بخش 2 - قصهٔ خورندگان پیل‌بچه از حرص و ترک نصیحت ناصح

Hast thou heard that in India a sage espied a party of friends?

Left hungry, lacking provisions, and naked, they were coming from travel on a far road.

His wisdom's love was stirred (within him), and he gave them a fair greeting and blossomed like a rose-bush.

“I know,” he said, “that anguish has gathered upon you from this Karbalá (of suffering) in consequence of hunger and emptiness;

But, for God's sake, for God's sake, O illustrious company, let not your food be the young of the elephant!

The elephant is in this direction that ye are now going; do not tear in pieces the elephant's offspring, but hearken (to me).

The young elephants are on your road: to hunt them down is what your hearts desire exceedingly.

They are very weak and tender and very fat, but their mother is searching (after them and) lying in wait.

She will roam a hundred leagues' distance in quest of her children, moaning and making lament.

Fire and smoke issue from her trunk: beware of (hurting) those pitied (cherished) children of hers!”

O son, the saints are God's children: (both) in (their) absence and presence (He is) well aware (of what befalls them).

Do not deem absence (from Him) to be the result of imperfection on their part, for He takes vengeance for the sake of their spirits (which are one with Him).

He said, “These saints are My children in exile, sundered from (My) dominion and glory;

(They are) despised and orphaned for the sake of probation, but secretly I am their friend and intimate.

All of them are supported by My protections: you may say they are in sooth parts of Me.

Take heed! Take heed! These are My dervishes; they are a hundred thousand thousand and (yet) they are one body.”

Else, how should a Moses have overthrown Pharaoh by means of one goodly rod?

Else, how should Noah have submerged East and West in his Flood by means of one evil curse?

One prayer of the generous Lot would not have rased (to the ground) all their (his people's) city (and left them) in despair.

Their city, resembling Paradise, became a lake of black water: go, behold the sign!

This sign and this information (admonition) lies in the direction of Syria: you will see it as you pass on the way to Jerusalem.

Hundreds of thousands of prophets who worshipped God— truly there have been chastisements (inflicted by them) in every generation.

If I should tell on and if this narration should increase (in length), not only (men's) hearts but the (very) mountains would bleed.

The mountains bleed and again become solid, (but) you do not see them bleed: you are blind and reprobate.

A marvellous blind man, (who is) far-sighted and keen-eyed, but sees naught of the camel except the hair!

Man, from the parsimony of greed, inspects hair by hair: like a bear, he keeps dancing to no purpose.

Dance (only) where you break (mortify) yourself and (when you) tear away the cotton from the sore of lust.

(Holy) men dance and wheel on the (spiritual) battle-field: they dance in their own blood.

When they are freed from the hand (dominion) of self, they clap a hand; when they escape from their own imperfection, they make a dance.

From within them musicians strike the tambourine; at their ecstasy the seas burst into foam.

You see it not, but for their ears the leaves too on the boughs are clapping hands.

You do not see the clapping of the leaves: one must have the spiritual ear, not this ear of the body.

Close the ear of the head to jesting and lying, that you may see the resplendent city of the soul.

The ear of Mohammed draws out the hidden meaning in the words (of the religious hypocrites), for God saith of him in the Qur’án, “He is an ear.”

This Prophet is entirely ear and eye; we are refreshed by him: he is (as) the suckler and we (as) the (infant) boy.

This discourse hath no end. Go back to those who had to do with the elephant, and start at the beginning.