry off pledges from one that is naked?
  • If indeed I had had the power to walk, I should have gone to my house—and (then) how would this (affair between us) have occurred?
  • Were I (still) possessed of understanding and of contingent (unreal) existence, I should be on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs.”
  • How the inquirer, for the second time, drew that eminent (saint) into conversation, in order that his condition might be made better known (to the inquirer).
  • That seeker said, “O thou mounted on the cane, pray, ride thy horse this way for one moment.” 2400
  • He rode towards him, crying, “Hark, say as quick as you can (what you want), for my horse is very restive and fierce-tempered.
  • Be quick, lest he kick you: explain clearly what you are asking about.”
  • He (the inquirer) saw no opportunity to tell his heart's secret: he at once made an evasion and drew him into jesting talk.
  • He said, “I wish to marry a woman in this street: who is suitable for one like me?”
  • “There are three kinds of women in the world,” said he: “two of those are a sorrow, and one is the soul's treasure. 2405
  • The first, when you marry her, is wholly yours; and the second is half yours and half separate (from you);
  • And the third, know she is not yours at all. You have heard this. Away (with you)!—I start in a trice—
  • Lest my horse let fly a kick at you, so that you fall and never rise up (again).”
  • The Shaykh rode off amongst the children, (but) the young man shouted to him once more,
  • “Come, prithee declare the exposition of this. Thou hast said that these women are of three kinds: pick (them) out.” 2410