بخش 116 - بعد مکث ایشان متواری در بلاد چین در شهر تختگاه و بعد دراز شدن صبر بی‌صبر شدن آن بزرگین کی من رفتم الوداع خود را بر شاه عرضه کنم اما قدمی تنیلنی مقصودی او القی راسی کفادی ثم یا پای رساندم به مقصود و مراد یا سر بنهم هم‌چو دل از دست آن‌جا و نصیحت برادران او را سود ناداشتن یا عاذل العاشقین دع فة اضلها الله کیف ترشدها الی آخره

The eldest (brother) said, “O my brethren, from waiting (so long) this soul of mine is on the verge (of leaving my body).

I have become reckless, I can endure no more: this endurance has set me on fire.

My strength is exhausted by this fortitude: my plight is a warning to (all) lovers.

I am weary of my life in separation (from the beloved): ’tis hypocrisy to be alive in separation.

How long will the anguish of separation from her be killing me? Cut off my head, in order that Love may give me a (new) head.

My religion is, to be (kept) alive by Love: life (derived) from this (animal) soul and head is a disgrace to me.

The sword (of Love) sweeps the dust away from the lover's soul, because the sword is a wiper-out of sins.

When the bodily dust is gone, my moon shines: my spirit's moon finds a clear sky.

For ages, O adored one, I have been beating the drum of love for thee (to the tune of) ‘Lo, my life depends on my dying.’

What cares the duck for shipwreck? Her feet in the water are ship enough.

My soul and body are (kept) alive by this boast: how should I refrain from making this boast?

I am dreaming but I am not asleep; I am a boaster but I am not a liar.

Though you behead me a hundred times, I am like a candle: I will burn brightly (still).

Though the stack (of my existence) catch fire (both) in front and behind, the stack (halo) of that Moon is enough for travellers in the night.

Joseph was hidden and concealed from Jacob the prophet by the trickery of his brethren.

They put him out of sight by an artifice, (but) at last his shirt gave an information.”

The two (brothers of the eldest prince) admonished him in converse, saying, “Do not ignore the dangers.

Hark, do not put salt on our wounds! Beware, do not drink this poison rashly and in doubt (of the consequences).

How canst thou go without being counselled by a wise Shaykh, since thou hast not a discerning heart?

Woe to the unfledged bird that flies up to the zenith and falls into peril!”

Intelligence is wings and feathers to a man: when he lacks intelligence, (he must rely on) the intelligence of a guide.

Either be victorious or in search of a victor: either have insight or be in search of one endowed with insight.

Without (possession of) the key, namely, intelligence, this knocking at the door is prompted by self-will, not by right motives.

See a whole world ensnared by self-will and by wounds (harmful things) that look like remedies (beneficial things).

The snake, (terrible) as death, stands (raises itself) on its breast, with a big leaf in its mouth in order to catch its prey.

When it (the bird) settles on the leaf for the purpose of eating, it falls into the mouth of the snake and (into the jaws of) death.

A crocodile opens its mouth: its teeth are surrounded by long worms.

The worms were produced by the residue of food left in its teeth; and it gave them lodging there.

The little birds see the worms and the food and imagine that coffin to be a meadow.

When its mouth is filled with birds, it suddenly swallows them and closes its mouth (again).

Know that this world full of dessert (viands) and bread is like the open mouth of the crocodile.

O thou who scrapest together the means of livelihood, (in thy desire) for worms and morsels do not feel secure from the artfulness of the crocodile, (which is) Time.

A fox falls (and lies) flat under his earth: above his earth are deceptive grains,

In order that the heedless crow may approach them and the crafty one cunningly seize her by the leg.

Since there are a hundred thousand cunning tricks in animals, how (great) must be the cunning of Man who is superior (to all other animals)!

In his hand (he carries) a copy of the Holy Book as (though he were) Zaynu ’l- ‘Ábidín; (but) in his sleeve a vengeful dagger.

