3344 - Make a practice of seeing without blindly following any authority: think in accordance with the view of your own reason.

How the Khwárizmsháh, while riding for pleasure, saw an exceedingly fine horse in his cavalcade; and how the king’s heart fell in love with the beauty and elegance of the horse; and how the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk caused the horse to appear undesirable to the king; and how the king preferred his word to his own sight, as the Hakim, may God have mercy upon him, has said in the Iláhí-náma: “When the tongue of envy turns slave-dealer, you may get a Joseph for an ell of linen.” Owing to the envious feelings of Joseph’s brethren when they acted as brokers, such a great beauty was veiled from the heart of the buyers and he began to seem ugly, for “they were setting little value on him.”

3345 - A certain Amír had a fine horse: there was no equal to it in the Sultan’s troop.

3346 - Early he rode out in the royal cavalcade: suddenly the Khwárizmsháh observed the horse.

3347 - Its beauty and colour enraptured the king’s eye: till his return the king’s eye was following the horse.

3348 - On whichever limb he let his gaze fall, each seemed to him more pleasing than the other.

3349 - Besides elegance and beauty and spiritedness, God had bestowed on it exquisite qualities.

3350 - Then the king’s mind sought to discover what it could be that waylaid his reason,

3351 - Saying, “My eye is full and satisfied and wanting naught: it is illumined by two hundred suns.

3352 - Oh, the rook of kings is a pawn in my sight; a knight enraptures me without any justification.

3353 - The Creator of witchery has bewitched me: it is an attraction, not the peculiar virtues of this.”

3354 - He recited the Fatiha and uttered many a lá hawl; the Fatiha increased the passion in his breast,

3355 - Because the Fatiha itself was drawing him on: the Fatiha is unique in drawing on and averting.

3362 - When the Khwárizmsháh returned from his ride, he conferred with the nobles of his kingdom.

3363 - Then he immediately ordered the officers to fetch the horse from that household.

3364 - As fire, the party arrived: the Amír who was like a mountain became as a piece of wool.

3365 - He almost expired from the anguish and fraud: he saw no protection except the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk;

3366 - For the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk was the foot of the banner to which every victim of injustice and every one stricken by distress would flock for refuge.

3367 - In truth there was no chief more revered than he (‘Imádu ’l-Mulk): in the eyes of the Sultan he was like a prophet.

3368 - He was not ambitious, strong-minded, devout, and ascetic, one who kept vigils and was Hatím in generosity;

3369 - Very felicitous in judgement, endowed with foresight, and sage: his judgement had been proved in everything that he sought to attain.

3372 - He was like a father to everyone in need: before the Sultan he was an intercessor and the means of averting harm.

3376 - He (Amír) went to the noble ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk: he bared his head and fell on the ground,

3377 - Saying “Let him take my harem together with all that I possess ! Let any raider seize my revenue !

3378 - There is this one horse - my soul is devoted to it: if he takes it, I will surely die O lover of good.

3379 - If he takes this horse out of my hands, I know for certain that I shall not live.

3380 - Since God has bestowed a connection, stroke my head at once with your hand, O Messiah !

3381 - I can bear the loss of my women and gold and estates: this is not pretence nor is it an imposture.

3382 - If you do not believe me in this, try me; try me in word and deed !”

3383 - Weeping and wiping his eyes, the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk ran, with agitated mien, into the presence of the Sultan.

3384 - He closed his lips and stood before the Sultan, communing with God the Lord of His slaves.

3385 - He stood and listened to the Sultan’s intimate talk, while inwardly his thought was weaving this,

3433 - This youth, by this sin, has gone astray and trespassed, for he came to me; but do not chastise him.”

3434 - In the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk these thoughts were raging like a lion through the jungles.

3435 - His exterior stood before the Sultan, his soaring spirit was in the meadows of the Unseen.

3436 - Like the angels, he was instantly being intoxicated with fresh draughts in the realm of Alast;

3439 - At that time the officers brought the horse along into the presence of the Khwárizmsháh.

