Part 5

[78] The fortress of Khaibar, a village in the Hijáz, was captured by the Moslems in A.D. 628. Ali performed great feats of valour on this occasion.

[79] A river of Paradise.

[80] See note 33 on l. 213.

[81] The burning pyre on which Abraham was thrown lost its heat and was transformed into a rose-garden.

[82] The “trust” which God offered to Man and which Man accepted, after it had been refused by Heaven and Earth (Koran, ch. 33, v. 72), is the divine vicegerency, _i.e._ the duty of displaying the divine attributes.

[83] A parody of the verse in the _Masnaví_ quoted above. See l. 603.

XI

_Story of a young man of Merv who came to the saint Ali Hujwírí--God have mercy on him!--and complained that he was oppressed by his enemies._

The saint of Hujwír was venerated by the peoples, And Pír-i Sanjar visited his tomb as a pilgrim.[84] With ease he broke down the mountain-barriers 1085 And sowed the seed of Islam in India. The age of Omar was restored by his godliness, The fame of the Truth was exalted by his words. He was a guardian of the honour of the Koran, The house of Falsehood fell in ruins at his gaze. 1090 The dust of the Panjáb was brought to life by his breath, Our dawn was made splendid by his sun. He was a lover, and withal a courier of Love: The secrets of Love shone forth from his brow. I will tell a story of his perfection 1095 And enclose a whole rose-bed in a single bud. A young man, cypress-tall, Came from the town of Merv to Lahore. He went to see the venerable saint, That the sun might dispel his darkness. 1100 “I am hemmed in,” he said, “by foes; I am as a glass in the midst of stones. Do thou teach me, O sire of heavenly rank, How to lead my life amongst enemies!” The wise Director, in whose nature 1105 Love had allied mercy with wrath, Answered: “Thou art unread in Life’s lore, Careless of its end and its beginning. Be without fear of others! Thou art a sleeping force: awake! 1110 When the stone was anxious on account of the glass, It became glass and got into the way of breaking. If the traveller thinks himself weak, He delivers his soul unto the brigand. How long wilt thou regard thyself as water and clay? 1115 Create from thy clay a flaming Sinai! Why be angry with mighty men? Why complain of enemies? I will declare the truth: thine enemy is thy friend; His existence crowns thee with glory. 1120 Whosoever knows the states of the Self Considers a powerful enemy to be a blessing from God. To the seed of Man the enemy is as a rain-cloud: He awakens its potentialities. If thy spirit be strong, the stones in thy way are as water: 1125 What recks the torrent of the ups and downs of the road? The sword of resolution is whetted by the stones in the way And put to proof by traversing stage after stage. What is the use of eating and sleeping like a beast? What is the use of being, unless thou have strength in thyself? 1130 When thou mak’st thyself strong with Self, Thou wilt destroy the world at thy pleasure. If thou wouldst pass away, become free of Self; If thou wouldst live, become full of Self![85] What is death? To become oblivious to Self. 1135 Why imagine that it is the parting of soul and body? Abide in Self, like Joseph! Advance from captivity to empire! Think of Self and be a man of action! Be a man of God, bear mysteries within!” 1140 I will explain the matter by means of stories, I will open the bud by the power of my breath. “‘Tis better that a lovers’ secret Should be told by the lips of others.”[86]

FOOTNOTES:

[84] Hujwírí, author of the oldest Persian treatise on Súfism, was a native of Ghazna in Afghanistan. He died at Lahore about A.D. 1072. Pír-i Sanjar is the renowned saint, Mu`ínuddín, head of the Chishtí order of dervishes, who died in A.D. 1235 at Ajmír.

[85] These lines correct the Súfí doctrine that by means of passing away from individuality the mystic attains to everlasting life in God.

[86] _I.e._ allegorically. This verse occurs in the _Masnaví_.

XII

_Story of the bird that was faint with thirst._

A bird was faint with thirst, 1145 The breath in his body was heaving like waves of smoke. He saw a diamond in the garden: Thirst created a vision of water. Deceived by the sunbright stone The foolish bird fancied that it was water. 1150 He got no moisture from the gem: He pecked it with his beak, but it did not wet his palate. “O thrall of vain desire,” said the diamond, “Thou hast sharpened thy greedy beak on me; But I am not a dewdrop, I give no drink, 1155 I do not live for the sake of others. Wouldst thou hurt me? Thou art mad! A life that reveals the Self is strange to thee. My water will shiver the beaks of birds And break the jewel of man’s life.”[87] 1160 The bird won not his heart’s wish from the diamond And turned away from the sparkling stone. Disappointment swelled in his breast, The song in his throat became a wail. Upon a rose-twig a drop of dew 1165 Gleamed like the tear in a nightingale’s eye: All its glitter was owing to the sun, It was trembling in fear of the sun-- A restless sky-born star That had stopped for a moment, from desire to be seen; 1170 Oft deceived by bud and flower, It had gained nothing from Life. There it hung, ready to drop, Like a tear on the eyelashes of a lover who hath lost his heart. The sorely distressed bird hopped under the rose-bush, 1175 The dewdrop trickled into his mouth. O thou that wouldst deliver thy soul from enemies, I ask thee--“Art thou a drop of water or a gem?” When the bird melted in the fire of thirst, It appropriated the life of another. 1180 The drop was not solid and gem-like; The diamond had a being, the drop had none. Never for an instant neglect Self-preservation: Be a diamond, not a dewdrop! Be massive in nature, like mountains, 1185 And bear on thy crest a hundred clouds laden with floods of rain! Save thyself by affirmation of Self, Compress thy quicksilver into silver ore! Produce a melody from the string of Self, Make manifest the secrets of Self! 1190

FOOTNOTES:

[87] _I.e._ if he swallow a diamond, he will die.

