بخش 33 - حکایت در تقریر همین سخن

A certain man begged an Amír to give him a horse: he said, “Go and take that grey horse.”

He replied, “I don't want that one.” “Why not?” he asked. “It goes backward and is very restive,” said he;

“It goes back, back very hard in the direction of its rump.” He replied, “Turn its tail towards home!”

The tail of this beast you are riding, (namely), your carnal soul, is lust; hence that self-worshipper goes back, back.

O changer, make its (carnal) lust, which is the tail, to be entirely lust for the world hereafter.

When you bind its lust (and debar it) from the loaf, that lust puts forth its head from (is transformed into) noble reason.

As, when you lop off a (superfluous) branch from a tree, vigour is imparted to the well-conditioned branches.

When you have turned its (the carnal steed's) tail in that direction, if it goes backward, it goes to the place of shelter.

How excellent are the docile horses which go forward, not backward, and are not given over to restiveness,

Going hot-foot, like the body of Moses the Kalím, to which (the distance) to the two seas (was) as the breadth of a blanket!

Sevenhundred years is the duration of the journey on which he set out in the path of Love, (the journey that lasted) for an age.

Since the aspiration (that carried him) on his journey in the body is (as immense as) this, his journey in the spirit must be (even) unto the highest Paradise.

The kingly cavaliers sped forward in advance (of all); the boobies unloaded (their beasts of burden) in the stable-yard.