بخش 64 - باقی قصهٔ فقیر روزی‌طلب بی‌واسطهٔ کسب

In his grief that wretched pauper, who suffered a thousand agonies on account of indigence,

Used to beseech (God) in prayer and invocation, crying, “O Lord and Guardian of (them that are) the shepherds (of their people),

Thou didst create me without any exertion (on my part): give me daily bread from this mansion (the world) without contrivance (on my part).

Thou gavest me the five jewels in the casket of my head, and also five other occult senses.

These gifts of Thine are not to be numbered or computed; in setting them forth I am tongue-tied and shamefaced.

Since Thou art alone (without partner) in my creation, do Thou adjust (accordingly) the matter of providing me with daily bread.”

For years this prayer was frequently uttered by him, and at last his supplication took effect,

As (in the case of) the person who used to beg God to grant him a lawful livelihood without labour and fatigue,

(Till) at length the cow brought him happiness: (’twas in) the epoch of David whose justice was divinely inspired.

This thrall of love, too, made piteous entreaties, and he likewise carried off the ball from the field of (favourable) response.

(Yet) while praying he would at times become distrustful on account of the postponement of the recompense and reward;

(And then) again the gracious Lord's deferment (of his hopes) would bring a message of joy to his heart and become a surety (for their fulfilment).

Whenever in (the course of his) earnest supplication weariness caused him to despair, he would hear from the Presence of God (the call) “Come!”

This (Divine) Maker is He who abaseth and exalteth: without these two (attributes) no work is accomplished.

Consider the lowness of the earth and the loftiness of the sky: without these two (attributes) its (the sky's) revolution is not (possible), O such-and-such.

The lowness and loftiness of this earth are of another sort: for one half of the year it is barren and for (the other) half (it is) green and fresh.

The lowness and loftiness of distressful Time are of another sort: one half day and (the other) half night.

The lowness and loftiness of this blended (bodily) temperament (of ours) are now health and now sickness that causes (us) to cry out (in pain).

Know that even so are all the changing conditions of the world—famine and drought and peace and war— (which arise) from (Divine) probation.

By means of these two wings this world is (kept up like a bird) in the air; by means of these twain (all) souls are habitations of fear and hope,

To the end that the world may be (always) trembling like a leaf in the north wind and simoom of resurrection and death,

(And) that (ultimately) the vat of the unicolority of our Jesus may destroy the value of the vat containing a hundred dyes;

For that world (of Unity) is like a salt-mine: whatever has gone thither has become exempt from coloration (dyeing with various colours).

Look at earth: it makes many-coloured (diverse) humankind to be (all) of one colour in their graves.

This is the salt-mine for visible (material) bodies, (but) in sooth the salt-mine for ideal (supersensible) things is different.

The salt-mine for ideal things is ideal (spiritual and real): it remains new from eternity unto everlasting.

This (earthly) newness has oldness as its opposite, but that newness (belonging to the world of Reality) is without opposite or like or number.

’Tis (even) as by the polishing action of the Light of Mustafá (Mohammed) a hundred thousand sorts of darkness became radiant.

Jew and polytheist and Christian and Magian—all were made of one colour by that Alp Ulugh (great hero).

A hundred thousand shadows short and long became one in the light of that Sun of mystery.

Neither a long (shadow) remained nor a short nor a wide: shadows of every kind were given in pawn to (absorbed in) the Sun.

But the unicolority that is (everywhere) at the Resurrection is (then) revealed and (made) manifest to the evil and the good (alike);

For in that world ideas are endued with form, and our (visible) shapes become congruous with our (moral and spiritual) qualities.

The (secret) thoughts will then become (materialised in) the form of the books (recording good and evil actions): this lining will become the working surface of the garments.

During this (present) time (men's) inward beliefs are (as variegated) as a piebald cow, and in the (different) religious sects the spindle of speech is spinning (threads of) a hundred colours.

’Tis the turn (reign) of many-colouredness and many-mindedness: how should the one-coloured world become unveiled?

’Tis the turn (reign) of the Ethiopian; the Greek is hidden (from view): this is night, and the sun is in pawn.

