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5
2733-2782

  • This discourse hath no end. Return, O reader, to the story of the Shaykh of the time.
  • On the meaning of “But for thee, I would not have created the heavens.”
  • A Shaykh like this became a beggar (going) from street to street. Love is reckless: beware!
  • Love makes the sea boil like a kettle; Love crumbles the mountain like sand; 2735
  • Love cleaves the sky with a hundred clefts; Love unconscionably makes the earth to tremble.
  • The pure Love was united with Mohammed: for Love's sake God said to him, “But for thee.”
  • Since he alone was the ultimate goal in Love, therefore God singled him out from the (other) prophets,
  • (Saying), “Had it not been for pure Love's sake, how should I have bestowed an existence on the heavens?
  • I have raised up the lofty celestial sphere, that thou mayst apprehend the sublimity of Love. 2740
  • Other benefits come from the celestial sphere: it is like the egg, (while) these (benefits) are consequential, like the chick.
  • I have made the earth altogether lowly, that thou mayst gain some notion of the lowliness of lovers.
  • We have given greenness and freshness to the earth, that thou mayst become acquainted with the (spiritual) transmutation of the dervish.”
  • These firm-set mountains describe (represent) to thee the state of lovers in steadfastness,
  • Although that (state) is a reality, while this (description) is (only) an image, O son, (which is employed) in order that he (who offers it) may bring it nearer to thy understanding. 2745
  • They liken anguish to thorns; it is not that (in reality), but they do so as a means of arousing (thy) attention.
  • When they called a hard heart “stony,” that was (really) inappropriate, (but) they made it serve as a similitude.
  • The archetype of that (object of comparison) is inconceivable: put the blame on thy conceptual faculty, and do not regard it (the archetype) as negated (nonexistent).
  • How the Shaykh, in obedience to the intimation from the Unseen, went with his basket four times in one day to the house of a certain Amír for the purpose of begging; and how the Amír rebuked him for his impudence, and how he excused himself to the Amír.
  • One day the Shaykh went four times to the palace of an Amír, in order to beg like a dervish,
  • (With) a basket in his hand, crying, “Something for God's sake! The Creator of the soul is seeking a piece of bread.” 2750
  • ’Tis preposterous, O son: it makes even Universal Reason giddy-headed (astounded).
  • When the Amír saw him, he said to him, “O impudent man, I will tell you something, (but) do not fasten on me the name of niggard.
  • What callousness and effrontery and (insolent) behaviour is this, that you come in (here) four times in one day?
  • Who here is attached to you, Shaykh? Never have I seen a sturdy beggar like you.
  • You have brought (all) beggars into contempt and disgrace: what abominable importunity, worthy of ‘Abbás (himself), is this that you have shown! 2755
  • ‘Abbás (the seller) of date-syrup is (merely) your groom: may no freethinker (mulhid) have such an ill-starred soul!”
  • He replied, “O Amír, I am devoted to the (Divine) command. Be silent! Thou art not acquainted with my (inward) fire: do not boil (rage) so much!
  • Had I found in myself any greed for bread, I would have ripped my bread craving belly.
  • During seven years, (inspired) by the ardour of Love that cooks the body, I have eaten (nothing but) vine-leaves in the wilderness,
  • So that, from my eating withered and fresh leaves, this bodily colour of mine had turned green.” 2760
  • So long as thou art in the veil of the Father of mankind (Adam), do not look slightingly on the lovers (of God).
  • The acute men who have split hairs (in profound investigation) and with (all) their soul have (studied and) apprehended the science of astronomy,
  • And the sciences of sorcery and magic and (natural) philosophy, and, though they do not know (these sciences) with real knowledge,
  • Yet have endeavoured (to know them) as far as they possibly can, and have surpassed all their rivals—
  • Love was jealous and withdrew from them: such a (manifest) Sun became invisible to them. 2765
  • (I marvel), how did such a Sun withdraw its face from the light of an eye that observed a star in the daytime?
  • Abandon this (revilement); hark, accept my counsel: regard the lovers (of God) with the eye of love.
  • (Their) time is precious and their souls are on the watch (for the Beloved): at that moment they cannot excuse themselves to thee.
  • Apprehend (their real state), do not be dependent on their words, do not wound the breasts (hearts) of the lovers.
  • Hast not thou formed a bad opinion of this enthusiasm (of theirs)? (Thou hast done so from prudence): do not abandon prudence, always act with caution; 2770
  • (But) it (prudence) is either necessary or allowable or absurd: take this middle course in prudence, O interferer.
  • How the admonition of the Shaykh and the reflexion of (the impression produced by) his sincerity moved the Amír to weep; and how after (having shown) that irreverence he gave up (to him the contents of) his treasury; and how the Shaykh preserved himself (from temptation) and refused to accept (the gift) and said, “I cannot take any action in the absence of an intimation (from God).”
  • He (the Shaykh) said this and began to weep with ecstatic cries, the tears rolling hither and thither down his cheeks.
  • His sincerity touched the Amír's heart: Love is ever cooking a wondrous potful.
  • The sincerity of the lover affects (even) an inanimate thing: what wonder if it make an impression on the mind of one possessed of knowledge?
  • The sincerity of Moses made an impression on the rod and the mountain; nay, on the majestic sea. 2775
  • The sincerity of Ahmad (Mohammed) made an impression on the beauty of the moon; nay, it stopped the course of the shining sun.
  • With face turned to face in lamentation, both the Amír and the Dervish had fallen to weeping.
  • After they had wept much for a while, the Amír said to him, “Arise, O worthy man,
  • And choose from the Treasury whatever thou wilt, albeit thou deservest a hundred such (treasuries).
  • The (treasure-) house is thine: choose anything thou desirest, (though) in truth the two worlds are little (in thy estimation).” 2780
  • He replied, “I have not been given permission (by God) to pick out anything with my own hand.
  • I cannot of my own accord commit such an intemperance as to intrude in this way like an interloper."