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2
3661-3710

  • In order that his prayer (blessing) may accompany me, since I have no hope of (winning) my heart's desire.”
  • With tearful eyes he went to the Shaykh: he was raining tears, like a cloud.
  • “O Shaykh,” he cried, “it is the time for mercy and pity; I am in despair: now is the time for kindness.”
  • He (the Shaykh) said, “Say plainly what is the cause of thy despair: what is thy object? what hast thou in view?”
  • He answered, “The Emperor chose me out to seek a certain branching tree, 3665
  • For there is a tree, unique in (all) the quarters (of the world): its fruit is (of) the substance of the Water of Life.
  • I have sought (it) for years and seen no sign (of it) except the gibes and ridicule of these merry men.”
  • The Shaykh laughed and said to him, “O simpleton, this is the tree of knowledge in the sage—
  • Very high and very grand and very far-spreading: (it is) a Water of Life from the all-encompassing Sea (of God).
  • Thou hast gone after the form, O ignorant man: hence thou art without fruit and produce from the bough of reality. 3670
  • Sometimes it is named ‘tree,’ sometimes ‘sun’; sometimes it is named ‘sea,’ sometimes ‘cloud.’
  • (It is) that one (thing) from which a hundred thousand effects arise: its least effects are everlasting life.
  • Although (in essence) it is single, it hath a thousand effects: innumerable names befit (may be properly applied to) that one (thing).
  • One person may be father in relation to thee; in regard to another individual he may be son.
  • In regard to another he may be wrath and a foe; in regard to another he may be graciousness and a friend. 3675
  • (He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).
  • Whoever seeks the (mere) name, if he is entrusted (with a confidential mission) he is hopeless and in distraction, even as thou art.
  • Why dost thou stick to the name ‘tree,’ so that thou art left bitterly disappointed and ill-fortuned?
  • Pass on from the name and look at the attributes, in order that the attributes may show thee the way to the essence.”
  • The disagreement of mankind is caused by names: peace ensues when they advance to the reality (denoted by the name). 3680
  • How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name.
  • A certain man gave a dirhem to four persons: one of them (a Persian) said, “I will spend this on angúr.”
  • The second one was an Arab: he said, “No, I want ‘inab, not angúr, O rascal!”
  • The third was a Turk; and he said, “This (money) is mine: I don't want ‘inab, I want uzum.”
  • The fourth, a Greek, said, “Stop this talk: I want istáfíl.”
  • These people began fighting in contention with one another, because they were unaware of the hidden meaning of the names. 3685
  • In their folly they smote each other with their fists: they were full of ignorance and empty of knowledge.
  • If a master of the esoteric had been there, a revered and many-languaged man, he would have pacified them;
  • And then he would have said, “With this one dirhem I will give all of you what ye wish.
  • When without deceit ye surrender your hearts (to me), this dirhem will do all this for you.
  • Your one dirhem will become four—the result desired: four enemies will become one through unanimity. 3690
  • What each one of you says produces strife and separation; what I say brings you agreement.
  • Therefore be ye mute, keep silence, that I may be your tongue in speech and talk.”
  • (Even) if your words appear uniform (seem to express an agreement), in effect they are the source of contention and anger.
  • Borrowed (accidental) heat produces no (essential) effect; natural heat hath (its own) effect.
  • If you have made vinegar hot by means of fire, (still) when you drink it, it will undoubtedly increase the coldness (of your constitution), 3695
  • Because that (artificially produced) heat of it is exotic: its fundamental nature is coldness and tartness.
  • And (on the other hand), though grape-syrup be frozen, my son, it will add heat to the liver when you drink it.
  • Hence the Shaykh's hypocrisy is better than our sincerity, for the former arises from (spiritual) insight, while the latter arises from (spiritual) blindness.
  • From the Shaykh's discourse comes union (concord); the words of the corporealists (materialists) bring separation (discord).
  • As (for example) Solomon, who sped (on his prophetic mission) from God, and who knew the language of all birds— 3700
  • In the time of his just sway the deer made friends with the leopard and ceased from war.
  • The dove became secure from the talons of the hawk, the sheep took no precaution against the wolf.
  • He (Solomon) became an arbitrator between enemies: he became a (means of establishing) oneness between the creatures that fly with wings.
  • Thou art running after grain, like an ant. Hark! seek for Solomon! Why art thou still astray?
  • To the seeker of grain his grain becomes a snare, but the seeker of Solomon may have both (Solomon and the grain). 3705
  • In these latter days the soul-birds have no security from each other for a moment;
  • (Yet) even in our epoch there is a Solomon who would give (us) peace and not suffer our injustice to continue.
  • Call to mind (the text), There is no people down to (the words) but in the past a warner dwelt among them.
  • God said that verily there has never been a people devoid of a vicar of God and a man of spiritual power;
  • And he makes the soul-birds so unanimous that, in respect of sincerity, he purges them of (all) guile and rancour. 3710