’Tis the turn (reign) of the wolf, and Joseph is at the bottom of the well; ’tis the turn (reign) of the Egyptians, and Pharaoh is king.

(Such is the Divine purpose), in order that for a few days these curs may have their allotted portion of the unstinted and deluding (worldly) provision.

(But) within the jungle (of this world) are lions (righteous and holy men), waiting for the command “Come!” to be spread abroad.

Then those lions will come forth from the (worldly) pasture, and God will show (unto them) their income and expenditure without any veil (disguise).

The (spiritual) essence of Man will encompass land and sea, (while) the piebald cattle will be killed as victims on the Day of Slaughter.

The terrible Day of Slaughter at the Resurrection is a festival for the true believers and (the hour of) destruction for the cattle.

On that Day of Slaughter all the water-birds (will be) sailing along like ships on the surface of the Sea.

(This Day is ordained) to the end that they who perish may perish by a clear proof, and that they who are saved and have sure knowledge thereof may be saved (by a clear proof),

And that the falcons may go to the Sultan and that the crows may go to the graveyard;

For in this world the dessert of the crows was bones and pieces of dung like bread.

How remote is the sugar of wisdom from the crow! How remote is the dungbeetle from the orchard!

It is not suitable for an effeminate man to go to fight against the carnal soul: aloes-wood and musk are not suitable for the arse of an ass.

Since women are not at all adapted for fighting, how should they be adapted for that (fight) which is the greater holy war?

A Rustam may (sometimes) have been concealed in a woman's body, as (was the case with) a Mary; (but) only seldom.

Similarly, women are (sometimes) concealed in men's bodies, and they (such men) are (virtually) female because of (their) faintness of heart.

In that world, if any one has not found in his manhood the capacity (for spiritual combat), his feminality takes (visible) shape.

The Day (of Judgement) is justice, and justice consists in giving (to every one) what is proper: the shoe belongs to the foot, and the cap belongs to the head.

(This is) in order that every seeker may attain to the object of his search, and that everything destined to set may go to its point of setting.

No object of search is withheld from the seeker: the sun is paired with heat and the cloud with water.

The present world is the Creator's penitentiary: since you have chosen (to incur) punishment, suffer punishment!

Contemplate the bones and hair of the punished ones (whom) the sword of (Divine) punishment overthrew on sea and land.

Consider the bird's feathers and feet (lying) around the trap and silently expounding (the nature of) God's punishment.

He (the worldling) dies and leaves a (sepulchral) vault to occupy his place; and (in the case of) one who has lain for ages (in the earth), even the vault has disappeared.

The justice of God hath mated every one (with one of his own kind)—elephant with elephant and gnat with gnat.

The familiar associates of Ahmad (Mohammed) were the Four Friends, (while) the familiars of Bú Jahl were ‘Utba and Dhu ’l-Khimár.

The Ka‘ba of Gabriel and the (celestial) spirits is a Lotus-tree; the qibla of the belly-slave is a table-cloth (covered with dishes of food).

The qibla of the gnostic is the light of union (with God); the qibla of the philosopher's intellect is phantasy.

The qibla of the ascetic is the Gracious God; the qibla of the flatterer is a purse of gold.

The qibla of the spiritual is patience and long-suffering; the qibla of form worshippers is the image of stone.

The qibla of those who dwell on the inward is the Bounteous One; the qibla of those who worship the outward is a woman's face.

Similarly reckon up new and old (instances); and if you are weary (of doing so), go about your business.

Our provision (from God) is wine in a golden cup, while those curs have the tutmáj broth and the trough.

(God says), “To him on whom We have bestowed a (particular) disposition We have sent the appropriate provision accordingly.

We have made it that one's disposition to be passionately fond of bread, We have made it this one's disposition to be intoxicated with the Beloved.”

Since you are pleased and happy with your disposition, then why are you fleeing from that which is appropriate to your disposition?

(If) feminality pleases you, get a chádar; (if) the prowess of Rustam pleases you, get a dagger.

This topic hath no end, and (meanwhile) the fakir has been sorely wounded by the blows of penury.