He addresses thee smilingly—“O my lord,” (while) in his heart there is a Babylon of sorcery and guileful spells.

(He is) deadly poison, (though) in appearance he is honey and milk. Beware, do not go (on thy way) save in company with a wise (spiritual) preceptor.

All selfish pleasures are a deceit and fraud: round the lightning-flash is a wall of darkness.

The lightning is (but) a brief gleam, false and fleeting, surrounded by darkness; and thy way is long.

By its light thou canst neither read a letter nor ride to thy destination.

But, as a penalty for thy being enthralled by the lightning, the beams of sunrise withdraw themselves from thee.

Mile after mile through the night the lightning's deception leads thee on, without a guide, in a dark wilderness.

Now thou fallest on a mountain, now into a river; now thou wanderest in this direction, now in that.

O seeker of worldly estate, thou wilt never find the guide; and if thou find him, thou wilt avert thy face from him,

Saying, “I have travelled sixty miles on this road, and (now) this guide tells me I have lost my way.

If I give ear to this marvel, I must begin my journey again under his authority.

I have devoted my life to this journey: (I will pursue it) come what may. Begone, O Khwája!”

“(Yes), thou hast journeyed (far), but (only) in opinion (unsubstantial) as lightning: (come), make a tenth part of that journey for the sake of (Divine) inspiration (glorious) as the sunrise.

Hark, come into our boat, O wretched man, or (at least) tie that boat (of thine) to this boat (of ours).”

He replies, “How should I abandon power and dominion? How should I follow thee blindly?”

Thou art fleeing from a gnat to a scorpion, thou art fleeing from a dewdrop into an ocean.

Thou art fleeing from thy father's unkindnesses into the midst of scoundrels and mischief and trouble.

Like Joseph, thou art fleeing from one sorrow to fall into a well (of woe) through (being beguiled by) “let us frolic and play.”

Had it not been (done) by his father's leave, he would never have emerged from the well till the Resurrection;

(But) in order to please him his father gave the permission and said, “Since this is thy desire, may good come (of it)!”

Any blind man who turns away in scorn from a Messiah will be left, like the Jews, without guidance;

(For) though he was blind, he was capable of receiving light; (but) from showing this aversion he becomes blind and blue (miserably lost).

Jesus says to him, “O blind man, cling to me with both hands: I have a precious collyrium.

If thou art blind, thou wilt obtain light from me and lay hold of the (sweetscented) Joseph's shirt of the spirit.”

The (real) fortune and highway (of success) lies in the business that comes to thee after utter defeat (self- abasement).

Give up the business that hath no foot or head (permanence): hark, old donkey, get for thyself a Pír!

May none but the Pír be (thy) master and captain!—not the Pír (old man) of the rolling sky, but the Pír of right guidance.

The devotee of darkness sees the light immediately as soon as he becomes subject to (the authority of) the Pír.

What is required is self-surrender, not long toil: ’tis useless to rush about in error.

Henceforth I will not seek the way to the Ether (the highest celestial sphere): I will seek the Pír, I will seek the Pír, the Pír, the Pír!

The Pír is the ladder to Heaven: by whom (what) is the arrow made to fly? By the bow.

Was it not Abraham that caused the gross Nimrod to (attempt the) journey to heaven by means of the vulture?

(Impelled) by self-will, he often went upward; but no vulture can fly to heaven.

Abraham said to him, “O traveller, I will be thy vulture: this is more seemly for thee.

When thou makest of me a ladder to go aloft, thou wilt ascend to heaven without flying”—

As the heart (spirit), without provisions or riding-camel, travels (swiftly) as lightning to west and east;

As man's consciousness, wandering abroad whilst he is asleep, travels during the night to (remote) cities;

As the gnostic, sitting quietly (in one place), travels by a hidden track through a hundred worlds.

