Masnavi

The apostolical succession of the prophets and the saints (p. 1 20). With that “ brightness of lightning ” 2 He kindled their souls So that Adam acquired knowledge from that light. That which shone from Adam was gathered by Seth, Wherefore Adam made him his viceroy when he saw it. When Noah received the gift of that lustre, He became a soul bearing pearls in the tempest of the flood. By that light the soul of Abraham was led, Without fear he entered Nimrod’s fiery furnace. When Iskmael sought out that light, He meekly laid his head beneath his father’s bright knife. The soul of David was warmed by its heat, Iron became pliable by the force of his weaving.3 1 I.e., the Logos as Demiurge. inspiration is likened to a light Koran xxiv. 43. The prophetic handed on from one to another. 3 Koran xxi. 80. When Solomon was nurtured by its fruition, The devils became the submissive slaves of his will. When Jacob bowed his head to the Divine decree, He recovered his sight at the scent of his son.1 When moonlike Joseph saw that brilliant sun, He became so expert as he was in interpreting dreams. When the staff drew might from the hand of Moses,

It devoured the realm of Pharaoh at a mouthful. When the soul of Jirjis 2 became privy to its light, He sacrificed his life seven times, and regained it. When Zakhariah 3 boasted of his love for it, He ransomed his life in the hollow of the tree. When Jonah swallowed a draught from that cup, He found repose in the belly of the fish. When John the Baptist became filled with its unction, He laid his head in the golden charger in ardour for it. When Jethro became aware of this exaltation, He risked his life to find it. Patient Job gave thanks for seven years, For in his calamities he saw signs of its approach. When Khizr and Elias boasted of gaining it, They found the water of life and were no more seen. When Jesus, Son of Mary, found that ladder of ascent, He ascended to the height of the fourth heaven. When Muhammad gained that blessed possession, In a moment he cleft asunder the disk of the moon.4 When Abu Bakr became the exemplar of that grace, He was companion of that Lord, and a “ faithful witness.'’ When ’Omar was enraptured with that beauty, Like a mind he discerned true and false.5 When Osman viewed those brilliant sights,

He diffused light and became “ Lord of the two lights.”0 1 Koran lxxvii. 96. 2 Jirjis or St. George is supposed by Muhammadans to be the same person as Khizr or Elias. 3 Zakhariah the prophet is said to have taken refuge from his per- secutors in the hollow of a tree. 4 Koran liv. 1. 5 ’Omar was called “ The Discerner.” 6 He bore this name because he had two daughters of Muhammad as his wives. When Martaza (’Ali) shined with its reflection, He became the “ Lion of God ” in the soul’s domain. When his two sons were illumined by this light, They became the “ Pearly earrings of highest heaven ; ” 1 One of them losing his life by poison, The other losing his head as he went about his march. When Junaid was succoured by the forces of that light, His ecstatic states exceeded counting. Bayazid saw his way to increased fruition thereof, And gained from God the name “ Polestar of Gnostics.’- What time King Mansur became victorious,2 He left his throne and hastened to the stake. When Karkhi of Karkh became its keeper, He became lord of love and of the breath of Jesus. Ibrahim son of Adham rode his horse to that point,

And became king of kings of equity. And that Shakik starting from that junction Became a sun of wit and acute of genius. Fazfl from a highway robber became a sage of the way,3 * When he was regarded with esteem by the King. To Bishr Hafi the doctrine was announced, And he set his face towards the desert of inquiry. When Zu-l-Nun became distraught with care for it, Egypt (Milk) as sugar became the house of his soul. When Sari i lost his head in seeking the way thereto, His rank was exalted above the seats of the mighty. A hundred thousand great (spiritual) kings Exalted by this divine light approach the world. Their names remain hidden through God’s jealousy ; Every beggar tells not their names.5 1 A tradition gives this title to Hasan and Hussain. 2 Mansiir Kalla j, the celebrated Sufi impaled at Bagdad. Shah or King was a title often assumed by darveshes. 3 The “way” means the Sufi 4 All these saints lived in the second and third centuries of the Flight. 5 In the introduction to the Nafahatu-’l Uns, Jami says there are always 4000 saints on the earth who are not even known to one another.

Story IV. The Falcon and the Owls (p. 125). A certain falcon lost his way, and found himself in the waste places inhabited by owls. The owls suspected that he had come to seize their nests, and al) surrounded him to make an end of him. The falcon assured them that he had no such design as they imputed to him, that his abode was on the wrist of the king, and that he did not envy their foul habitation. The owls replied that he was trying to deceive them, inasmuch as such a strange bird as he could not be a favourite of the king. The falcon repeated that he was indeed a favourite of the king, and that the king would assuredly destroy their houses if they injured him, and proceeded to give them some good advice on the folly of trusting to outward appearances. He said, “ It is true I am not homogeneous with the king, but yet the king’s light is reflected in me, as water becomes homogeneous with earth in plants. I am, as it were, the dust beneath the king’s feet ; and if you become like me in this respect, you will be exalted as I am. Copy the outward form you behold in me, and perchance you will reach the real substance of the king.”

The right use of forms (p. 1 26). That my outward form may not mislead you. Digest my sweet advice before copying me. Many are they who have been captured by form, Who aimed at form, and found Allah. After all, soul is linked to body, Though it in nowise resembles the body. The power of the light of the eye is mated with fat, The light of the heart is hidden in a drop of blood. Joy harbours in the kidneys and pain in the liver, The lamp of reason in the brains of the head ; Smell in the nostrils and speech in the tongue, Concupiscence in the flesh and courage in the heart. These connections are not without a why and a how, But reason is at a loss to understand the how. Universal Soul had connection with Partial Soul,1 Which thence conceived a pearl and retained it in its bosom. From that connection, like Mary, Soul became pregnant of a fair Messiah ; — Not that Messiah who walked upon earth and water, But that Messiah who is higher than space.2 Next, as Soul became pregnant by the Soul of souls, So by the former Soul did the world become pregnant ; Then the World brought forth another world,

And of this last are brought forth other worlds. Should I reckon them in my speech till the last day I should fail to tell the total of these resurrections.3 Story V. The Thirsty Man who threw Bricks into the Water (p. 1 26). A thirsty man discovered a tank of water, but conld not drink of it because it was surrounded by a high wall. He took some of the bricks off the top of the wall and cast them over it into the water. The water cried out, “ What advantage do you gain . by doing this ? ” He made answer, “The first advantage is this, that I hear your voice ; and the second, that the more bricks I pull off the wall, the nearer I approach to you.” The moral is, that so long as the wall of the body intervenes, we cannot reach the water of life. The abasement of the body brings men nearer to union with the Deity. Destroy, therefore, the 1 This is a figurative account of the emanations of Absolute Being, whereby the world of phenomena is constituted. The idea comes from Plotinus (see Gulshan i Raz, p. 21, note, and p. 66).

2 I.e., the spirit of the Prophet Muhammad, whom the Sufis identify with the Primal Soul. 3 “ Continually is creation born again in a new creation ” (Gulshan i Raz, p. 66). By constant effluxes from Absolute Being the world of phenomena is every moment renewed. fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Then follows another parable to illustrate the folly of procrastination in this important matter. “ It was not ye who shot, but God shot ; and those arrows were God’s, not yours” (p. 130).1 ’Tis God’s light that illumines the senses’ light, That is the meaning of “ Light upon light.” 2 The senses’ light draws us earthwards. God’s light calls us heavenwards. As objects of sense are of base condition, God’s light is an ocean, and the senses’ light a dewdrop. But that light which is “ upon this light ” is not seen, Save through signs and holy discourses. Since the senses’ light is gross and dense, It lies hidden in the black pupil of the eye. When you cannot see the senses’ light with the eye, How can you see with the eye the Light of the mind ? As the senses’ light is hidden in these gross veils,

Must not that Light which is pure be also hidden ? Like the senses, this world is ruled by a hidden Power. It confesses its impotence before that hidden Power, Which sometimes exalts it and sometimes lays it low, Sometimes makes it dry and sometimes moist. The hand is hidden, yet we see the pen writing ; The horse is galloping, yet the rider is hid from view. The arrow speeds forth, yet the bow is not seen ; Souls are seen, the Soul of souls (God) is hidden. Break not the arrow, for it is the arrow of the King ; Yea, it is an arrow from the bow of Wisdom. “Ye shot not when ye shot,” was said by God ; God’s action has predominance over all actions. Break your own passion, break not that arrow, The eye of passion takes milk to be blood. 1 Koran viii. 17, meaning, “God is the Fa’il i Ilaqiqi, or only Real Agent.” 2 Koran xxiv. 35. story vi.] LUQMAN’S MASTER EXAMINES HIM. Kiss that arrow and bear it to the King, Yea, though it be stained with your own blood. Whatsoever is seen is weak and base and impotent ;

What is hidden is equally fierce and headstrong. We are the captured game ; who is the snare ? We are the balls ; where is the bat ? He tears and mends ; who is this tailor ? He fans and kindles the llame ; who is this kindler ? At one time He makes the faithful one an infidel, At another lie makes the atheist a devotee ! Next comes an anecdote of a dirty man who refused to bathe because he was ashamed to go into the water, with the moral that “ Shame hinders religion ; ” 1 and then another of Zu’l Ni'm, a celebrated Egyptian Sufi of the third century A.H. Zu’l Nun appeared to his ignorant friends to be mad, and they accordingly confined him in a madhouse. After a time they thought that he was not really mad, but had feigned madness for some deep purpose, and they went to the madhouse to inquire into the state of his health. When they arrived there, Zu’l Nun asked them who they were, and they answered that they were his devoted friends, who were now convinced that the story of his being mad was a calumny. Zu’l Nun jumped up and drove them away with sticks and stones, saying that true friendship would have been manifested in sharing his troubles, even as pure gold is tried by fire.

Story VI. Luqman’s Master examines him and discovers his Acuteness (p. 132). Luqman the Sage,2 who is sometimes identified with Esop, and sometimes with the nephew of the prophet Job, though “gifted with wisdom by God,” was a slave. 1 Freytag, Arabum Proverbia,vol. religion;” and the other, “Shame ii. pp. 379 and 418, gives two pro- hinders getting a livelihood.” verbs — one, “Shame is a part of 2 See Koran xxxi. Another anecdote of his wit occurs in Book I. His master, however, discovered his worth, and became extremely attached to him, so that he never received any delicacy without giving Luqman a share of it. One day, having received a water-melon, he gave Luqman the best part of it, and Luqman devoured it with such apparent relish that his master was tempted to taste it. To his surprise he fouud it very bitter, and asked Luqman why he had not told him of this. Luqman replied that it was not for him, who lived on his master’s bounty, to complain if he now and then received disagreeable things at his hands. Thus, though to outward appearance a slave, Luqman showed himself to be a lord. Love endures hardships at the hands of the Beloved (p. 1 34).

Through love bitter things seem sweet, Through love bits of copper are made gold. Through love dregs taste like pure wine, Through love pains are as healing balms. Through love thorns become roses, And through love vinegar becomes sweet wine. Through love the stake becomes a throne, Through love reverse of fortune seems good fortune. Through love a prison seems a rose bower, Without love a grate full of ashes seems a garden. Through love burning fire is pleasing light, Through love the Devil becomes a Houri. Through love hard stones become soft as butter, Without love soft wax becomes hard iron. Through love grief is as joy, Through love Ghouls turn into angels. Through love stings are as honey, Through love lions are harmless as mice. Through love sickness is health, Through love wrath is as mercy. Through love the dead rise to life, Through love the king becomes a slave. Even when an evil befalls you, have due regard ; Regard well him who does you this ill turn. The sight which regards the ebb and flow of good and lL Opens a passage for you from misfortune to happiness. Thence you see the one state moves you into the other, One opposite state generating its opposite in exchange.

So long as you experience not fears after joys, How can you look for pleasures after disgusts ? While ye fear the doom of the angel on the left hand, Men hope for the bliss of the angel on the right.2 May you gain two wings ! 3 A fowl with only one winr Is impotent to fly, 0 well-intentioned one ! Now either permit me to hold my peace altogether, Or give me leave to explain the whole matter. And if you mislike this and forbid that, Who can tell what your desire is ? You must have the soul of Abraham in order with light To see the mansions of Paradise in the fire. Step by step he ascended above sun and moon, And so lagged not below, as a ring that fastens a door. Since the “ Friend of God ” ascended above the heavens, And said, “ I love not Gods that set ; ” 4 So this world of the body is a breeder of misconceptions In all who have not fled from lust. Story YII. Moses and the Shepherd (p. 138). Next follows an anecdote of Bilkis, Queen of Sheba, whose reason was enlightened by the counsels of the

Hoopoo sent to her by King 1 The doctrine of Heraclitus, that opposite states generate one another, is discussed by J elaludin in a passage quoted in Lumsden’s Grammar, ii. 323, and is mentioned in the Phaedo and the Nicomachtean Ethics. 2 An anacoluthon(see Koran 1. 16). Solomon. Outward sense is 3 The two wings are hope and fear, both of which are needed to guide men’s religious flight (see Book III. on “Probability the guide of life ”). 4 Koran vi. 77. as opposed to true reason as Abu Jahl was to Muhammad ; and when the outward senses are replaced by the true inner reason, man sees that the body is only foam, and the heart the limitless ocean. Afterwards comes an anecdote of a philosopher who was struck blind for cavilling at the verse, “ What think ye ? If at early morn your waters shall have sunk away, who will then give you clear Tuning water ? ” 1 This is succeeded by the story of Moses and the shepherd. Moses once heard a shepherd praying as follows : “0 God, show me where Thou art, that I may become Thy servant. I will clean Thy shoes and comb Thy hair, and sew Thy clothes, and fetch Thee milk.” When Moses heard him praying in this senseless manner, he rebuked him, saying, “ 0 foolish one, though your father was a Musulman, you have become an infidel. God is a Spirit, and needs not such gross ministrations as, in your ignorance, you suppose.” The shepherd was abashed at his rebuke, and tore his clothes and fled away into the desert. Then a voice from heaven was heard, saying, “ O Moses, wherefore have you driven away my servant ? Your office is to reconcile my people with me, not to drive them away from me. I have given to each race different usages and forms of praising and adoring me. I have no need of their praises, being exalted above all such needs. I regard not the words that are spoken, but the heart that offers them. I do not require fine words, but a burning heart. Men’s ways of showing devotion to me are various, but so long as the devotions are genuine, they are accepted.”

