Tasin of Zoroaster: Ahriman Tempts Zoroaster

Because of you my creatures complain like a reed-pipe, because of you our April has become like December;

You have made me humbled and dishonoured in the world, you have stained your image with my blood.

Truth lives through the epiphany of your Sinai, death for me dwells within your White Hand.

It is folly to rely on a covenant with God, to travel the road to His desire is to lose the way;

Poisons lurk within His rose-tinted wine. saw, worm and cross-these are His gifts.

Noah had no other resource but prayer, but the words of that hapless man were of no avail.

So abandon the city and hide yourself in a cave, choose the company of the cavalcade of the creatures of light;

With one glance make the dust a philosopher’s stone, set fire to the heavens with a single prayer;

Become a wanderer in the mountains like Moses, be half-consumed in the fire of vision;

But you must certainly give up prophecy, you must give up all such mullah-mongery.

By associating with nobodies, a somebody becomes a nobody, though his nature be a flame, be becomes a chip of wood.

So long as prophethood is inferior to sainthood prophecy is a veritable vexation to love.

Now rise, and nestle in the nest of Unity, abandon manifestation and sit in retirement!

Light is a sea, darkness its shore; a torrent like me was not born in his heart.

My breast is swarming with restless waves; what should the torrent do but devastate the shore?

The colourless picture, which no man has ever seen, cannot be painted save with the blood of Ahriman.

Self-display-that is the very secret of life, life is to test out one’s own striking-power.

The Self becomes more mature through suffering until the Self rends the veils that cover God.

The God-seeing man sees himself only through God; crying ‘One God’, he quivers in his own blood.

To quiver in blood is a great honour for love, saw, stave and halter-these are love’s festival

Upon the road of love, whatever betides is good; then welcome to the unloving kindnesses of the Beloved!

Not my eye only desired the manifestation of God; it is a sin to behold beauty without a company.

What is solitude? Pain, burning and yearning; company is vision, solitude is a search

Love in solitude is colloquy with God; when love marches forth in display, that is to be a king!

Solitude and manifestation are the perfection of ardour, both alike are states and stations of indigence.

What is the former? To desert cloister and church; what is the latter? Not to walk alone in Paradise!

Though God dwells in solitude and manifestation, solitude is the beginning, manifestation the end.

You have said that prophecy is a vexation when love becomes perfect, it fashions men.

It is delightful to go on God’s road by caravan, it is delightful to go in the world free as the soul.