بخش 115 - حکایت امرء القیس کی پادشاه عرب بود و به صورت عظیم به جمال بود یوسف وقت خود بود و زنان عرب چون زلیخا مردهٔ او و او شاعر طبع قفا نبک من ذکری حبیب و منزل چون همه زنان او را به جان می‌جستند ای عجب غزل او و نالهٔ او بهر چه بود مگر دانست کی این‌ها همه تمثال صورتی‌اند کی بر تخته‌های خاک نقش کرده‌اند عاقبت این امرء القیس را حالی پیدا شد کی نیم‌شب از ملک و فرزند گریخت و خود را در دلقی پنهان کرد و از آن اقلیم به اقلیم دیگر رفت در طلب آن کس کی از اقلیم منزه است یختص برحمته من یشاء الی آخره

Imra’u ’l-Qays was weary of his empire: Love carried him away from the country of the Arabs,

So that he came and worked as a brick-maker at Tabúk. The king was told that a royal personage,

Imra’u ’l-Qays (by name), having fallen a prey to Love, had come thither and was making bricks by (his own) labour.

The king rose up and went to him at night and said to him, “O king of beauteous countenance,

Thou art the Joseph of the age. Two empires have become entirely subject to thee—(one), of the territories (under thy sway), and (the other), of Beauty.

Men are enslaved by thy sword, while women are the chattels of thy cloudless moon.

(If) thou wilt dwell with me, ’twill be my fortune: by union with thee my soul will be made (equal to) a hundred (enraptured) souls.

Both I (myself) and my kingdom are thine to hold as thine own, O thou who in high aspiration hast abandoned kingdoms!”

He reasoned with him for a long time, and he (Imra’u ’l-Qays) kept silence, (till) suddenly he unveiled the mystery.

Think what (secrets) of love and passion he (must have) whispered into his ear! Immediately he made him a crazy wanderer like himself.

He (the king of Tabúk) took his hand and accompanied him: he too renounced his throne and (royal) belt.

These two kings went to distant lands: not once (only) has Love committed this crime.

It (Love) is honey for the grown-up and milk for children: for every boat it is (like) the last bale (which causes the boat to founder).

Besides these two, many kings, (kings) beyond number, hath Love torn from their kingdoms and families.

The souls of these three princes also were roaming around China in every direction, like birds picking up grain.

They durst not open their lips to utter the thoughts hidden (in their hearts), because it was a perilous and grave secret.

A hundred thousand heads (go) for a farthing at the moment (when) Love strings his bow in anger.

Even without anger, at the time when he is well-pleased, Love is always accustomed to kill recklessly.

This is (his habit) at the moment when he is contented: how shall I describe (what he does) when he is angered?

But may the soul's pasture be the ransom for his (Love's) lion who is killed by this Love and his scimitar!

(’Tis) a killing better than a thousand lives: (all) sovereignties are mortally enamoured of this servitude.

They (the princes) were telling each other their secrets allusively in low tones with a hundred fears and precautions.

None but God was the confidant of their secret, their sighs were breathed to Heaven alone.

They were using certain mystical terms among themselves in order to convey information.

The vulgar have learned this birds' language and (by means of it) have acquired prestige and authority.

That terminology is (only) the image (imitation) of the bird's voice: the uninitiated man is ignorant of the (inward) state of the birds.

Where is the Solomon who knows the birds' song? The demon, though he seize the kingdom (of Solomon), is an alien.

The demon in the likeness of Solomon stood (in Solomon's place): he knows how to deceive, but he does not possess (the knowledge denoted by the words) we have been taught.

Inasmuch as Solomon was rejoiced exceedingly by (the favour of) God, he had a birds' language (derived) from we have been taught.

Understand that you are a bird of the (common) air because you have not beheld the esoteric birds.

The home of the Símurghs is beyond (Mt) Qáf: it is not (like) a hand-loom (easily accessible) to any imagination,

But only to the imagination that beholds it by chance and then, after the vision, is parted (from it)—

Not a parting that involves severance, (but a parting) for a wise purpose; for that high estate is secure from every (real) parting.

In order to preserve the spiritual body the (Divine) Sun for a time withdraws (His beams) from the snow.

Seek good for thy soul from them (who have attained unto God): beware, do not steal mystical expressions from their language.

Zalíkhá had applied to Joseph the name of everything, from rue-seed to aloeswood.

She concealed his name in (all other) names and made the inner meaning thereof known to (none but her) confidants.

When she said, “The wax is softened by the fire,” this meant, “My beloved is very fond of me.”

And if she said, “Look, the moon is risen”; or if she said, “The willow-bough is green (with new leaves)”;

Or if she said, “The leaves are quivering mightily”; or if she said, “The rue-seed is burning merrily”;

Or if she said, “The rose has told her secret to the nightingale”; or if she said, “The king has disclosed his passion for Shahnáz”;

Or if she said, “How auspicious is Fortune!” or if she said, “Give the furniture a good dusting”;

Or if she said, “The water-carrier has brought the water”; or if she said, “The sun is risen”;

Or if she said, “Last night they cooked a potful of food” or “The vegetables are cooked to perfection”;

Or if she said, “The loaves have no salt (savour)”; or if she said, “The heavenly sphere is going round in the contrary direction”;

Or if she said, “My head aches”; or if she said, “My headache is better”—

If she praised, ’twas his (Joseph's) caresses (that she meant); and if she blamed, ’twas separation from him (that she meant).

If she piled up a hundred thousand names, her meaning and intention was always Joseph.

Were she hungry, as soon as she spoke his name she would be filled (with spiritual food) and intoxicated by his cup.

Her thirst would be quenched by his name: the name of Joseph was a sherbet to her soul;

And if she were in pain, her pain would immediately be turned into profit by that exalted name.

In cold weather it was a fur to her. This, this (is what) the Beloved's name can do (when one is) in love.

The vulgar are always pronouncing the Holy Name, (but) it does not do this work (for them) since they are not endowed with (true) love.

That (miracle) which Jesus had wrought by (pronouncing) the Name of Hú (God) was manifested to her through the name of him (Joseph).

When the soul has been united with God, to speak of that (God) is (to speak of) this (soul), and to speak of this (soul) is (to speak of) that (God).

She was empty of self and filled with love for her friend (Joseph), and (as the proverb says), “A pot drips what is in it.”

The scent of the saffron of union produces (happy) laughter; the smell of the onion of absence (produces) tears.

Every (other) one has in his heart a hundred objects of desire, (but) this is not the way of love and fondness.

Love's sun in the day-time is the (Face of the) Beloved: the sun is as a veil over that Face.

He that does not know (distinguish) the veil from the Face of the Beloved is a sun-worshipper: keep thy hand off (keep thyself aloof) from him.

He is both the lover's day and daily bread, He is both the lover's heart and heart-burning.

(God's) fishes receive directly from the Essence of the Water their bread and water and clothes and drugs and sleep.

He (the lover) is like a child getting milk from the breast: he knows nothing in the two worlds except the milk.

The child knows the milk and yet he does not know it: (intellectual) consideration has no means of entrance here.

This circular (issued by Love) made the spirit crazy to find (both) the Opener and that which is opened (by Him).

It (the spirit) is not crazy in going (on that quest); nay, (for) ’tis the Sea within it that bears it along, not a torrent or a river.

How should it (the spirit) find (God)? He that finds (God) becomes lost (in Him): like a torrent he is absorbed in the Ocean.

The seed is lost (in the earth): (only) then does it become a fig-tree. This is (the meaning of) “I did not give (you) the money till you died.”