Religious forms indifferent (p. 1 39). A voice came from God to Moses, “ Why hast thou sent my servant away ? Thou hast come to draw men to union with me, Not to drive them far away from me. 1 Koran lxvii. 30. So far as possible, engage not in dissevering ; ‘ The thing most repugnant to me is divorce.’ 1 To each person have 1 allotted peculiar forms, To each have I given particular usages. What is praiseworthy in thee is blamable in him, What is poison for thee is honey for him. What is good in him is bad in thee, What is fair in him is repulsive in thee. I am exempt from all purity and impurity, I need not the laziness or alacrity of my people. I created not men to gain a profit from them, But to shower my beneficence upon them. In the men of Hind the usages of Hind are praiseworthy, In the men of Sind those of Sind. I am not purified by their praises, ’Tis they who become pure and shining thereby. I regard not the outside and the words, I regard the inside and the state of heart.

I look at the heart if it be humble, Though the words may be the reverse of humble. Because the heart is substance, and words accidents, Accidents are only a means, substance is the final cause. How long wilt thou dwell on words and superficialities ? A burning heart is what I want ; consort with burning ! Kindle in thy heart the flame of love, And burn up utterly thoughts and fine expressions. 0 Moses ! the lovers of fair rites are one class, They whose hearts and souls burn with love are another. Lovers must burn every moment, As tax and tithe are levied on a ruined village. If they speak amiss, call them not sinners ; If a martyr be stained with blood, wash it not away. Blood is better than water for martyrs, This fault is better than a thousand correct forms. No need to turn to the Ka’ba when one is in it, And divers have no need of shoes. One does not take a drunken man as a guide on the way, Nor speak of darns to torn garments. The sect of lovers is distinct from all others, Lovers have a religion and a faith of their own.

Though the ruby has no stamp, what matters it ? Love is fearless in the midst of the sea of fear. Beware, if thou offerest praises or thanksgivings, And know them to be even as the babble of that shepherd ; Though thy praises be better compared with his, Yet in regard to God they are full of defects. How long wilt thou say, ‘ They obscure the truth, For it is not such as they fancy ’ ? Thy own prayers are accepted only through mercy, They are suffered as the prayers of an impure woman. If her prayers are made impure by the flow of blood, Thine are stained with metaphors and similitudes. Blood is impure, yet its stain is removed by water ; But that impurity of ignorance is more lasting, Seeing that without the blessed water of God It is not banished from the man who is subject to it. 0 that thou wouldst turn thy face to thy own prayers, And become cognisant of the meaning of thy ejaculations, And say, ‘ Ah ! my prayers are as defective as my being ; 0 requite me good for evil ! ’ ” Moses questions God as to the reason of the flourishing state of the wicked (p. 1 40).

Moses said, “ 0 beneficent Creator, With whom a moment’s remembrance is as long ages, I see Thy plan distorted in this world of earth and water ; My heart, like the angel’s, feels a difficulty thereat. With what object hast thou framed this plan, And sowed therein the seeds of evil ? Why hast thou kindled the fire of violence and wrong ? Why burnt up mosques and them who worship therein ? story viii.] THE MAN AND THE PET BEAR. 85 Paradise is attached to requirements unpleasant to us, Hell is attached to things flattering our lusts. The branch full of sap is the main fuel of thy fire. ‘They that are burnt with fire are near to Kausar.’ 1 Whoso is in prison and acquainted with troubles, That is in requital for his gluttony and lusts. Whoso is in a palace and enjoying wealth, That is in reward for toils and troubles. Whoso is seen enjoying uncounted gold and silver, Know that he strove patiently to acquire it. He, whose soul is exempt from natural conditions, And who possesses the power of overriding causes, Can see without causes, like eyes that pierce night ; But thou who art dependent on sense attend to causes.

Having left Jesus, thou cherishest an ass (lust),2 And art perforce excluded, like an ass; The portion of Jesus is knowledge and wisdom, Not so the portion of an ass, 0 asinine one ! Thou pitiest thine ass when it complains ; So art thou ignorant, thy ass makes thee asinine. Keep thy pity for Jesus, not for the ass, Make not thy lust to vanquish thy reason. Leave thy natural lusts to whine and howl, Tear thee from them, escape that snare of the soul ! Story VIII. The Man who made a Pet of a Bear (p. 143).3 A kind man, seeing a serpent overcoming a bear, went to the bear’s assistance, and delivered him from the serpent. The bear was so sensible of the kindness the man had done him that he followed him about wherever he went, and became his faithful slave, guarding him from everything that might annoy him. One day the man was lying asleep, and the bear, according to his custom, 1 A saying of the Prophet. 2 Cp. St. Francis, “My brother, the ass.” 3 Anwari Suhaili, i. 27. was sitting by him and driving off the flies. The flies became so persistent in their annoyances that the bear lost patience, and seizing the largest stone he could find, dashed it at them in order to crush them utterly ; but unfortunately the flies escaped, and the stone lighted upon the sleeper’s face and crushed it. The moral is, “ Do not make friends with fools.” In the course of this story occur anecdotes of a blind man, of Moses rebuking the worshippers of the calf, and of the Greek physician Galen and a madman.

He who needs mercy finds it (p. 143). Doing kindness is the game and quarry of good men, A good man seeks in the world only pains to cure. Wherever there is a pain there goes the remedy, Wherever there is poverty there goes relief. Seek not water, only show you are thirsty, That water may spring up all around you. That you may hear the words, “ The Lord gives them to drink,” 1 Be athirst ! Allah knows what is best for you. Seek you the water of mercy ? Be downcast, And straightway drink the wine of mercy to intoxication. Mercy is called down by mercy to the last. Withhold not, then, mercy from any one, 0 son ! If of yourself you cannot journey to the Ka’ba, Represent your helplessness to the Reliever. Cries and groans are a powerful means, And the All-Merciful is a mighty nurse. The nurse and the mother keep excusing themselves, Till their child begins to cry. In you too has God created infant needs ; When they cry out, their milk is brought to them ; God said, “ Call on God ; ” continue crying, * So that the milk of His love may boil up.2

1 Koran lxxvi. 21. 2 Koran xvii. no. stoky VIII.] THE MAN AND THE PET BEAR. Moses and the ivorshipper of the calf (p. 145). Moses said to one of those full of vain imaginations, “ 0 malevolent one, through error and heresy You entertain a hundred doubts as to my prophethood. Notwithstanding these proofs, and my holy character. You have seen thousands of miracles done by me, Yet they only multiply your doubts and cavils. Through doubts and evil thoughts you are in a strait, You speak despitefully of my prophethood. I brought the host out of the Red Sea before all men, That ye might escape the oppression of the Egyptians. For forty years meat and drink came from heaven, And water sprang from the rock at my prayer. My staff became a mighty serpent in my hand, Water became blood for my ill-conditioned enemy. The staff became a snake, and my hand bright as the sun ; From the reflection of that light the sun became a star. Have not these incidents, and hundreds more like them. Banished these doubts from you, 0 cold-hearted one ? The calf lowed through magic, And you bowed down to it, saying, ‘Thou art my God.’1

The golden calf lowed ; but what did it say, That the fools should feel all this devotion to it ? You have seen many more wondrous works done by me, But where is the base man who accepts the truth ? What is it that charms vain men but vanity ? What else pleases the foolish but folly ? Because each kind is charmed by its own kind, Does a cow ever seek the lion ? Did the wolf show love to Joseph,2 Or only fraud upon fraud with a view to devour him ? True, if it lose his wolf-like nature it becomes a friend ; Even as the dog of the cave became a son of man.3 1 See Koran xx. go. 2 Koran xii. 17. 3 Koran xviii. 17. When good Abu Bakr saw Muhammad, He recognised his truth, saying, ‘ This one is true ; ’ When Abu Bakr caught the perfume of Muhammad, He said, ‘ This is no false one.’ But Abu Jahl, who was not one of the sympathisers, Saw the moon split asunder, yet believed not. If from a sympathiser, to whom it is well known, I withhold the truth, still ’tis not hidden from him ; But he who is ignorant and without sympathy, However much I show him the truth, he sees' it not. The mirror of the heart must needs be polished Before you can distinguish fair and foul therein.”

Story IX. The Gardener and the Three Friends (p. 148). A voice came from heaven to Moses, saying, “0 Moses, why didst thou not visit me when I was sick ? ” Moses inquired the meaning of this dark saying, and the answer was, “ When one of God’s saints is sick, God regards his sickness as His own ; and, therefore, he who desires to hold companionship with God must not forsake the saints.” 1 This is illustrated by a story of a gardener who saw three friends walking in his garden, and making free with his fruit. Knowing he could not prevail against them while they remained united, he contrived by tricks to separate them, and then proceeded to chastise them one by one. And this caused one of them to make the reflection that he had acted very foolishly in deserting his friends. Story X. Bdyazid and the Saint (p. 149). The celebrated Sufi, Abu Yazi'd or Bayazfd of Bistam, in Khorasan, who lived in the third century of the Flight, was once making a pilgrimage to Mecca, and visiting all the “ Tillars of insight ” who lived in the various towns 1 Cp. Matthew xxv, 40.

that lay on his route. At last he discovered the “ Khizr of the age ” in the person of a venerable Darvesh, with whom he held the following conversation : — The Sage said, “"Whither are you going, 0 Bayazid? Where will you bring your caravan to a halt ? ” Bayazid replied, “At dawn I start for the Ka’ba.” Quoth the Sage, “ What provision for the way have you ? ” He answered, “ I have two hundred silver dirhams ; See them tied up tightly in the corner of my cloak.” The Sage said, “ Circumambulate me seven times ; Count this better than circumambulating the Ka’ba ; And as for the dirhams, give them to me, 0 liberal one, And know you have finished your course and obtained your wish, You have made the pilgrimage and gained the life to come, You have become pure, and that in a moment of time. Of a truth that is God which your soul sees in me, For God has chosen me to be His house. Though the Ka’ba is the house of His grace and favours, Yet my body too is the house of His secret. Since He made that house He has never entered it,

But none but That Living One enters this house.1 When you have seen me you have seen God, And have circumambulated the veritable Ka’ba. To serve me is to worship and praise God ; Think not that God is distinct from me. Open clear eyes and look upon me, That you may behold the light of God in a mortal. The Beloved once called the Ka’ba ‘ My house,’ But has said to me ‘ 0 my servant ’ seventy times.1 0 Bayazid, you have found the Ka’ba, You have found a hundred precious blessings.” Bayazid gave heed to these deep sayings, And placed them as golden earrings in his ears. 1 Alluding to the Hadis : “ Heaven and earth contain me not, but the heart of my faithful servant contains me.” Then follow anecdotes of the Prophet paying a visit to one of his disciples who lay sick, of Shaikh Bahlol, nicknamed “The Madman.” who was a favourite at the court of Harunu-’r-Eashid, and of the people of Moses. Tlie sweet uses of adversity (p. 1 50). The sick man said, “ Sickness has brought me this boon, That this Prince (Muhammad) has come to me this morn, So that health and strength may return to me From the visit of this unparalleled King.

0 blessed pain and sickness and fever ! 0 welcome weariness and sleeplessness by night ! Lo ! God of His bounty and favour Has sent me this pain and sickness in my old age ; He has given me pain in the back, that I may not fail To spring up out of my sleep at midnight ; That I may not sleep all night like the cattle, God in His mercy has sent me these pains. At my broken state the pity of kings has boiled up, And hell is put to silence by their threats ! ” Pain is a treasure, for it contains mercies ; The kernel is soft when the rind is scraped off. 0 brother, the place of darkness and cold Is the fountain of life and the cup of ecstasy. So also is endurance of pain and sickness and disease. For from abasement proceeds exaltation. The spring seasons are hidden in the autumns, And autumns are charged with springs ; flee them not. Consort with grief and put up with sadness, Seek long life in your own death ! Since ’tis bad, whatever lust says on this matter Heed it not, its business is opposition.

