بخش 121 - آمدن پیغامبران حق به نصیحت اهل سبا

Thirteen prophets came thither: all (of them) were ready to guide those who had lost the way,

Saying, “Come, the benefit has increased: where is the thanksgiving? If the steed of thanksgiving lie down, set (it) in motion.

In (the view of) reason it is necessary to give thanks to the Benefactor; otherwise, the door of everlasting wrath will be opened.

Hark, behold the loving kindness (of God)! And in sooth would any one (but God) do this— namely, be content with a single thanksgiving for such benefits?

He bestows a head and asks as thanksgiving (only) one act of bowing; He bestows feet and asks as thanksgiving (only) one act of sitting (in piety and devotion).”

The people said, “The ghoul has carried off our thanksgiving: we have become weary of giving thanks and receiving benefits.

We have become so disgusted with the bounty that neither piety nor sin pleases us.

We do not desire benefits and orchards: we do not desire means (of enjoyment) and leisure.”

The prophets said, “In your hearts is a malady whence there is (produced) a canker in the acknowledgment of obligations,

And whereby the benefit is wholly turned into disease: how should food become (a source of) strength in the sick?

How many a sweet thing came to thee, O persistent (in sin), and they all grew unsweet, and their pure (quality) became turbid!

Thou didst become a foe to these sweetnesses: on whatsoever thing thou didst lay thy hand, it became unsweet.

Whosoever became (in reality) thy familiar and friend became despicable and vile in thy sight;

And every one, too, that (in reality) would be alien to thee is, in thy opinion, very grand and venerable.

This (false opinion) also is from the effect produced by that sickness: its poison pervades all associated (with it).

It behoves (thee) quickly to remove that malady, for with that (disease) sugar will seem filth;

Every sweet thing that comes to thee grows unsweet: if the Water of Life arrive, it turns into fire.

That (morbid) quality is the elixir of death and woe: thereby thy (spiritual) life is at last turned into death.

There was many a food by which thy heart (spirit) was revived: when it entered thy body, it became stinking.

There is many a dear one that was hunted (by thee) with blandishments: when he became thy prey, he became cheap in thine eyes.

When from sincerity the friendship of intellect with intellect arises, every moment the devotion is increased;

(But) know for sure, the friendship of the carnal soul with any base carnal soul is momently diminished,

Because his carnal soul hovers round disease and soon corrupts the (friendly) acquaintance.

If thou dost not wish thy friend to be averse (to thee) on the morrow, take (choose) friendship with the intelligent and with the intellect.

Inasmuch as thou art sick from the simoom of the carnal soul, whatever thou mayst take thou art the instrument for (infecting it with) disease.

If thou take a jewel, it becomes a (common) stone; and if thou take kindness of heart, it becomes a hatred;

And if thou take a fine original saying, after thy apprehension (of it) it has become tasteless and gross—

‘I have heard this many a time; it has become old: tell something else besides this, O trusty friend.’

Suppose that something else fresh and new has been said, again to-morrow thou art surfeited with it and averse.

Remove the disease: when the disease is eradicated, every old tale will become new to thee,

So that the old (tale) will bring forth new leaves: the old (tale) will cause a hundred clusters to blossom from the ditch.

We are the (spiritual) physicians, the disciples of God: the Red Sea beheld us and was cloven.

Those natural physicians are different, for they look into the heart by means of a pulse.

We look well into the heart without intermediary, for through clairvoyance we are in a high belvedere.

Those (others) are physicians of food and fruit: by them the animal soul is (made) strong.

We are physicians of deeds and words: the ray of the light of (Divine) Majesty is our inspirer,

(So that we know) that a deed like this will be beneficial to thee, while a deed like that will cut (thee) off from the Way;

And that words like these will lead thee on (to grace), while words like those will bring anguish to thee.

To those (other) physicians a (sample of) urine is evidence, whereas this evidence of ours is the inspiration of the Almighty.

We do not desire a fee from any one: our fee comes from a Holy Place.

Hark, come hither for the incurable disease! We, one by one, are a medicine for the (spiritually) sick.”