How the king led the physician to the bedside of the sick girl, that he might see her condition.
He rehearsed the tale of the invalid and her illness, and then seated him beside the sick (girl).
The physician observed the colour of her face, (felt) her pulse, and (inspected) her urine; he heard both the symptoms and the (secondary) causes of her malady.
He said, “None of the remedies which they have applied builds up (health): they (the false physicians) have wrought destruction.
They were ignorant of the inward state. I seek refuge with God from that which they invent.”
He saw the pain, and the secret became open to him, but he concealed it and did not tell the king.
Her pain was not from black or yellow bile: the smell of every firewood appears from the smoke.
From her sore grief he perceived that she was heart-sore; well in body, but stricken in heart.
Being in love is made manifest by soreness of heart: there is no sickness like heartsickness.
The lover's ailment is separate from all other ailments: love is the astrolabe of the mysteries of God.
Whether love be from this (earthly) side or from that (heavenly) side, in the end it leads us yonder.
Whatsoever I say in exposition and explanation of Love, when I come to Love (itself) I am ashamed of that (explanation).
Although the commentary of the tongue makes (all) clear, yet tongueless love is clearer.
Whilst the pen was making haste in writing, it split upon itself as soon as it came to Love.
In expounding it (Love), the intellect lay down (helplessly) like an ass in the mire: it was Love (alone) that uttered the explanation of love and loverhood.
The proof of the sun is the sun (himself): if thou require the proof, do not avert thy face from him!
If the shadow gives an indication of him, the sun (himself) gives spiritual light every moment.
The shadow, like chat in the night-hours, brings sleep to thee; when the sun rises the moon is cloven asunder.
There is nothing in the world so wondrous strange as the sun, (but) the Sun of the spirit is everlasting: it hath no yesterday.
Although the external sun is unique, still it is possible to imagine one resembling it;
The spiritual Sun, which is beyond the aether, hath no peer in the mind or externally.
Where is room in the imagination for His essence, that the like of Him should come into the imagination?
When news arrived of the face of Shamsu’ddín (the Sun of the Religion), the sun of the fourth heaven drew in its head (hid itself for shame).
Since his name has come (to my lips), it behoves me to set forth some hint of his bounty.
At this moment my Soul has plucked my skirt: he has caught the perfume of Joseph's vest.
(He said): “For the sake of our years of companionship, recount one of those sweet ecstasies,
That earth and heaven may laugh (with joy), that intellect and spirit and eye may increase a hundredfold.”
(I said): “Do not lay tasks on me, for I have passed away from myself (faná); my apprehensions are blunted and I know not how to praise.
Everything that is said by one who has not returned to consciousness, if he constrains himself or boastfully exaggerates, is unseemly.
How should I—not a vein of mine is sensible—describe that Friend who hath no peer?
The description of this severance and this heart's blood do thou at present leave over till another time.”
He said: “Feed me, for I am hungry, and make haste, for Time is a cutting sword.
The Súfí is the son of the (present) time, O comrade: it is not the rule of the Way to say ‘To-morrow.’
Art not thou indeed a Súfí, then? That which is (in hand) is reduced to naught by postponing the payment.”
I said to him: “It is better that the secret of the Friend should be disguised: do thou hearken (to it as implied) in the contents of the tale.
It is better that the lovers' secret should be told in the talk of others.”
He said: “Tell it forth openly and nakedly and without unfaithfulness: do not put me off, O trifler!
Lift the veil and speak nakedly, for I do not wear a shirt when I sleep with the Adored One.”
I said: “If He should become naked in (thy) vision, neither wilt thou remain nor thy bosom nor thy waist.
Ask thy wish, but ask with measure: a blade of straw will not support the mountain.
If the Sun, by whom this world is illumined, should approach a little (nearer), all will be burned.
Do not seek trouble and turmoil and bloodshed: say no more concerning the Sun of Tabriz!”
This (mystery) hath no end: tell of the beginning. Go, relate the conclusion of this tale.
