بخش 131 - لابه کردن قبطی سبطی را کی یک سبو به نیت خویش از نیل پر کن و بر لب من نه تا بخورم به حق دوستی و برادری کی سبو کی شما سبطیان بهر خود پر می‌کنید از نیل آب صاف است و سبوکی ما قبطیان پر می‌کنیم خون صاف است

I heard that an Egyptian, on account of thirst, came into the house of an Israelite.

He said, “I am thy friend and kinsman: to-day I have become in need of thee,

Because Moses wrought sorcery and enchantments, so that he made the water of the Nile to be blood for us.

The Israelites drink pure water from it, (but) to the Egyptians the water has become blood from the spell laid on our eyes.

Look, the Egyptians are dying of thirst in consequence of their ill-fortune or their evil nature.

Fill one cup with water for thyself, that this old friend may drink of thy water.

When thou fillest that cup for thine own sake, ’twill not be blood, ’twill be water pure and free (from taint).

I too will drink the water as thy parasite; for a parasite, in following (his host), is relieved from anguish.”

He (the Israelite) said, “O (thou who art to me as) soul and world, I will do (this) service (for thee); I will pay (thee) regard (in this matter), O (thou who art as) my two bright eyes!

I will do according to thy desire, I will rejoice (to serve thee); I will be thy slave, I will act (generously) as a freeman.”

He filled the cup with water from the Nile, put it to his lips, and drank one half (of the water).

(Then) he tilted the cup towards him who craved the water, saying, “Drink thou too!” That (water) became black blood.

Again he tilted it on this side (towards himself): the blood became water (once more). The Egyptian was enraged and incensed.

He sat down awhile till his anger departed; after that, he said to him, “O mighty sword (of the Faith),

O brother, what is the expedient for (loosing) this knot?” He (the Israelite) said, “(Only) he that is God-fearing drinks this (water).”

The God-fearing man is he that has become quit of (has renounced) the way of Pharaoh and has become like unto Moses.

Become (as) the people of Moses and drink this water; make peace with the Moon and behold the moonbeams.

There are a hundred thousand darknesses in thine eye (which arise) from thy wrath against the servants of God.

Extinguish wrath, open the (spiritual) eye, rejoice, take a lesson from (true) friends, become a teacher (of the Truth).

How wilt thou become my parasite (follower) in scooping up (the water) when thou hast an unbelief (as great) as Mount Qáf?

How should a mountain go into the cavity (eye) of a needle, unless indeed it become a single thread?

By asking forgiveness (of God) make the mountain (like) a straw, and (then) take joyously the cup of the forgiven and drain (it) joyously!

Inasmuch as God hath made it unlawful to the unbelievers, how wilt thou drink of it (whilst thou art endued) with this imposture?

How should the Creator of imposture buy (accept) thy imposture, O fabricator of fiction?

Become (like) the kinsfolk of Moses, for deceit is useless: thy deceit is (like) measuring the empty wind.

Will the water dare to turn aside from the command of the Lord and bestow refreshment on the unbelievers?

Or dost thou suppose that thou art eating bread? Thou art eating snake-venom and (that which causes) wasting away of the spirit.

How should bread restore to health the spirit that averts its heart from the command of the Beloved Spirit?

Or dost thou suppose that when thou readest the words of the Mathnawí thou hearest them gratis (without giving aught in return)?

Or that the discourse of wisdom and the hidden mystery comes easily into thy ear and mouth?

It comes in, but, like fables, it shows (only) the husk, not the kernel of the berries,

(As) a sweetheart who has drawn a veil over her head and face and has hidden her face from thine eye.

By reason of contumacy the Sháhnáma or Kalíla seems to thee just like the Qur’án.

The difference between truth and falsehood is (visible) at the moment when the collyrium of (Divine) favour opens the eye;

Otherwise, dung and musk are both the same to one whose nose is obstructed (by disease), since (in him) there is no sense of smell.

His aim is to divert himself from ennui (by reading such books), and neglect the Word of the Almighty,

That by means of that (entertaining) discourse he may quench the fire of distress and anxiety and provide a cure (for his malady).

For the purpose of quenching this amount of fire, pure water and urine are alike in skill (are equally serviceable).

Both this urine and (this) water will quench the fire of distress, just as (it is quenched) during sleep.

But if thou become (really) acquainted with this pure water, which is the Word of God and spiritual,

All distress will vanish from the soul, and the heart will find its way to the Rose-garden,

Because every one who catches a scent of the mystery of the (Divine) scriptures flies into an orchard with a running brook.

Or dost thou suppose that we see the face of the Saints as it is (in reality)?

Hence the Prophet remained in astonishment, saying, “How are the true believers not seeing my face?

How are the people not seeing the light of my face, which has borne away the prize from the orient sun?

And if they are seeing (it), wherefore is this perplexity?”— until a revelation came (to him from God), saying, “That face is in concealment.

In relation to thee it is the moon, and in relation to the people it is the cloud, in order that the infidel may not see thy face for nothing.

In relation to thee it is the bait, and in relation to the people it is the trap, in order that the vulgar may not drink of this chosen wine.”

God said, “Thou seest them looking,” (but) they are (like) the pictures in a bathhouse: they do not see.

The form appears, O worshipper of form, as though its two dead eyes were looking.

Thou art showing reverence before the eye of the image, saying, “I wonder why it pays no regard to me.

Wherefore is this goodly image (so) very irresponsive that it does not say ‘alayk (on thee be peace!) in reply to my salaam?

It does not nod its head and moustache generously in regard for my having made a hundred prostrations before it.”

God, though He does not nod the head outwardly, (yet) in regard for that (worship of Him) bestows an inward delight,

Which is worth two hundred noddings of the head: in this fashion, after all, do Intellect and Spirit nod the head.

(If) thou serve Intellect in earnest, the regard of Intellect (for thee) is (shown by this), that it increases (thy) righteousness.

God does not nod the head to thee outwardly, but He makes thee a prince over the princes (of the world).

To thee God gives secretly something (of such power) that the people of the world bow down before thee,

Just as He gave to a stone such virtue that it was honoured by His creatures: that is to say, (it became) gold.

(If) a drop of water gain the favour of God, it becomes a pearl and bears away the palm from gold.

The body is earth; and when God gave it a spark (of His Light) it became adept, like the moon, in taking possession of the world.

Beware! this (worldly empire) is a talisman and a dead image: its eye hath led the foolish astray from the (right) path.

It appears to wink: the foolish have made it their support (have put their trust in it).