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6
656-705

  • He (God) hath said in the Qur’án, “This Qur’án with all its heart leads some aright and others astray.”
  • God, God! When the gnostic speaks of “wine,” how in the gnostic's eyes should the (materially) non-existent be a (material) thing?
  • Since your understanding is (only of) the Devil's wine, how should you have any conception of the wine of the Merciful (God)?
  • These twain—the minstrel and the wine—are partners: this one quickly leads to that, and that one to this.
  • They that are full of crop-sickness feed on the song of the minstrel: the minstrels bring them to the tavern. 660
  • That one (the minstrel) is the beginning of the (lover's) course, and this (tavern) is the end thereof: the witless (lover) is like a ball in (the sway of) his polo-bat.
  • The ear goes (inclines) to that which is in the head: if there is yellow bile in the head, it becomes black bile.
  • Afterwards, these twain (the minstrel and the lover) pass into unconsciousness: there the begetter and the begotten become one.
  • When joy and sorrow made peace (with each other), our Turk awakened the minstrels.
  • The minstrel began (to sing) a slumberous verse—“Hand me the cup, O Thou whom I see not. 665
  • Thou art my face: no wonder that I see it not: extreme proximity is a mystifying veil.
  • Thou art my reason: no wonder if I see Thee not, on account of the abundance of the intricate perplexities (of thought).
  • Thou hast come nearer to me than my neck-artery: how long shall I say ‘Oh’? ‘Oh’ is a call to one who is far off.
  • Nay, but I dissemble with them when I call (to Him) in the deserts, in order that I may conceal Him who is beside me from those who excite my jealousy.”
  • How a blind man entered the house of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and how ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, fled from the presence of the blind man, and how the Prophet, on whom be peace, asked, “Why art thou running away? He cannot see thee”; and the answer given by ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, to the Prophet—God bless and save him!
  • A blind man came into the presence of the Prophet, saying, “O thou who suppliest fuel to every oven of dough, 670
  • O thou who art the lord of the Water (of Life), while I am suffering from dropsy—help, help, O giver of drink to me!”
  • When the blind man came in hastily by the door, ‘Á’isha ran away to conceal herself (from him),
  • Because that chaste lady was aware of the resentfulness of the jealous Prophet.
  • The more beautiful any one is, the greater his jealousy, for jealousy arises from (the possession of) loveliness, O sons.
  • Since foul hags are aware of their ugliness and old age, they let their husbands take a concubine. 675
  • When has there (ever) been in the two worlds a beauty like that of Ahmad (Mohammed)? Oh, may the Divine Glory aid him!
  • To him belong (all) the charms of both worlds: it beseems that hundredfold Sun to be jealous,
  • Saying, “I have thrown my (resplendent) orb over Saturn: beware, O stars, and cover your faces!
  • Be naughted in my incomparable radiance; else ye will be put to shame before my light.
  • For kindness' sake, I disappear every night; (but) how should I depart? I only make a show of departing, 680
  • That for a night ye may fly without me like bats, flapping your wings, around this flying-place;
  • And that, like peacocks, ye may display a (gorgeous) wing, and then become intoxicated and haughty and self-conceited.
  • Look at your uncouth feet, like the rustic shoon that were (as) a candle to Ayáz.
  • At dawn I show my face to reprimand you, lest from egoism ye become (included) among the people of the left hand.”
  • Leave that (topic), for that topic is lengthy: (he who is the final cause of) the command “Be!” hath forbidden lengthiness. 685
  • How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, made trial of ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, and said, “Why art thou hiding? Do not hide, for the blind man cannot see thee,” in order that it might appear whether ‘Á’isha was acquainted with the secret thoughts of Mustafá, on whom be peace, or whether she was (merely) one who would follow his expressed wishes.
  • The Prophet said by way of trial, “He cannot see thee: do not hide.”
  • ‘Á’isha made a sign with her hands (as though to say), “(If) he does not see (me), yet I see him.”
  • Reason's jealousy of the beauty of the Spirit is (the cause of) this sincere admonition being full of similitudes and allegories.
  • Notwithstanding that this Spirit is so hidden, why is Reason so jealous of Him?
  • O jealous one, from whom art thou hiding Him whose face is concealed by His light? 690
  • This Sun goes with face uncovered: His face is veiled by the excess of His light.
  • From whom art thou hiding Him, O jealous one? The sun (itself) cannot see a trace of Him.
  • (Reason says), “The jealousy in my body is (all) the greater because I desire to hide Him even from myself.
  • On account of the fire of fell jealousy I am at war with my own eyes and ears.”
  • Since thou hast such a (mighty) jealousy, O my soul and heart, close thy mouth and leave off speaking. 695
  • (Reason says), “If I keep silence, I fear that that Sun will rend the veil and (display Himself) from another quarter.”
  • In (keeping) silence our (inward) speaking (of Him) is (only) made more evident, since the desire (for manifestation) is increased by suppression.
  • If the Sea roar, its roaring turns to foam and becomes the surge of “I desired to be known.”
  • To utter words (concerning Him) is to shut the window (through which He reveals Himself): the very act of expression is the concealment (of Him).
  • Sing, like nightingales, in the presence of the Rose, in order that you may divert them from the scent of the Rose, 700
  • So that their ears will be engaged in (listening to) the song, and their attention will not fly to the face of the Rose.
  • Before this Sun, which is exceedingly radiant, every guide is in reality a highway robber.
  • Story of the minstrel who began to sing this ode at the banquet of the Turkish Amír: “Art Thou a rose or a lily or a cypress or a man? I know not. What dost Thou desire from this bewildered one who has lost his heart? I know not”— and how the Turk shouted at him, “Tell of that which you know!”—and the minstrel's reply to the Amír.
  • In the presence of the drunken Turk the minstrel began (to sing of) the mysteries of Alast under the veil of melody—
  • “I know not whether Thou art a moon or an idol, I know not what Thou desirest of me.
  • I know not what service I shall pay Thee, whether I shall keep silence or express Thee in words. 705