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5
526-575

  • There is room for a hundred eaters (guests) round a table, (but) there is not room in the (whole) world for two seekers of dominion.
  • The one is not willing that the other should be on the surface of the earth; so that a prince kills his father for partaking with him (in sovereignty).
  • Thou hast heard (the saying) that kingship is childless: the seeker of sovereignty has cut (the ties of) relationship because of (his) fear;
  • For he is childless and has no son: like fire, he has no kinship with any one.
  • Whatsoever he finds he destroys and tears to pieces: when he finds nothing, he devours himself. 530
  • Become naught, escape from his teeth: do not seek mercy from his (hard) anvil-like heart.
  • After thou hast become naught, do not fear the anvil: take lessons every morning from absolute poverty.
  • Divinity is the mantle of the Lord of glory: it becomes a plague to any one who puts it on.
  • His (God's) is the crown (of sovereignty), ours the belt (of servitude): woe to him that passes beyond his proper bound!
  • Thy peacock-feathers are a (sore) temptation to thee, for thou must needs have co-partnership (with God) and All-holiness. 535
  • Story of the Sage who saw a peacock tearing out his handsome feathers with his beak and dropping them (on the ground) and making himself bald and ugly. In astonishment he asked, “Hast thou no feeling of regret?” “I have,” said the peacock, “but life is dearer to me than feathers, and these (feathers) are the enemy of my life.”
  • A peacock was tearing out his feathers in the open country, where a sage had gone for a walk.
  • He said, “O peacock, how art thou tearing out such fine feathers remorselessly from the root?
  • How indeed is thy heart consenting that thou shouldst tear off these gorgeous robes and let them fall in the mud?
  • Those who commit the Qur’án to memory place every feather of thine, on account of its being prized and acceptable, within the folding of the (Holy) Book.
  • For the sake of stirring the healthful air thy feathers are used as fans. 540
  • What ingratitude and what recklessness is this! Dost not thou know who is their decorator?
  • Or dost thou know (that) and art thou showing disdain and purposely tearing out (such) a (fine) broidery?
  • Oh, there is many a disdain that becomes a sin and causes the servant to fall from favour with the King (God).
  • To show disdain is sweeter than sugar; but chew it not, for it hath a hundred perils.
  • The place of safety is the way of want (lowliness): abandon disdain and make up with (be satisfied with) that way. 545
  • Oh, many a disdainfulness flapped its wings and plumes, (but) in the end it became a bane to that (arrogant) person.
  • If the sweetness of disdain exalts thee for a moment, (yet) its latent fear and dread consumes thee;
  • (While) this want (lowliness), though it make (thee) lean, will make thy breast (heart) like the brilliant full-moon.
  • Since He (God) draws forth the living from the dead, he that has become dead (to this world) keeps the right course;
  • (And) since He brings forth the dead from the living, the living (carnal) soul moves towards a state of death (self-mortification). 550
  • Become dead, that the Lord who brings forth the living may bring forth a (spiritually) living one from this dead one.
  • (If) thou become December (Winter), thou wilt experience the bringing forth of Spring; (if) thou become night, thou wilt experience the advent of day.
  • Do not tear out thy feathers, for ’tis irreparable: do not rend thy face in grief, O beauteous one.
  • Such a face that resembles the morning sun—’tis sinful to rend a countenance like that.
  • ’Tis (an act of) infidelity (to inflict) scratches upon a countenance (of) such (beauty) that the moon's countenance wept at parting from it. 555
  • Or dost not thou see (the beauty of) thy face? Abandon that contumacious disposition (which prevents thee from seeing it).”
  • Explaining that the purity and simplicity of the tranquil soul are disturbed by thoughts, just as (when) you write or depict anything on the surface of a mirror, though you may (afterwards) obliterate it entirely, (yet) a mark and blemish will remain (on the mirror).
  • The face of the tranquil soul in the body suffers wounds inflicted by the nails of thought.
  • Know that evil thought is a poisonous nail: in (the case of) deep reflection it rends the face of the soul.
  • In order that he (the thinker) may loose the knot of a difficulty, he has put a golden spade into ordure.
  • Suppose the knot is loosed, O adept (thinker): ’tis (like) a tight knot on an empty purse. 560
  • Thou hast grown old in (the occupation of) loosing knots: suppose a few more knots are loosed (by thee, what then?).
  • The knot that is (fastened) tight on our throat is that thou shouldst know whether thou art vile or fortunate.
  • Solve this problem, if thou art a man: spend thy breath (life) on this, if thou hast the breath (spirit) of Adam (within thee).
  • Suppose thou knowest the definitions of (all) substances and accidents, (how shall it profit thee?): know the (true) definition of thyself, for this is indispensable.
  • When thou knowest the definition of thyself, flee from this definition, that thou mayst attain to Him who hath no definition, O sifter of dust. 565
  • (Thy) life has gone (to waste) in (the consideration of logical) predicate and subject: (thy) life, devoid of (spiritual) insight, has gone in (study of) what has been received by hearsay.
  • Every proof (that is) without (a spiritual) result and effect is vain: consider the (final) result of thyself!
  • Thou hast never perceived a Maker except by means of a thing made: thou art content with a syllogism.
  • The philosopher multiplies links (consisting) of (logical) proofs; on the other hand, the elect (the mystic) is contrary to him (in this respect).
  • The latter flees from the proof and from the veil (between himself and God): he has sunk his head in his bosom for the sake of (contemplating) the Object of the proof. 570
  • If to him (the philosopher) the smoke is a proof of the fire, to us (mystics) ’tis sweet (to be) in the fire without the smoke,
  • Especially this Fire which, through (our) nighness and fealty (to God), is nearer to us than the smoke.
  • Therefore ’tis black villainy to go (turn away) from the Soul (Reality) towards the smoke for the sake of (indulging) the phantasies (illusions) of the (animal) soul.
  • In explanation of the saying of the Prophet, on whom be peace, “There is no monkery in Islam.”
  • “Do not tear out thy feathers, but detach thy heart from (desire for) them, because (the existence of) the enemy is the necessary condition for (waging) this Holy War.
  • When there is no enemy, the Holy War is inconceivable; (if) thou hast no lust, there can be no obedience (to the Divine command). 575