But act contrary thereto, for the prophets Have laid this injunction upon the world.1 1 Freytag quotes a saying of right course” (Arabum Proverbia, 'Omar, “A fool may indicate the i. p. 566). •STORY x.] BAY A ZID AND THE SAINT. 9» Though it is right to take counsel in affairs, That you may have less to regret in the upshot ; — The prophets have laboured much To make the world revolve on this pivot stone ; 1 But, in order to destroy the people, lust desires To make them go astray and lose their heads ; — The people say, ‘ With whom shall we take counsel ? ' The prophets answer, ‘ With the reason of your chief.’ Again they say, * Suppose a child or a woman enter, Who lacks reason and clear judgment ; ’ They reply, ‘ Take counsel with them, And act contrary to what they advise.’ Know your lust to be woman, and worse than woman ; Woman is partial evil, lust universal evil. If you take counsel with your lust, See you act contrary to what that base one advises. Even though it enjoin prayers and fasting, It is treacherously laying a snare for you.’

You must abandon and ignore your own knowledge, And dip your hand in the dish of abnegation of knowledge, Whatever seems profitable, flee from it, Drink poison and spill the water of life. Contemn whatever praises you, Lend to paupers your wealth and profits ! Quit your sect and be a subject of aversion, Cast away name and fame and seek disgrace ! ” God the Author of good and evil (p. 156). If you seek the explanation of God’s love and favour, In connection therewith read the chapter “ Brightness.” 2 And if you say evil also proceeds from Him, Yet what damage is that to His perfection ? 1 The law defining the right brightness, and by the night when course. it darkeneth, thy Lord hath not for- 2 Koran sciii. : “By the noonday saken thee nor been displeased.’’ To send that evil is one of His perfections. I will give you an illustration, 0 arrogant one ; The heavenly Artist paints His pictures of two sorts, Fair pictures and pictures the reverse of fair. Joseph he painted fair and made him beautiful ; He also painted ugly pictures of demons and ’ afrits . Both sorts of pictures are of His workmanship,

They proceed not from His imperfection, but His skill. That the perfection of His wisdom may be shown, And the gainsayers of His art be put to shame. Could He not paint ugly things He would lack art, And therefore He creates Guebers as -well as Moslems. Thus, both infidelity and faith bear witness to Him, Both alike bow down before His almighty sway. But know, the faithful worship Him willingly, For they seek and aim at pleasing Him ; While Guebers worship Him unwillingly, Their real aim and purpose being quite otherwise. Evil itself is turned into rjood for the good (p. 157). The Prophet said to that sick man, “ Pray in this wise and allay your difficulties ; ‘ Give us good in the house of our present world, And give us good in the house of our next world.1 Make our path pleasant as a garden, And be Thou, O Holy One, our goal ! ’ ” The faithful will say on the last day, “ 0 King ! Was not Hell on the route all of us travelled ? Hid not faithful as well as infidels pass through it ? Yet on our way we perceived not the smoke of the fire ; Nay, it seemed Paradise and the mansion of the blessed.” Then the King will answer, “ That green garden,

As it appeared to you on your passage through it, W as indeed Hell and the place of dread torment ; 1 “ O Lord, give us good in this save us from the torment of the fire ” world and good in the next, and (Koran ii. 1 97 )* Yet for you it became a garden green with trees. Since you have laboured to make hellish lusts, And the fire of pride that courts destruction, — To make these, I say, pure and clean, — And, to please God. have quenched those fires, So that the fire of lust, that erst breathed flame, Has become a holy garden and a guiding light, — Since you have turned the fire of wrath to meekness, And the darkness of ignorance to shining knowledge, Since you have turned the fire of greed into bounty, And the vile thorns of malice into a rose-garden ; Since you have quenched all these fires of your own For my sake, so that those poisons are now pure sweets ; — Since you have made fiery lust as a verdant garden, And have sowed therein the seed of fidelity, So that nightingales of prayer and praise Ever warble sweetly around this garden ; —

Since you have responded to the call of God, And have drawn water out of the hell of lust, — For this cause my hell also, for your behoof, Becomes a verdant garden and yields leaves and fruit.” What is the recompense of well-doing, 0 son ? It is kindness and good treatment and rich requital. Have ye not said, “We are victims, Mere nothings before eternal Being ? If we are drunkards or madmen, ’Tis that Cup-bearer and that Cup which make us so. We bow dowm our heads before His edict and ordinance, We stake precious life to gain His favour. While the thought of the Beloved fills our hearts, All our work is to do Him service and spend life for Him. Wherever He kindles His destructive torch, Myriads of lovers’ souls are burnt therewith. The lovers who dwell within the sanctuary Are moths burnt with the torch of the Beloved’s face.” 0 heart haste thither,1 for God will shine upon you, 1 I.e., to annihilation of self in God, as a moth in the flame. And seem to you a sweet garden instead of a terror. He will infuse into your soul a new soul, So as to fill you, like a goblet, with wine.

Take up your abode in His soul ! Take up your abode in heaven, 0 bright full moon ! Like the heavenly Scribe,1 He will open your heart's book That He may reveal mysteries unto you. Abide with your Friend, since you have gone astray, Strive to be a full moon ; you are now a fragment thereof. Wherefore this shrinking of the part from its whole ? Why this association with its foes ? Behold Genus become Species in due course, Behold secrets become manifest through his light ! So long as woman-like you swallow blandishments. How, 0 wise man, can you get relief from false flatteries ? These flatteries and fair words and deceits (of lust) You take, and swallow, just like women. But the reproaches and the blows of Darveshes Are really better for you than the praises of sinners. Take the light blows of Darveshes, not the honey of sinners. And become, by the fortune of good, good yourself. Because from them the robe of good fortune is gained, In the asylum of the spirit blood becomes life. Story XI. Mo' avia and Tblis (p. 158). Mo’ avia, the first of the Ommiad Khalifas, was one day lying asleep in his palace, when he was awakened by a strange man. Mo’ avia asked him who he was, and he replied that he was Iblis. Mo’avia then asked him why he had awakened him, and Iblis replied that the hour of prayer was come, and he feared Mo’avia would be late. Mo’avia answered, “Nay! it could never have been your intention to direct me in the right way. How can I trust a thief like you to guard my interests ? ” Iblis answered, “Remember that I was bred up as an angel of light,

1 Atarid or Mercury. story xi.] M<yA VIA AND IDLIS. 95 and that I cannot quite abandon my original occupation. You may travel to Rome or Cathay, but still you retain the love of your fatherland. I still retain my love of God, who fed me when I was young ; nay, even though I revolted from Him, that was only from jealousy (of Adam), and jealousy proceeds from love, not from denial of God. I played a game of chess with God at Ilis own desire, and though I was utterly checkmated and ruined, in my ruin I still experience God’s blessings.” Mo’avia answered, “ What you say is not credible. Your words are like the decoy calls of a fowler, which resemble the voices of the birds, and so lure them to destruction. You have caused the destruction of hundreds of mortals, such as the people of Noah, the tribe of ’Ad,1 the family of Lot, Nimrod, Pharaoh, Abu Jahl, and so on.” Iblis retorted, “You are mistaken if you suppose me to be the cause of all the evil vou mention. I am not God, that I should be able to make good evil, or fair foul. Mercy and vengeance are twin divine attributes, and they generate the good and evil seen in all earthly things. I am, therefore, not to blame for the existence of evil, as I am only a mirror, which reflects the good and evil existing in the objects presented to it.” Mo’avia then prayed to God to guard him against the sophistries of Iblis, and again adjured Iblis to cease his arguments and tell plainly the reason why he had awakened him. Iblis, instead of answering, continued to justify himself, saying how hard it was that men and women should blame him when they did anything wrong, instead of blaming their own evil lusts. Mo’avia, in reply, reproached him with concealing the truth, and ultimately brought him to confess that the true reason why he had awakened him was this, that if he had overslept himself, and so missed the hour of prayer, he would have felt deep sorrow and have heaved many sighs, and each of these sighs would, in the sight of God, have counted for as many as two hundred ordinaiy prayers.

1 See Koran xi. 63. The value of sighs (p. 162). A certain man was going into the mosque, Just as another was coming out. He inquired of him what had occurred to the meeting, That the people were coming out of the mosque so soon. The other told him that the Prophet Had concluded the public prayers and mysteries. “Whither go you,” said he, “0 foolish one, Seeing the Prophet has already given the blessing ? ” The first heaved a sigh, and its smoke ascended ; That sigh yielded a perfume of his heart’s blood. The other, who came from the mosque, said to him, “ Give me that sigh, and take my prayers instead.” The first said, “ I give it, and take your prayers.” The other took that sigh with a hundred thanks. He went his way with deep humility and contrition, As a hawk who had ascended in the track of the falcon. That night, as he lay asleep, he heard a voice from heaven, “ Thou hast bought the water of life and healing ; The worth of what thou hast chosen and possessed Equals that of all the people’s accepted prayers.” To illustrate the treachery of wolves in sheep’s clothing, — of Satans rebuking sin and preaching religion — an anecdote is told of a master of a house who caught a thief, but was induced to let him escape by the stratagem of the thief’s confederate, who cried that he had got the real thief elsewhere. Apropos of the same theme, the poet nest relates the story of “those who built a mosque for mischief,” as recorded in the Koran.1 The tribe of Bani Ganim built a mosque, and invited the Prophet to dedicate it. The Prophet, however, discovered that their real motive was jealousy of the tribe of Bani Amru Ibn Auf, and of the mosque at Kuba, near Medina, and a treacherous

1 Koran ix. 108. understanding with the Syrian monk Abu Amir, and therefore he refused their request, and ordered the mosque to be razed to the ground. Wisdom tlic believer’s lost camel (p. 165). My people adopt my law without obeying it, They take that coin without assaying it. The Koran’s wisdom is like the “ believer’s lost camel,” 1 Every one is certain his camel is lost. You have lost your camel and seek it diligently ; Yet how will you find it if you know not your own ? What was lost ? Was it a female camel that you lost ? It escaped from your hand, and you are in a maze. The caravan is come to be loaded, Your camel is vanished from the midst of it. You run here and there, your mouth parched with heat ; The caravan moves on, and night approaches. Your goods lie on the ground in a dangerous road, You hurry after your camel in all directions. You cry “ 0 Moslems, who has seen a camel, Which escaped from its stable this morning ? To him who shall give me news of my camel I will give a reward of so many dirhems.”

You go on seeking news of your camel from every one, And every lewd fellow flatters you with a fresh rumour, Saying, “ I saw a camel ; it w*ent this way ; ’Twas red, and it went towards this pasture.” Another says, “Its ear was cropped.” Another says, “ Its cloth was embroidered.” Another that it had only one eye, Another that it had lost its hair from mange. To gain the reward every base fellow Mentions a hundred marks without any foundation. 1 This is a proverb ascribed to Ali. It means, people are always losing wisdom and seeking it like a lost camel (Frey tag, Arabum Proverbia, i. P- 3S5)- All false doctrines contain an element of truth (p. 165). Just so every one in matters of doctrine Gives a different description of the hidden subject. A philosopher expounds it in one way, And a critic at once refutes his propositions. A third censures both of them ; A fourth spends his life in traducing the others. Every one mentions indications of this road, In order to create an impression that he has gone it. This truth and that truth cannot be all true, And yet all of them are not entirely astray in error. Because error occurs not without some truth,

Fools buy base coins from their likeness to real coins. If there were no genuine coins current in the world, How could coiners succeed in passing false coins ? If there were no truth, how could falsehood exist? Falsehood derives its plausibility from truth. ’Tis the desire of right that makes men buy wrong ; Let poison be mixed with sugar, and they eat it at once. If wheat were not valued as sweet and good for food, The cheat who shows wheat and sells barley would make no profit ! Say not, then, that all these creeds are false, The false ones ensnare hearts by the scent of truth. Say not that they are all erroneous fancies, There is no fancy in the universe without some truth. Truth is the “night of power”1 hidden amongst other nights, In order to try the spirit of every night. Not every night is that of power, 0 youth, Nor yet is every night quite void of power. In the crowd of rag-wearers there is but one Faqir ; 2 Search well and find out that true one. 1 The night on which the Koran 2 So in the Phsedo, “Many are the was revealed. wandbearers, but few the Mystics.”

STORY xu.] THE FOUR HINDUSTANIS. Tell the wary and discerning believer To distinguish the king from the beggar. If there were no bad goods in the world, Every fool might be a skilful merchant ; For then the hard art of judging goods would be easy. If there were no faults, one man could judge as well as another. Again, if all were faulty, skill would be profitless. If all wood were common, there would be no aloes. He who accepts everything as true is a fool, But he who says all is false is a knave. Story XII. The Four Hindustanis who censured one another (p. 167). Four Hindustanis went to the mosque to say their prayers. Each one duly pronounced the Takhir, and was saving his prayers with great devotion, when the Mu’azzin happened to come in. One of them immediately called out, “0 Mu’azzin, have you yet called to prayer ? It is time to do so.” Then the second said to the speaker, “ Ah ! you have spoken words unconnected with worship, and therefore, according to the Hadis, you have spoiled your prayers.” 1 Thereupon the third scolded the last speaker, saying, “ 0 simpleton, why do you rebuke him ? Rather rebuke yourself.” Last of all, the fourth said, “ God be praised that I have not fallen into the same ditch as my three companions.” The moral is, not to find fault with others, but rather, according to the proverb,'2 to be admonished by their bad example. Apropos of this proverb, a story is told of two prisoners captured by the tribe of Ghuz. The Ghuzians were about to put one of them to death, to frighten the other, and make him confess where the treasure was concealed, when the doomed man discovered their object, and said, “ 0 noble sirs, kill my companion, and frighten me instead.”

