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 sug- gested 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, "O master, how pale you are looking!" and another said, "You are looking very ill today," 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 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 con- trovert the opinion of the Mu'tazalites, 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. 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 consequent- ly no fruit was shaken down. The Darvesh was true to his vow for five days, but ho 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 accom- plished without God's aid, ho 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 apologized 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. All things dependent upon the will of God. Therefore hath God commanded, "Make an exception, Couple the words 'If God will' with your vows. 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, There is naught that swerves from my purpose."

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 sug- gested 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, "O master, how pale you are looking!" and another said, "You are looking very ill today," 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 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 con- trovert the opinion of the Mu'tazalites, 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. 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 consequent- ly no fruit was shaken down. The Darvesh was true to his vow for five days, but ho 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 accom- plished without God's aid, ho 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 apologized 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. All things dependent upon the will of God. Therefore hath God commanded, "Make an exception, Couple the words 'If God will' with your vows. 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, 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; 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. Behold that king's son clad in rags, With bare head and fallen into distress; Consumed by lusts and riotous living, 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, "O 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 ho 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, And the rope of palm fiber 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, 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. 3. Koran lv. 29; cp. John v. 17. 4. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, vol. iii. p. 490.

There is a tradition, "The heart is like a feather In the desert, which is borne captive by the winds; 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. Behold that king's son clad in rags, With bare head and fallen into distress; Consumed by lusts and riotous living, 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, "O 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 ho 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, And the rope of palm fiber 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, 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. 3. Koran lv. 29; cp. John v. 17. 4. Freytag, Arabum Proverbia, vol. iii. p. 490.

5. See Koran cxi.: Abu Labab, at the instigation of his wife, Omm Jahil, rejected Muhammad's claim to the prophetic office and Muhammad declared that they should be burned in the fiery flame," and the wife "laden with firewood, and on her neck a rope of palm fiber." STORY X. The Old Man who made no Lamentation at the Death of his Sons. 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 realized 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 feel- ing, whereupon he replied to her as follows: He turned to his wife and said, "O 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 clearly 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, O wife, outward sense is captive to reason, And reason, again, is captive to spirit. 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 puts 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 XL Bahlol and the Darvesh. 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,

5. See Koran cxi.: Abu Labab, at the instigation of his wife, Omm Jahil, rejected Muhammad's claim to the prophetic office and Muhammad declared that they should be burned in the fiery flame," and the wife "laden with firewood, and on her neck a rope of palm fiber." STORY X. The Old Man who made no Lamentation at the Death of his Sons. 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 realized 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 feel- ing, whereupon he replied to her as follows: He turned to his wife and said, "O 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 clearly 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, O wife, outward sense is captive to reason, And reason, again, is captive to spirit. 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 puts 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 XL Bahlol and the Darvesh. 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 tho stars themselves obey." Bahlol then pressed him to explain his meaning more clearly, and the Darvesh replied as follows: 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 fulfillment 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 endeavor 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 a one make prayers and petitions, Saying, 'O 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 burned 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, ho burned up his own inclinations one by one." STORY XII. The Visions seen by the Saint Daquqi.

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 tho stars themselves obey." Bahlol then pressed him to explain his meaning more clearly, and the Darvesh replied as follows: 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 fulfillment 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 endeavor 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 a one make prayers and petitions, Saying, 'O 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 burned 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, ho burned up his own inclinations one by one." STORY XII. The Visions seen by the Saint Daquqi.

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 fervor, 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 seashore. Turning his eyes to heav- en, he saw seven great lights never before seen of men, for "God directs whom He will." 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 reck- oned as liars." 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." Presently the seven trees again changed into seven men, and Daquqi 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 distress and all but lost. At Daquqi's earnest prayer the crew were saved, but straightway van- ished from sight; and this led his followers to doubt the real- ity of the miracle which had just been performed before their eyes. Description of a saint whose will was identified with God's will. 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 traveled, 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, O 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.

