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6
4377-4426

  • In order that all the pilgrims might gather round him and might all turn in worship to his Ka‘ba,
  • And that he might take vengeance on the Arabs for the injury (inflicted by them), for “why,” said he, “should they set my Ka‘ba on fire?”
  • His efforts only turned to glory for the Ka‘ba: they caused the (holy) House to be glorified.
  • (Formerly) the glory of the Meccans had been one: (now) it became a hundred: their glory was now extending to the Resurrection. 4380
  • He (Abraha) and his Ka‘ba were eclipsed more (and more). Whence is this? From the favours of the (Divine) Decree.
  • Those poor Arabs were enriched by the equipment and baggage of (the host of) Abraha, (who was) like a wild beast.
  • He thought that he was bringing an army (against the Ka‘ba): (in fact) he was bringing gold for the defenders of the House.
  • He (the treasure-seeker) was (occupied), every step of the way, in contemplating this (wondrous) annulment of fixed purposes and ambitions.
  • (When) he came home, he discovered the treasure: by Divine grace his fortune was restored. 4385
  • How the (two) brothers repeated their advice to the eldest, and how he was unable to endure it and ran away from them and went off, frenzied and beside himself, and rushed into the King's audience-chamber without asking permission; but (this was) from excess of passionate love, not from disrespect and recklessness, etc.
  • The two (brothers) said to him, “In our souls are answers (to thy arguments), like stars in the sky.
  • Unless we (answer and) speak, the game will not come out right; and if we speak, thy heart will be grieved.
  • We are like frogs in the water: ’tis painful to speak, while the result of silence is suffocation and illness.
  • If we speak not, (our) friendship (with thee) has no light (of truth); and if we speak, ’tis without leave (from thee).”
  • Straightway he sprang up, crying, “Farewell, O kinsmen: verily this world and all therein is but a passing enjoyment,” 4390
  • And darted away like an arrow from the bow, so that there was no opportunity (for them) to speak at that time.
  • He came intoxicated (with love) into the presence of the King of China and at once kissed the earth frenziedly (at his feet).
  • To the King their (his lovers') feelings, their passion and agitation, were (an) open (book) in every detail from first to last.
  • The sheep are busy in their pasture, but the shepherd knows all about the sheep.
  • (Any one of those of whom the Prophet said), “Each of you is a shepherd,” knows which of the flock is feeding and which is (engaged) in combat. 4395
  • Although apparently he was far from those ranks, yet he was (in their midst) like the tambourine at a wedding-feast.
  • (He was) well acquainted with the burning and flaming (passion) of those who came to his court, (but) in his wisdom he had ignored them and kept silence.
  • That exalted (monarch) was in the midst (depths) of their souls, but he had purposely feigned to be unfamiliar (with them).
  • The form (appearance) of the fire is beneath the kettle; the spirit (reality) of the fire is in the soul of the kettle.
  • Its form is outside and its spirit inside: the spirit (real nature) of the soul's Beloved is (in the soul) like blood in the veins. 4400
  • The prince knelt before the King, (while) ten announcers gave a description of his state.
  • Although the King knew it all long ago, yet the announcer was performing the duties of his office.
  • O sincere man, a single atom of the light of (mystic) knowledge within (thee) is better than a hundred announcers.
  • To confine one's attention to the announcer is a mark of being debarred (from access to real knowledge) and of (being preoccupied with) conjecture and (mere) opinion.
  • He whose scout is his inward eye—his eye will behold with the very acme of clairvoyance. 4405
  • His soul is not content with traditional authority; nay, his feeling of (absolute) certainty comes from the inward eye.
  • Then the announcer opened his lips to describe his (the eldest brother's) plight in the presence of the elect King.
  • He said, “O King, he is fallen a prey to thy beneficence: show kingly favour (to him), for he has no means of escape.
  • He has clutched the saddle-strap of this empire: stroke his distraught head with thy (royal) hand!”
  • The King replied, “This youth will obtain (from me) every high dignity and sovereignty that he seeks. 4410
  • I will bestow on him here (and now) twenty times as many kingdoms as he has relinquished, and myself into the bargain.”
  • He (the announcer) said, “Since thy royal majesty sowed in him the seed of love, how could it leave (in him) any passion except passion for thee?
  • ’Tis so agreeable to him to be thy slave that kingship has become cold comfort to his heart.
  • He has gambled away kingship and princedom: for thy sake he has put up with living in exile.
  • He is a Súfí: he has flung away his mantle in ecstasy: how should he turn again to his mantle? 4415
  • To hanker for the given away mantle and repent (of having given it) is as much as to say, ‘I have been swindled:
  • Put the mantle back here, O comrade, for that (ecstasy) was not worth it, that is, (not worth) this (mantle).’
  • Far be it from a lover that such a thought should occur to him; and if it do, dust ought to be (sprinkled) on his head.
  • Love is worth a hundred mantles like that of the body, which contains a (principle of) life and sensation and reason;
  • Especially the mantle of worldly dominion, which is cut short (exiguous): a pennyworth of intoxication with it is (results in) headache. 4420
  • Worldly dominion is lawful (only) to those who indulge the body: we (lovers) are devoted to the everlasting kingdom of Love.
  • He (the prince) is Love's agent: do not deprive him of his employment, do not let him be employed in aught but loving thee.
  • The office (business) that veils me from (the sight of) thy face is the very essence of unemployment, though it is called ‘office.’
  • The cause of (his) delay in coming hither was lack of capability and defect of skill.”
  • (If) you go into a mine without (having) capability, you will not gain possession of a single grain (of gold), 4425
  • Tanquam vir veneri inhabilis qui virginem emit: ea, etsi pectus argenteum (candidum) sit, frui quo pacto poterit? [Like an impotent man who buys a virgin (for a slave): even if she is a silver-breasted (beauty), how can he enjoy (her sexually)?]