1 Mishkat ul Masabih, by Mat- 2 Frey tag, Arabum Proverbia, i. thews, i. 205. 628. Story XIII. The Old Man and the Physician (p. 169). An old man complained to his physician that he suffered from headache. The physician replied, “That is caused by old age.” The old man next complained of a defect in his sight, and the physician again told him that his malady was due to old age. The old man went on to say that he suffered from pain in the back, from dyspepsia, from shortness of breath, from nervous debility, from inability to walk, and so on ; and the physician replied that each of these ailments was likewise caused by old age. The old man, losing patience, said, “ 0 fool, know you not that God has ordained a remedy for every malady ? ” The physician answered, “ This passion and choler are also symptoms of old age. Since all your members are weak, you have lost the power of self-control, and fly into a passion at every word.” Pad 'principles always produce had acts (p. 169). Fools laud and magnify the mosque, While they strive to oppress holy men of heart.

But the former is mere form, the latter spirit and truth. The only true mosque is that in the hearts of saints. The mosque that is built in the hearts of the saints Is the place of worship of all, for God dwells there. So long as the hearts of the saints are not afflicted, God never destroys the nation. Our forefathers lifted their hands against the prophets ; Seeing their bodies, they took them for ordinary men. In you also abide the morals of those men of old ; How can you avoid fearing that you will act like them ? The morals of those unthankful ones dwell in you, Your urn will not always return unbroken from the well. Seeing that all these bad symptoms are seen in you, And that you are one with those men, how can you escape ? STORY XIV. The Arab Carrier and the Scholar (p. 17 1). An Arab loaded his camel with two sacks, filling one with wheat and the second with sand, in order to balance the first. As he was proceeding on his way he met a certain tradition-monger, who questioned him about the contents of his sacks. On learning that one contained nothing but sand, he pointed out that the object might be attained much better by putting half the wheat in one sack and half in the other. On hearing this the Arab was so struck by his sagacity that he conceived a great respect for him, and mounted him on his camel. Then he said, “As you possess such great wisdom, I presume that you are a king or a Vazir, or at least a very rich and powerful noble.” The theologian replied, “ On the contrary, I am a very poor man ; all the riches my learning has brought me are weariness and headaches, and I know not where to look for a loaf of bread.” The Arab said, “ In that case get off my camel and go your way, and suffer me to go mine, for I see your learning brings ill luck.” The moral of the story is the worthlessness of mere human knowledge, and its inferiority to the divine knowledge proceeding from inspiration. This thesis is further illustrated by an account of the mighty works which were done by the saint Ibrahim bin Adham, through the divine knowledge that God had given him. Ibrahim was originally prince of Balkh, but renounced his kingdom and became a saint. One day he was sitting by the shore mending his cloak, when one of his former subjects passed by and marvelled to see him engaged in such a mean occupation. The saint at once, by inspired knowledge, read his thoughts, and thus corrected his false impressions. He took the needle with which he was mending his cloak and cast it into the sea. Then with a loud voice he cried out, “ 0 needle, rise again from the midst of the sea, and come back again into my hands.” Without a moment’s

delay thousands of fishes rose to the surface of the sea, each bearing in its mouth a golden needle, and cried out, “0 Shaikh, take these needles of God!” Ibrahim then turned to the noble, saying, “ Is not the kingdom of the heart better than the contemptible earthly kingdom I formerly possessed? What you have just seen is a very trifling sign of my spiritual power — as it were, a mere leaf plucked to show the beauty of a garden. You have now caught the scent of this garden, and it ought to attract your soul to the garden itself, for you must know that scents have great influence, e.y., the scent of Joseph’s coat,1 which restored Jacob’s sight, and the scents which were loved by the Prophet.”2 Story XV. The Man who boasted that God did not punish him for his sins, and Jethro’s answer to him (p. 175). That person said in the time of Shu’aib (Jethro), “ God has seen many faults done by me ; Yea, how many sins and faults of mine has He seen, Nevertheless of His mercy He punishes me not.” God Almighty spake in the ear of Shu’aib, Addressing him with an inner voice in answer thereto, “Why hast thou said, ‘I have sinned so much,

And God of His mercy has not punished my sins ? ” Thou sayest the very reverse of the truth, 0 fool ! Wandering from the way and lost in the desert ! How many times do I smite thee, and thou knowest not? Thou art bound in my chains from head to foot. On thy heart is rust on rust collected, So thou art blind to mysteries. Thy rust, layer on layer, 0 black kettle ! Makes the aspect of thy inner parts foul. If that smoke touched a new kettle, It would show the smut, were it only as a grain of barley ; 1 Koran xii. 93. loved perfumes and fair women and 2 There is a Hadis : “The Prophet brightness of eyes in prayer.” For everything is made manifest by its opposite, In contrast with its whiteness that black shows foul. But when the kettle is black, then afterwards Who can see on it the impression of the smoke ? If the blacksmith be a negro, llis face agrees in colour with the smoke. But if a man of Rum does blacksmith’s work, His face becomes grimed by the smoke fumes ; Then he quickly perceives the impression of his fault,

So that he wails and cries ‘ 0 Allah ! ’ When he is stubborn and follows his evil practices, He casts dust in the eyes of his discernment. He recks not of repentance, and, moreover, that sin Becomes dear to his heart, so that he becomes without faith, Old shame for sin and calling on God quit him, Rust five layers deep settles on his mirror, Rust spots begin to gnaw his iron, The colour in his jewel grows less and less. When you write on white paper, What is written is read at a glance ; But when you write on the face of a written page, It is not plain, reading it is deceptive ; For that black is written on the top of other black, Both the writings are illegible and senseless. Or if, in the third place, you write on the page, And then blacken it like an infidel’s soul, Then what remedy but the aid of the Remedier ? Despair is copper and sight its elixir. Lay your despair before Him, That you may escape from pain without medicine.” When Shu’aib spoke these aphorisms to him, From that breath of the soul roses bloomed in his heart, His soul heard the revelations of heaven ;

He said, “ If He has punished me, where is the sign of it ? ” Shu’aib said, “ 0 Lord, he repels my arguments, He seeks for a sign of that punishment.” 104 THE M A SNA VI. [book The Veiler of sins replied, “I will tell him no secrets, Save only one, in order to try him. One sign that I punish him is this, That he observes obedience and fasting and prayer, And devotions and almsgiving, and so on, Yet never feels the least expansion of soul. He performs the devotions and acts enjoined by law, Yet derives not an atom of relish from them. Outward devotion is sweet to him, spirit is not sweet, Huts in plenty, but no kernel in any of them. Relish is needed for devotions to bear fruit, Kernels are needed that seeds may yield trees. How can seeds without kernels become trees ? Form without soul (life) is only a dream.” Story XVI. The Gluttonous Sufi (p. 178). In a certain convent there lived a Sufi whose conduct gave just offence to the brethren. They brought him before their Shaikh and thus accused him, “ This Sufi has three very bad qualities ; he babbles exceedingly like a bell, at his meals he eats more than twenty men, and when he sleeps he is as one of the Seven Sleepers.” The Shaikh then admonished him, insisting on the obligation of keeping to the golden mean, and reminding him that even the prophet Moses 1 was once rebuked by Khizr for speaking to excess. But the delinquent excused himself on the grounds that the mean is relative, what is excess in one man being moderation in another, that he who is led by the spirit is no longer subject to the outward law, and that the “ inner voice,” which rules such an one’s conduct, is its own evidence.

1 Koran xviii. 77. The mean is relative (p. 178). He said, “ Though the path of the mean is wisdom, Yet is this same mean also relative. The water which is insufficient for a camel Is like an ocean to a mouse. Whoso has four loaves as his daily allowance, Whether he eat two or three, he observes the mean. But if he eat all four he transgresses the mean, A very slave to greed, and voracious as a duck. Whoso has an appetite for ten loaves, Know, though he eat six, he observes the mean. If I have an appetite for fifty loaves, While you can manage only six, we are not on a par. You are wearied with ten prostrations in prayer, Whilst I can endure five hundred. Such an one goes barefoot to the Ka’ba, Whilst another faints with going to the mosque.” The ecstatic state v;liich exalts the subject of it above law (p. 179). “ At times my state resembles a dream, My dreaming seems to them infidelity. Know my eyes sleep, but my heart is awake ; My body, though torpid, is instinct with energy. The Prophet said, ‘ Mine eyes sleep, But my heart is awake with the Lord of mankind.’ Your eyes are awake and your heart fast asleep,

My eyes are closed, and my heart at the ‘open door.’ My heart has other five senses of its own ; These senses of my heart view the two worlds. Let not a weakling like you censure me, What seems night to you is broad day to me ; What seems a prison to you is a garden to me, Busiest occupation is rest to me. T our feet are in the mire, to me mire is rose, W hat to you is funeral wailing is marriage drum to me. While I seem on earth, abiding with you in the house, I ascend like Saturn to the seventh heaven. Tis not I who companion with you, ’tis my shadow ; My exaltation transcends your thoughts, Because I have transcended thought, Yea, I have sped beyond reach of thought. I am lord of thought, not overlorded by thought, As the builder is lord of the building. All creatures are enslaved to thought ; For this cause are they sad at heart and sorrowful. I send myself on an embassy to thought, And, at will, spring back again from thought. I am as the bird of heaven and thought as the fly,

How can the fly lend a helping hand to me ? Whoso has in him a spark of the light of Omnipotence, However much he eats, say * Eat on ; ’ ’tis lawful to him.” To the spiritual man the “ inner voice ” is its own evidence, and needs no other proof (p. 179). “ If you are a true lover of my soul, This truth-fraught saying of mine is no vain pretence, — ‘ Though I talk half the night I am superior to you And again, ‘ Fear not the night ; here am I, your kinsman.’ These two assertions of mine will both seem true to you The moment you recognise the voice of your kinsman. Superiority and kinsmanskip are both mere assertions, Yet both are recognised for truth by men of clear wit. The nearness of the voice proves to such an one That the voice proceeds from a friend who is near. The sweetness of the kinsman’s voice, too, 0 beloved, Proves the veracity of that kinsman. But the uninspired fool who from ignorance Cannot tell the voice of a stranger from a friend’s, — To him the friend’s saying seems a vain pretension,

His ignorance is the material cause of his disbelief. To the wise, whose hearts are enlightened, The mere sound of that voice proves its truth.” “ When you say to a thirsty man, ‘ Come quickly ; This is water in the cup, take and drink it,’ Does the thirsty man say, ‘ This is a vain pretension ; Go, remove yourself from me, 0 vain pretender, Or proceed to give proofs and evidence That this is generic water, and concrete water thereof ’ ? Or when a mother cries to her sucking babe, ‘ Come, 0 son, I am thy mother,’ Does the babe answer, ‘ 0 mother, show a proof That I shall find comfort from taking thy milk ’? In the hearts of every sect that has a taste of the truth The sight and the voice of prophets work miracles. When the prophets raise their cry to the outward ear, The souls of each sect bow in devotion within ; — Because never in this world hath the soul’s ear Heard from any man the like of that cry. That poor man in that strange sweet voice Recognises the voice of God, ‘ Verily I am nigh.’ ” 1

Story XVII. The Tree of Life (p. 1 80). The preceding story is followed by a short anecdote of the infants of the Virgin Mary and the mother of John the Baptist leaping in their mothers’ wombs,2 and in reply to matter of fact cavillers and questioners of this anecdote, the poet says we must look at its spirit and essential basis rather than its outward form. This introduces the story of the tree of life. A certain wise man related that in 1 “And when my servants ask cry of him that crieth, when he thee concerning me, then will I be crieth unto me” (Koran ii. 182). nigh unto them. I will answer the 2 Luke i. 41. 108 THE M A SNA VI. [book ii. Hindustan there was a tree of such wonderful virtue that whosoever ate of its fruit lived for ever. Hearing this, a king deputed one of his courtiers to go in quest of it. The courtier accordingly proceeded to Hindustan, and travelled all over that country, inquiring of every one he met where this tree was co be found. Some of these persons professed their entire ignorance, others joked him, and others gave him false information ; and, finally, he had to return to his country with his mission unaccomplished. He then, as a last resource, betook himself to the sage who had first spoken of the tree, and begged for further information about it, and the sage replied to him as follows : —

The Shaikh laughed, and said to him, “ 0 friend, This is the tree of knowledge, 0 knowing one ; Very high, very fine, very expansive, The very water of life from the circumfluent ocean. Thou hast run after form, 0 ill-informed one, Wherefore thou lackest the fruit of the tree of substance. Sometimes it is named tree, sometimes sun, Sometimes lake, and sometimes cloud. ’Tis one, though it has thousands of manifestations ; Its least manifestation is eternal life ! Though ’tis one, it has a thousand manifestations, The names that fit that one are countless. That one is to thy personality a father, In regard to another person He may be a son. In relation to another He may be wrath and vengeance, In relation to another, mercy and goodness. He has thousands of names, yet is One, — Answering to all of His descriptions, yet indescribable. Every one who seeks names, if he is a man of credulity, Like thee, remains hopeless and frustrated of his aim. Why cleavest thou to this mere name of tree, So that thou art utterly balked and disappointed ? Pass over names and look to qualities, So that qualities may lead thee to essence !

