بخش 53 - حکایت

A novice one day built a new house; the Pír came (and) saw his house.

The Shaykh said to his new disciple—he put to the test him that had good thoughts—

“Wherefore hast thou made a window, O comrade?” Said he, “In order that light may come in by this way.”

He (the Shaykh) said, “That is (only) the branch (secondary object); (thy) want (desire) must be this, (namely) that through this channel thou mayst hear the call to prayer.”

Báyazíd, on his journey (to the Ka‘ba), sought much to find some one that was the Khizr of his time.

He espied an old man with a stature (bent) like the new moon; he saw in him the majesty and (lofty) speech of (holy) men;

His eyes sightless, and his heart (illumined) as the sun: like an elephant dreaming of Hindustán.

With closed eyes, asleep, he beholds a hundred delights; when he opens (his eyes), he sees not those (delights)—oh, (’tis) wonderful!

Many a wonder is made manifest in sleep: in sleep the heart becomes a window.

One that is awake and dreams fair dreams, he is the knower (of God): smear your eyes with his dust.

He (Báyazíd) sat down before him and asked about his condition; he found him to be a dervish and also a family man.

He (the old man) said, “Whither art thou bound, O Báyazíd? To what place wouldst thou take the baggage of travel in a strange land?”

Báyazíd answered, “I start for the Ka‘ba at daybreak.” “Eh,” cried the other, “what hast thou as provisions for the road?”

“I have two hundred silver dirhems,” said he; “look, (they are) tied fast in the corner of my cloak.”

He said, “Make a circuit round me seven times, and reckon this (to be) better than the circumambulation (of the Ka‘ba) in the pilgrimage;

(That) thou hast (also) performed the lesser pilgrimage and gained the life everlasting; (that) thou hast become pure (sáf) and sped up (the Hill of) Purity (Safá).

By the truth of the Truth (God) whom thy soul hath seen, (I swear) that He hath chosen me above His House.

Albeit the Ka‘ba is the House of His religious service, my form too, in which I was created, is the House of His inmost consciousness.

Never since God made the Ka‘ba hath He gone into it, and none but the Living (God) hath ever gone into this House (of mine).

When thou hast seen me, thou hast seen God: thou hast circled round the Ka‘ba of Sincerity.

To serve me is to obey and glorify God: beware thou think not that God is separate from me.

Open thine eyes well and look on me, that thou mayst behold the Light of God in man.”

Báyazíd gave heed to those mystic sayings, and put them in his ear as a golden ring.