The Secrets Of The Self: The Philosophical Poetry Of Muhammed Iqbal (Islamic Mysticism)

The secrets of the self by Muhammad kbal Nar ated by Matthew schmidtz introduction the Asar eudi was first published at lore in 1915 I read it soon afterwards and thought so highly of it that I wrote to ikbal whom I had the pleasure of meeting at Cambridge some 15 years ago asking

Leave to prepare an English translation my proposal was cordially accepted but in the meantime I found other work to do which caused the translation to be laid aside until last year before submitting it to the reader a few remarks are necessary concerning the poem and its author ikbal is an Indian Muslim during

His stay in the west he studied modern philosophy in which subject he holds degrees from the universities of Cambridge and Munich his dissertation on the development of metaphysics in Persia an Illuminating sketch appeared as a book in 1908 since then he has developed a philosophy of his own on which I am

Able to give some extremely interesting notes communicated by himself of this however the Asar eudi gives no systematic account though it puts his ideas in a popular and attractive form while the Hindu philosophers in explaining the doctrine of the unity of being address themselves to the head

Ikbal like the Persian poets who teach the same Doctrine takes a more dangerous course and aims at the heart he is no means poet and his verse can Rouse or persuade even if his logic failed to convince his message is not for the muhammadans of India alone but for

Muslims everywhere accordingly he writes in Persian instead of hindustani a happy choice for amongst educated Muslims there are many familiar with Persian literature while the Persian language is singularly well adapted to express philosophical ideas in a style at once elevated and Charming ikbal comes forward

As an apostle if not to his own age than to posterity I have no need of the ear of today I am the voice of the poet of tomorrow and after Persian fashion he invokes the saki to fill his cup with wine and pour Moon beams Into The Dark

Night of his thought that I may lead home The Wanderer and imbue the idol looker on with Restless impatience and Advance hotly on a new Quest and become known as the champion of a new spirit let us begin at the end what is the far-off goal on which his eyes are

Fixed the answer to that question will discover his true character and we shall be less likely to stumble on the way if we see whether we are going ikbal has drunk deep of European literature his philosophy owes much to nche and bergon and his poetry often reminds us of

Shelly yet he thinks and feels as a Muslim and just for this reason his influence may be great he is a religious Enthusiast inspired by the vision of a New Mecca a worldwide Theocratic utopian state in which all Muslims no longer divided by the barriers of race and

Country shall be one he will have nothing to do with nationalism and imperialism these he says robus of paradise they make us strangers to each other destroy feelings of Brotherhood and so the B seed of War he dreams of a world ruled by religion not by politics and condemns mavelli that worshipper of

False gods who has blinded so many it must be observed that when he speaks of religion he always means Islam non-muslims are simply unbelievers and in theory at any rate the Jihad is justifiable provided that it is waged for God’s sake alone a free and independent Muslim fraternity having the

At its Center and knit together by the love of Allah and Devotion to the prophet such is ik bal’s ideal in the asari and the rumus E Baki he preaches it with a burning sincerity which we cannot but admire and at the same time points out how it may be attained the

Former poem deals with the life of the individual Muslim the latter with the life of the Islamic community the cry back to the Quran back to Muhammad has been heard before and the responses have hitherto been somewhat discouraging but on this occasion it is allied with the Revolutionary force of Western

Philosophy which ikbal hopes and believes will vitalize the movement and ensure its Triumph he sees that Hindu intellectualism and Islamic pantheism have destroyed the capacity for Action based on scientific observation and interpretation of phenomena which distinguishes the Western peoples and especially the English now this capacity depends ultimately on

The conviction that koui selfhood individuality personality is real and is not merely an illusion of the Mind ikbal therefore throws himself with all his might against idealistic philosophers and pseudo mystical poets the authors in his opinion of the Decay prevailing in Islam and argues that only by self-affirmation self-expression and

Self-development can the Muslims once more become strong and free he appeals from the alluring raptures of Hafiz to the moral fervor of jalaludin Rumi from an Islam sunk in platonic contemplation to the fresh and vigorous monotheism which inspired Muhammad and brought Islam into existence here perhaps I should guard against a possible

Misunderstanding ik bal’s philosophy is religious but he does not treat philosophy as the handmade of religion holding that the full development of the individual presupposes a Society he finds the ideal Society in what he considers to be the prophet’s conception of Islam every Muslim in striving to make himself a more perfect individual