If he has not been endowed with power to travel like this, (then) from whom are (derived) these reports concerning that (spiritual) country?

Hundreds of thousands of Pírs are agreed upon (the truth of) these reports and these veracious narratives.

That (knowledge based on opinion) is (like) searching (for the direction of the Ka‘ba) in the dark night, while this (mystic knowledge) is (like) the presence of the Ka‘ba and midday.

Arise, O (thou who resemblest) Nimrod, and seek wings from (holy) personages: thou wilt not get any ladder from these vultures.

The vulture is the particular (discursive) reason, O poor (-spirited) one: its wings are connected with the eating of carrion;

(But) the reason of the Abdál (exalted saints) is like the wings of Gabriel: it soars, mile by mile, up to the shade of the lote-tree (in Paradise).

(It says), “I am a royal falcon, I am fair and auspicious, I have nothing to do with carrion: I am not a vulture.

Abandon the vulture, for I will be thy helper: a wing of mine is better for thee than a hundred vultures.”

How long wilt thou gallop blindly? For (learning) a trade and business one needs a master.

Do not disgrace thyself in the capital of China: seek a sage and do not separate thyself from him.

Hark, whatever the Plato of the age bids thee do, give up thy self-will and act in accordance with that (counsel).

All (who dwell) in China are saying in zeal for (the glory of) their King, “He begetteth not.

Never in sooth has our King begotten a child; nay, he has not allowed a woman to approach him.”

When any king says of him something of this sort, he weds his (traducer's) neck to the cutting scimitar.

The King says (to such an one), “Since thou hast spoken these words, either prove that I have a wife and family—

And if thou prove that I have a daughter, thou art safe from my keen sword—

Or else without any doubt I will cut thy throat: I will tear the mantle (thy body) off the Súfí, thy spirit.

O thou that hast foolishly spoken an untruth, behold a moat full of severed heads!—

A moat filled from its bottom to its mouth with heads severed on account of this enormity.

All have been sacrificed to this (false) assertion: they have beheaded themselves with this assertion.

Beware! Regard this with a heedful eye: do not conceive or utter such an assertion!”

(The two princes said), “Thou wilt make our lives bitter to us: who is inducing thee to (act like) this, O brother?

If one who is ignorant should journey a hundred years in blindness, that is not reckoned as a journey.

Do not go into battle unarmed, do not go recklessly into destruction.”

They said all this (to him), but the impatient (prince) replied, “These words (of warning) inspire me with repugnance.

My bosom is full of fire, like a brazier: the crop is ripe, ’tis time for the sickle.

There was a (great) fortitude in my breast, (but) now it is no more: Love has set fire to the dwelling-place of fortitude.

My fortitude died on the night when Love was born: it has passed away—long live those who are present!

O thou that tellest (me) of (a stern) rebuke (from the King) and (terrible) punishments, I have passed beyond (all) that: do not beat a piece of cold iron!

I am (rushing) headlong: hey, let go my feet! Where in all my limbs is (any) understanding?

I am (like) a camel: I carry (my load) as long as I can, (but) when I fall down exhausted, I am glad to be killed.

If there are a hundred moats full of severed heads, ’tis an absolute pleasantry in comparison with my anguish.

Nevermore in fear and dread will I beat such a drum of passion under a blanket.

Now I will plant my banner in the open plain: (let my fate be) either to lose my head or (to behold) the face of my adored one!

The throat that is not worthy of that wine—’tis best it should be cut by blows of the sword;

The eye that is not (rejoiced) in abundance by union with her—such an eye is best white (with disease) and blind;

The ear that is not worthy of (hearing) her secret—tear it off, for it is no good on the head;

The hand in which there is not the (requisite) amount (to win her favour)—’tis best that it should be chopped off by the butcher's knife;

The foot by whose faring the spirit is not led into her narcissus-plot—

Such a foot is best in iron (chains), for such a foot is ultimately (the cause of) headache (affliction).