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 fervor, 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 seashore. Turning his eyes to heav- en, he saw seven great lights never before seen of men, for "God directs whom He will." 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 reck- oned as liars." 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." Presently the seven trees again changed into seven men, and Daquqi 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 distress and all but lost. At Daquqi's earnest prayer the crew were saved, but straightway van- ished from sight; and this led his followers to doubt the real- ity of the miracle which had just been performed before their eyes. Description of a saint whose will was identified with God's will. 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 traveled, 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, O 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 favorites of God. Throughout his long journeys his object was this, To interchange a word with the favorites of God. He cried continually as he went his way, "O 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 journeys 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 journeying 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." All religions are in substance one and the same. 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. Men 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. The Man in the time of the Prophet David who prayed to be fed without having to work for his food. After the petitioner had slain and eaten the cow, the owner of the cow came up and accused him of theft, and

Thus Daquqi, in devotions and praises and prayers, Was ever seeking the particular favorites of God. Throughout his long journeys his object was this, To interchange a word with the favorites of God. He cried continually as he went his way, "O 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 journeys 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 journeying 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." All religions are in substance one and the same. 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. Men 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. The Man in the time of the Prophet David who prayed to be fed without having to work for his food. 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 judgment- seat 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 Mosalmans to a tree in the desert where the murder had been perpe- trated, and there put the murderer to death. The hands and feet of criminals betray their crimes even in this world. 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 hand and foot, Saying, "Disclose us to men, O hand and foot!" And since these witnesses take the bit in their mouths, Especially in times of passion and wrath and revenge, Therefore the same God who appointed this governor To blazen 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. 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 cognizant of thy sin-burnt heart. Thy soul every moment casts up sparks of fire, Which say, "See me a man destined to the fire; 1 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. 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 laboring 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." 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?

seizing him by the collar, dragged him before the judgment- seat 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 Mosalmans to a tree in the desert where the murder had been perpe- trated, and there put the murderer to death. The hands and feet of criminals betray their crimes even in this world. 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 hand and foot, Saying, "Disclose us to men, O hand and foot!" And since these witnesses take the bit in their mouths, Especially in times of passion and wrath and revenge, Therefore the same God who appointed this governor To blazen 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. 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 cognizant of thy sin-burnt heart. Thy soul every moment casts up sparks of fire, Which say, "See me a man destined to the fire; 1 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. 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 laboring 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." 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, O digger of treasure! "On that day shall their hands speak unto us, and their feet shall bear witness of that which they have done" (Koran xxxvi. 65). Bahau-'d-Din Amili, in his Nan wa Halwa, chap, iv., com- pares lust to a cow, referring to Koran ii. 63. STORY XIII. The People of Saba. After an anecdote of 'Isa being obliged to ascend a moun- tain to get away from the fools comes the story of the men of Saba. "A sign there was 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 lram. Such was our retribution on them for their ingratitude." The men of Saba were all fools, and brought destruction on themselves by their ingratitude to God. One was far-sight- ed, 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 rob- bers, 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 ele- phant away from a fountain, went to the elephant, pretend- ing to be an ambassador from the moon. The prophets were naturally indignant at the effrontery of the men of Saba in misapplying parables to discredit their divine mis- sion, 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 ele- phant, and again adjured them to believe. But the men of Saba continued refractory, and would not, accept the Prophets' counsels. They plied the prophets with the argu- ments of the Compulsionists (Jabriyan), 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. 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 stick, 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.

