English    Türkçe    فارسی   

4
1859-1908

  • This topic hath no end, and that youth (the slave) has been deprived of strength by the reduction of his bread-allowance.
  • Happy is the Súfí whose daily bread is reduced: his bead becomes a pearl, and he becomes the Sea. 1860
  • Whosoever has become acquainted with that choice (spiritual) allowance, he has become worthy of approach (to the Presence) and of (Him who is) the Source of (every) allowance.
  • When there is a reduction of that spiritual allowance, his spirit trembles on account of its reduction;
  • (For) then he knows that a fault has been committed (by him) which has ruffled the jasmine-bed of (Divine) approbation,
  • Just as (happened when) that person (the slave), on account of the deficiency of his crop, wrote a letter to the owner of the harvest.
  • They brought his letter to the lord of justice: he read the letter and returned no answer. 1865
  • He said, “He hath no care but for (the loss of) viands: silence, then, is the best answer to a fool.
  • He hath no care at all for separation (from me) or union (with me): he is confined to the branch (the derivative); he does not seek the root (the fundamental) at all.
  • He is a fool and (spiritually) dead in egoism, for because of his anxious care for the branch he hath no leisure for the root.”
  • Deem the skies and the earth to be an apple that appeared from the tree of Divine Power.
  • Thou art as a worm in the midst of the apple and art ignorant of the tree and the gardener. 1870
  • The other worm’ too is in the apple, but its spirit is outside, bearing the banner aloft.
  • Its (the worm’s) movement splits the apple asunder: the apple cannot endure that shock.
  • Its movement has rent (all) veils: its form is (that of) a worm, but its reality is a dragon.
  • The fire that first darts from (the impact of) the steel puts forth its foot very feebly.
  • Cotton is its nurse at first, but in the end it carries its flames up to the aether. 1875
  • At first, man is in bondage to sleep and food; ultimately he is higher than the angels.
  • Under the protection of cotton and sulphur matches his flame and light rises above Suhá.
  • He illuminates the dark world: he tears the iron fetter (in pieces) with a needle.
  • Though the fire too is connected with the body, is ‘it not derived from the spirit and the spiritual?
  • The body hath no share in that glory: the body is as a drop of water in comparison with the sea of the spirit. 1880
  • The days of the body are increased by the spirit: mark what becomes of the body when the spirit goes (from it).
  • The range of thy body is an ell or two, no more: thy spirit is a maker of swift flights to heaven.
  • In the spirit’s imagination, O prince, ‘tis (but) half a step to Baghdad and Samarcand.
  • The fat (white) of thine eye is two dirhems in weight: the light of its spirit (reaches) to the lofty region of the sky.
  • The light sees in dream without this eye: without this light what would the eye be but ruined? 1885
  • The spirit is unconcerned with the beard and moustache of the body, but without the spirit the body is a carcase and vile.
  • Such is the magnificence of the animal spirit: advance farther, behold the human spirit.
  • Pass beyond Man and (logical) disputation unto the shore of the sea of the spirit of Gabriel.
  • After that, the, spirit of Ahmad (Mohammed) will bite thy lip (kiss thee lovingly), and Gabriel will creep back in fear of thee,
  • And will say, “If I come one bow’s length towards thee, I shall be instantly consumed.” 1890
  • How the slave was indignant because no reply to his letter arrived from the king.
  • Truly this desert hath no head or foot (top or bottom). That youth, (being) without a reply to his letter, is aggrieved
  • And says, “Oh, ‘tis a wonder. How did the king give me no reply? Or (perchance) the carrier of the letter behaved treacherously because of the torment (of envy),
  • And concealed the letter and did not show it to the king; for he was a hypocrite and (like) a piece of water beneath straw.
  • I will write another letter by way of test and seek another accomplished messenger.”
  • That heedless man ignorantly puts the blame on the Amir and the steward and the letter-carrier. 1895
  • Never does he go round about (inspect) himself and say, “I have acted perversely, like the idolater in (turning away from’ the true) religion.”
  • How the wind blew perversely against Solomon, on whom be peace, because of his lapse.
  • The wind moved perversely against Solomon's throne. Then Solomon said, “O wind, do not creep (along) perversely.”
  • The wind too said, “Do not move perversely (act wrongfully), O Solomon; and if thou move perversely, be not angry at my perverseness.
  • God set up these scales for the purpose that justice might be done to us in eternity.
  • (If) thou give short measure, I will give short measure; so long as thou art honest with me, I am honest (with thee).” 1900
  • Likewise, Solomon's tiara swerved to one side and made the bright day (dark) as night to him.
  • He said, “O tiara, do not become awry on my head: O sun, do not decline from my orient.”
  • He was putting the tiara straight with his hand, (but) the tiara always became awry for him again, O youth.
  • Eight times he straightened it, and (each time) it became awry. He said, “Why, what is the matter, O tiara? Do not sag crookedly.”
  • It replied, “If thou put me straight a hundred times, (’tis useless): I go awry since thou goest awry, O trusted one.” 1905
  • Then Solomon put straight his inward part: he made his heart cold to (caused it to renounce) the lust which it had.
  • Thereupon his tiara immediately became straight and such as he wished it to be.
  • Afterwards he was purposely making it awry, (but) the tiara always returned purposely (deliberately), seeking (its correct position on) the crown of his head.