Is helping to establish the Islamic kingdom of God upon Earth the asrar eudi is composed in the meter and modeled on the style of the famous Mas Navi in the prologue ikbal relates how jalaludin Rumi who is to him almost what Virgil was to Dante appeared in a vision and B

Him Mize and sing much as he dislikes the type of Sufism exhibited by haiz he pays homage to the pure and profound Genius of jalaludin though he rejects the doctrine of self-abandonment taught by the great Persian Mystic and does not accompany him in his pantheistic flights to European readers the asrar eudi

Presents certain obscurities which no translation can entirely remove these lie partly in the form and would not be felt as a rule by anyone conversant with Persian poetry often however the ideas themselves being associated with peculiarly Oriental ways of thinking are hard for our minds to follow I am not

Sure that I have always grasped the meaning or rendered it correctly but I hope that such errors are few thanks to the assistance so kindly given me by my friend Muhammad Shafi now professor of Arabic at lore with whom I read the poem and discussed many points of difficulty

Other questions of a more fundamental character have been solved for me by the author himself at my request he drew up a statement of his philosophical views on the problems touched and suggested in the hook I will give it in his own words as nearly as possible it is not of

Course a complete statement and was written as he says in a great hurry but apart from its power and originality it elucidates the poetical argument far better than any explanation that could have been offered by me one the philosophical basis of the asrar eudi that experience should take place

In finite centers and should wear the form of finite thisness is in the end inexplicable these are the words of Professor Bradley but starting with these inexplicable centers of experience he ends in a Unity which he calls absolute and in which the finite centers lose their finiteness and distinctness

According to him therefore the finite Center is only in appearance the test of reality in his opinion is all inclusiveness and since all finiteness is infected with relativity it follows that the latter is a mere illusion to my mind this inexplicable finite Center of experience is the fundamental fact of

The universe all life is individual there is no such thing as universal life God himself is an individual he is the most unique individual the universe as Dr mcer says is an associ Association of individuals but we must add that the orderliness and adjustment which we find in this Association is not eternally

Achieved and complete in itself it is the result of instinctive or conscious effort we are gradually traveling from chaos to Cosmos and are helpers in this achievement nor are the members of the association fixed new members are ever coming to birth to cooperate in the great task thus the universe is not a

Completed act it is still in the course of formation there can be no complete truth about the universe for the universe has not yet become whole the process of creation is still going on and Man Too takes his share in it in as much as he helps to bring order into at

Least a portion of the chaos the Quran indicates the possibility of other creators than God obviously this view of man and the universe is opposed to that of the English neoag alians as well as to all forms of pantheistic Sufism which regard absorption in a universal life or

Soul as the final aim and salvation of man the moral and religious ideal of man is not self- negation but self-affirmation and he attains to this ideal by becoming more and more individual more and more unique the prophet said takaku Allah create in yourselves the attributes of God thus man becomes

Unique by becoming more and more like the most unique indiv idual what then is life it is individual its highest form so far is the ego Ki in which the individual becomes a self-contained exclusive Center physically as well as spiritually man is a self-contained Center but he is not yet a complete

Individual the greater his distance from God the less his individuality he who comes nearest to God is the completest person not that he is finally absorbed in God on the contrary he absorbs God into himself the true person not only absorbs the world of matter by mastering

It he absorbs God himself into his ego life is a forward assimilative movement it removes all obstructions in its march by assimilating them its Essence is the continual creation of desires and ideals and for the purpose of its preservation and expansion it has invented or developed out of itself certain

Instruments such as senses intellect Etc which help it to assimilate obstructions the greatest obstacle in the way of life is matter nature yet nature is not evil since it enables the inner powers of life to unfold themselves the ego attains to Freedom by the removal of all obstructions in its

Way it is partly free partly determined and reaches Fuller Freedom by approaching the individual who is most free God in one word life is an Endeavor for Freedom two the ego and continuation of personality in man the center of life becomes an ego or person personality is

A state of tension and can continue only if that state is maintained if the state of tension is not maintained relaxation will ensue since personality or the state of tension is the most valuable achievement of man he should see that he does not revert to a state of relaxation

That which tends to maintain the state of tension tends to make us Immortal thus the idea of Personality gives us a standard of value it settles the problem of Good and Evil that which fortifies personality is good that which weakens it is bad art Religion and Ethics must

