بخش 112 - جواب گفتن روبه خر را

The fox said, “There are no dregs in my pure liquor, but the illusions of imagination are not small.

All this is your imagination, O simpleton, for I bear no malice and rancour against you.

Do not regard me from (the standpoint of) your evil fancy: wherefore do you cherish ill thoughts against your lovers?

Think well of the sincere, even though unkindness come from them in appearance.

When this evil fancy and imagination is manifested, it severs a hundred thousand friends from one another.

If an affectionate (friend) has behaved unjustly and made a trial (of one's loyalty), understanding is needed to prevent one from thinking ill (of him).

In particular, I, who have a bad name, was not evil-natured (in regard to you): what you saw was nothing evil, it was (only) a magic spell;

And if, hypothetically, that purpose (of mine) had been evil, (still) friends pardon such a fault.”

The world of imagination and the phantom of hope and fear is a great obstacle to the traveller (on the mystic Way).

The pictures (illusions) of this picture-making phantasy were harmful (even) to one like Khalíl (Abraham), who was (firm as) a mountain.

The noble Abraham said, “This is my Lord,” when he fell into the world (fell under the sway) of imagination.

That person who bored the pearl of interpretation, interpreted the mention of the star thus—

(That) the world of imagination and blinding phantasy uprooted such a mountain (of wisdom) from its foundation,

So that the words, “This is my Lord,” were uttered by him: what, (then), must be the case with a goose or an ass?

Understandings (strong) as mountains have been submerged in the seas of imagination and the whirlpools of phantasy.

Mountains are put to shame by this Flood: where is any safety (to be found) but in the Ship (Ark) of Noah?

By this phantasy, which infests the road of Faith like a brigand, the followers of the (true) Religion have become (split into) two and seventy sects.

The man of sure faith is delivered from imagination and phantasy: he does not call a hair of the eyebrow the new moon,

While he that has not the (spiritual) light of ‘Umar as his support is waylaid (deceived) by a crooked hair of the eyebrow.

A hundred thousand awful and terrible ships have been shattered to pieces in the sea of imagination.

The least (of them is) the energetic and ingenious Pharaoh: his moon was eclipsed in the mansion of imagination.

Nobody knows who is the cuckold, and he that knows has no doubt concerning himself.

Since thine own imagination keeps thee giddy-headed, wherefore shouldst thou revolve round the imagination of another?

I am helpless against my own egoism: why hast thou, full of egoism, sat down beside me?

I am seeking with (all) my soul one who is free from egoism, that I may become the ball of that goodly bat.

In sooth any one who has become without ego is all egos: when he is not loved by himself he becomes loved by (them) all.

(When) a mirror becomes devoid of images, it gains splendour because (then) it is the reporter (reflector) of all images.