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5
1655-1704

  • (Depart), for the sake of that King who alone is worshipped and with whom no one's lamentation is rejected!” 1655
  • He replied, “These conjurations cannot move me to avert my face from (disobey) the Giver of (all) commands secret or manifest.”
  • She said, “After all, He hath commanded forbearance: both (severity and forbearance) are commanded: take (choose) the latter on the ground of knowledge.”
  • He replied, “That would be an interpretation or an inference: do not seek to confuse the plain meaning of the command.
  • If thou interpret (alter) thine own thought (so as to make it agree with the command), ’tis better than that thou shouldst interpret (pervert) this unequivocal (command).
  • My heart is burning (melting) at thy supplication, my bosom is filled with blood on account of thy salty tears. 1660
  • I am not pitiless; nay, I have greater pity than those three holy ones for the sorrow of the sorrowful.
  • If I am slapping an orphan, while a mild-natured person may put halwá (sweetmeat) in his hand,
  • Those slaps (of mine) are better (for him) than the other's halwá; and if he be beguiled by the halwá, woe to him!
  • My heart is burning at thy lamentable cry, but God is teaching me (to know) a (great) kindness—
  • The kindness concealed amidst cruelties, the priceless cornelian hidden in filth. 1665
  • The cruelty done by God is better than a hundred clemencies of mine: to withhold the soul from God is agony to the soul.
  • His worst cruelty is better than the clemency of both worlds: how excellent is the Lord of created beings and how excellent (His) help!
  • In His cruelty there are secret kindnesses: to surrender the soul for His sake increases (the life of) the soul.
  • Hark, dismiss suspicion and error: make thy head a foot (to hasten towards Him) since He hath bidden thee come.
  • His ‘Come’ will give (thee) exaltations; it will give (thee) intoxication and (spiritual) brides and couches. 1670
  • In short, never, never can I weaken (the force of) that sublime command and complicate it (by prevarication).”
  • The wretched Earth heard all this (counsel), (but) in her ear was a plug arising from that evil suspicion.
  • Once more in another fashion the lowly Earth made entreaty and prostrated herself, like a drunken man.
  • He said, “Nay, arise! There is no loss (to thee) from this (thing), I lay my head and life as a pledge and guarantee.
  • Do not think of entreating (me), do not make further entreaty except to that merciful and justice-dealing King. 1675
  • I am a slave to (His) command, I dare not neglect His command which raised dust from the sea.
  • Save from the Creator of ear and eye and head I will hear (accept) neither good nor evil—not even from my own soul.
  • My ear is deaf to all words but His: He is dearer to me than my sweet soul.
  • The soul came from Him, not He from the soul: He bestows a hundred thousand souls free of cost.
  • Who is the soul that I should prefer her to the Gracious (God)? What is a flea that I should burn the blanket on account of it? 1680
  • I know no good but His good: I am deaf and dumb and blind to all but Him.
  • My ear is deaf to those who make lamentation, for I am as the spear in His hand.
  • [Explaining that when injury befalls you from a creature of God, he in reality is like an instrument. The gnostic is he that refers (all action) to God, not to the instrument; and if he refer it to the instrument formally, he does so not in ignorance but for a purpose. Thus Abú Yazíd, may God sanctify his spirit, said, “During all these years I have never spoken to any creature or heard any creature speak to me; but people fancy that I am speaking and listening to them, because they do not see the Most Great Speaker, of whom they in relation to me are (only) the echo.” The intelligent hearer pays no heed to the echo. There is a well-known proverb to this effect, (namely), “The wall said to the nail, ‘Why are you splitting me?’ The nail replied, ‘Look at him who is hitting me.’”]
  • Do not foolishly beg the spear for mercy: beg (mercy) of the King in whose hand it (the spear) is (held).
  • How shouldst thou supplicate the spear and sword which are captives in the hand of that Exalted One?
  • He is (like) Ázar in craftsmanship, and I am the idol (made by Him): whatever instrument He may make of me, I become that. 1685
  • If He make me a cup, I become a cup; and if He make me a dagger, I become a dagger.
  • If He make me a fountain, I give water; and if He make me fire, I give heat.
  • If He make rain of me, I give a cornstack; and if He make an arrow of me, I dart into the body.
  • If He make me a snake (márí), I emit venom; and if He make me a friend (yárí), I do (kindly) service.
  • I am as a pen between His two fingers: I am not a waverer in the ranks of obedience (to Him).” 1690
  • He (Azrael) engaged the Earth in (this) discourse, (and meanwhile) he snatched from the old Earth a handful (of clay).
  • (Deftly) like a magician he snatched it from the Earth, (whilst) the Earth was absorbed, like those beside themselves, in (listening to) his words.
  • He brought the inconsiderate clay to God: (he brought) the runaway (back) to school.
  • God said, “(I swear) by My resplendent knowledge, I will make thee the executioner of these (My) creatures.”
  • He replied, “O Lord, Thy creatures will regard me as their enemy when I strangle them at death. 1695
  • Dost Thou deem it right, O exalted Lord, to make me hated and like a foe in appearance?”
  • He (God) said, “I will bring into clear view certain causes, (such as) fever and dysentery and phrenitis and spear(-wounds);
  • For (so) I will turn their attention from thee to the diseases and threefold causes (of death).”
  • He (Azrael) replied, “O Lord, there are also servants (of Thine) who rend (shatter the illusion of) causes, O Almighty.”
  • Their eye pierces through the cause: by the grace of the Lord, it has passed beyond (all) veils. 1700
  • It has obtained the collyrium of Unity from the oculist of ecstasy and has been delivered from ailment and infirmity.
  • They do not look at fever and dysentery and consumption: they do not admit these causes into their heart;
  • For every one of these diseases has its cure: when it becomes incurable, that is the act of the (Divine) Decree.
  • Know for certain that every disease has its cure, as (for example) a fur is the cure for the pain of cold;