The differences of sects arise from His names ; When they pierce to His essence they find His peace ! ” This story is followed by another anecdote illustrative of the same thesis that attending merely to names and outward forms, rather than to the spirit and essence of religion, leads men into error and delusion. Four persons, a Persian, an Arab, a Turk, and a Greek, were travelling together, and received a present of a dirhem. The Persian said he would buy “ angur” with it, the Arab said he would buy “ indb ,” while the Turk and the Greek were for buying “tizuni” and “astaphil” ( staphyle ), respectively. Now all these words mean one and the same thing, viz., “ grapes ; ” but, owing to their ignorance of each other’s languages, they fancied they each wanted to buy something different, and accordingly a violent quarrel arose between them. At last a wise man who knew all their languages came up and explained to them that they were all wishing for one and the same thing. Story XVIII. The Young Ducks who were brought up under a Hen (p. 184). Although a domestic fowl may have taken thee,

Who art a duckling, under her wing and nurtured thee, Thy mother was a duck of that ocean, Thy nurse was earthy, and her wing dry land. The longing for the ocean which fills thy heart, — That natural longing of thy soul comes from thy mother. Thy longing for dry land comes to thee from thy nurse ; Quit thy nurse, for she will lead thee astray. Leave thy nurse on the dry land and push on, Enter the ocean of real Being, like the ducks ! Though thy nurse may frighten thee away from water, Do thou fear not, but haste on into the ocean ! Thou art a duck, and flourishest on land and water, And dost not, like a domestic fowl, dig up the house. Thou art a king of “ the sons of Adam honoured by God,” 1 And settest foot alike on sea and land ; — For impress on thy mind, “We have carried them by sea” Before the words, “We have carried them by land.” The angels go not on dry land, And the animals know nothing of the sea ; Thou in body art an animal, in thy soul an angel ;

Hence thou goest both upon earth and on heaven.” Hence to outward view “ He is a man like you,” 2 While to his sharp-seeing heart “it hath been revealed.” His earthy form has fallen on earth, His spirit revolving above highest heaven. 0 boy, we are all of us waterfowl, The sea knows full well our language. Solomon 3 is, as it were, that sea, and we as the birds ; In Solomon we hold our course to eternity. Along with Solomon plunge into the ocean,4 Then, like David, the water will make us coats-of-mail. That Solomon is present to every one, But negligence closes their eyes and bewitches them. Hence, through ignorance, sloth, and folly, Though he stands hard by us, we are shut off from him. The noise of thunder makes the head of the thirsty ache ; When he knows not that it unlocks the blessed showers, His eyes are fixed on the running stream, Unwitting of the sweetness of the rain from heaven. He urges the steed of his desire towards the caused , And perforce remains shut off from the Causer. Whoso beholds the Causer face to face, How can he set his heart on things catised on earth ?

1 Koran xvi. 72 : “ And now have we honoured the sons of Adam, by sea and by land have we carried them.” 2 Koranxviii.no: “Say, In sooth I am only a man like you. It hath been revealed unto me that your God is one only God.” 3 Koran xxvii. 1 6 : “Solomon said, O men, we have been taught the speech of birds.” 4 Koran xxvii. 44 and xxi. So. Story I. The Travellers who ate the Young Elephant (p. 190). A party of travellers lost their way in a wilderness, and were well nigh famished with hunger. While they were considering what to do, a sage came up and condoled with them on their unfortunate plight. He told them that there were many young elephants in the adjacent woods, one of which would furnish them an ample meal, but at the same time he warned them that if they killed one, its parents would in all probability track them out and be revenged on them for killing their offspring. Shortly after the travellers saw a plump young elephant, and could not resist killing and eating it. One alone refrained. Then they lay down to rest ; but no sooner were they fast asleep than a huge elephant made his appearance aud proceeded to smell the breath of each one of the sleepers in turn. Those whom he perceived to have eaten of the young elephant’s flesh he slew without mercy, sparing only the one who had been prudent enough to abstain.

God’s care for His children (p. 190). 0 son, the pious are God’s children, Absent or present He is informed of their state. Deem Him not absent when they are endangered, For He is jealous for their lives. He saith, “ These saints are my children, Though remote and alone and away from their Lord. For their trial they are orphans and wretched, Yet in love I am ever holding communion with them. Thou art backed by all my protection, My children are, as it were, parts of me. Verily these Darveshes of mine Are thousands on thousands, and yet no more than One ; For if not, how did Moses with one magic staff Turn the realm of Pharaoh upside down ? And if it were not so, how did Noah with one curse Make East and West alike drowned in his flood? Nor could one prayer of eloquent Lot Have razed their strong city against their will, — Their mighty city, like to Paradise, Became as a Tigris of black water ; go, see its vestige. Towards Syria is this vestige and memorial, Thou seest it in passing on the way to Jerusalem. Thousands of God-fearing prophets In every age hold divine chastisements in hand.

Should I tell of them my limits would be exceeded, And not hearts only but very hills would bleed.” Evil deeds give mens prayers an ill savour in God's nostrils (p. 192). Thou art asleep, and the smell of that forbidden fruit Ascends to the azure skies, — Ascends along with thy foul breath, Till it overpowers heaven with stench ; — Stench of pride, stench of lust, stench of greed. All these stink like onions when a man speaks. Though thou swearest, saying, “When have I eaten? Have I not abstained from onions and garlic ? ” The very breath of that oath tells tales, As it strikes the nostrils of them that sit with thee. So too prayers are made invalid by such stenches,1 That crooked heart is betrayed by its speech. 1 “Whoever eats garlie or onions must keep away from me or from the Masjid" (Mishkat ul Masabih, ii. 321). The answer to that prayer is, “ Be ye driven into hell,” 1 The staff of repulsion is the reward of all deceit. But, if thy speech be crooked and thy meaning straight, Thy crookedness of words will be accepted of God. That faithful Bilal, when he called to prayer,

Would devoutly cry, “Come hither, come hither! ” At last men said, “ 0 Prophet, this call is not right, This is wrong ; now, what is thy intention ? 0 Prophet, and 0 ambassador of the Almighty, Provide another Mu’azzin of better talent, ’Tis an error at the beginning of our divine worship To utter the words, ‘ Come to the asylum ! ’ ” 2 The wrath of the Prophet boiled up, and he said (Uttering one or two secrets from the fount of grace), “ 0 base ones, in God’s sight the ‘ Ho ! * of Bilal Is better than a hundred ‘ Come hithers ’ and ejaculations. Ah ! excite not a tumult, lest I tell forth openly Your secret thoughts from first to last. If ye keep not your breath sweet in prayer, Go, desire a prayer from the Brethren of Purity ! ” For this cause spake God to Moses, At the time he was asking aid in prayer, “ 0 Moses ! desire protection of me With a mouth that thou hast not sinned withal." Moses answered, “ I possess not such a mouth.” God said, “ Call upon me with another mouth !

Act so that all thy mouths By night and by day may be raising prayers. When thou hast sinned with one mouth, With thy other mouth cry, “ 0 Allah ! ” Or else cleanse thy own mouth, And make thy spirit alert and quick. Calling on God is pure, and when purity approaches, Impurity arises and takes its departure. Contraries flee away from contraries ; 1 Koran xxiii. no: “He will say, 2 Rules for the call to prayer ‘ Be ye driven down into it, and are given in Mishkat ul Masabih, address me not.’ ” i. 141. When day dawns night takes flight. When the pure name (of God) enters the mouth, Neither does impurity nor that impure mouth remain ! ” The man whose calling “ 0 Allah ” was equivalent to God's answering him, “ Here am I” 1 (p. 192). That person one night was crying, “ 0 Allah ! ” That his mouth might be sweetened thereby, And Satan said to him, “ Be quiet, 0 austere one ! How long wilt thou babble, 0 man of many words ? No answer comes to thee from nigh the throne, How long wilt thou cry ‘ Allah ’ with harsh face ? ”

That person was sad at heart and hung his head, And then beheld Khizr present before him in a vision, Who said to him, “ Ah ! thou hast ceased to call on God, Wherefore repentest thou of calling upon Him ? ” The man said, “ The answer ‘ Here am I ’ came not, Wherefore I fear that I am repulsed from the door.” Khizr replied to him, “ God has given me this command ; Go to him and say, ‘ 0 much-tried one, Did not I engage thee to do my service ? Did not I engage thee to call upon me ? That calling ‘Allah ’ of thine rvas my ‘ Here am I,’ And that pain and longing and ardour of thine my messenger ; Thy struggles and strivings for assistance Were my attractions, and originated thy prayer. Thy fear and thy love are the covert of my mercy, Each ‘ O Lord ! ’ of thine contains many ‘ Here am IV The soul of fools is alien from this calling on God, Because it is not their wont to cry, * 0 Lord ! ’ On their mouths and hearts are locks and bonds,2 That they may not cry to God in time of distress.

God gave Pharaoh abundance of riches and wealth, 1 Or, “What dost thou require of me! ’ a Koran ii. 6. So that he boasted that he was ‘ Lord Supreme.’ In the whole of his life he suffered no headache, So that he never cried to God, wretch that he was. God granted him the absolute dominion of the world, But withheld from him pain and sorrow and cares ; Because pain and sorrow and loads of cares Are the lot of God’s friends in the wTorld. Pain is better than the dominion of the world, So that thou mayest call on God in secret. The cries of those free from pain are dull and cold, The cries of the sorrowful come from the burning hearts.” Story II. The Villager who invited the Townsman to visit him (p. 193). A certain villager paid a visit to the town, and there received hospitality from one of the townsmen. At his departure the villager was profuse of thanks, and pressed the townsman to come and see him in his village, and bring his family with him. The townsman hesitated long before accepting bis invitation, having doubts as to his sincerity, and remembering the Hadis, “ Caution consists in suspecting others.” 1 But after ten years’ solicitation he at length yielded, and set off with his family to the village. On his arrival the villager shut the door in his face, saying that he did not know him, and the townsman had to pass five nights in the cold and rain. At last, exhausted with suffering, he implored the villager to give him shelter, promising to render service in return. The villager granted it on condition that he would protect his garden from the wolves. The townsman accepted this condition, and taking bow and arrows, proceeded to patrol the garden, but, owing to the rain and the darkness, and his own fears, ended by shooting the villager’s pet ass in mistake for a wolf. The villager abused him roundly, saying that he

1 Frey tag, Arabum Proverbia, i. p. 370, ascribes this saying to the poet Aqzam bin Zaid. himself would not have taken an ass for a wolf, even on the darkest night. The townsman replied, “ If that be so. you are self-convicted of inhumanity, for you must have recognised me, your friend of ten years’ standing, the moment I knocked at your door. As for me, I am ignorant of all but Allah, and, moreover, was unable to see in the darkness ; and God has said, * No criminality is imputed to the blind.’ 1 But your blindness in refusing to recognise me was wilful, and your claims to humanity are thus proved to be false by the test to which you have been submitted.” Jesus healing the sick (p. 195). The house of ’Isa was the bancjuet of men of heart, Ho ! afflicted one, cjuit not this door ! From all sides the people ever thronged, Many blind and lame, and halt and afflicted. To the door of the house of ’Isa at dawn, That with his breath he might heal their ailments. As soon as he had finished his orisons, That holy one would come forth at the third hour ;

He viewed those impotent folk, troop by troop, Sitting at his door in hope and expectation ; He spoke to them, saying, “ 0 stricken ones ! The desires of all of you have been granted by God ; Arise, walk without pain or affliction, Acknowledge the mercy and beneficence of God ! ” Then all, as camels whose feet are shackled, When you loose their feet in the road, Straightway rush in joy and delight to the halting-place. So did they run upon their feet at his command. How many afflictions caused by thyself to thyself Hast thou escaped through these princes of the faith ? How long that lameness of thine was thy steed ! How seldom was thy soul void of sorrow and grief ! 1 Koran xxiv. 60. 0 careless straggler, bind a rope upon thy feet, Lest thou lose even thine own self ! But thy ingratitude and unthankfulness Forget the honey draught thou hast sipped. That road was perforce closed to thee When thou didst wound the hearts of the men of heart. Quick ! clasp them and ask pardon of them ; Like the clouds, shed tears of lamentation, So that their rose-garden may bloom for thee,

And their ripe fruits burst open of themselves. Press around that door, be not viler than a dog, If thou wouldest rival the Seven Sleepers’ dog. God’s claims to our gratitude (p. 195). Whereas want of fidelity is shameful even in dogs, How can it be right in men ? God Almighty Himself makes boast of fidelity, Saying, “ Who more faithful to his promise than We ? ” 1 Know, infidelity is fidelity to God’s adversary, No one has pre-eminence over the rights of God. The claims of a mother are less than God’s, for He, That bounteous One, made her debtor for thy embryo. He gave thee a form whilst thou wast in her womb, In her womb He gave thee needful rest and nurture. He viewed her as a part united to thee, Then His wisdom separated that united part. God devised a thousand plans and arts, To make thy mother lavish affection upon thee. Wherefore the claims of God predominate over the mother’s, Whoso acknowledges not God’s claims is a fool. He who made mother and breast and milk United mother to father also, — despise Him not! O Lord, 0 Ancient of days, Thy mercies,

Whether known to us or unknown, are all from Thee ! Thou hast commanded, saying, “ Remember thy God,” Because God’s claims are never exhausted ! 1 Koran ix. 1 1 2. Since thou hast been led astray by faithless men, Turn now from thy evil doubts to the opposite mind. I am free from error and all faithlessness ; Thou must come to me and rescind evil doubts. Cut off these evil doubts and cast them away, For in the presence of such thou becomest double. Therefore thou hast chosen harsh friends and companions ; If I ask where they are thou sayest they are gone. The good friend goes up to highest heaven, Evil friends sink beneath the bottom of the earth, Whilst thou art left alone in the midst, forlorn, Even as the fires left by the departed caravan.” 0 brave friend, grasp His skirt, Who is removed alike from the world above and below ; Who neither, like Jesus, ascends to heaven, Nor, like Korak, sinks into the earth ; Who will abide with thee in the house and abroad When thou lackest house and home. He will bring forth peace out of perturbations, And when thou art afflicted will keep His promise.

