بخش 94 - آمدن جعفر رضی الله عنه به گرفتن قلعه به تنهایی و مشورت کردن ملک آن قلعه در دفع او و گفتن آن وزیر ملک را کی زنهار تسلیم کن و از جهل تهور مکن کی این مرد میدست و از حق جمعیت عظیم دارد در جان خویش الی آخره

When Ja‘far advanced against a certain fortress, the fortress (seemed) to his dry palate (to be no more than) a single gulp.

Riding alone, he charged up to the fortress, so that they (the garrison) locked the fortress-gate in dread.

No one dared to meet him in battle: what stomach have the ship's crew (to contend) with a leviathan?

The king turned to his vizier, saying, “What is to be done in this crisis, Counsellor?”

He replied, “(The only remedy is) that you should bid farewell to pride and cunning, and come to him with sword and shroud.”

“Why,” said the king, “is not he a single man (and) alone?” He (the vizier) replied, “Do not look with contempt on the man's loneliness.

Open your eye: look well at the fortress: it is trembling before him like quicksilver.

He sits (alone) on the saddle, (but) his nerve is just as unshaken as if an (army of the) East and West were accompanying him.

Several men rushed forward, like Fidá’ís (desperate assassins), and flung themselves into combat with him.

He felled each of them with a blow of his mace (so that they were hurled) headlong at the feet of his steed.

God's (creative) action had bestowed on him such a collectedness that he was attacking a (whole) people single-handed.

When mine eye beheld the face of that (spiritual) emperor, (all) plurality vanished from my sight.”

The stars are many; though the sun is one, (yet) on his appearance their foundation is demolished.

If a thousand mice put forth their heads, the cat feels no fear or apprehension of danger.

How should mice advance (to the attack), O such-and-such? They have no collectedness in their souls.

The collectedness (that consists) in outward forms is a vain thing: hark, beg from the Creator collectedness of spirit.

Collectedness is not the result of bodily multitude: know that body, like name, is built on (empty) air.

If there were any collectedness in the heart of the mouse, a number of mice would be collected (united) by a feeling of indignation,

And, rushing up like assassins, they would throw themselves on a cat without (giving her) any respite.

One would tear out her eyes in conflict (with her), while another would rip her ears with its teeth,

And another make a hole in her side: there would be no way of escape for her from the united party.

But the soul of the mouse has no collectedness: at the miaul of a cat (all) its wits fly out of its soul.

The mouse is paralysed by the wily cat, (even) if the numbers of the mice amount to a hundred thousand.

What cares the butcher for the numerous flock (of sheep)? How can abundance of consciousness prevent (the approach of) slumber?

He (God) is the Lord of the kingdom: He gives collectedness to the lion, so that he springs on the herd of onagers.

A hundred thousand savage and courageous onagers are as naught before the onset of the lion.

He is the Lord of the kingdom: He gives to a Joseph the kingdom of Beauty, so that he is (lovely) as the water of white clouds.

He bestows upon one face the radiance of a star, so that a king becomes the slave of a girl.

He bestows upon another face His own Light, so that at midnight it sees everything good and evil.

Joseph and Moses fetched light from God into their cheeks and countenances and into their inmost bosoms.

The face of Moses shot forth a flashing beam: he hung a veil in front of his face.

The splendour of his face would have dazzled (men's) eyes as the emerald (blinds) the eyes of the deaf adder.

He besought God that the veil might become a covering for that powerful Light.

He (God) said, “Hark, make a veil of thy felt raiment, for the garment of gnosis can be trusted (to keep it safe),

Because that robe has become inured to the Light: the Light of the Spirit shines through its warp and woof.

Nothing will be a (safe) repository (for it) except a mantle like this: nothing else can endure Our Light.

If Mt Qáf should come forward as a barrier (to it), the Light would rend it asunder like Mt Sinai.”

Through the (Divine) omnipotence the bodies of (holy) men have gained ability to support the unconditioned Light.

