بخش 36 - آزاد شدن بلقیس از ملک و مست شدن او از شوق ایمان و التفات همت او از همهٔ ملک منقطع شدن وقت هجرت الا از تخت

When Solomon uttered a single whistling note to the birds of Saba he ensnared them all,

Except, maybe, the bird that was without spirit or wings, or was dumb and deaf, like a fish, from the beginning.

Nay, I have spoken wrongly, for if the deaf one lay his head before the inspiration of the Divine Majesty, it will give to him (the power of) hearing.

When Bilqis set out (from Saba) with heart and soul, she felt remorse too for the bygone time,

She took leave of her kingdom and riches in the same way as those lovers (of God) take leave of honour and disgrace (reputation).

Those charming pages and handmaidens (of hers seemed) to her eye (loathly) as a rotten onion.

For love’s sake, orchards and palaces and river-water seemed to her eye (contemptible as) a dunghill.

Love, in the hour of domination and anger, makes the pleasing ones to become hideous to the eye.

Love’s jealousy causes every emerald to appear as a leek: this is the (inner) meaning of La’.

O (thou who givest) protection , (the meaning of) “There is no god but He” is that the moon should seem to thee a black kettle.

No wealth, no treasury, and no goods or gear were being grudged by her (Bilqis) except her throne.

Then Solomon became aware of (this feeling in) her heart, for the way was open from his heart to hers.

He that hears the voice of ants will also hear the cry from the inmost soul of them that are afar.

He that declares the mystery of “an ant said will also know the mystery of this ancient dome

From afar he (Solomon) discerned that to her (Bilqis) who was following the path of resignation ‘twas bitter to part with her throne.

If I explain the reason why she had that love and complaisance to her throne, it (the discourse) will become (too) long.

Although this reed-pen is in fact an insensible thing and is not homogeneous with the

writer, (yet) it is a familiar friend to him. Likewise, every tool of a craftsman is, (though) lifeless, the familiar friend of the spirit of Man.

This reason I would have explained precisely, if there were not some moisture (dimness) in the eye of your understanding.

There was no possibility of transporting the throne (from Saba) because of its hugeness which exceeded (all) bounds.

It was filigree work, and there was danger in taking it to pieces, (since its parts were joined) like the limbs of the body with one another.

Therefore Solomon said, “Although in the end the diadem and throne will become chilling

(repulsive) to her”—

(For) when the spirit puts forth its head (manifests itself) from the Unity (to which it has attained), in comparison with its splendour the body hath no splendour (at all);

(When) the flaming sun lifts up its head, who will make Scorpio’s tail his resting—place’?—

“Yet, notwithstanding all this, in the actual case (the means of) transporting her throne (hither) must be sought,

In order that she may not feel hurt at the time of meeting (with me), and that her wish may be fulfilled, like (the wishes of) children.

It (the throne) is lightly esteemed by me, but it is exceedingly dear to her: (let it be brought hither), that the devil too may be (present) at the table (banquet) of the houris.

That throne of delight will become a lesson to her soul, like the (coarse) frock and (rustic) shoon in the presence of Ayáz

So that the afflicted one (Bilqis) may know in what (plight) she was (formerly) and from what (low) places to what a (high) place she has arrived.”

God is ever keeping the clay and semen and piece of flesh (embryo) before our eyes,

(As though) to say, “O man of evil intention, whence did I bring thee, that thou hast (such) a disgust at it?

Thou wert in love with that (state) in the period thereof: at that time thou wert denying this (present) grace (which I have bestowed on thee).”

Inasmuch as this (present) bounty is the (means of) rebutting the denial which thou didst make in the beginning (when thou wert) amidst the clay,

Thy having been brought to life is the argument against denial (of the Resurrection); (but thou art still denying it): this sick (soul) of thine is made worse by the medicine.

Whence should clay have the (power of) imagining this thing? Whence should semen conceive opposition and denial?

(Nevertheless) since at that moment thou wert devoid of heart and spirit, thou wert (implicitly) denying (the faculty of) reflection and (the possibility of) denial.

Since thy (former) denial arose from the state of lifelessness (irrationality), so by this (present) denial (the certainty of) thy resurrection is established.

Hence the (appropriate) parable of thee is (a case) like (that of) the person who knocks at the door (of a house), and the master replies to him from within, saying, “The master is not (here).”

From this “is not” the person knocking perceives that he is (there), and consequently does not take his hand off the door- ring at all.

Therefore the very fact of thy denial is making it clear that He (God) brings about manifold resurrections from lifeless matter.

How much (Divine) artifice passed (was expended) O thou denial (incarnate), till the water and day (of thy original nature) produced denial from (the state signified by the words) Hal aid!’

The water and clay was really saying, “There is no denial” (was really making an affirmation): it was crying, ‘There is no affirmation” (was uttering a denial), unaware (of the fact that its denial was an implicit affirmation).

I would expound this (topic) in a hundred ways, but the (reader’s) mind would stumble at the subtle discourse.