بخش 35 - در بیان آنک ما سوی الله هر چیزی آکل و ماکولست هم‌چون آن مرغی کی قصد صید ملخ می‌کرد و به صید ملخ مشغول می‌بود و غافل بود از باز گرسنه کی از پس قفای او قصد صید او داشت اکنون ای آدمی صیاد آکل از صیاد و آکل خود آمن مباش اگر چه نمی‌بینیش به نظر چشم به نظر دلیل و عبرتش می‌بین تا چشم نیز باز شدن

A little bird was hunting a worm: a cat found its opportunity and seized it.

It (the bird) was a devourer and a thing devoured, and (being engrossed) in its hunting was ignorant of another hunter.

Although the thief is (engaged) in hunting articles of property, (yet) the prefect of police with (the thief's) enemies is behind him (on his track).

His mind is occupied with chattels and lock and door: he is heedless of the prefect and of the outcry (that will arise) at dawn.

He is so absorbed in his passion (for gain) he gives no heed to his seekers and pursuers.

If the herbage is drinking pure water, (yet) afterwards an animal's belly will feed on it.

That grass is devouring and devoured: even so (is) everything that exists except God.

Since He is (the subject of the text) and He feedeth you and is not fed, God is not devouring and devoured, (like) flesh and skin.

How should that which is devouring and devoured be secure from a devourer who dwells in a (secret) hiding-place?

The security of those who are (liable to be) devoured brings mourning in its train: go to the Portal of Him who is not fed.

Every phantasy is devouring another phantasy: (one) thought feeds on another thought.

Thou canst not be delivered from any phantasy or fall asleep so as to escape from it (altogether).

(Thy) thoughts are (like) hornets, and thy sleep is (like) the water (in which thou art plunged): when thou awakest, the flies (hornets) come back,

And many hornet-like phantasies fly in and (now) draw thee this way and (now) take thee that way.

This (mental) phantasy is the least of the devourers: the Almighty knows (how great are) the others.

Hark, flee from the troop of huge devourers towards Him who hath said, ‘We are thy protector’;

Or towards one who has gained that (power of) protection, if thou canst not hasten towards the Protector (Himself).

Do not surrender thy hand save to the hand of the Pír (spiritual director); (for) God hath become the aider of his hand.

The Pír (Elder), (which is) thy intellect, has become childish from being a neighbour to the carnal soul which is in the veil (of sensuality).

Associate the perfect intelligence (of the spiritual director) with thy (imperfect) understanding, in order that thy understanding may return (withdraw itself) from that evil disposition.

When thou layest thy hand in his, then thou wilt escape from the hand of the devourers,

And thy hand will become one of the Covenanters above whose hands is the Hand of Allah.

When thou hast put thy hand in the hand of the Pír, the Pír of wisdom who is knowing and eminent,

Who is the prophet of his own time, O disciple, so that the Light of the Prophet is manifested by him, By this means thou hast been present at Hudaybiya and hast been associated with the Companions who took the Covenant.

Therefore thou hast become one of the ten Friends to whom the glad tidings were given, and hast been made pure like sterling gold.

(This is) to the end that communion may be made perfect; for a man is united with that one whom he has made his friend.

He is with him in this world and in that (other) world; and this is the (meaning of) the Hadíth of sweet- natured Ahmad (Mohammed),

(Who) said, ‘A man is with him whom he loves’: the heart is not severed from its object of desire.

Do not sit in any place where there is a trap and bait: O thou who regardest (others) as weak, go, consider (what becomes of) those who regard (others) as weak.

O thou who regardest the weak as weak (and at thy mercy), know this, (that) there is a hand above thy hand, O youth.

Thou art weak (thyself) and thou regardest (others) as weak. Oh, wonderful! Thou art at once the prey and the hunter in pursuit (of the prey).

Be not (one of those described in the Verse) before and behind them (We will set) a barrier, so that thou canst not see the enemy, though the enemy is manifest.

The greed of hunting makes (one) oblivious of being a prey: he (the hunter) tries to win hearts (though) he has lost his own.

Be not thou inferior to a bird in (thy) seeking: (even) a sparrow sees (what is) before and behind.

When it approaches the grain (bait), at that moment it turns its head and face several times to front and rear,

(As though to say), ‘Oh, I wonder whether there is a fowler in front of me or behind, so that for fear of him I should abstain from this food.’

Do thou see behind (thee) the story of (what happened to) the wicked; see before (thee) the death of (many a) friend and neighbour,

Whom He (God) destroyed without (using) any instrument: He is close to thee in every circumstance.

God inflicted torment (on them), and there is no mace or hand (employed): know, then, that God is one who deals justice (inflicts chastisement) without hands.

He who was saying, ‘If God exists, where is He?’ was confessing on the rack (of pain) that ’tis He (God).

He who was saying, ‘This is far-fetched and marvellous’ was shedding tears and crying, ‘O Thou who art nigh!’

Since he has deemed it necessary to flee from the trap, (’tis strange that) the trap for thee is in fact stuck fast to thy (gaudy) feathers.

I will tear out the pin of this ill-fated trap: I will not suffer bitter grief for the sake of (indulging) a desire.

I have given thee this answer (which is) suitable to thy understanding: apprehend (its meaning) and do not avert thy face from seeking.

Snap this cord, which is greed and envy: remember (the text) on her neck a cord of palm-fibres.”