His (God's) power makes a glass vessel the dwelling-place of that (Light) of which Sinai cannot bear (even) a mote.

A lamp-niche and a lamp-glass have become the dwelling-place of the Light by which Mt Qáf and Mt Sinai are torn to pieces.

Know that their (the holy men's) bodies are the lamp-niche and their hearts the glass: this lamp illumines the empyrean and the heavens.

Their (the heavens') light is dazzled by this Light and vanishes like the stars in this radiance of morning.

Hence the Seal of the prophets has related (the saying) of the everlasting and eternal Lord—

“I am not contained in the heavens or in the void or in the exalted intelligences and souls;

(But) I am contained, as a guest, in the true believer's heart, without qualification or definition or description,

To the end that by the mediation of that heart (all) above and below may win from Me sovereignties and fortune.

Without such a mirror neither Earth nor Time could bear the vision of My beauty.

I caused the steed of (My) mercy to gallop over the two worlds: I fashioned a very spacious mirror.

From this mirror (appear) at every moment fifty (spiritual) wedding-feasts: hearken to the mirror, but do not ask (Me) to describe it.”

The gist (of the discourse) is this, that he (Moses) made a veil of his raiment, since he knew the penetrativeness of (the light of) that Moon.

Had the veil been (made) of anything except his raiment, it would have been torn to shreds, (even) if it had been (like) a solid mountain.

It (the Light) would penetrate through iron walls: what contrivance could the veil employ against the Light of God?

That veil had become glowing: it was the mantle of a gnostic in the moment of ecstasy.

The fire is deposited (becomes immanent) in the tinder because it (the tinder) is already familiar with the fire.

And in sooth Safúrá, from desire and love for that Light of true guidance, sacrificed both her eyes.

At first she closed one eye and beheld the light of his (Moses') face (with the other); and that eye was lost.

Afterwards she could no longer restrain herself and (therefore) she opened the other (eye) and spent it on that Moon.

Even so the (spiritual) warrior (first) gives away his bread; (but) when the light of devotion strikes on him, he gives away his life.

Then a woman said to her, “Art thou grieving for the jonquil-like eye that thou hast lost?”

“I am grieving,” she replied, “(to think) would that I had a hundred thousand eyes to lavish (on that Moon)!

The window, (which is) mine eye, has been ruined by the Moon; but the Moon is seated (there) like the (buried) treasure in the ruin.

How should the treasure let this ruin of mine have (any regretful) memory of my porch and house?”

The light of Joseph's face, when he was passing by, used to fall on the latticed windows of every villa,

And the people within the house would say, “Joseph is taking a walk in this quarter and passing by”;

For they would see the radiance on the wall, and then the landlords (inmates) would understand (the cause of it).

The house that has its window in that direction is ennobled by that Joseph's walking for recreation.

Hark, open a window towards Joseph and begin to delight yourself by looking at him through the aperture.

The business of love is to make that window (in the heart), for the breast is illumined by the beauty of the Beloved.

Therefore gaze incessantly on the face of the Beloved! This is in your power. Hearken, O father!

Make a way for yourself into the innermost parts: banish the perception that is concerned with other (than God).

You possess an elixir: treat your (vile) skin (with it), and by means of this art (alchemy) make your enemies your friends.

When you have become beauteous you will attain unto the Beauteous One who delivers the spirit from friendlessness.

His moisture (grace) is nourishment for the garden of spirits; His breath revives him that has died of anguish.

He does not (only) bestow (on you) the entire kingdom of the base world; He bestows a hundred thousand kingdoms of diverse kinds.

God gave him (Joseph), in addition to the kingdom of beauty, the kingdom of interpretation (of dreams) without his having studied and taken lessons (in that science).

The kingdom of beauty led him to prison; the kingdom of knowledge led him to Saturn.

Because of his knowledge and skill (in interpretation) the King (of Egypt) became his slave: the kingdom of knowledge is more praiseworthy than the kingdom of beauty.