Be judged from the standpoint of Personality my criticism of Plato is directed against those philosophical systems which hold up death rather than life as their ideal systems which ignore the greatest obstruction to life namely matter and teach us to run away from it instead of absorbing it as in connection

With the question of the freedom of the ego we have to face the problem of matter similarly in connection with its immortality we have to face the problem of time bergson has taught us that time is not an infinite line in the spatial sense of the word line through which we

Must pass whether we wish it or not this idea of time is adulterated pure time has no length personal immortality is an aspiration you can have it if you make an effort to achieve it it depends on our adopting in this life modes of thought and activity which tend to

Maintain the state of tension Buddhism Persian Sufism and Allied forms of Ethics will not serve our purpose but they are not wholly useless because after periods of great activity we need opiates narcotics for some time these forms of thought and action are like knights in the days of life thus if our

Activity is directed towards the maintenance of a state of tension the shock of death is not likely to affect it after death there may be an interval of relaxation as the Quran speaks of a Barak or intermediate state which lasts until the day of Resurrection only those egos will survive this state of

Relaxation who have taken good care during the present life although life abhor repetition in its Evolution yet on bergson’s principles the resurrection of the body too as Wen Carr says is quite possible by breaking up time into moments we spatialize it and then find difficulty in getting over it the true

Nature of time is reached when we look into our Deeper Self real time is life itself which can preserve Itself by maintaining that particular state of tension or personality which it has so far achieved we are subject to time so long as we look upon time as something

Spatial spatialized time is a Fetter which life has forged for itself in order to assimilate the present environment in reality we are Timeless and it is possible to realize our timelessness even in this life this Revelation however can be momentary only three the education of the

Ego the ego is fortified by love ish this word is used in a very wide sense and means the desire to assem at to absorb its highest form is the creation of values and ideals and the Endeavor to realize them love individualizes the lover as well as the Beloved the effort

To realize the most unique individuality individualizes the seeker and implies the individuality of the sought for nothing else would satisfy the nature of the Seeker as love fortifies the ego asking Su weakens it all that is achieved without personal effort comes under sual the son of a rich man who

Inherits his father’s wealth is an asker or beggar so is everyone who thinks the thoughts of others thus in order to fortify the ego we shall cultivate love or the power of assimilative action and avoid all forms of asking such as inaction the lesson of assimilative

Action is given by the life of the Prophet at least to a muhammadin in another part of the poem I have hinted at the general principles of Muslim ethics and have tried to reveal their meaning in connection with the idea of personality the ego in its movement toward uniqueness has to pass

Through three stages a obedience to the law B self-control which is the highest form of self-consciousness or ego Hood C Divine vicegerency this Divine Vice Jency niat ilahi is the third and last stage of human development on Earth the naib viant is the viant of God on Earth he is the

Completest ego the goal of humanity the Acme of Life both in mind and body in him the Discord of our mental life becomes a Harmony the highest power is united in him with the highest knowledge in his life thought and action Instinct and reason become one he is the last

Fruit of the tree of humanity and all the trials of a painful Evolution are Justified because he is to come at the end he is the real ruler of mankind his kingdom is the kingdom of God on Earth out of the richness of his nature he lavishes the wealth of Life on others

And brings them nearer and nearer to himself the more we advance in evolution the nearer we get to him in approaching him we are raising ourselves in the scale of Life the development of humanity both in mind and body is a condition precedent to his birth for the

Present he is a mere ideal but the evolution of humanity is tending towards the production of an ideal race of more or less Unique Individuals who will become his fitting parents thus the kingdom of God on Earth means the Democracy of more or less Unique Individuals presided over by the most

Unique individual possible on this Earth n had a glimpse of this ideal race but his atheism and aristocratic prejudices marred his whole conception everyone I suppose will acknowledge that the substance of the asari is striking enough to command attention in the poem naturally this philosophy presents itself under a different aspect its

Audacity of thought and phrase is less apparent its logical brilliancy dissolves in the glow of feeling and Imagination and it wins the heart before taking possession of the Mind the artistic quality of the poem is remarkable when we consider that its language is not the author’s own I have

Done my best to to preserve as much of this as a literal Pros translation would allow many passages of the original are poetry of the kind that once read is not easily forgotten such as the description of the ideal man as a deliverer For Whom the world is waiting and the noble

