غزل شمارهٔ 1904

Whither would you fly from my clutch? Who knows how to rend the net of omnipotence?

Since you have not the foot to flee from me, bend down your neck, have done with obstinacy.

Run towards sweetness like unripe grapes, if you know not how to run inwardly.

Caught in the net you are biting the rope; this rope shall not be broken by biting.

Do you not see how your head is in my bowstring? You are a bow, you must bend to the string.

Why do you kick up your hind legs saying, “I have escaped the load?” I have merely let you go for a moment to graze.

In fear and awe of me the sea’s heart surges with billows and throbbing.

If the rocky mountain should encounter that blow, it would not be able to leap out of my chains.

Until my command says to heaven, “Enough,” it must go on spinning around my earth.

Desire is a milk from the teats of Satan; your reason is to suck asses’ milk.

Earth’s mouth is dry out of despair for me, without me it cannot swallow a single mouthful.

Who is able to attack my quarry? Who is able to purchase my slave?

He whom I have seized and chosen, whom shall he choose other than me?

The soul has no security save in love; it is necessary to creep amongst lovers.

Lovers have security in both worlds; even so they were at the time of creation.

It behooves not the sheep to scatter away from the shepherd towards the wolves because the shepherd is cruel.

This shepherd will not shed the blood of the sheep, for he knows to rear them to eternal life.

Know that the companions of the body are the Companions of the Elephant; how can such ever reach the Kaaba?

For the Kaaba is the world’s navel, the elephant is the nose; it is not possible to draw the nose to the navel.

Become as ab¯ab¯ıl, and do not flee from the elephant; the heart is like ab¯ab¯ıl in picking up grains.

It plucks the enemy like grains, it knows to hear the message of the Kaaba.

Through the heart you will mount to the heavens, through the heart the rose of felicity will blossom;

Through the heart you will travel to the Beloved, through the heart you will escape the body’s shame.

The heart has a cauldron cooked for your sake; wait patiently until it is cooked.

Shams al-D¯ın-i Tabr¯ız¯ı is the heart of hearts; the bat is unable to see the sun.