3440 - Truly beneath this azure sky there was no colt like that in figure and in fleetness.

3441 - Its colour dazzled every eye: “Hail to the steed born of the lightning and the moon !”

3442 - It moved as swiftly as the moon and Mercury: you might say that its fodder was the sarsar wind, not barley.

3443 - The moon traverses the expanse of heaven in one night during a single journey and course.

3444 - Since the moon traversed the signs of the zodiac in one night, why will you disbelieve the Ascension ?

3445 - That wondrous orphan Pearl is as a hundred moons, for at a nod from him the moon became two halves.

3446 - The marvel which he displayed in splitting the moon was only according to the measure of the weakness of the perception possessed by the people.

3447 - The work and business of the prophets and messengers is beyond the skies and the stars.

3450 - The miracles will not be set forth here: tell of the horse and the Khwárizmsháh and what happened.

3455 - After the peerless king had been astounded by it for a moment, he turned his face to the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk,

3456 - Saying, “O vizier, is not this an exceedingly beautiful horse ? Surely it belongs to Paradise, not to the earth.”

3457 - Thereupon the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk said to him, “O emperor, a demon is made angelic by your inclination.

3458 - That on which you look appears good. This steed is very handsome and graceful, and yet,

3459 - The head is a blemish in its form: you might say that its head is like the head of an ox.”

3460 - These words worked on the heart of the Khwárizmsháh and caused the horse to be cheap in the king’s sight.

3472 - The king viewed the horse with regard to the present, while the ‘Imádu ’l- Mulk with regard to the future.

3473 - The king’s eye, because of distortion, saw two ells; the eye of him who regarded the end saw fifty ells.

3474 - What an eye salve is that which God applies, so that the spirit discerns the truth behind a hundred curtains !

3475 - Since the Chief’s (prophets) eye was ever fixed on the end, by reason of that eye he called the world a carcass.

3476 - On hearing only this single blame from him, the love in the king’s heart for the horse became chilled.

3477 - He abandoned his own eye and preferred his eye: he abandoned his own intelligence and listened to his words.

3478 - This was the pretext, and at entreaty the unique Judge caused it to be cold in the king’s heart.

3479 - He shut the door on its beauty to the eye: those words intervened like the sound of the door.

3480 - He made that cryptic saying a veil over the king’s eye, a veil through which the moon appears to be black.

3482 - Know that speech is the sound of the door from the palace of mystery: consider whether it is the sound of opening or shutting.

3503 - Be not submissive to self-will like hay: in truth the shade of the Divine Throne is better than the summer-house.

3504 - The Sultan said, “Take the horse back and with all speed redeem me from this wrong.”

3505 - The King did not say in his heart, “Do not deceive the lion so greatly by means of the head of an ox.

3506 - You drag in the ox in order to cheat: go, God does not stick the horns of an ox upon a horse.”

3513 - For this reason Mustafá entreated God, saying, “Let the false appear as false and the true as true,

3514 - So that at last, when You turn the leaf, I may not by sorrow fall into agitation.”

3515 - It was the Lord of the Kingdom guided the peerless ‘Imádu ’l- Mulk to the deception which he practised.

"A work done from within your soul is necessary, for no door will be opened to you by things given on loan. A water-spring inside the house is better than an aqueduct that comes from outside.”

3596 - How goodly is the Conduit which is the source of things ! It makes you independent of these conduits.

3597 - You are quaffing drink from a hundred fountains: whenever any of those hundred yields less, your pleasure is diminished;

3598 - When the sublime Fountain gushes from within, no longer need you steal from the fountains.

3599 - Since your eye is rejoiced by water and earth, heart’s sorrow is the payment for this joy.

3600 - When water comes to a fortress from outside, it is more than enough in times of peace;

3601 - When the enemy forms a ring round that, in order that he may drown them in blood,

3602 - The troops cut off the outside water, that the fortress may have no refuge from them.

3603 - At that time a briny well inside is better than a hundred sweet rivers outside.

