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4
2439-2488

  • Thou hadst made thy breast a house for the Devil, thou hadst made hatred a qibla (object on which thy mind was bent).
  • Many are the hearts which thy sharp horn has wounded: lo, my rod has broken thy froward horn. 2440
  • How the people of this world attack the people of that (other) world and charge (against them) as far as the frontier, namely, generation and propagation, which is the boundary of the Unseen, and how they (the people of this world) are unaware of the ambush (prepared for them); for the infidel makes his assault (only) when the holy warrior does not go to war.
  • The army of the corporeal ones attacked in the direction of the fortress and stronghold of the spiritual ones,
  • In order that they might occupy the frontier-pass of the Unseen, so that no pure spirit should come (into the world) from that quarter.
  • When the holy warriors do not attack in warfare, the infidels on the contrary deliver an attack.
  • When the holy warriors of the Unseen in their forbearance refrained from delivering an attack on thee, man of evil practice,
  • Thou madest an attack towards the frontier-passes of the Unseen, in order that the men of the Unseen should not come in this direction. 2445
  • Thou didst lay a (violent) hand upon the loins and wombs, that thou might’st wickedly occupy (close) the thoroughfare (of sexual intercourse).
  • How should’st thou occupy (close) the highway which the Almighty hath opened for the purpose of procreation?
  • Thou didst block the passes, O contumacious one, (but) in despite of thee a captain issued forth.
  • Lo, I am the captain: I will break thy power. Lo, in His name I will break thy name and fame.
  • Come now, close the passes tightly! Laugh at thy moustache (be the dupe of thy vainglory) a (little) while! 2450
  • The Divine decree will tear out thy moustache piecemeal, that thou mayst know that the Decree makes precaution blind.
  • Is thy moustache fiercer than that of (the people of) ‘Ád, at whose breath (all) the lands used to tremble?
  • Art thou more contentious in aspect or (the tribe of) Thamúd, the like of whom never came into existence?
  • Though I tell (thee) a hundred of these (proofs), thou art deaf: thou hearest and pretendest not to have heard.
  • I repent of the words which I raised up: (now), without words, I have mixed for thee a medicine 2455
  • Which I will place upon thy raw sore, that it may be assuaged, or that thy sore and thy beard may be burnt (destroyed entirely) unto everlasting,
  • To the end that thou mayst know that He is omniscient, O enemy: He gives to everything that which befits it.
  • When hast thou done wrong and when hast thou wrought evil but thou hast seen (suffered) the effect befitting it?
  • When hast thou once sent a good deed to Heaven but the like thereof has followed after?
  • If thou wilt be observant and vigilant, thou wilt see at every moment the response to thy action. 2460
  • When thou art observant and dost grasp the cord (of apprehension), thou needest not the coming of the Resurrection (to reveal the ultimate effects).
  • He that truly knows (the meaning of) an indication does not need to have it plainly declared to him.
  • This tribulation befalls thee from (thy) stupidity in not understanding the subtle hints and indications.
  • When thy heart has been blackened and darkened by wickedness, understand! One ought not to become besotted here;
  • Otherwise, in sooth, that darkness will become an arrow (of woe), and the penalty of (thy) besottedness will overtake thee. 2465
  • And if the arrow come not, ’tis from (God's) bounty; not because of (His) not seeing the defilement (of thy sin).
  • Hark, be observant if thou wouldst have a (pure) heart, for something is born to thee in consequence of every action.
  • And if thou hast an aspiration greater than this, (and if) the enterprise goes beyond (the spiritual rank of) the observant,
  • [Explaining that the earthen body of man, like iron of fine substance, is capable of becoming a mirror, so that therein even in this world Paradise and Hell and the Resurrection et cetera are shown by immediate vision, not in the mode of phantasy.]
  • Then, though thou art dark-bodied like iron, make a practice of polishing, polishing, polishing,
  • That thy heart may become a mirror full of images, (with) a lovely silverbreasted (form reflected) therein on every side. 2470
  • Although the iron was dark and devoid of light, polishing cleared away the darkness from it.
  • The iron saw (suffered) the polishing and made its face fair, so that images could be seen therein.
  • If the earthen body is gross and dark, polish it—for it is receptive to the polishing instrument—
  • In order that the forms of the Unseen may appear in it, and that the reflexion of houri and angel may dart into it.
  • God hath given thee the polishing instrument, Reason, to the end that thereby the leaf (surface) of the heart may be made resplendent. 2475
  • Thou, O prayerless man, hast put the polisher (Reason) in bonds and hast loosed the two hands of sensuality.
  • If bonds be put on sensuality, the hand of the polisher (Reason) will be untied.
  • A piece of iron that became a mirror of the Unseen—all the forms (of the Unseen) would be shot into it.
  • (But) thou madest (thy heart) dark and didst let the rust into thy nature: this is (the inner meaning of) they work evil on the earth.
  • So hast thou done till now: now do it not. Thou hast made the water turbid: do not make it more (so). 2480
  • Do not stir it up (befoul it): let this water become clear, and (then) behold the moon and stars circling therein.
  • For man is like the water of the river: when it becomes turbid, thou canst not see its bottom.
  • The bottom of the river is full of jewels and full of pearls: take heed, do not make (the water) turbid, for it is (originally) pure and free (from pollution).
  • The spirit of man resembles air: when it (air) is mixed with dust, it veils the sky,
  • And prevents (the eye) from seeing the sun; (but) when its dust is gone, it becomes pure and undefiled. 2485
  • Notwithstanding thy complete darkness, God was showing visions unto thee, that thou might’st wend the way of deliverance.
  • How Moses, on whom be peace, declared (by inspiration) from the Unseen the secret thoughts and visions of Pharaoh, in order that he might truly believe in the omniscience of God or (at least) hold that opinion.
  • From the dark iron (of thy nature) He, by His power, was showing forth the visions that should come to pass in the end,
  • In order that thou might’st lessen (refrain from) that injustice and wickedness: thou wert seeing those (visions) and becoming more wicked.