بخش 68 - فرستادن عزرائیل ملک العزم و الحزم را علیه‌السلام ببر گرفتن حفنه‌ای خاک تا شود جسم آدم چالاک عیله‌السلام و الصلوة

Straightway God said to Azrael, “Behold the Earth full of vain imagination!

Find that feeble unjust old crone: hark, fetch a handful of clay and make haste!”

Azrael, the captain of the (Divine) Decree, went off towards the terrestrial globe for the purpose of requisition.

The Earth, according to rule, began lamenting loudly: she adjured him, she swore many an oath,

Crying, “O favourite youth (page-of-honour), O bearer of the Throne, O thou whose command is obeyed in heaven and earth,

Depart, for the sake of the mercy of the Merciful (God)! Depart, for the sake of Him who hath shown kindness unto thee!

(Depart), for the sake of that King who alone is worshipped and with whom no one's lamentation is rejected!”

He replied, “These conjurations cannot move me to avert my face from (disobey) the Giver of (all) commands secret or manifest.”

She said, “After all, He hath commanded forbearance: both (severity and forbearance) are commanded: take (choose) the latter on the ground of knowledge.”

He replied, “That would be an interpretation or an inference: do not seek to confuse the plain meaning of the command.

If thou interpret (alter) thine own thought (so as to make it agree with the command), ’tis better than that thou shouldst interpret (pervert) this unequivocal (command).

My heart is burning (melting) at thy supplication, my bosom is filled with blood on account of thy salty tears.

I am not pitiless; nay, I have greater pity than those three holy ones for the sorrow of the sorrowful.

If I am slapping an orphan, while a mild-natured person may put halwá (sweetmeat) in his hand,

Those slaps (of mine) are better (for him) than the other's halwá; and if he be beguiled by the halwá, woe to him!

My heart is burning at thy lamentable cry, but God is teaching me (to know) a (great) kindness—

The kindness concealed amidst cruelties, the priceless cornelian hidden in filth.

The cruelty done by God is better than a hundred clemencies of mine: to withhold the soul from God is agony to the soul.

His worst cruelty is better than the clemency of both worlds: how excellent is the Lord of created beings and how excellent (His) help!

In His cruelty there are secret kindnesses: to surrender the soul for His sake increases (the life of) the soul.

Hark, dismiss suspicion and error: make thy head a foot (to hasten towards Him) since He hath bidden thee come.

His ‘Come’ will give (thee) exaltations; it will give (thee) intoxication and (spiritual) brides and couches.

In short, never, never can I weaken (the force of) that sublime command and complicate it (by prevarication).”

The wretched Earth heard all this (counsel), (but) in her ear was a plug arising from that evil suspicion.

Once more in another fashion the lowly Earth made entreaty and prostrated herself, like a drunken man.

He said, “Nay, arise! There is no loss (to thee) from this (thing), I lay my head and life as a pledge and guarantee.

Do not think of entreating (me), do not make further entreaty except to that merciful and justice- dealing King.

I am a slave to (His) command, I dare not neglect His command which raised dust from the sea.

Save from the Creator of ear and eye and head I will hear (accept) neither good nor evil—not even from my own soul.

My ear is deaf to all words but His: He is dearer to me than my sweet soul.

The soul came from Him, not He from the soul: He bestows a hundred thousand souls free of cost.

Who is the soul that I should prefer her to the Gracious (God)? What is a flea that I should burn the blanket on account of it?

I know no good but His good: I am deaf and dumb and blind to all but Him.

My ear is deaf to those who make lamentation, for I am as the spear in His hand.