Invocation which brings the book to an end like jalaludin Rumi ikbal is fond of introducing fables and apologues to relieve the argument and illustrate his meaning with more force and point than would be possible otherwise on its first appearance the asrar IUI took by storm the younger generation of Indian Muslims

Ikbal wrote one of them has come amongst us as a messiah and has stirred the Dead with life it remains to be seen in what direction the awakened Ones Will March will they be satisfied with a glorious but distant vision of the city of God or will they adapt the new doctrine to

Other ends than those which its author has in view not withstanding that he explicitly denounces the idea of nationalism his admirers are already protesting that he does not mean what he says how far the influence of his work May ultimately go I will not attempt a

Prophecy it has been said of him that he is a man of his age and a man in advance of his age he is also a man in disagreement with his age we cannot regard his ideas as typical of any section of his co-religionists they involve a radical change in the Muslim

Mind mind and their real importance is not to be measured by the fact that such a change is unlikely to occur within a calculable Time prologue when the world luming Sun rushed upon night like a brigand my weeping bedewed the face of the Rose my tears washed away sleep from the eye of the narcissist my passion wakened the grass and made it grow The Gardener taught me to sing with power he swed a verse and

Reaped a sword in the soil he planted only the seed of my tears and wo my lament with the garden as warp and woof though I am but a mo the radiant sun is mine within my bosom are aund Dawns my dust is brighter than jamshed’s

Cup it knows things that are yet unborn in the world my thought hunted down and slung from the saddle a deer that has not yet leaped forth from the covert of non-existence fair is my garden air yet the leaves are green full-blown roses are hidden in the skirt of my garment I

Struck dumb the musicians where they were gathered together I smot the heartstring of all that heard me because the loot of my genius hath a rare Melody even to comrades my song is strange I am born in the world as a new son I have not learned the ways and

Fashions of the sky not yet have the Stars fled before my Splendor not yet is my Quicksilver a stir untouched is the Sea by my dancing Rays untouched are the mountains by my Crimson Hue the eye of existence is not familiar with me I Rise trembling afraid to show

Myself from the East my Dawn arrived and routed night a fresh DW settled on the rows of the world I am waiting for the voies that rise at dawn oh happy they who shall worship my fire I have no need of the ear of today I am the voice of the poet of

Tomorrow my own age does not understand my deep meanings my Joseph is not for for this Market I despair of my old companions my Sinai Burns for the sake of the Moses who is coming their sea is silent like Dew but my Dew is Storm ridden like the

Ocean my song is of another world than theirs this bell calls other travelers to take the road how many a poet after his death opened our eyes when his own were closed and journeyed forth again from nothingness when roses blossomed over the Earth of his grave albeit Caravans have passed through this desert

They passed as a camel steps with little sound but I am a lover loud crying is my faith the clamor of Judgment Day is one of my minions my song exceeds the range of the cord yet I do not fear that my loot will break were better for the water drop not

To know my torrent whose Fury should rather Madden the sea no River will contain my Oman my flood requires whole Seas to hold it unless the bud expand into a Bed of Roses it is Unworthy of my spring Cloud’s Bounty Lightnings Slumber within my soul I sweep over mountain and

Plaine wrestle with my sea if thou art a plain receive my lightning if thou art a Sinai the Fountain of life hath been given me to drink I have been made an Adept of The Mystery of Life the speck of dust was vitalized by my burning song It unfolded wings and became a

Firefly no one hath told the secret which I will tell or threaded a pearl of thought like mine come if thou wouldest know the secret of everlasting life come if thou wouldest win both Earth and Heaven the old Guru of the sky taught me this lore I cannot hide it from my

Comrades oh saki arise and pour wine into the cup clear the vexation of time from my heart the sparkling liquor that flows from zamzam were it a beggar a king would pay homage to it it makes thought more sober and wise it makes the Keen Eye Keener it gives to a straw the

Weight of a mountain and to foxes the strength of lions it causes dust to sort to the pleades and a drop of water swell to the breadth of the sea it turns silence into the D of Judgment day it makes the foot of the Partridge red with blood of the

Hawk arise and pour pure wine into my cup pour Moonbeams into the dark night of my thought that I may lead home The Wanderer and imbue the idol looker on with Restless impatience and imbue the idol looker on with Restless impatience and Advance hotly on a new Quest and