How false 'pretensions to sanctity are distinguished from true sanctity (p. 203). 0 son, a hundred thousand tests await thee, Whoever thou art who sayest “ I am a prince of the gate,” If the vulgar detect not such an one by tests, Yet the skilled wayfarers seek of him a sign. When a man makes pretension to be a tailor, The master places before him a piece of silk, Saying, “ Cut out a large head-dress,” And failure in the test leads him to the pillory. If all the evil men were not tested, Every catamite would through fraud pass for a Rustam. Suppose he wears the semblance of one clad in mail, Yet when wounded he is at once taken captive. The God-intoxicated are not sobered by old age, They remain beside themselves till the last trump. The wine of God is true, and not false, But thou hast drunk only sour whey. Thou inakest thyself out to be a Junaid or a Bayazid ; Go ! for do I not know a hatchet from a ploughshare ? 0 plotter, how canst thou conceal by fraud Baseness, sloth, covetousness, and lust ? Thou holdest thyself out as a lover of God,

But thou hast coquetted with the evil demon. The lover and the beloved on the last day Will be joined together and raised in sight of all. How foolish and silly thou hast made thyself ! Thou hast drunk blood of grapes, nay, my blood ! Go ! for I know thee not. Get away ! 1 am a lover beside himself, whose words are wild. Thou fanciest thyself near to God, Saying, “ The maker of the dish is not far from the dish.” Knowest thou not that the nearness of saints to God Involves the power to do mighty works and signs ? Iron was as wax in the hands of David, Wax in thy hands is as iron. God’s nearness and His beneficence are common to all. But only eminent saints enjoy inspired love. Nearness is of various kinds, 0 son, The sun shines alike on rocks and on gold. Yet the sun possesses a nearness to gold, Whereof the common willow has no cognisance. The dry branch and the green are alike near the sun, Does the sun veil himself from either ? Yet what is the nearness of that green branch, Wherefrom thou eatest ripe fruits ?

But as for the dry branch, from its nearness to the sun. What does it but more quickly grow dry and sapless ? Be not intoxicated after the manner of this branch, Which, when it becomes sober, has cause for repentance, But, like those drunkards who, when they drink wine, Bear ripe fruits of wisdom of penitence. Story III. The Jackal who pretended to he a Peacock (p. 204). A jackal fell into a dye-pit, and his skin was dyed of various colours. Proud of his splendid appearance, he returned to his companions, and desired them to address him as a peacock. But they proceeded to test his pretensions, saying. “ Dost thou scream like a peacock, or strut about gardens as peacocks are wont to do ? ” And he was forced to admit that he did not, whereupon they rejected his pretensions. Another story, also on the subject of false pretenders, follows. A proud man who lacked food procured a skin full of fat, greased his beard and lips with it, and called on his friends to observe how luxuriously he had dined. But his belly was vexed at this, because it was hungry, and he was destroying his chance of being invited to dinner by his friends. So the belly cried to God, and a cat came and carried off the skin of fat, and so the man’s false pretences were exposed. The poet takes occasion to point out that Pharaoh’s pretensions to divinity exactly resembled the pretensions of this jackal, and adds that all such false pretenders may be detected by the mark noted in the Koran, “ Ye shall know them by the strangeness of their speech.” 1 This recalls the story of Harut and Marut, two angels who were very severe on the frailties of mankind, and whom God sent down upon the earth to be tempted, with the result that they both succumbed to the charms of the daughters of men.2

Story IV. Moses and Pharaoh (p. 207). Then follows a long account of the birth of Moses, of Pharaoh’s devices to kill him in bis infancy, of his education in Pharaoh’s house, of his desiring Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go, and of his contest with the magicians 1 Koran xlvii. 32. J Koran ii. 96. of Egypt, and his victory over them. In the course of the story the following anecdote is narrated : — A snake-catcher, who was following his occupation in the mountains, discovered a large snake frozen by the cold, and, imagining it to be dead, he tied it up and took it to Baghdad. There all the idlers of the city Hocked together to see it, and the snake, thawed by the warmth of the sun, recovered life, and immediately destroyed the spectators. Comparison of Jtcshly lust to the snake (p. 213). Lust is that snake ; How say you it is dead ? It is only frozen by the pangs of hunger. If it obtains the state of Pharaoh, So as to command the (frozen) rivers to How, Straightway it is led to pride like Pharaoh’s, And it plunders the goods of many a Moses and Aaron. Through pressure of want this snake is as a fly,

It becomes a gnat through wealth and rank and luxury. Beware, keep that snake in the frost of humiliation, Draw it not forth into the sunshine of ’Iraq ! So long as that snake is frozen, it is well ; When it finds release from frost you become its prey. Conquer it and save yourself from being conquered, Pity it not, it is not one who bears affection. For that warmth of the sun kindles its lust, And that bat of vileness flaps its wings. Slay it in sacred war and combat, Like a valiant man will God requite you with union. When that man cherished that snake, That stubborn brute was happy in the luxury of warmth ; And of necessity worked destruction, 0 friend ; Yea, many more mischiefs than I have told. If you wish to keep that snake tied up Without trouble, be faithful, be faithful ! But how can base men attain this wish ? It requires a Moses to slay serpents ; And a hundred thousand men were slain by his serpent, In dire confusion, according to his purpose. Story Y. The Elephant in a Dark Room (p. 217). Some Hindoos were exhibiting an elephant in a dark room, and many people collected to see it. But as the place was too dark to permit them to see the elephant, they all felt it with their hands, to gain an idea of what it was like. One felt its trunk, and declared that the beast resembled a water-pipe ; another felt its ear, and said it must be a large fan ; another its leg, and thought it must be a pillar ; another felt its back, and declared the beast must be like a great throne. According to the part which each felt, he gave a different description of the animal. One, as it were, called it “ Dal and another “ Alif.”

Comparison of the sensual eye to the hand of one that felt the elephant (p. 217). The eye of outward sense is as the palm of a hand, The whole of the object is not grasped in the palm. The sea itself is one thing, the foam another ; Neglect the foam, and regard the sea with your eyes. Waves of foam rise from the sea night and day, You look at the foam ripples and not the mighty sea. We, like boats, are tossed hither and thither, We are blind though we are on the bright ocean. Ah ! you who are asleep in the boat of the body, You see the water ; behold the Water of waters ! Under the water you see there is another Water moving it, Within the spirit is a Spirit that calls it. Where were Moses and Jesus when that Sun Showered down water on the fields sown with corn ? Where were Adam and Eve what time God Almighty fitted the string to His bow ? The one form of speech is evil and defective ; The other form, which is not defective, is perfect. If I speak thereof your feet stumble,

Yet if I speak not of it, woe be to you ! And if I speak in terms of outw-ard form, You stick fast in that same form, 0 son. You are footbouud like the grass in the ground, And your head is shaken by the wind uncertainly. Your foot stands not firmly till you move it, Nay, till you pluck it not up from the mire. When you pluck up your foot you escape from the mire, The way to this salvation is very difficult. When you obtain salvation at God’s hands, 0 wanderer. You are free from the mire, and go your way. When the suckling is weaned from its nurse, It eats strong meats and leaves the nurse. You are bound to the bosom of earth like seeds. Strive to be weaned through nutriment of the heart. Eat the w’ords of wisdom, for veiled light Is not accepted in preference to unveiled light. When you have accepted the fight, 0 beloved, When you behold what is veiled without a veil, Like a star you will walk upon the heavens ; Nay, though not in heaven, you will walk on high. Keep silence, that you may hear Him speaking Words unutterable by tongue in speech.

Keep silence, that you may hear from that Sun Things inexpressible in books and discourses. Keep silence, that the Spirit may speak to you ; Give up swimming and enter the ark of Noah ; Not like Canaan when he was swimming. Who said, “I desire not to enter the ark of Noah passing Noah and his unbelieving son Canaan (p. 218). Noah cried, “ Ho ! child, come into the ark and rest, That you be not drowned in the flood, 0 weak one.” 1 Canaan said, “ Nay ! I have learned to swim, I have lit a torch of my own apart from thy torch.” Noah replied, “ Make not light of it, for ’tis the flood of destruction, Swimming with hands and feet avails naught to-day. The wmd of wrath and the storm blow out torches ; Except the torch of God, all are extinguished.” He answered, “ Nay ! I am going to that high mountain, For that will save me from all harm.” Noah cried, “ Beware, do not so, mountains are now as grass ; Except the Friend none can save thee.” He answered, “ Why should I listen to thy advice ?

For thou desirest to make me one of thy flock. Thy speech is by no means pleasing to me, I am free from thee in this world and the next.” Thus the more good advice Noah gave him, The more stubborn refusals he returned. Neither was his father tired of advising Canaan, Nor did his advice make any impression on Canaan ; While they were yet talking a violent wave Smote Canaan’s head, and he was overwhelmed. Reconciliation of the two traditions , “Acquiescence in infidelity is infidelity ,” and “ Whoso acquiesces not in God’s ordinance desires another Lord besides me ” (p. 219). Yesterday an inquirer questioned me, Since he was interested in the foregoing narrative, Saying, “The Prophet, whose words are as a seal, 1 Koran xi. 44. story v.] THE ELEPHANT IN A DARK ROOM. Said, ‘Acquiescence in infidelity is infidelity.’ And again, ‘ Acquiescence in God's ordinance Is incumbent on all true believers.’ Infidelity and hypocrisy are not ordained of God ; If I acquiesce in them I am at variance with God. And yet, if I acquiesce not, that again is wrong ; What way of escape is there from this dilemma ? ”

I said to him, “This infidelity is ordained, not ordinance,1 Though this infidelity is the work of the ordinance. Therefore distinguish the ordinance from the ordained, That thy difficulty may be at once removed. I acquiesce in infidelity so far as it is God’s ordinance, Not so far as it is our evil and foul passions. Infidelity qud ordinance is not infidelity, Call not God an infidel. Set not foot in this place. Infidelity is folly, ordained infidelity wisdom, How can mercy and vengeance be the same ? Ugliness of the picture is not ugliness of the painter, Not so, for he erases ugly pictures. The ability of the painter is shown in this, That he can paint both ugly and beautiful pictures. If I should pursue this argument properly, So that questions and answers should be prolonged, The unction of the mystery of love would escape me, The picture of obedience would become another picture.” Bewilderment from intense love of God puts an end to all thinking and argument 2 (p. 219). A certain man whose hair was half grey came in haste To a barber who was a friend of his, Saying, “ Pluck out the white hairs from my beard,

For I have selected a young bride, 0 my son. The barber cut off his beard and laid it before him, Saying, “ Do you part them, the task is beyond me.” 1 Or “ decreed, not decree ” ( maqzi nai qaza). I confess I do not understand the distinction. 2 See Gulshan i. Raz, 1. 287. Questions are white and answers black : do you choose, For the man of faith knows not how to choose. Thus, one smote Zaid a blow, And Zaid attacked him for his treachery. The striker said, “ Let me first ask you a question, Give me an answer to it and then strike me ; I struck your back and a bruise appeared, Now I ask you a question in all kindliness. Did this bruise proceed from my hand, Or from the smitten part of your back, 0 complainer ? ” Zaid replied. “Through pain I am not in a condition To enter upon thought and consideration of this. You, who are free from pain, think this out ; Such trifling thoughts occur not to a man in pain.” [Men in pain have no time for other thoughts, Whether you enter mosque or Christian church.

