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5
1432-1481

  • The little parrot thinks that these words uttered in low tones are spoken by the parrot in the mirror.
  • Therefore it learns (human) speech from one of its own kind, being unaware of the cunning of that old wolf.
  • He is teaching it behind the mirror; otherwise (it would not talk, for) it does not learn except from its congeners.
  • It (really) learned to talk from that accomplished man, but it is ignorant of his meaning and mystery. 1435
  • It received speech, word by word, from Man; (but) what should the little parrot know of Man except this?
  • Similarly, the disciple full (of egoism) sees himself in the mirror of the Shaykh's body.
  • How should he see Universal Reason behind the mirror at the time of speech and discourse?
  • He supposes that a man is speaking; and the other (Universal Reason) is a mystery of which he is ignorant.
  • He learns the words, but the eternal mystery he cannot know, for he is a parrot, not a boon-companion. 1440
  • Likewise, people learn the note of birds, for this speech (of birds) is an affair of the mouth and throat;
  • But (all are) ignorant of the birds' meaning, except an august Solomon of goodly insight.
  • Many learned the language of (true) dervishes and gave lustre therewith to the pulpit and assembly-place.
  • Either nothing was bestowed upon them except those (formal) expressions, or at last (the Divine) mercy came and revealed the (right) way.
  • A mystic saw a bitch big with young, in whose womb the young were barking. He remained in amazement, saying, “The reason of a dog's barking is to keep watch (against strangers): to bark in the mother's womb is not (for the purpose of) keeping watch; and, again, barking may be a call for help, or its cause may be a desire for milk, etc.; and there is no such purpose in this case.” When he came to himself, he made supplication to God—and none knoweth the interpretation thereof except Allah. Answer came: “It represents the state of a party who pretend to (spiritual) insight and utter (mystical) sayings without having come forth from the veil (of materiality) and before the eyes of their hearts have been opened. Thence neither to themselves do strength and support accrue, nor to their hearers any guidance and right direction.”
  • During a chila (forty days' religious seclusion), a certain man dreamed that he saw a bitch big with young on a road. 1445
  • Suddenly he heard the cry of puppies: the puppies were in the womb, invisible.
  • The yelps astonished him exceedingly: (he wondered) how the puppies called out in the womb.
  • Puppies howling in the womb—“has any one,” (he thought), “ever seen this in the world?”
  • When he sprang up from his dream and came to himself, his perplexity was increasing at every moment.
  • During the chila there was none by whom the knot should be untied except the Presence of God Almighty and Glorious. 1450
  • He said, “O Lord, on account of this difficulty and debate I am deprived of recollection (dhikr) of Thee during the chila.
  • Loose my wings, that I may soar and enter the garden of recollection and the apple-orchard (of gnosis).”
  • At once (in reply) there came to him a mysterious voice, saying, “Know that it is an emblem of the idle talk of the ignorant,
  • Who, without having come forth from the veil and curtain, (being) blindfold have begun to speak in vain.”
  • The yelp of the dog in the womb is (useless) loss: (in such a case) he is neither a starter of hunted animals nor a keeper of watch by night. 1455
  • He has not seen the wolf, so as to prevent him; he has not seen the robber, so as to repel him.
  • He (a man of this sort), because of covetousness and desire for eminence, is dull as regards (spiritual) vision and bold in prating.
  • From desire for the purchaser and warm admirer, (being) devoid of insight, he begins to talk nonsense.
  • Without having seen the Moon, he gives indications: thereby he perverts (misleads) the (ignorant) countryman.
  • On account of the purchaser he gives a hundred indications describing the Moon which he has never seen, for the sake of (gaining) power. 1460
  • There is in truth one Purchaser who is profitable, but concerning Him they (these impostors) have a (great) suspicion and doubt.
  • In their desire for the inglorious purchaser, these people have thrown the (real) Purchaser to the winds.
  • He is our Purchaser—God hath purchased: hark, rise above anxiety for any (other) purchaser.
  • Seek the Purchaser who is seeking thee, One who knows thy beginning and end.
  • Beware, do not try to win every purchaser: ’tis bad to make love to two sweethearts. 1465
  • Thou wilt not get interest or capital from him, if he purchase (thee): in sooth he has not the price for (thy) reason and intellect.
  • He has not even the price of half a horseshoe, and thou art offering him (what is precious as) corundum and rubies.
  • Cupidity hath blinded thee and will deprive thee (of blessedness): the Devil will make thee accursed like himself.
  • Just as that wrathful (fiend) made accursed like himself the Fellows of the Elephant and the people of Lot.
  • The patient (devout and self-denying) have gained the Purchaser, since they did not hasten towards every purchaser. 1470
  • He that averted his face from that Purchaser—fortune and felicity and everlasting life are quit of him.
  • Grief remains for ever (as a doom) on the covetous, as happened to the people of Zarwán in their envy.
  • Story of the people of Zarwán and their envy of the poor. “Our father,” they said, “from (foolish) sympathy used to give the poor the most part of the produce of his orchard.” When it was grapes, he would give a tithe; and when they were turned into raisins or syrup, he would give a tithe; and whenever he made halwá or pálúda, he would give a tithe; and he would give a tithe of the corn-sheaves, and when he threshed (the corn), he would give a tithe of the unthreshed ears mixed (with straw); and when he separated the wheat from the straw, he would give a tithe, and when he made flour, he would give a tithe; and when he leavened the dough, he would give a tithe; and when he made bread, he would give a tithe. Consequently, God most High had laid such a blessing on his orchard and crops that all the (other) owners of orchards were in need of him, both for fruit and money, while he needed nothing from any of them. His sons saw the repeated payment of tithes, and did not see the blessing, velut illa femina infelix quae veretrum asini vidit, curcurbitam non vidit. [Story of the people of Zarwán…. His sons saw the repeated payment of tithes, and did not see the blessing, just as that unfortunate woman who (only) saw the ass’s penis and did not see the gourd.]
  • There was a righteous godly man: he had perfect intelligence and a (great) foresight as to the end.
  • In the village of Zarwán, near Yemen, (he was) renowned for (his) almsgiving and good disposition.
  • His abode was the Ka‘ba of the poor: the distressed were (always) coming to him. 1475
  • He would give, unostentatiously, a tithe both of the ears of corn and of the wheat when it was separated from the chaff.
  • (If) it was made into flour, he would give a tithe of that too; if it was made into bread, he would give another tithe of the bread.
  • He would never omit (to give) the tithe of any produce: he would give (the tithe) four times on that which he sowed.
  • That (generous) young man was continually giving many injunctions to all his sons,
  • Saying, “For God's sake, for God's sake, after I am gone, do not on account of your covetousness withhold the portion of the poor, 1480
  • So that the crops and fruit may remain (as a) permanent (blessing bestowed) on you under the safeguard of your obedience to God.”