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4
1526-1575

  • Necessarily, he (the bestial man) is the lowest of the low. Take leave of him: I love not them that sink.
  • In exposition of the following Verse: "and as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it (each new Súra of the Qur’án) added unto their uncleanness (wicked unbelief)"; and of His Word: "thereby He letteth many be led astray, and thereby He letteth many be guided aright."
  • (The bestial man is the lowest of the low) because he possessed the capacity for transforming himself and striving (to escape) from lowness, but (afterwards) lost it.
  • Again, since the animal does not possess (that) capacity, its excusability (for remaining) in the bestial state is a thing (most) evident.
  • When the capacity, which is the guide (to salvation), is gone from him, every nutriment that he eats is the brain of an ass.
  • If he eats anacardium, it becomes (acts upon him as) opium: his apoplexy and dementia are increased. 1530
  • There remains another sort (of men: they are engaged) in warfare: (they are) half animal, half (spiritually) alive and endowed with good guidance.
  • Day and night in strife and mutual struggle, his (such a one's) last (state) battles with his first.
  • The battle of the reason against the flesh is like the contention of Majnún with his she camel: Majnún's inclination is towards the noble woman (Laylá), while the she camel's inclination is (to go) back towards her foal, as Majnún said (in verse): "My she-camel's love is behind me, while my love is in front of me; and verily I and she are discordant."
  • Assuredly they (the reason and the flesh) are like Majnún and his she-camel: that one is pulling forward and this one backward in (mutual) enmity.
  • Majnún's desire is speeding to the presence of that (beloved) Laylá; the she camel's desire is running back after her foal.
  • If Majnún forgot himself for one moment, the she-camel would turn and go back. 1535
  • Since his body was full of love and passion, he had no resource but to become beside himself.
  • That which is regardful was (ever) reason: passion for Laylá carried (his) reason away.
  • But the she-camel was very regardful and alert: whenever she saw her toggle slack
  • She would at once perceive that he had become heedless and dazed, and would turn her face back to the foal without delay.
  • When he came to himself again, he would see on the spot that she had gone back many leagues. 1540
  • In these conditions Majnún remained going to and fro for years on a three days' journey.
  • He said, “O camel, since we both are lovers, therefore we two contraries are unsuitable fellow-travellers.
  • Thy affection and toggle (propensity) are not in accord with me: it behoves (me) to choose parting from thy companionship.”
  • These two fellow-travellers (the reason and the flesh) are brigands waylaying each other: lost is the spirit that does not dismount from the body.
  • The spirit, because of separation from the highest Heaven, is in a (great) want; the body, on account of passion for the thorn-shrub (of sensual pleasure), is like a she-camel. 1545
  • The spirit unfolds its wings (to fly) upwards; the body has stuck its claws in the earth.
  • “So long as thou art with me, O thou who art mortally enamoured of thy home, then my spirit will remain far from Laylá.
  • From experiences of this kind my life-time, for many years, has gone (to waste), like (that of) the people of Moses in the desert.
  • This journey to union was (only) a matter of two steps: because of thy noose I have remained sixty years on the way.
  • The way is near (not far), but I have tarried very late: I have become sick of this riding, sick, sick.” 1550
  • He (Majnún) threw himself headlong from the camel. He said, “I am consumed with grief: how long, how long?”
  • The wide desert became (too) narrow for him: he flung himself on the stony place.
  • He flung himself down so violently that the body of that courageous man was cracked.
  • When he flung himself to the ground thus, at that moment also by (Divine) destiny his leg broke.
  • He tied up his leg and said, “I will become a ball, I will go rolling along in the curve of His bat.” 1555
  • For this cause the sweet-mouthed Sage utters a curse on the rider who does not dismount from the body.
  • How should love for the Lord be inferior to love for Laylá? To become a ball for His sake is more worthy.
  • Become a ball, turn on the side which is sincerity, (and go) rolling, rolling in the curve of the bat of Love,
  • For henceforth this journey is (accomplished by means of) the pull of God, while that (former) journey on the she-camel is our progression (made by our own efforts).
  • Such is the extraordinary mode of progression which transcends the utmost exertion of the Jinn and mankind. 1560
  • Such is the pull—not every common pull—to which Ahmad (Mohammed) awarded the pre-eminence. And (now) farewell!
  • How the slave wrote to the King a statement complaining of the reduction of his allowance
  • Cut short the discourse (on these topics) for the sake of (re turning to the story of) the slave who has written a message to the King
  • He is sending to the gracious King a statement filled with wrangling and self-conceit and hatred.
  • The body is (like) a letter: look into it (and see) whether it is worthy of the King; then take it (to Him).
  • Go into a corner, open the letter, read (it), see whether its‘ words are suitable to kings. 1565
  • If it be not suitable, tear it in pieces and write another letter and remedy (the fault).
  • But do not think it is easy to open the letter which is the body; otherwise every one would plainly see the secret of the heart.
  • How hard and difficult is it to open the letter! ‘Tis a task for men, not for children playing at knuckle
  • We have all become satisfied with (reading) the table of contents, because we are steeped in cupidity and vain desire.
  • The table of contents is a snare for the vulgar, that they may think the text of the scroll is like that (table). 1570
  • Open the title-page, do not turn your neck aside from these words—and God best knoweth the right course.
  • That title is like a declaration made by the tongue: examine the text of the scroll, namely, the bosom (your inward self),
  • (And see) whether it is in agreement with your declaration, in order that your actions may not be hypocritical.
  • When you are carrying a very heavy sack, you must not fail to look into it,
  • (To see) what of sour and sweet you have in the sack. If it is worth bringing along, bring it; 1575