Your carelessness and injustice suggest thoughts And unprecedented difficulties to your imagination. The man in pain cares only for the faith, He is aware only of man and his work. He sets God’s command upon his head and face, And for thinking, he puts it aside.1] Stoky VI. The Lover who read Sonnets to his Mistress (p. 220). A lover was once admitted to the presence of his mistress, but, instead of embracing her, he pulled out a paper of sonnets and read them to her, describing her perfections and charms and his own love towards her at length. His mistress said to him, “You are now in mv presence, and these lover’s sighs and invocations are a waste of time. It is not the part of a true lover to waste his time in this way. It shows that I am not the real object of your affection, but that what you really love is your own effusions and ecstatic raptures. I see, as it were, 1 The four last couplets are omitted in the Bulaq edition. the water which I have longed for before me, and yet you withhold it. I am, as it were, in Bulgaria, and the object of your love is in Cathay. One who is really loved is the single object of her lover, the Alpha and Omega of his desires. As for you, you are wrapped up in your own amorous raptures, depending on the varying states of your own feelings, instead of being wrapped up in me.”

The true mystic must not stop at mere subjective religious emotions, but seek absolute union with God (p. 220). 1 Whoso is restricted to religious raptures is but a man ; Sometimes his rapture is excessive, sometimes deficient. The Sufi is, as it were, the “ son of the season,” But the pure (Sdji) is exalted above season and state. Religious raptures depend on feelings and will, But the pure one is regenerated by the breath of Jesus. You are a lover of your own raptures, not of me ; You turn to me only in hope of experiencing raptures. Whoso is now defective, now perfect, Is not adored by Abraham ; he is “ one that sets.” Because the stars set, and are now up, now down, He loved them not; “ I love not them that set.” 2 Whoso is now pleasing and now unpleasing Is at one time water, at another fire. He may be the house of the moon, but not the true moon ; Or as the picture of a mistress, but not the living one. The mere Sufi is the “ child of the season ; ” He clings to seasons as to a father,

But the pure one is drowned in overwhelming love. A child of any one is never free from season and state. The pure one is drowned in the light “ that is not begotten,” “ What begets not and is not begotten” is God.3 Go ! seek such love as this, if you are alive ; 1 See Gulshan i Raz, 1. 850. 2 Koran vi. 77. 3 Koran cxii. 3. If not, you are enslaved by varying seasons. Gaze not on your own pictures, fair or ugly, Gaze on your love and tbe object of your desire. Gaze not at the sight of your own weakness or vileness, Gaze at object of your desire, 0 exalted one. Story VII. The Man who prayed earnestly to he fed without work (p. 221). In the time of the prophet David there was a man who used to pray day and night, saying, “ Thou hast created me weak and helpless ; give me my daily bread without obliging me to work for it.” The people derided him for making such a foolish petition, but he still persisted, and at last a cow ran into his house of its own accord, and he killed and ate it. This illustrates the saying of the Prophet that God loves earnest petitioners, because He regards the sincerity of the prayer more than the nature of the thing prayed for. All things praise God. but the praises of inanimate things are different from the praises of men, and those of a Sunni different from those of a Compulsionist ( Jahri ). Each says the other is in the way of error, but none but the truly spiritual man knows the truth.

Knowledge or conviction opposed to opinion (p. 223). Little is known by any one but the spiritual man, Who has in his heart a touchstone of vital truth. The others, hovering between two opinions, Fly towards their nest on a single wing. Knowledge has two wings, opinion only one wing ; Opinion is weak and lopsided in its flight. The bird having but one wing quickly drops down, And again flies on two steps or more. This bird of opinion goes on rising and falling On one wing, in hope to reach his nest. stout viii. ] THE BOYS AS'D THEIR TEACHER. When he escapes from opinion and knowledge is seen, This bird gains two wings and spreads both of them. Afterwards he “ goes upright on a straight path, Not grovelling on his face or creeping.” 1 He flies up on two wings even as the angel Gabriel, Free of opinion, of duplicity, and of vain talk. Though the whole world say to him, “ Thou art firm in the road of God’s faith,” He is not made more ardent by their saying this, Nor is his lofty soul inclined from its course. And though all say to him, “ Thou art in the wrong way, Thou thinkest thyself a rock who art but a blade of grass,” He relapses not into opinion at their rebukes,

Nor is he vexed at their malevolence. Nay, even if sea and mountains should cry out, Saying, “ Thou art mated with error,” He would not relapse one jot into vain imaginations, Nor would he be grieved by the reproaches of his foes. Story VIII. The Boys and their Teacher (p. 223). To illustrate the force of imagination or opinion, a story is told of a trick played by boys upon their master. The boys wished to obtain a holiday, and the sharpest of them suggested that when the master came into the school each boy should condole with him on his alleged sickly appearance. Accordingly, when he entered, one said, “ 0 master, how pale you are looking!” and another said, ‘‘You are looking- very ill to-dav,” and so on. The master at first answered that there was nothing the matter with him, but as one boy after another continued assuring him that he looked very ill, he was at length deluded into imagining that he must really be ilL So he returned to his house, making the boys follow him there, and told his wife that he was not well, bidding her mark how pale he was. His wife assured him he was not looking pale, and offered to

1 Koran lxvii. 22. convince him by bringing a mirror ; but he refused to look at it, and took to his bed. He then ordered the boys to begin their lessons ; but they assured him that the noise made his head ache, and he believed them, and dismissed them to their homes, to the annoyance of their mothers. Apropos of the sharpness of the boy who devised this trick, the poet takes occasion to controvert the opinion of the MxCtazalites , that all men are born with equal ability, and to express his agreement with the doctrine of the Sunnis, that the innate capacities of men vary very greatly. Story IX. The Darvesh who Broke his Vow (p. 225). There was once a Darvesh who took up his abode in the mountains, in order to enjoy perfect solitude. In that place were many fruit-trees, and the Darvesh made a vow that he would never pluck any of the fruit, but eat only what was shaken down by the wind. For a long time he kept his vow ; but a time came when there was no wind, and consequently no fruit was shaken down. The Darvesh was true to his vow for five days, but he could then endure the pangs of hunger no longer, and he stretched out his hand and plucked some of the fruit from the branches. The reason of this lapse on his part was that he had omitted to say “ If God will ” when making his vow ; and as nothing can be accomplished without God’s aid, he could not possibly keep his vow. Shortly afterwards the chief of the police visited the mountains in pursuit of a band of robbers, and arrested the Darvesh along with them, and cut off his hand. When he discovered his mistake he apologised very earnestly ; but the Darvesh reassured him. saying that men were not to blame, as God had evidently designed to punish him for breaking his vow by depriving him of the hand which had sinned in plucking the fruit.1

STORY is.] THE DARVESH WHO BROKE HIS VOW. 131 All things dependent upon the will of God (p. 226). Therefore hath God commanded, “ Alake an exception, Couple the words ‘If God will’ with your vows.1 Because the governance of actions is in my hands, The wills of all are subject to my will. Every moment I impart a fresh bias to the heart, Every instant I set a fresh mark on the heart ; Each day I am engaged in a fresh work,2 There is naught that swerves from my purpose.” There is a tradition, “ The heart is like a feather In the desert, which is borne captive by the winds ; 3 The wind drives it everywhere at random, Now to right and now to left in opposite directions." According to another tradition, know the heart is like To water in a kettle boiling on the fire. So every moment a fresh purpose occurs to the heart, Not proceeding from itself, but from its situation, Why, then, are you confident about the heart’s purposes ? Why make you vows only to be covered with shame ? All these changes proceed from the effect of God’s will ; Although you see the pit, you cannot avoid it.

The strange thing is, not that winged fowl Fall into the deadly snare without seeing it, But that they see the snare and the limed twig, And yet fall into it, whether they will or no ; Their eyes and ears are open and the snare is in front, Yet they fly into the snare with their own wings ! Comparison of the divine decrees to something that is hidden, yet whose effects are seen (p. 226). Behold that king’s son clad in rags, With bare head and fallen into distress ; Consumed by lusts and riotous living, 1 Koran xviii. 23. s Freytag, Arabum Proverbia,vol. 1 Koran lv. 29 ; cp. John v. 17. iii. p. 490. Having sold all his clothes and substance ; Having lost house and home, utterly disgraced, Fulfilling the desire of his enemies by his disgrace If he sees a pious man he cries, “ 0 sir, Aid me, for the love of God ; For I have fallen into this dire disgrace ; I have squandered goods and gold and wealth. Aid me so that perchance I may escape hence, And extricate myself from this deep slough.” He repeats this prayer to high and low,

“ Release me, release me, release me ! ” His eyes and ears are open, and he is free from bonds, No jailer watches him, no chain binds him ; What, then, is the bond from which he asks release ? What is the prison from which he seeks an exit ? ’Tis the bond of God’s purpose and hidden decrees ; Ah ! none but the pure in sight can see that bond ; Though not visible, that bond exists in concealment ; ’Tis more stringent than prison or chains of iron, For the mason can pull down prison walls, And blacksmiths can break asunder iron chains ; But, strange to say, this ponderous hidden bond, — Blacksmiths are impotent to break this asunder ! Ahmad alone could see that bond on Omm Jahil’s back,1 And the rope of palm fibre bound upon her neck ; Yea, he saw wood on the back of the wife of Bu Lahab, And she, the bearer of the firewood, said it was heavy. No eye but his saw that rope and that firewood, For to him things unseen were visible. The others explained it, saying That Ahmad was beside himself, and they in their senses. Nevertheless from the weight of the load her back bent, And she complained of its weight before him,

1 See Koran cxi. : Abu Lahab, at hammad declared that they should the instigation of his wife, Omni be “ burned in the fiery flame,” and Jahil, rejected Muhammad’s claim the wife “laden with firewood, and to the prophetic office, and Mu- on her neck a rope of palm fibre.’’ story x.] THE OLD MAN AND HIS SONS. Saying, “ Aid me to escape from this load, And to shake off this grievous burden.” He who sees clearly these indications, Does he not know also the doomed from the elect ? Yea, he knows them, yet conceals it by command of God, Since God permits him not to reveal it. Story X. The Old Man who made no Lamentation at the Death of his Sons (p. 229). After short anecdotes of Pharaoh’s magicians, of the mule who complained to the camel that he was always stumbling, and of the prophet Ezra, comes the story of the old man who wept not for the death of his sons. An old man who was noted for sanctity, and who realised the saying of the Prophet, “ The ’ulama of the faith are as the prophets of Israel,” lost all his sons, but showed no grief or regret. His wife therefore rebuked him for his want of feeling, whereupon he replied to her as follows : —

He turned to his wife and said, “ 0 dame, The harvest of December is not as that of July ; Though they be dead or though they be living, Are they not equally visible to the eyes of the heart ? I behold them clearlv before me, Wherefore should I disfigure my countenance like you ? Though they have gone forth by revolution of fortune, They are with me still, playing round me. The cause of lamentation is separation or parting, But I am still with my dear ones, and embrace them. Ordinary people may see them in dreams, But I see them clearly, though wide awake. I conceal myself a while from this world, I shake down the leaves of outward sense from the tree. Know, 0 wife, outward sense is captive to reason, And reason, again, is captive to spirit. 134 THE MASNAVI. [book iii. Spirit unlooses the chained hands of reason ; Yea, it opens all things that are closed. Sensations and thoughts resemble weeds Which occupy the surface of pure water. The hand of reason put these weeds aside, And the pure water is then visible to the wise. Weeds in plenty cover the stream like bubbles ;

When they are swept aside, the water is seen ; But when God unlooses not the hands of reason, The weeds on our water grow thick through carnal lust ; Yea, they cover up your water more and more, While your lust is smiling and your reason weeping. When fear of God binds the hands of lust, Then God unlooses the two hands of reason. Then the powerful senses are subdued by you. When you submit to reason as your commander. Then your sleepless sense is lulled into sleep, That mysteries may appear to the soul. You behold visions when broad awake, And the gates of heaven are open before you.” Story XI. Bdhlol and the Damcsh (p. 232). The foregoing story is followed by anecdotes of a blind saint who was miraculously enabled to read the Koran, of Luqman and David, and a description of the saints who, mindful of the saying, “ Patience is the key of happiness,” resign themselves to the dispensations of Providence, and never pray to have them altered. The story of Bahlol and the Darvesh is then given as an example of this resignation to the will of God. Bahlol once paid a visit to a saintly Darvesh, and asked him how he fared. The Darvesh replied, “ I fare like a man who directs the course of the world as he wills, to whom death and life are subservient, and whom the stars themselves obey.” Bahlol then pressed him to explain his meaning more clearly, and the Darvesh replied as follows : —

story xi.] BAHLOL AND THE DARVESII. He said, “This at least is notorious to all men, That the world obeys the command of God. Not a leaf falls from a tree Without the decree and command of that Lord of lords ; Not a morsel goes from the mouth down the throat Till God says to it, ‘Go down.’ Desire and appetite, which are the reins of mankind, Are themselves subservient to the rule of God. Hear this much, that, whereas the totality of actions Is not effected without God's direction, When the decree of God becomes the pleasure of man, Then man desires the fulfilment of God’s decrees ; And this too spontaneously, not in hope of reward, But because his very nature is congruous therewith. He desires not even his own life for himself, Nor is he relying on the hope of sweets of life to come. Whatever path is taken by the eternal decree, Whether it be life or death, ’tis all one to him. He lives for the sake of God, not for wealth ; He dies for the sake of God, not in fear and grief. His faith is based on his desire to do God’s will,

Not on hope to gain paradise with its groves and founts. His avoidance of infidelity is also for God’s sake, It proceeds not from fear of falling into the fire. Thus this temper of his arises from his very nature, Not from any discipline and endeavour of his own. At times he laughs when he contemplates God’s pleasure, God’s decrees are to him as sweetmeats of sugar. I ask, does not the world march agreeably to the will And commands of a man rejoicing in this disposition ? Why, then, should such an one make prayers and petitions, Saying, ‘ 0 God, change such and such a decree ? ’ His own death and his children’s deaths For God’s sake seem to him as sweets in the mouth. In the view of that faithful one his children’s deaths Are as sweetmeats to a starving beggar. Why, therefore, should he make prayers Unless he pray for what is pleasing to God ? These prayers and petitions, not those of self-pity Make that man to be endued with salvation. He utterly burnt up all his self-pity, At the time when he lit the lamp of love to God. His love was the hell that burned up his inclinations ; Yea, he burned up his own inclinations one by one.”