XIII

_Story of the diamond and the coal._

Now I will open one more gate of Truth, I will tell thee another tale. The coal in the mine said to the diamond, “O thou entrusted with splendours everlasting, We are comrades, and our being is one; 1195 The source of our existence is the same, Yet while I die here in the anguish of worthlessness, Thou art set on the crowns of emperors. My stuff is so vile that I am valued less than earth, Whereas the mirror’s heart is rent by thy beauty. 1200 My darkness illumines the chafing-dish, Then my substance is incinerated at last. Every one puts the sole of his foot on my head And covers my stock of existence with ashes. My fate must needs be deplored; 1205 Dost thou know what is the gist of my being? Thou art a condensed wavelet of smoke, Endowed with the properties of a single spark; Both in feature and nature thou art star-like, Splendours rise from every side of thee. 1210 Now thou becom’st the light of a monarch’s eye, Now thou adornest the haft of a dagger.” “O sagacious friend!” said the diamond, “Dark earth, when hardened, becomes in dignity as a bezel. Having been at strife with its environment, 1215 It is ripened by the struggle and grows hard like a stone. ‘Tis this ripeness that has endowed my form with light And filled my bosom with radiance. Because thy being is immature, thou hast become abased; Because thy body is soft, thou art burnt. 1220 Be void of fear, grief, and anxiety; Be hard as a stone, be a diamond! Whosoever strives hard and grips tight, The two worlds are illumined by him. A little earth is the origin of the Black Stone 1225 Which puts forth its head in the Ka`ba: Its rank is higher than Sinai, It is kissed by the swarthy and the fair. In solidity consists the glory of Life; Weakness is worthlessness and immaturity.” 1230

XIV

_Story of the Sheikh and the Brahmin, followed by a conversation between Ganges and Himalaya to the effect that the continuation of social life depends on firm attachment to the characteristic traditions of the community._

At Benares lived a venerable Brahmin, Whose head was deep in the ocean of Being and Not-being. He had a large knowledge of philosophy But was well-disposed to the seekers after God. His mind was eager to explore new problems, 1235 His intellect moved on a level with the Pleiades; His nest was as high as that of the Anká;[88] Sun and moon were cast, like rue, on the flame of his thought.[89] For a long time he laboured and sweated, But philosophy brought no wine to his cup. 1240 Although he set many a snare in the gardens of learning, His snares never caught a glimpse of the Ideal bird; And notwithstanding that the nails of his thought were dabbled with blood, The knot of Being and Not-being remained untied. The sighs on his lips bore witness to his despair, 1245 His countenance told tales of his distraction. One day he visited an excellent Sheikh, A man who had in his breast a heart of gold. The Sheikh laid the seal of silence on his lips While he lent his ear to the Sage’s discourse. 1250 Then he said: “O wanderer in the lofty sky, Pledge thyself to be true, for a little, to the earth! Thou hast lost thy way in wildernesses of speculation, Thy fearless thought hath passed beyond Heaven. Be reconciled with earth, O sky-traveller! 1255 Do not wander in quest of the essence of the stars! I do not bid thee abandon thine idols. Art thou an unbeliever? Then be worthy of the badge of unbelief![90] O inheritor of ancient culture, Turn not thy back on the path thy fathers trod! 1260 If a people’s life is derived from unity, Unbelief too is a source of unity. Thou that art not even a perfect infidel Art unfit to worship at the shrine of the spirit. We both are far astray from the road of devotion: 1265 Thou art far from Ázar, and I from Abraham.[91] Our Majnún hath not fallen into melancholy for his Lailá’s sake: He hath not become perfect in the madness of love. When the lamp of Self expires, What is the use of heaven-surveying imagination?” 1270

