بخش 63 - تفسیر اوجس فی نفسه خیفة موسی قلنا لا تخف انک انت الاعلی

Moses said, “Magic too is a bewildering thing: how shall I act?—for this people have no discernment.”

God said, “I will produce discernment, I will make the undiscerning mind able to perceive (the truth).

Howbeit they (the magicians) have raised up foam, like the sea, thou, O Moses, wilt prevail: fear not!”

Magic was glorious in its own time: when the rod became a dragon, those (magic arts) were disgraced.

Every one pretends to excellence and elegance: the stone of Death is the touchstone for (these) elegances.

Magic is gone and the miracle of Moses is past: as regards both, the bowl has fallen from the roof of (their) being.

What has the noise of the bowl of magic left behind but execration? What has the noise of the bowl of religion left behind but sublimity?

Since the touchstone has become hidden from man and woman, O adulterated coin, come now into line (with the genuine coin) and brag!

’Tis the time for thee to brag. Since the touchstone is absent, they will pass thee in honour from hand to hand.

The adulterated coin is ever saying to me arrogantly, “O pure gold, how am I inferior to thee?”

The gold says, “Yes, O fellow-servant; but the touchstone is coming: be prepared.”

The death of the body is a (welcome) gift to the adepts of the mystery: what damage is (done by) the scissors to pure gold?

If the adulterated coin had seen the end in regard to itself, it would have become at first the black (thing) which it became in the end.

Since (in that case) it would have become black at first, in confrontation (with the genuine coin) it would have been far from duplicity and damnation.

It would have sought the elixir of (Divine) grace; its reason would have prevailed over its hypocrisy.

Since it would have become broken-hearted on account of its (evil) state, it would have seen before it Him who mends them that are broken.

(When) it saw the end and became broken (contrite), it was at once bandaged by the Bone- setter.

The (Divine) grace impelled the pieces of copper towards the elixir; the gilt (coin) remained deprived of (Divine) bounty.

O gilt one, do not make pretensions: recognise that thy purchaser will not (always) remain so blind.

The light of the place of congregation (at the Last Judgement) will cause their (the purchasers') eyes to see and will expose thy blindfolding (of them).

Look at those who have seen the end: they are the amazement of souls and the envy of the eye.

Look at those who have seen (only) the present: their inmost self is corrupt; they are radically decapitated (cut off from the Truth).

To the seer of the present, who is in ignorance and doubt, both the true dawn and the false dawn are one (and the same).

The false dawn has given a hundred thousand caravans to the wind of destruction, O youth.

There is no genuine money that has not a deceptive counterfeit: alas for the soul that does not possess the touchstone and scissors!