Become known as the champion of a new spirit and be to people of insight as the pupil to the eye and sink into the ear of the world like a voice and exalt the worth of posy and sprinkle the dry herbs with my tears inspired by The

Genius of the master of room I rehearse the sealed book of secret lore his soul is the source of the Flames I am but as the spark that gleams for a moment his burning candle consumed me the moth his wine overwhelmed my goblet the master of room transmuted my Earth to gold and

Clothed my be in dust with beauty the grain of sand set forth from the desert that it might win the radiance of the sun I am a wave and I will come to rest in his sea that that I may make the glistening Pearl my

Own I who am drunken with the wine of his song will draw life from the breath of his words it was night my heart would Fain Lament The Silence was filled with my cries to God I was complaining of the Sorrows of the world and bewailing the emptiness of

My cup at last mine eye could endure no more broken with fatigue it went to sleep there appeared the master formed in the mold of Truth who wrote the Quran of Persia he said oh frenzied lover take a draft of Love’s pure wine strike the cords of thine heart and Rouse a

Tumultuous strain Dash thine head against the cupping glass and thine eye against the lanet make thy laughter the source of a hund size make the hearts of men bleed with thy tears how long wil thou be silent like a bud sell thy fragrance cheap like the

Rose tongue tide Thou Art in pain cast thyself upon the fire like Ru like the bell break silence at last and from every limb utter forth a lamentation Thou Art fire fill the world with thy glow make others burn with thy burning proclaim the secrets of the old

Wine seller be thou a surge of wine and the Crystal cup thy robe shatter the mirror of fear break the bottles in the Bazar like the Reed flute bring a message from the Reeds give to majnun a message from laa create a new style for thy song enrich the feast with thy piercing

Strains up and Up and set thy feet on another path put aside the passionate Melancholy of old become familiar with the Delight of singing oh Bell of the Caravan awake at these words my booom was ink kindled and swelled with the motion like the flute I Rose like music from the

String to prepare a paradise for the ear I unveiled The Mystery of the self and disclosed its wondrous Secret my being was as an unfinished statue uncomely worthless good for nothing love chiseled me I became a man and gained knowledge of the nature of the universe I have seen the movement of the

Senus of the sky and the blood coursing in the veins of the Moon many a night I wept for man’s sake that I might tear the veil from life’s mysteries and extract The Secret of life’s Constitution from the laboratory of phenomena I who give Beauty to this

Night like the moon am as dust in Devotion to the pure Faith Islam a faith renowned in hill and dale which Kindles in men’s hearts a flame of undying song it sowed an Adam and reaped a sun it harvested aund poets like Rumi and atar

I am a sigh I will mount to the heavens I am a breath yet I am sprung of fire driven onward by high thoughts my pen cast abroad The Secret of this Veil that the drop may become co-equal with the Sea and the grain of sand grow into

A Sahara poetizing is not the aim of this masnavi beauty worshipping and love making is not its aim I am of India Persian is not my native tongue I am like the crescent moon my cup is not not full do not seek from me charm of style

In Exposition do not seek from me kanar and Isfahan although the language of hind is sweet as sugar yet sweeter is the fashion of Persian speech my mind was enchanted by its loveliness my pen became as a twig of the burning bush because of the loftiness of my thoughts

Persian alone is suitable to them oh reader do not find fault with the wine cup but consider attentively the taste of the wine one showing that the system of the universe originates in the self and that the continuation of the life of all individuals depends on strengthening the

Self the form of existence is an effect of the self whatsoever thou seest is a secret of the self when the self awoke to Consciousness it revealed the universe of thought aund worlds are hidden in its Essence self-affirmation brings not self to light by the self the

Seed of hostility is sown in the world it imagines itself to be other than itself it makes from itself the forms of others in order to multiply the pleasure of strife it is slaying by the strength of its arm that it may become conscious of its own strength its self-deceptions are the

Essence of life like the rose it lives by bathing itself in blood for the sake of a single rose it destroys aund rose gardens and makes aund Lamentations in quest of a single Melody for one sky it produces aund new moons and for one word aund discourses the excuse for this Wast