'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, O digger of treasure! "On that day shall their hands speak unto us, and their feet shall bear witness of that which they have done" (Koran xxxvi. 65). Bahau-'d-Din Amili, in his Nan wa Halwa, chap, iv., com- pares lust to a cow, referring to Koran ii. 63. STORY XIII. The People of Saba. After an anecdote of 'Isa being obliged to ascend a moun- tain to get away from the fools comes the story of the men of Saba. "A sign there was 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 lram. Such was our retribution on them for their ingratitude." The men of Saba were all fools, and brought destruction on themselves by their ingratitude to God. One was far-sight- ed, 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 rob- bers, 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 ele- phant away from a fountain, went to the elephant, pretend- ing to be an ambassador from the moon. The prophets were naturally indignant at the effrontery of the men of Saba in misapplying parables to discredit their divine mis- sion, 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 ele- phant, and again adjured them to believe. But the men of Saba continued refractory, and would not, accept the Prophets' counsels. They plied the prophets with the argu- ments of the Compulsionists (Jabriyan), 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. 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 stick, 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. The men of Saba said, "O preachers, enough! What you say is enough, if there are any wise here. God has placed a 'lock upon our hearts,' And no man can overcome the Creator. That great Painter has painted us thus; His painting cannot be altered by argument. Keep telling forever a stone to become a ruby, Keep telling forever 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, To the earth its dark look and appearance. Can the heaven will to become as dregs? Can earth will to assume the clearness of pure wine? That Person has assigned 'to each its lot, Can mountain by endeavor become as grass?" The prophets answered, "Verily God has created Some qualities in you which you cannot alter; But He has created other accidental qualities, Which, being objectionable, may be made good. Bid stone become gold that is impossible; Bid copper become gold that is possible. Bid sand bloom as a rose it cannot; Bid dust turn to mud that is within its capacity. God has sent some pains for which there is no cure, Such, for instance, as lameness, loss of nose, and blind- ness. God has sent other pains for which there are cures, To wit, crooked mouth and headache. God has ordained these remedies of His mercy; The use of these in pain and anguish is not in vain. Nay, the majority of pains may be cured; When you seek those cures earnestly you find them." The men of Saba replied, "O men, these pains of ours Are not of the sort 'that admit of cure. Long time ye utter these presages and warnings, But our bonds are made thereby heavier every moment. If our sickness admitted of a cure, It would certainly have been lessened by your spells. When the body is obstructed water reaches not the liver, Though one drinks the ocean, it passes elsewhere. Then of course the hands and feet become dropsical, And. yet that draught does not quench his thirst." The prophets replied, "To despair is wrong, The mercy and grace of God are boundless. One must not despair of the grace of such a Benefactor, One must cling to the stirrup-straps of God. Ah! many are the conditions which at first are hard, But, are afterwards relieved and lose their harshless. Oftentimes hope succeeds to hopelessness, Many times does sunlight succeed to darkness. We admit that ye are weighted as with stones, And that ye have locks upon your ears and your hearts.

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. The men of Saba said, "O preachers, enough! What you say is enough, if there are any wise here. God has placed a 'lock upon our hearts,' And no man can overcome the Creator. That great Painter has painted us thus; His painting cannot be altered by argument. Keep telling forever a stone to become a ruby, Keep telling forever 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, To the earth its dark look and appearance. Can the heaven will to become as dregs? Can earth will to assume the clearness of pure wine? That Person has assigned 'to each its lot, Can mountain by endeavor become as grass?" The prophets answered, "Verily God has created Some qualities in you which you cannot alter; But He has created other accidental qualities, Which, being objectionable, may be made good. Bid stone become gold that is impossible; Bid copper become gold that is possible. Bid sand bloom as a rose it cannot; Bid dust turn to mud that is within its capacity. God has sent some pains for which there is no cure, Such, for instance, as lameness, loss of nose, and blind- ness. God has sent other pains for which there are cures, To wit, crooked mouth and headache. God has ordained these remedies of His mercy; The use of these in pain and anguish is not in vain. Nay, the majority of pains may be cured; When you seek those cures earnestly you find them." The men of Saba replied, "O men, these pains of ours Are not of the sort 'that admit of cure. Long time ye utter these presages and warnings, But our bonds are made thereby heavier every moment. If our sickness admitted of a cure, It would certainly have been lessened by your spells. When the body is obstructed water reaches not the liver, Though one drinks the ocean, it passes elsewhere. Then of course the hands and feet become dropsical, And. yet that draught does not quench his thirst." The prophets replied, "To despair is wrong, The mercy and grace of God are boundless. One must not despair of the grace of such a Benefactor, One must cling to the stirrup-straps of God. Ah! many are the conditions which at first are hard, But, are afterwards relieved and lose their harshless. Oftentimes hope succeeds to hopelessness, Many times does sunlight succeed to darkness. We admit that ye are weighted as with stones, And that ye have locks upon your ears and your hearts.