3797 - Abandon your own cunning, O Amír: draw back your foot before the favour and gladly die.

3798 - This is not by a certain amount of contrivance: nothing avails until you die to these plans.

Story of the Sadr-i Jahan of Bukhara. Any beggar who begged with his tongue was excluded from his universal and unstinted charity. A certain poor savant, forgetting and being excessively eager and in a hurry, begged with his tongue amidst his cavalcade. The Sadr-i Jahan averted his face from him, and he contrived a new trick every day and disguised himself, now as a woman veiled in a chador and now as a blind man with bandaged eyes and face, he always had discernment enough to recognize him, etc.

3799 - It was the habit of that most noble lord in Bukhara to deal kindly with beggars.

3800 - His great bounty and immeasurable munificence were always scattering gold till nightfall.

3801 - The gold was wrapped in bits of paper: he continued to lavish bounty as long as he lived.

3802 - Like the sun and the spendthrift moon; they give back the radiance that they receive.

3803 - Who bestows gold on the earth? The sun. Through him, gold is in the mine and treasure in the ruin.

3804 - Every morning an allowance to a set of people, in order that no class should be left disappointed by him.

3805 - On one day his gifts were made to those afflicted; next day the same generosity to widows;

3806 - Next day to impoverished descendants of Alí together with poor jurists engaged in study;

3807 - Next day to empty-handed common folk; next day to persons fallen into debt.

3808 - His rule was that no one should beg for gold with his tongue or open his lips at all;

3809 - But the paupers stood in silence, like a wall, on the outskirts of his path,

3810 - And anyone who suddenly begged with his lips was punished for this offence by not getting from him a mite of money.

3811 - His maxim was “Those of you who keep silence are saved”: his purses and bowls were for the silent.

3812 - One day extraordinarily an old man said, “Give me alms, for I am hungry.”

3813 - He refused to the old man, but the old man importuned him: the people were astounded by the old man’s importunity.

3814 - He said, “You are a very shameless old man, O father.” The old man replied, “You are more shameless than I,

3815 - For you have enjoyed this world, and in your greed you would happily take the other world together with this world.”

3816 - He laughed and gave the old man some money: the old man alone obtained the bounty.

3817 - Except that old man none of those who begged saw half a mite or a single farthing of his money.

3818 - On the day when it was the turn of the jurists, a certain jurist, by cupidity, suddenly began to whine.

3819 - He made many piteous appeals, but there was no help; he uttered every kind, but it availed him naught.

3820 - Next day he wrapped his leg in rags in the row of the sufferers, hanging his head.

3821 - He tied splints on his shank, left and right, in order that it might be supposed that his leg was broken.

3822 - He saw and recognised him and did not give him anything. Next day he covered his face with a rain-cloak,

3823 - The noble lord knew him still and gave him nothing because of the sin and crime by speaking.

3824 - When he had failed in a hundred sorts of trickery, he drew a chador over his head, like women,

3825 - And went and sat down amongst the widows, and let his head droop and concealed his hands.

3826 - Still he recognised him and did not give him any alms: on account of the disappointment a burning grief came into his heart.

3827 - He went early in the morning to a purveyor of grave-clothes, saying, “Wrap me in a felt and lay me out on the road.

3828 - Do not open your lips at all, sit down and look on till the Sadr-i Jahan passes here.

3829 - Maybe he will see and suppose that I am dead and drop some money to cover the cost of the shroud.

3830 - I will pay you half of whatever he may give.” The poor man, desiring the present, did just as he was told.

3831 - He wrapped him in the felt and laid him out on the road. The Sadr-i Jahan happened to pass that way.

3832 - And dropped some gold on the felt. He put forth his hand in his haste.

3833 - Lest the purveyor of the grave-clothes should seize the gift of money and lest that perfidious rascal should hide it from him.

3834 - The dead man raised his hand from beneath the felt, and, following his hand, his head came forth from below.