Wastefulness and cruelty is the shaping and perfecting of spiritual Beauty the loveliness of sheerin justifies the anguish of farad The Fragrant Naval justifies aund musk deer is the fate of moths to consume in flame the suffering of moths is justified by the candle the pencil of the self limed aund today in

Order to achieve the dawn of a single marrow its Flames burned a 100 Abrahams that the lamp of one Muhammad might be lighted subject object means and causes they all exist for the purpose of action the self Rises Kindles Falls glows breathes Burns shines walks and flies the spaciousness of time is its

Arena Heaven is a billow of the Dust on its Road from its rose plant ing the world abounds in Roses Night is born of its sleep day Springs from its waking it divided its Flames into Sparks and taught the understanding to worship particulars it dissolved itself and

Created the atoms it was scattered for a little while and created the Sands then it wearied of dispersion and by reuniting itself it became the mountains is the nature of the self to manifest itself self in every atom Slumbers the might of the self power that is unexpressed and inert

Chains the faculties which lead to action in as much as the life of the universe comes from the strength of the self life is in proportion to this strength when a drop of water gets the self’s lesson by heart it makes its worthless existence a pearl wine is

Formless because itself is weak it receives a form by favor of the cup although the cup of wine assumes a form it is indebted to us for its motion when the mountain loses itself it turns into Sands and complains that the sea surges over it but the wave so long as it

Remains a wave in the Sea’s booom makes itself a rider on the Sea’s back light has been a beggar since the eye first rolled and moved to and fro in search of beauty but for as much as as the grass found a means of growth in itself its aspiration clothed the breast

Of the garden the candle too concanon itself and built itself out of atoms then it made a practice of melting itself away and fled from itself until at last it trickled down from its own eye like tears if the bezel had been more self-secure by Nature it would not

Have suffered wounds but since it derives its value from the superscription it shoulder is galled by the burden of another’s name because the Earth is firmly based on self-existence the captive moon goes round it perpetually the being of the sun is stronger than that of the earth

Therefore is the earth Bewitched by the sun’s eye the glory of the Plaine fixes our gaze the mountains are enriched by its Majesty its reignment is woven of fire its origin is one self assertive seed when life Gathers strength from the self the River of Life expands into an ocean

Two showing that the life of the self comes from forming desires and bringing them to Birth life is preserved by purpose because of the goal its Caravan Bell Tinkles life is latent in seeking its origin is hidden in desire keep desire alive in thy heart lest thy little dust become a tomb desire is the soul of this world of hue and scent the nature of everything

Is faithful to desire desire sets the heart dancing in the breast and by its glow the breast is made bright as a mirror it gives to Earth the power of soaring it is a kazir to the Moses of perception from the flame of Desire the heart takes life and

When it takes life all dies that is not true when it refrains from forming wishes its pinion breaks and it cannot soar desire is an emotion of the self it is a Restless wave of the self SE desire is a noose for hunting ideals a binder of the book of

Deeds negation of Desire is death to the living even as absence of burning extinguishes the flame what is the source of our wakeful eye our Delight in seeing hath taken visible shape the partridge’s leg is derived from the Elegance of its gate the night and Gale’s Beak from its Endeavor to

Sing away from the Reed bed the Reed became Happy the music was released from its prison why does the Mind strive after new discoveries and scale the heavens knowest thou what works this miracle his desire that enriches life and the intellect is a child of its womb what are social organization

Customs and laws what is the secret of the Novelties of science a desire which broke through by its own strength and burst forth from the heart and took shape nose hand brain Eye and Ear thought imagination feeling memory and understanding all these are weapons devised for self-preservation by him

That rides into the Battle of Life the object of science and art is not knowledge the object of the garden is not the bud and the flower science is an instrument for the preservation of life science is a means of establishing the self science and art are Servants of

Life slaves born and bred in its house rise oh thou who art strange to life’s mystery rise intoxicated with the wine of an ideal if Thou Art an ideal thou wil shine as the Dawn and be to all else as a blazing fire if Thou Art an ideal Thou

Art higher than Heaven winning captivating enchanting men’s hearts a destroyer of ancient falsehood fraught with turmoil an embodiment of the last day we live by forming ideals we glow with the sunbeams of Desire three showing that the self is strengthened by love the Luminous Point whose name is

The self is the life spark beneath our dust by love it is made more lasting more living more burning more glowing from love predes the radiance of its being and the development of its unknown possibilities its nature gathers fire from love love instructs it to illumin the world love fears neither sword nor

