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6
2922-2971

  • The water-cow fetches a pearl out of the sea, lays it on the meadow, and grazes around it.
  • In the radiance of the light of the pearl the water-cow feeds hurriedly on hyacinths and lilies.
  • The excrement of the water-cow is ambergris because its food is narcissus and nenuphar.
  • Any one whose food is the Light of (Divine) Majesty, how should not lawful magic (wondrous eloquence) spring from his lips? 2925
  • Any one who, like the bee, has been given (Divine) inspiration as a prize, how should not his house be full of honey?
  • The cow grazes in the light of the pearl; (then) suddenly it moves some distance away from the pearl.
  • A trader (appears and) puts black loam on the pearl, so that the meadow and verdant ground becomes dark.
  • Then the trader takes refuge on a tree, while the cow seeks the man with its hard horn.
  • Twenty times the cow runs about the meadow, in order to impale its enemy on its horn. 2930
  • When the fierce cow despairs of (finding) him, it comes to the place where the pearl was laid
  • And sees the loam (spread) over the royal pearl; then it runs away from the clay, like Iblís.
  • (Since) Iblís is blind and deaf to the gist (spiritual content) of the clay (of Adam), how should the cow know that the pearl is in the clay?
  • (The Divine command) fall ye cast the spirit into abasement: this menstruation excluded it from prayer (communion with God).
  • O comrades, beware of this resting-place and of that (idle) talk: verily, sensuality is the menstruation of men. 2935
  • (The Divine command) fall ye cast the spirit into the body, that the pearl of Aden might be hidden in clay.
  • The trader knows it, but the cow does not: the spiritual know, but not any clay-digger.
  • Every piece of clay in the heart of which there is a pearl—its pearl can tell the secrets of another (piece of) clay;
  • While the clay that has not been illumined by God's sprinkling (of light) cannot bear the companionship of the pieces of clay that are filled with pearls.
  • This topic is endless, (and meanwhile) our mouse on the bank of the river is (waiting) on our ear (attention). 2940
  • Return to the Story of the mouse seeking the frog on the river-bank and pulling the string in order that the frog in the water might become aware of his seeking him.
  • That (creature) moulded of love is pulling the string in hope of being united with the righteous frog.
  • He is perpetually harping on the heart-string, saying, “I have got the end of the string in my paw.
  • My heart and soul have become as (frail as) a thread in contemplation, ever since the end of the string (the prospect of success) showed itself to me.”
  • But suddenly the raven of separation came to chase the mouse and carried it off from that spot.
  • When the mouse was taken up into the air by the raven, the frog too was dragged from the bottom of the water. 2945
  • The mouse (was) in the raven's beak, and the frog likewise (was) suspended in the air, (with) its foot (entangled) in the string.
  • The people were saying, “How could the raven make the water-frog its prey by craft and cunning?
  • How could it go into the water, and how could it carry him off? When was the water-frog (ever) the raven's prey?”
  • “This,” said the frog, “is the fit punishment for that one who, like persons devoid of honour, consorts with a rascal.”
  • Oh, alas, alas for the sorrow caused by a base friend! O sirs, seek ye a good companion. 2950
  • Reason complains bitterly of the vicious carnal soul: (they are as discordant) as an ugly nose on a beautiful face.
  • Reason was saying to him (the frog), “’Tis certain that congeniality is spiritual in origin and is not (derived) from water and clay (the outward form).”
  • Take heed, do not become a worshipper of form and do not say this. Do not seek (to discover) the secret of congeniality in the (outward) form.
  • Form resembles the mineral and the stone: an inorganic thing has no knowledge of congeniality.
  • The spirit is like an ant, and the body like a grain of wheat which it (the ant) carries to and fro continually. 2955
  • The ant knows that the grains of which it has taken charge will be changed and become homogeneous with it.
  • One ant picks up (a grain of) barley on the road, another ant picks up a grain of wheat and runs away.
  • The barley does not hurry to the wheat, but the ant comes to the ant; yes (it does).
  • The going of the barley to the wheat is (merely) consequential: (’tis) the ant, mark you, (that) returns to its congener.
  • Do not say, “Why did the wheat go to the barley?” Fix your eye on the holder, not on that which he holds in pawn. 2960
  • (As when) a black ant (moves along) on a black felt cloth: the ant is hidden (from view), (only) the grain is visible on its way,
  • (But) Reason says, “Look well to your eye: when does a grain ever go along without a grain-bearer?”
  • (’Twas) on this account (that) the dog came to the Companions (of the Cave): the (outward) forms are (like) the grains, while the heart (spirit) is (like) the ant.
  • Hence Jesus goes (ascends) to the holy ones of Heaven: the cages (bodies) were diverse, (but) the young birds (spirits) were of the same kind.
  • This cage is visible, but the young bird in it is hidden (from sight): how should the cage be moving without a cage-carrier? 2965
  • Oh, blessed is the eye that is ruled by reason, (the eye) that discerns the end and is wise and cool.
  • Get (learn) the distinction between evil and good from reason, not from the eye that tells (only) of black and white.
  • The eye is beguiled by the verdure on dunghills, (but) reason says, “Put it to my touchstone.”
  • The eye that sees (only) its (object of) desire is the bird's bane; reason, which sees the trap, is the bird's means of deliverance.
  • (But) there was another trap which reason did not perceive; hence the inspiration which beholds the unseen sped in this direction. 2970
  • By reason you can recognise congener and non-congener: you ought not to run at once to (outward) forms.