بخش 52 - سبب عداوت عام و بیگانه زیستن ایشان به اولیاء خدا کی بحقشان می‌خوانند و با آب حیات ابدی

Nay, but on account of their sticking to house and goods ’tis bitter (hateful) to them to hear this exposition (given by the prophets).

(Suppose) a rag is stuck fast upon the donkey's sore: when you wish to tear it off, bit by bit,

The donkey, because of the pain (inflicted on him), will certainly kick: happy the man who abstained from (touching) him!—

Especially (when there are) fifty sores, and a soaked rag stuck on the top of them in every case.

House and goods are like the rag, and this greed (of thine) is the sore: the greater the greed, the greater the sore.

The wilderness alone is the house and goods of the owl: he (the owl) will not listen to descriptions of Baghdád and Tabas.

If a royal falcon come from the road and bring to these owls a hundred reports of the King,

(With) a full account of the imperial city and the orchards and the rivers—then a hundred enemies will jeer at him,

Saying, ‘What has the falcon brought? An old story. He is weaving words of vanity and idle brag.’

(’Tis) they (that) are old and rotten unto everlasting; otherwise (they would know that) that breath (of prophetic inspiration) makes the old new.

It gives life to the old dead (spirits): it gives the crown of reason and the light of faith.

Do not steal thy heart away from the spirit-bestowing heart-ravisher, for he will mount thee on the back of Rakhsh.

Do not steal thy head away from the crown-giving one whose head is exalted, for he will untie a hundred knots from the foot of thy heart.

Whom shall I tell? Where in the village is any (spiritually) living one? Where is any one that runs towards the Water of Life?

Thou art fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation: what dost thou know of Love except the name?

Love hath a hundred disdains and prides: Love is gained by means of a hundred blandishments.

Since Love is loyal, it purchases (desires) him that is loyal: it does not look at a disloyal comrade.

Man resembles a tree, and the root is the covenant (with God): the root must be cherished with all one's might.

A corrupt (infirm) covenant is a rotten root and is cut off (deprived) of fruit and grace.

Although the boughs and leaves of the date-palm are green, greenness is no benefit (when conjoined) with corruption of the root;

And if it (the bough) have no green leaves, while it hath a (good) root, at the last a hundred leaves will put forth their hands.

Be not duped by his (the learned man's) knowledge; seek (to know whether he keeps) the covenant: knowledge is like a husk, and his covenant is its kernel.