Resumption of the story of Dhu ’l-Nún, may God sanctify his spirit!
When those persons arrived near him, he shouted, “Hey, who are ye? Take care!”
They said respectfully, “We are some of thy friends: we have come hither in devotion to ask after thee.
How art thou, O Sea of manifold intelligence? What aspersion on thy intelligence is this (alleged) madness?
How should the smoke of the bath-stove attain unto the Sun? How should the ‘Anqá be crushed by the crow?
Do not withhold (the truth) from us: explain this matter; we are lovers (of thee): do not behave to us in this fashion.
One ought not to drive lovers away or dupe them by mask and false pretence.
Communicate the secret, O King: do not hide thy face in the cloud, O Moon!
We are loving and true and with wounded (bleeding) hearts: in the two worlds we have fixed our hearts on thee (alone).”
He began (to use) foul words and bad names recklessly: he spoke gibberish like madmen.
He jumped up and let fly stones and sticks; the whole party fled for fear of blows.
He laughed loudly and tossed his head (in scorn). “Look,” said he, “at the vain bluster of these friends!
See the friends! Where is the sign of (true) friends? To (true) friends pain is as (dear as) life.”
How should a friend turn aside from the pain inflicted by his friend? Pain is the kernel, and friendship is (only) as the husk to it.
Has not joy in tribulation and calamity and suffering become the sign of (true) friendship?
A friend is like gold, tribulation is like the fire: the pure gold is glad in the heart of the fire.