No condition of ours is altogether as we wish, Our business is to be resigned and to obey. God has enjoined this servitude upon us; We say not this merely on our own authority. We enjoy life on condition of doing His will; If He bids us, we sow our seed upon the sand. The soul of the prophet cares for naught but God, It has naught to do with approving or disapproving His works." The men of Saba replied, "If ye yourselves are happy, Ye make us miserable and annoy and disturb us. Our souls were void of all anxieties, And ye have plunged us into cares and anxieties. The comfort and harmony which we enjoyed heretofore Have been rent in pieces by your evil presages. We used to be as parrots munching sugar, Ye have made us as fowls brooding on death. On every side stories inspiring anxiety, On every side sounds exciting fears: On every side in the world an evil presage, On every side evil portents threatening punishment: This is the burden of your parables and presages, This the purport of your awe-inspiring stories." The prophets replied, "Our evil presages Are corroborated by the state of your souls. Suppose you are sleeping in a place of danger, And serpents are drawing near to bite your heads, A kind friend will inform you of your danger, Saying, 'Jump up, lest the serpent devour you.' You reply, 'Why do you utter evil presages?' He answers, 'What presage? Up, and see for yourself! By means of this evil presage I rouse you, And release you from danger and lead you to your home.' Like a prophet he warns you of hidden danger, For a prophet sees what worldlings cannot see." Mercy inclines the good to devotion, but vengeance the bad. If you do a kindness to a generous man, 'tis fitting, For each kindness he will return seven hundredfold. When you treat a base man with scorn and contumely, He will become your slave in all sincerity. Infidels when enjoying prosperity do wrong, When they are in hell they cry, "O our Lord!" For base men are purified when they suffer evil, And when they enjoy prosperity they do evil. Wherefore the mosque of their devotion is hell, As the snare is the fetter of wild fowl. The prison is the hermitage of the wicked thief, For when he is there he is ever crying to God. Whereas the object of man's being is to worship God, Hell is ordained as a place of worship for the proud; Man has the power to engage in any actions soever, But worship of God is the main object of his existence. Read the text, "I have not created Jinns and men but to

No condition of ours is altogether as we wish, Our business is to be resigned and to obey. God has enjoined this servitude upon us; We say not this merely on our own authority. We enjoy life on condition of doing His will; If He bids us, we sow our seed upon the sand. The soul of the prophet cares for naught but God, It has naught to do with approving or disapproving His works." The men of Saba replied, "If ye yourselves are happy, Ye make us miserable and annoy and disturb us. Our souls were void of all anxieties, And ye have plunged us into cares and anxieties. The comfort and harmony which we enjoyed heretofore Have been rent in pieces by your evil presages. We used to be as parrots munching sugar, Ye have made us as fowls brooding on death. On every side stories inspiring anxiety, On every side sounds exciting fears: On every side in the world an evil presage, On every side evil portents threatening punishment: This is the burden of your parables and presages, This the purport of your awe-inspiring stories." The prophets replied, "Our evil presages Are corroborated by the state of your souls. Suppose you are sleeping in a place of danger, And serpents are drawing near to bite your heads, A kind friend will inform you of your danger, Saying, 'Jump up, lest the serpent devour you.' You reply, 'Why do you utter evil presages?' He answers, 'What presage? Up, and see for yourself! By means of this evil presage I rouse you, And release you from danger and lead you to your home.' Like a prophet he warns you of hidden danger, For a prophet sees what worldlings cannot see." Mercy inclines the good to devotion, but vengeance the bad. If you do a kindness to a generous man, 'tis fitting, For each kindness he will return seven hundredfold. When you treat a base man with scorn and contumely, He will become your slave in all sincerity. Infidels when enjoying prosperity do wrong, When they are in hell they cry, "O our Lord!" For base men are purified when they suffer evil, And when they enjoy prosperity they do evil. Wherefore the mosque of their devotion is hell, As the snare is the fetter of wild fowl. The prison is the hermitage of the wicked thief, For when he is there he is ever crying to God. Whereas the object of man's being is to worship God, Hell is ordained as a place of worship for the proud; Man has the power to engage in any actions soever, But worship of God is the main object of his existence. Read the text, "I have not created Jinns and men but to