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4
592-641

  • The unique elixir of which half a gleam struck upon a (region of) darkness and made it the sun;
  • The marvellous alchemist who by a single operation fastened all these properties on Saturn.
  • Know, O seeker, that the remaining planets and the spiritual substances are (to be judged) according to the same standard.
  • The sensuous eye is subject to the sun: seek and find a divine eye, 595
  • In order that the beams of the flaming sun may become subject (abased) before that vision;
  • For that vision is luminous, while these (sunbeams) are igneous: fire is very dark in comparison with light.
  • The miraculous gifts and illumination of Shaykh ‘Abdullah Maghribí, may God sanctify his spirit.
  • Shaykh ‘Abdullah Maghribí said, “During sixty years I never perceived in night the quality of night.
  • During sixty years I never experienced any darkness, neither by day nor by night nor from infirmity.”
  • The Súfís declared his words to be true: “During the night we would follow him 600
  • Into deserts filled with thorns and ditches, he going in front of us like the full moon.
  • Without looking behind him, he would say, (though it was) at night-time, ‘Hark! here is a ditch: turn to the left!’
  • Then, after a little while, he would say, ‘Turn to the right, because a thorn is before your feet.’
  • Day would break: we would come to kiss his foot, and his foot would be like the feet of a bride,
  • No trace of earth or mud on it, none of scratch from thorns or bruise from stones.” 605
  • God made the Maghribí a Mashriqí: He made the place of sunset (maghrib) light-producing like the place of sunrise (mashriq).
  • The light of this one who belongs to the Sun of suns is riding (in majesty): by day he is guarding high and low.
  • How should that glorious light, which brings thousands of suns into view, not be a guardian?
  • By his light do thou walk always in safety amidst dragons and scorpions.
  • That holy light is going in front of thee and tearing every highwayman to pieces. 610
  • Know aright (the meaning of the text) on the Day when He (God) will not put the Prophet to shame; read (their) light shall run before them.
  • Although that (light) will be increased at the Resurrection, (yet) beg of God (to grant thee) trial (of it) here;
  • For He bestows spiritual light both on cloud and mist, and God best knoweth how to impart (it).
  • How Solomon, on whom be peace, bade the envoys of Bilqís return to her with the gifts which they had brought; and how he called Bilqís to (accept) the Faith and to abandon sun-worship.
  • “O shamefaced envoys, turn back! The gold is yours: bring unto me the heart, the (pure) heart!
  • Lay this gold of mine on the top of that gold (of yours): date corporis caecitatem pudendo mulae.” [Lay this gold of mine on the top of that gold (of yours): give the body’s blindness (its blind desire for gold) to a (female) mule’s private part.”] 615
  • Annulo aureo pudendum mulae idoneum est; the lover’s gold is the pallid yellow countenance; [A mule’s private part is suitable (as a hiding place) for a ring of gold; the lover’s gold is the pallid yellow countenance;]
  • For that (countenance) is the object of the Lord’s regard, while the mine (of gold) results from the sun’s casting looks (of favour).
  • How can (that which is) the sunbeams’ object of regard be compared with (that which is) an object of regard to the Lord of the quintessence’?
  • “Make of your souls a shield against my taking (you) captive, though (in truth) ye are my captives even now.”
  • The bird tempted by the bait is (still) on the roof: with wings outspread, it is (nevertheless) imprisoned in the trap. 620
  • Inasmuch as with (all) its soul it has given its heart to (has become enamoured of) the bait, deem it caught, (though apparently it is still) uncaught.
  • Deem the looks which it is directing to the bait to be the knot that it is tying on its legs.
  • The bait says, “If thou art stealing thy looks (away from me) I am stealing from thee patience and constancy.
  • When those looks have drawn thee after me, then thou wilt know that I am not inattentive to thee.”
  • Story of the druggist whose balance-weight was clay for washing the head; and how a customer, who was a clay-eater, stole some of that clay covertly and secretly, whilst sugar was being weighed.
  • A certain clay-eater went to a druggist to buy (a quantity of) fine hard sugar-loaf. 625
  • Now, at the druggist's, (who was) a crafty vigilant man, in place of the balance-weight there was clay.
  • He said, “If you want to buy sugar, my balance-weight is clay.”
  • He (the customer) said, “I am requiring sugar for an urgent affair: let the balance-weight be whatever you wish.”
  • To himself he said, “What does the weight matter to one that eats clay? Clay is better than gold.”
  • As the dallála (go-between) who said, “O son, I have found a very beautiful new bride (for you). 630
  • (She is) exceedingly pretty, but there is just one thing, that the lady is a confectioner's daughter.”
  • “(All the) better,” said he; “if it is indeed so, his daughter will be fatter and sweeter.”
  • “If you have no (proper) weight and your weight is of clay, this is better and better: clay is the fruit (desired) of my heart.”
  • He (the druggist) placed the clay, because of its being ready (to his hand), in one scale of the balance instead of the (proper) weight;
  • Then, for the other scale, he was breaking with his hand the equivalent amount of sugar. 635
  • Since he had no pick-axe, he took a long time and made the customer sit waiting.
  • (Whilst) his face was (turned) towards that (sugar), the clay-eater, unable to restrain himself, began covertly to steal the clay from him,
  • Terribly frightened lest his (the druggist's) eye should fall upon him of a sudden for the purpose of testing (his honesty).
  • The druggist saw it, but made himself busy, saying, “Come, steal more, O pale-faced one!
  • If you will be a thief and take some of my clay, go on (doing so), for you are eating out of your own side. 640
  • You are afraid of me, but (only) because you are a (stupid) ass: I am afraid you will eat less (too little).