Story XII. The Visions seen by the Saint Daquqi (p. 232). To illustrate the exalted state of identification of the will with the Divine will just described, the poet tells the story of the visions and mighty works of the holy Daquqi. Daquqi was journeying in pious fervour, and in hope to see the splendour of “The Friend” in human shape, the Ocean in a drop of water, and the Sun in an atom, when late one evening he arrived at the sea-shore. Turning his eyes to heaven, he saw seven great lights never before seen of men, for “ God directs whom He will.” 1 Overwhelmed with awe, he watched these lights, and while he still watched them they united into one light. Still more amazed, he watched on, and the single light shortly assumed the likeness of seven men. Afterwards these seven men changed into seven trees ; but, strange to say, although crowds of people were passing by, none of them could see these trees, so that Daquqi shared the feelings of the apostles “ who lost all hope ” (of convincing the world), “ and deemed that they were reckoned as liars.” 2 Possessing his soul in patience, Daquqi still watched on, and saw the seven trees bowing down in prayer, and was reminded of the text, “Plants and trees bend in adoration.”3 Presently the seven trees again changed into seven men, and Daqiiqi was appointed to conduct their devotions. While he was yet acting as Imam in front of them, and they were following the prayers he recited, a ship was seen in great

1 Koran ii. 136. 2 Koran xii. no. s Koran lv. 5. distress and all but lost. At Daquqi’s earnest prayer the crew were saved, but straightway vanished from sight ; and this led his followers to doubt the reality of the miracle which had just been performed before their eyes. Description of a saint whose will was identified with God's will (p. 232). That Daquqi possessed a sweet aspect, As a lover of God and a worker of miracles. He resembled the moon of heaven come down on earth, He was as a light to them that walked in darkness. He rarely tarried in one place, And seldom stayed two days in one village. He said, “ If I tarry in one house two days, Attachment to that house becomes a passion with me. I guard myself from being deceived into loving a home ; Up ! Soul, and travel in search of eternal wealth. My heart’s inclination is not satisfied by houses, So that they should be places of temptation for me.” Thus by day he travelled, and by night prayed, His eyes were always gazing on the King as a falcon’s ; Cut off from mankind, though not for any fault.

Severed from men and women, though not for baseness ; Having compassion on mankind, and wholesome as water, A kind intercessor, and one whose prayers were heard. Benevolent to the good and the bad, and a firm ally, Better than a mother, and kinder than a father. The Prophet said, “ To you, 0 blessed ones, I am as a father, affectionate and indulgent ; For this cause, that you are all portions of me.” Wherefore should you tear away the parts from the whole ? If the part be severed from its whole it is useless ; If a limb be rent from the body it dies. Till it is again joined to its whole, 'Tis a dead thing, and a stranger to life. Thus Daquqi, in devotions and praises and prayers, Was ever seeking the particular favourites of God. Throughout his long journeyings his object was this, To interchange a word with the favourites of God. He cried continually as he went his way, “ 0 Lord, let me draw near to Thy chosen ones ! ” So Daquqi (the mercy of God be upon him !) Said, “I journeyed long time to East and to West, I journeyed years and months for love of that Moon, Heedless of the way, absorbed in God.

With bare feet I trod upon thorns and flints, Seeing I was bewildered, and beside myself, and senseless. Think not my feet touched the earth. For the lover verily travels with the heart. What knows the heart of road and stages ? What of distant and near, while it is drunk with love ? Distance and nearness are attributes of bodies, The journeyings of spirits are after another sort. You journeyed from the embryo state to rationality Without footsteps or stages or change of place, The journey of the soul involves not time and place. And my body learnt from the soul its mode of journeyingj Now my body has renounced the bodily mode of journeying ; It journeys secretly and without form, though under a form.” He added, “ One day I was thus filled with longing To behold in human form the splendours of ‘The Friend,’ To witness the Ocean gathered up into a drop, The Sun compressed into a single atom ; And when I drew near to the shore of the sea The day was drawing to a close.” STORY VII.] THE MAN WHO PRAYED TO BE FED. 139 All religions are in substance one and the same (p. 237).

In the adorations and benedictions of righteous men The praises of all the prophets are kneaded together. All their praises are mingled into one stream, All the vessels are emptied into one ewer. Because He that is praised is, in fact, only One, In this respect all religions are only one religion. Because all praises are directed towards God’s light, Their various forms and figures are borrowed from it. Hen never address praises but to One deemed worthy, They err only through mistaken opinions of Him. So, when a light falls upon a wall, That wall is a connecting-link between all its beams ; Yet when it casts that reflection back to its source, It wrongly shows great as small, and halts in its praises. Or if the moon be reflected in a well, And one looks down the well, and mistakenly praises it, In reality he is intending to praise the moon, Although, through ignorance, he is looking down the well. The object of his praises is the moon, not its reflection ; His infidelity arises from mistake of the circumstances. That well-meaning man goes wrong through his mistake ; The moon is in heaven, and he fancies it in the well.

By these false idols mankind are perplexed, And driven by vain lusts to their sorrow. Story VII. ( cont inued ). The Man in the time of the Prophet David who prayed to be fed without having to work for his food (p. 241). After the petitioner had slain and eaten the cow, the owner of the cow came up and accused him of theft, and seizing him by the collar, dragged him before the judgmentseat of the prophet David. When he had stated his case, David ordered the accused to make restitution, telling him that he must not break the law. At this order the accused redoubled his cries, telling David that he was siding with an oppressor. David was staggered at the man’s assurance, and finally resolved to take further time for consideration before deciding the case. After private meditation he reversed his former sentence, and directed the plaintiff to relinquish his claim. On the plaintiff refusing to do this, and stoutly protesting against David’s injustice, David further ordered that all the plaintiff’s goods should be given to the accused. The reason for this decision was, that David discovered the plaintiff had formerly slain the grandfather of the accused, and stolen all his goods. David then led all the Mussulmans to a tree in the desert where the murder had been perpetrated, and there put the murderer to death.

The hands and feet of criminals letray their crimes even in this world (p. 244). He of himself lifted the veil that hid his crime ; Had he not done so, God would have kept it hidden. Criminals and sinners, even in the course of sinning, Themselves rend the coverings of their crimes. Their sins are veiled among the heart’s secrets, Yet the criminal himself exposes them to view, Saying, “ Behold me wearing a pair of horns, A cow of hell in sight of all men.” Thus, even here, in the midst of thy sin, thy hand and foot Bear witness of the secrets of thy heart. Thy secret thought is as a governor who says to thee, “ Tell forth thy convictions, withhold them not Especially in seasons of passion and angry talk It betrays thy secrets one by one. Thy secret sins and crimes govern haud and foot, Saying, “ Disclose us to men, 0 hand and foot ! ” And since these witnesses take the bit in their mouths, Especially in times of passion and wrath and revenge, btory vii.] THE MAN WHO PRAYED TO BE FED. 141 Therefore the same God who appointed this governor To blazon forth thy secret sins to the world Is also able to create many more governors To divulge thy secret sins on the day of judgment.1

0 man whose only handiwork is crime and sin, Thy secret sins are manifest ; no divulging is needed. There is no need to proclaim thy sins, All men are cognisant of thy sin-burnt heart. Thy soul every moment casts up sparks of fire, Which say, “ See me a man destined to the fire ; I am a part of the fire, and go to join my whole ; Not a light, so that I should join the Source of light.” Comparison of lust to the murderer in the story (p. 245). Kill thine own lust and give life to the world ; It has killed its lord, reduce it to servitude. That claimant of the cow is thy lust ; Beware ! It has made itself lord and master. That slayer of the cow is thy reason ; Go ! Be not obdurate to the prayers of him that kills the cow. Reason is a poor captive, and ever cries to God For meat on its dish without labouring and toiling. On what depends its getting meat without toiling ? On its killing the cow of the body, the source of evil. Lust says, “ Why hast thou killed my cow ? ”

It says, “Because lust’s cow is the form of the body.”'2 Reason, the Lord’s child, has become a pauper, Lust, the murderer, has become a lord and chief. Know’st thou what is meat untoiled for ? ’Tis the food of spirits and the aliment of the Prophet. But it is attainable only by slaying the cow ; Treasure is gained by digging, 0 digger of treasure ! 1 “On that day shall their hands 2 Bahau-’d-Din Amili, in his Nan speak unto us, and their feet shall wa Halwa, chap, iv., compares lust bear witness of that which they to a cow, referring to Koran ii. 63. have done ” (Koran xxxvi. 65). Story XIII. The People of Saba (p. 247). After an anecdote of ’Isa being obliged to ascend a mountain to get away from the fools comes the story of the men of Saba. “A sign there wras to Saba in their dwelling-places — two gardens, the one on the right hand and the other on the left ; — ‘ Eat ye of your Lord’s supplies, and give thanks to Him ; goodly is the country and gracious is the Lord.’ But they turned aside, so we sent upon them the flood of Iram. Such was our retribution on them for their ingratitude.”1 The men of Saba were all fools, and brought destruction on themselves by their ingratitude to God. One was far-sighted, and yet blind ; another sharp of hearing, and yet deaf ; and a third naked, and yet wearing a long robe. Avarice is blind to its own faults, but sees those of others ; the sharp-eared deaf man hears death approaching others, but not himself ; and the long-robed naked man is he who fears robbers, though he has nothing to lose. In fact, all these men of Saba were afflicted with follies and self-delusions of this kind, and gave no thanks to God for the blessings which they enjoyed. Accordingly thirteen prophets were sent to admonish them, but their admonitions were not listened to, the men of Saba questioning their divine mission and demanding a miracle as a sign. They also told the prophets a parable of a clever hare, who, wishing to frighten an elephant away from a fountain, went to the elephant, pretending to be an ambassador from the moon.2 The prophets were naturally indignant at the effrontery of the men of Saba in misapplying parables to discredit their divine mission, and reminded them that wicked men had flouted the prophet Noah in the same way when he was warning them of the flood. And they demonstrated at length how the men of Saba had misapplied the parable of the hare and the elephant, and again adjured them to

1 Koran xxxiv. 14. 2 Anvar i Suhaili, chap. iv. Story IV. believe. But the men of Saba continued refractory, and would not accept the prophets’ counsels. They plied the prophets with the arguments of the Compulsionists (< Jabriy&n ), and refused to be convinced of the fallacy of their reasoning. So at last the prophets despaired of them, and left them to their doom. Not every one can properly use similitudes and parables in divine matters (p. 252). The faculty of using similitudes is peculiar to a saint Who is signally marked by knowledge of hidden mysteries. What know you of the mystery hid in aught, that you In your folly should use similitudes of curl and cheek? Moses took his staff to be a stick, though it was not ; It was a serpent, and its mystery was revealed. If a saint such as he knew not the mystery of a staff, What know you of the mystery of the snare and grains ? When the eye of a Moses erred as to a similitude, How can a presumptuous mouse understand one ? Those similitudes of yours are changed into serpents To tear you into pieces with their jaws.

Such a parable did cursed Iblis use, So that he became cursed of God till the day of doom. Such a parable did Korah use in his argument, So that he was swallowed up in the earth with his wealth. Such parables know to be as crows and owls, Whereby a hundred households are annihilated. When Noah was building the ark in the desert, A hundred parable-mongers attacked him with irony, Saying, “In the desert, where is no water or well, He builds a boat ! What ignorant folly is this ! ” The arguments of the Jabriyan, i.e., the Fatalists or Compulsionists (p. 255). The men of Saba said, “ 0 preachers, enough ! What you say is enough, if there are any wise here. God has placed a ‘lock upon our hearts,’1 And no man can overcome the Creator. That great Painter has painted us thus ; His painting cannot be altered by argument. Keep telling for ever a stone to become a ruby, Keep telling for ever the old to become young ! Tell earth to assume the quality of water, Bid water to become honey or milk ! God is the creator of heaven and them that dwell therein ; Also of water and of earth, and them that dwell therein ; To heaven He gave its revolutions and its purity,