Once on a time, laying hold of the skirt of the mountain, Ganges said to Himalaya: “O thou mantled in snow since the morn of creation, Thou whose form is girdled with streams, God made thee a partner in the secrets of heaven, 1275 But deprived thy foot of graceful gait. He took away from thee the power to walk: What avails this sublimity and stateliness? Life springs from perpetual movement: Motion constitutes the wave’s whole existence.” 1280 When the mountain heard this taunt from the river, He puffed angrily like a sea of fire, And answered: “Thy wide waters are my looking-glass; Within my bosom are a hundred rivers like thee. This graceful gait of thine is an instrument of death: 1285 Whoso goeth from Self is meet to die. Thou hast no knowledge of thine own case, Thou exultest in thy misfortune: thou art a fool! O born of the womb of the revolving sphere, A fallen-in bank is better than thou! 1290 Thou hast made thine existence an offering to the ocean, Thou hast thrown the rich purse of thy life to the highwayman. Be self-contained like the rose in the garden, Do not go to the florist in order to smell sweet! To live is to grow in thyself 1295 And gather roses from thine own flower-bed. Ages have gone by and my foot is fast in earth: Dost thou fancy that I am far from my goal? My being grew and reached the sky, The Pleiades sank to rest under my skirts; 1300 Thy being vanishes in the ocean, But on my crest the stars bow their heads. Mine eye sees the mysteries of heaven, Mine ear is familiar with angels’ wings. Since I glowed with the heat of unceasing toil, 1305 I amassed rubies, diamonds, and other gems. I am stone within, and in the stone is fire: Water cannot pass over my fire!” Art thou a drop of water? Do not break at thine own feet, But endeavour to surge and wrestle with the sea. 1310 Desire the water of a jewel, become a jewel! Be an ear-drop, adorn a beauty! Oh, expand thyself! Move swiftly! Be a cloud that shoots lightning and sheds a flood of rain! Let the ocean sue for thy storms as a beggar, 1315 Let it complain of the straitness of thy skirts! Let it deem itself less than a wave And glide along at thy feet!

FOOTNOTES:

[88] A mysterious bird, of which nothing is known except its name.

[89] Rue-seed is burned for the purpose of fumigation.

[90] “The badge of unbelief”: here the original has _zunnár_ ([Greek: ζωναριον: zônarion]), _i.e._ the sacred thread worn by Zoroastrians and other non-Moslems.

[91] Ázar, the father of Abraham, was an idolater.

XV

_Showing that the purpose of the Moslem’s life is to exalt the Word of Allah, and that the Jihád (war against unbelievers), if it be prompted by land-hunger, is unlawful in the religion of Islam._

Imbue thine heart with the tincture of Allah, Give honour and glory to Love! 1320 The Moslem’s nature prevails by means of love: The Moslem, if he be not loving, is an infidel. Upon God depends his seeing and not-seeing, His eating, drinking, and sleeping. In his will that which God wills becomes lost-- 1325 “How shall a man believe this saying?”[92] He encamps in the field of “There is no god but Allah”; In the world he is a witness against mankind. His high estate is attested by the Prophet that was sent to men and Jinn-- By the most truthful of witnesses. 1330 Leave words and seek that spiritual state, Shed the light of God o’er the darkness of works! Albeit clad in kingly robe, live as a dervish, Live wakeful and meditating on God! Whatever thou doest, let it be thine aim therein to draw nigh to God, 1335 That His glory may be made manifest by thee. Peace becomes an evil, if its object be aught else; War is good if its object is God. If God be not exalted by our swords, War dishonours the people. 1340 The holy Sheikh Miyán Mír Walí,[93] By the light of whose soul every hidden thing was revealed-- His feet were firmly planted on the path of Mohammed, He was a flute for the impassioned music of love. His tomb keeps our city safe from harm 1345 And causes the beams of true religion to shine on us. Heaven stooped its brow to his threshold, The Emperor of India was one of his disciples.[94] Now, this monarch had sown the seed of ambition in his heart And was resolved on conquest. 1350 The flames of vain desire were alight in him, He was teaching his sword to ask, “Is there any more?”[95] In the Deccan was a great noise of war, His army stood on the battlefield. He went to the Sheikh of heaven-high dignity 1355 That he might receive his blessing: The Moslem turns from this world to God And strengthens policy with prayer. The Sheikh made no answer to the Emperor’s speech, The assembly of dervishes was all ears, 1360 Until a disciple, in his hand a silver coin, Opened his lips and broke the silence, Saying, “Accept this poor offering from me, O guide of them that have lost the way to God! My limbs were bathed in sweat of labour 1365 Before I put away a dirhem in my skirt.” The Sheikh said: “This money ought to be given to our Sultan, Who is a beggar wearing the raiment of a king. Though he holds sway over sun, moon, and stars, Our Emperor is the most penniless of mankind. 1370 His eye is fixed on the table of strangers, The fire of his hunger hath consumed a whole world. His sword is followed by famine and plague, His culture lays a wide land waste. The folk are crying out because of his indigence, 1375 His empty-headedness, and his oppression of the weak. His power is an enemy to all: Humankind are the caravan and he the brigand. In his self-delusion and ignorance He calls pillage by the name of empire. 1380 Both the royal troops and those of the enemy Are cloven in twain by the sword of his hunger. The beggar’s hunger consumes his own soul, But the sultan’s hunger destroys state and religion. Whoso shall draw the sword for anything except Allah, 1385 His sword is sheathed in his own breast.”

FOOTNOTES:

[92] See Introduction, note 7 in Section 1. THE PHILOSOPHICAL BASIS OF THE _ASRÁR-I KHUDÍ_.

[93] A celebrated Moslem saint, who died at Lahore in A.D. 1635.

[94] Aurangzíb.

[95] Koran, ch. 50, v. 29.

XVI

_Precepts written for the Moslems of India by Mír Naját Nakshband, who is generally known as Bábá Sahrá’í._[96]