3835 - He said to the Sadr-i Jahan, “how I have received, O you who did shut the doors of generosity against me !”

3836 - He replied, “but until you died, O obstinate man, you got no bounty from me.”

3837 - The mystery of “Die before death” is this that the prizes come after dying.

3838 - Except dying, no other skill avails with God, O artful schemer.

3840 - And the favour depends on dying: the trustworthy have put this way to the test.

3841 - Nay, not even his death is without the favour: listen, listen, and do not tarry anywhere without the favour !

Story of two brothers, one of whom had a few hairs on his chin while the other was a beardless boy. They went to sleep in a house for celibates. One night, as it happened, the boy piled bricks over his buttocks. At length, a crawler (sodomizer) crept and craftily and softly took off the bricks from his back. The boy awoke and began to quarrel, saying, “Where are these bricks ? Where have you taken them to? Why did you take them ?” He replied, “Why did you put these bricks there ?” etc.

3843 - A beardless boy and a youth with a few hairs on his chin came to a festive gathering, for there was an assembly-place in the town.

3844 - The select party remained busy till the day was gone and a third of the night had passed.

3845 - The two did not leave that house for celibates: they lay down to sleep there for fear of the night-patrol.

3846 - The youth had four hairs on his chin, but his face was like the full-moon.

3847 - The beardless boy was ugly in appearance: placed twenty bricks on his backside.

3848 - A homosexual waited for an opportunity and slowly removed the bricks.

3849 - When he began to approach him, the startled boy awoke from his sleep.

3850 - He asked why the boy had placed the bricks on his back.

3851 - I am a sick boy and because of my weakness: I took precautions and made here a place to lie down.”

3852 - He replied, “If you are ill with a fever, why didn’t you go to the hospital ?

3853 - Or to the house of a kindly physician, in order that he might relieve you of your malady ?”

3854 - “Why,” said he, “where can I go ? For wherever I go, persecuted,

3855 - Some foul ungodly miscreant like you springs up before me like a wild beast.

3856 - The dervish-convent, which is the best place: not there do I find safety for one moment.

3857 - A handful of pottage-eaters direct their looks at me: their eyes bursting with lust.

3858 - And even he that has regard for decorum steals covert glances at my penis strokes.

3859 - Since the convent is this, what must the public market be like ? A herd of asses and boorish devils !

3862 - And if I run away and go to the women, I should fall into tribulation like Joseph.

3863 - Joseph suffered imprisonment and torment at the hands of a woman: I should be divided amongst fifty gibbets.

3864 - Those women in their foolishness would attach themselves to me, and their nearest and dearest would seek my life.

3865 - I have no means of escape either from men or women: what can I do, since I belong neither to these nor to those ?”

3866 - After that the boy looked at the youth and said, “He is quit of trouble by reason of the two hairs.

3867 - He is independent of the bricks and of quarrelling over the bricks and of a wicked young ruffian like you who would sell his own mother.

3868 - Three or four hairs on the chin as a notice are better than thirty bricks around my ass.”

3869 - One atom of the shade of favour is better than a thousand endeavours of the devout pietist,

3870 - Because the Devil will remove the bricks of piety: if there are two hundred bricks he will make a way for himself.

3871 - If the bricks are numerous, they are laid by you; those two or three hairs are a gift from Yonder.

3872 - In reality each one of those is as a mountain, for it is a safe conduct bestowed by an Emperor.

3873 - If you put a hundred locks on a door, some reckless fellow may remove them all;

3874 - If a police magistrate put a wax seal, at that the hearts of doughty champions will quail.

3875 - Those two or three hair-threads of favour form a barrier as a mountain, like majesty of aspect in the faces.

3876 - Do not neglect the bricks, O man of goodly nature; but at the same time do not sleep safe from the wicked Devil.

3877 - Go and get two hairs of that grace, and then sleep safe and have no anxiety.

3878 - The sleep of the wise (‘alim) is better than worship, such a wisdom (‘ilm) as brings awakening.

Ya Ali Madad