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5
4038-4087

  • He said, “Break it!” “How should I break it?” he replied: “I am a well-wisher to thy treasury and riches.
  • How should I deem it allowable that a priceless pearl like this should go to waste?”
  •  “Well said!” exclaimed the King and presented him with a dress of honour; the generous King took the pearl from him, 4040
  • (But) the munificent monarch bestowed on the Vizier every garment and robe that he wore.
  • For a while he engaged them (the courtiers) in conversation concerning new event and old mystery.
  • Afterwards he put it (the pearl) into the hand of a chamberlain, saying, "What is it worth to a would-be purchaser?"
  • He replied, “It is worth half a kingdom: may God preserve it from destruction!”
  •  “Break it,” said he. “O thou whose sword is like the sun he replied, “alas, ‘tis a great pity to break it. 4045
  • Let alone its value, mark its splendour and brilliancies: this (shining) daylight has become second to it.
  • How should my hand make a movement to break it? How should I be an enemy to the King’s treasure-house?”
  • The King gave him a robe of honour and increased his stipend, and then opened his mouth in praise of his (the chamberlain’s) intelligence;
  • After a short time he who was making the trial again handed the pearl to the Minister of Justice (Mir-i dád).
  • He said the same, and all the (other) Amirs said the same: he (the King) bestowed a costly robe of honour on every one (of them). . 4050
  • The King was raising their salaries, (but in truth) he brought those base wretches from the Way (of salvation) to the pit (of perdition).
  • All the fifty or sixty Amirs, one by one, spoke like this in imitation of the Vizier.
  • Though imitation is the pillar of the (present) world, (yet) every imitator is disgraced on being put to the trial.
  • How the pearl, (passing) from hand to hand, came round at last to Ayáz; and (concerning) the sagacity of Ayáz, and how he did not act in conformity with them and was not beguiled by the King’s giving them goods and riches and increasing their robes of honour and salaries and praising the intelligence of those erring men; for one ought not to regard the imitator as a Moslem: he may be a Moslem, but it rarely happens that he holds fast to his faith and comes off safely from the trials (to which he is exposed)—for he lacks the steadfastness of the clairvoyant——except (in the case of) those whom God preserves; because the Truth is one, and its contrary is very deceptive and like unto it (in appearance). Since the imitator does not know the contrary (so as to distinguish it from the Truth), on that account he cannot have known the Truth; but when, notwithstanding his ignorance, God preserves him by favour, that ignorance does him no harm.
  • “Now, O Ayáz, wilt not thou say how much a pearl of this splendour and excellence is worth?”
  • He replied, “More than I am able to say.” He (the King) said, “Now break it immediately into small fragments.” 4055
  • He (Ayáz)’had (two) stones in his sleeve: he quickly reduced it to dust, (for) that seemed to him the right course.
  • Or (perhaps) that entirely sincere man had dreamed of this and put the two stones under his arm,
  • Like Joseph to whom at the bottom of the well his ultimate fortunes was revealed by God.
  • To whomsoever He (God) has announced victory and triumph —to him success and unsuccess are one.
  • To whomsoever the favour of the Friend has become a surety —what fear should he have of defeat and (painful) combat 4060
  • When it has become certain to him that he will checkmate (his Opponent), the loss of his horse (knight) and elephant (bishop) is a trifle to him
  • If his horse be taken by any one who desires to take the horse, let the horse go; (for) is not he (by God’s help), the winner?
  • How should there be an affinity between a man and a horse? His love for the horse is (only) for the purpose of getting in front (of others).
  • Do not endure all this anguish for the sake of (mere) forms: grasp the reality without (suffering) headache on account of a form.
  • The ascetic feels anxiety concerning his latter end: (he considers) what will be his plight on the Day of Reckoning; 4065
  • (But) the gnostics, having become conscious of the beginning, are free from anxiety and (care for) the ultimate conditions.
  • (Formerly) the gnostic had the same fear and hope (as the ascetic), (but) his knowledge of the past devoured both those (feelings).
  • He perceived that in the past he had sown pulse: he knows what the produce will be.
  • He is a gnostic and has been delivered from fear and dread: the sword of God has cut lamentation asunder
  • (Formerly) he had from God (feelings of) fear and hope: the fear has passed away and the hope has come into clear view. 4070
  • When he (Ayáz) broke that choice pearl, thereupon from the Amirs arose a hundred clamours and outcries—
  • “What recklessness is this! By God, whoever has broken this luminous pearl is an infidel”—
  • And (yet) the whole company (of Amirs) in their ignorance and blindness had broken the pearl of the King’s command.
  • The precious pearl, the product of love and affection—why was it (ever) veiled from hearts like those?
  • How the Amirs reviled Ayáz, saying, “Why did he break it?” and how Ayáz answered them.
  • Ayáz said, “O renowned princes, is the King’s command more precious or the pearl? 4075
  • In your eyes is the command of the sovereign or this goodly pearl superior? For God’s sake (tell me that)!
  • O ye whose gaze is (fixed) upon the pearl, not upon the King, the ghoul is your object of desire, not the highway.
  • I will never avert my gaze from the King, I will not turn my face towards a stone, like the polytheist.
  • Devoid of the (spiritual) pearl is the soul that prefers a coloured stone and puts my King behind.”
  • Turn thy back towards the rose-colored doll, lose thy reason in Him who bestows the colour. 4080
  • Come into the river (of reality), dash the pitcher (of phenomenal form) against the stone, set fire to (mere) scent and colour.
  • If thou art not one of the brigands on the Way of the Religion, do not be addicted, like women, to colour and scent.
  • Those princes cast down their heads, craving with (all) their soul to be excused for that (act of) forgetfulness.
  • At that moment from the heart of each one (of them) two hundred sighs were going (up), like a (great) smoke, to heaven.
  • The King made a sign to the ancient executioner, as though to say, "Remove these vile wretches from my seat of honour. 4085
  • How are these vile wretches worthy of my seat of honour, when they break my command for the sake of a stone?
  • For the sake of a coloured stone my command is held contemptible and cheap by evil-doers like these.”
  • How the King was about to kill the Amirs, and how Ayáz made intercession before the royal throne, saying, “‘Tis better to forgive.”