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4117-4166

  • Jesus says to him, “O blind man, cling to me with both hands: I have a precious collyrium.

  • If thou art blind, thou wilt obtain light from me and lay hold of the (sweet-scented) Joseph's shirt of the spirit.”

  • The (real) fortune and highway (of success) lies in the business that comes to thee after utter defeat (self-abasement).

  • Give up the business that hath no foot or head (permanence): hark, old donkey, get for thyself a Pír! 4120

  • May none but the Pír be (thy) master and captain!—not the Pír (old man) of the rolling sky, but the Pír of right guidance.

  • The devotee of darkness sees the light immediately as soon as he becomes subject to (the authority of) the Pír.

  • What is required is self-surrender, not long toil: ’tis useless to rush about in error.

  • Henceforth I will not seek the way to the Ether (the highest celestial sphere): I will seek the Pír, I will seek the Pír, the Pír, the Pír!

  • The Pír is the ladder to Heaven: by whom (what) is the arrow made to fly? By the bow. 4125

  • Was it not Abraham that caused the gross Nimrod to (attempt the) journey to heaven by means of the vulture?

  • (Impelled) by self-will, he often went upward; but no vulture can fly to heaven.

  • Abraham said to him, “O traveller, I will be thy vulture: this is more seemly for thee.

  • When thou makest of me a ladder to go aloft, thou wilt ascend to heaven without flying”—

  • As the heart (spirit), without provisions or riding-camel, travels (swiftly) as lightning to west and east; 4130

  • As man's consciousness, wandering abroad whilst he is asleep, travels during the night to (remote) cities;

  • As the gnostic, sitting quietly (in one place), travels by a hidden track through a hundred worlds.

  • If he has not been endowed with power to travel like this, (then) from whom are (derived) these reports concerning that (spiritual) country?

  • Hundreds of thousands of Pírs are agreed upon (the truth of) these reports and these veracious narratives.

  • Amongst these sources (authorities) there is no dispute, such as there is in (the case of) knowledge based on opinions. 4135

  • That (knowledge based on opinion) is (like) searching (for the direction of the Ka‘ba) in the dark night, while this (mystic knowledge) is (like) the presence of the Ka‘ba and midday.

  • Arise, O (thou who resemblest) Nimrod, and seek wings from (holy) personages: thou wilt not get any ladder from these vultures.

  • The vulture is the particular (discursive) reason, O poor (-spirited) one: its wings are connected with the eating of carrion;

  • (But) the reason of the Abdál (exalted saints) is like the wings of Gabriel: it soars, mile by mile, up to the shade of the lote-tree (in Paradise).

  • (It says), “I am a royal falcon, I am fair and auspicious, I have nothing to do with carrion: I am not a vulture. 4140

  • Abandon the vulture, for I will be thy helper: a wing of mine is better for thee than a hundred vultures.”

  • How long wilt thou gallop blindly? For (learning) a trade and business one needs a master.

  • Do not disgrace thyself in the capital of China: seek a sage and do not separate thyself from him.

  • Hark, whatever the Plato of the age bids thee do, give up thy self-will and act in accordance with that (counsel).

  • All (who dwell) in China are saying in zeal for (the glory of) their King, “He begetteth not. 4145

  • Never in sooth has our King begotten a child; nay, he has not allowed a woman to approach him.”

  • When any king says of him something of this sort, he weds his (traducer's) neck to the cutting scimitar.

  • The King says (to such an one), “Since thou hast spoken these words, either prove that I have a wife and family—

  • And if thou prove that I have a daughter, thou art safe from my keen sword—

  • Or else without any doubt I will cut thy throat: I will tear the mantle (thy body) off the Súfí, thy spirit. 4150

  • Thou wilt never save thy head from the sword, O thou that hast spoken vain and lying words!

  • O thou that hast foolishly spoken an untruth, behold a moat full of severed heads!—

  • A moat filled from its bottom to its mouth with heads severed on account of this enormity.

  • All have been sacrificed to this (false) assertion: they have beheaded themselves with this assertion.

  • Beware! Regard this with a heedful eye: do not conceive or utter such an assertion!” 4155

  • (The two princes said), “Thou wilt make our lives bitter to us: who is inducing thee to (act like) this, O brother?

  • If one who is ignorant should journey a hundred years in blindness, that is not reckoned as a journey.

  • Do not go into battle unarmed, do not go recklessly into destruction.”

  • They said all this (to him), but the impatient (prince) replied, “These words (of warning) inspire me with repugnance.

  • My bosom is full of fire, like a brazier: the crop is ripe, ’tis time for the sickle. 4160

  • There was a (great) fortitude in my breast, (but) now it is no more: Love has set fire to the dwelling-place of fortitude.

  • My fortitude died on the night when Love was born: it has passed away—long live those who are present!

  • O thou that tellest (me) of (a stern) rebuke (from the King) and (terrible) punishments, I have passed beyond (all) that: do not beat a piece of cold iron!

  • I am (rushing) headlong: hey, let go my feet! Where in all my limbs is (any) understanding?

  • I am (like) a camel: I carry (my load) as long as I can, (but) when I fall down exhausted, I am glad to be killed. 4165

  • If there are a hundred moats full of severed heads, ’tis an absolute pleasantry in comparison with my anguish.