Dagger love is not born of water and air and Earth love makes peace and War in the world the Fountain of Life is Love’s flashing sword the hardest rocks are shivered by Love’s glance love of God at last becomes holy God learn thou to love

And seek to be loved seek an eye like Noah’s a heart like job’s transmute thy handful of Earth into gold kiss the threshold of a perfect man like roomy light thy candle and burn room in the fire of tze there is a beloved hidden within

Thine heart I will show him to thee if thou Hast eyes to see his lovers are fairer than the fair sweeter and clier and more beloved by love of him the Heart Is Made strong and Earth rubs shoulders with the ples the soil of najid was quickened by his grace and

Fell into a Rapture and Rose to the skies in the muslim’s heart is the home of Muhammad all our glory is from the name of Muhammad Sinai is but an Eddy of the Dust of his house the sanctuary of the kabah is his Dwelling Place eternity is less than a moment of

His Time Eternity receives increase from his Essence he slept on a mat of rushes but the crown of kosro was under his people’s feet he chose the nightly Solitude of Mount Hira and he founded a state and laws and government he passed many a night with Sleepless eyes in

Order that the Muslims might sleep on the throne of Persia in the hour of battle iron was melted by his sword in The Hour of Prayer tears fell like rain from his eye when he was called to Aid his sword answered amen and extricated the race of

Kings he instituted new laws in the world he brought the empires of antiquity to an end with the key of religion he opened the door of this world the womb of the world never bore his like in his sight high and low were one he sat with his Slave at one table

The daughter of the chieftain of Thai was taken prisoner in battle and brought into that exalted presence her feet in Chains unveiled and her neck bowed with shame when the prophet saw that the poor girl had no Veil he covered her face with his own Veil we are more naked than

That lady of tha we are unveiled before the nations of the world in him is our Trust on the day of judgment and in this world too he is our protector both his favor and his wrath are entirely a mercy that is a mercy to his friends and this to his

Foes he opened the gates of Mercy to his enemies he gave to Mecca the message no blame shall be laid upon you we who know not the bonds of country resemble sight which is one though it be the light of two eyes we belong to the hijaz and

China and Persia yet we are the DU of one smiling Dawn we are all under the spell of the eye of the cup Bearer from Mecca we are united as wine and cup he burnt clean away distinctions of lineage his fire consumed this trash and Rubble we are

Like a rose with many pedals but with one perfume he is the soul of this society and he is one we were the secret concealed in his heart he spake out fearlessly and we were revealed the song of love for him fills my silent read aund notes throb in my

Bosom how shall I tell what devotion he inspires a block of dry wood wept at parting from him the muslim’s being is where he manifests his glory many a siai Springs from the dust on his path my image was created by his mirror my Dawn rises from the Sun of his breast

My Repose is a Perpetual fever my evening hotter than the morning of Judgment Day He is the April cloud and I his garden my Vine is bedewed with his rain I sowed mine eye in the field of love and reaped a harvest of delight the soil of Medina is sweeter

Than both worlds oh happy the town where dwells the beloved I am lost in admiration of the style of mulah Jami his verse and Pros are a remedy for my immaturity he has written poetry overflowing with beautiful ideas and has threaded pearls and praise of the master Muhammad is the preface to the

Book of the universe all the world are slaves and he is the master from the wine of Love spring many qualities among the attributes of love is blind devotion the saint of bam who in devotion was unique abstained from eating a watermelon be a lover constant in Devotion to thy beloved that thou

Mayest cast thy noose and capture God so journ for a while on the Hira of the heart abandon self and flee to God strengthened by God return to thyself and break the heads of the lot and udah of sensuality by the might of Love evoke an

Army reveal thyself on the faran of love that the lord of the Kaba may show thee favor and interpret to thee the text lo I will appoint a vicegerent on the earth Four showing that the self is weakened by Asking oh thou who Hast gathered taxes from Lions thy need hath caused thee to become a fox in disposition thy maladies are the result of indent this disease is the source of thy pain it is robbing thine High thoughts of their dignity and putting out the light of thy Noble imagination quaff

Rosy wine from the jar of existence snatch thy money from the purse of time like Omar come down from thy camel beware of incurring obligations beware how long wilt thou sue for office and ride like children on a woman’s back a nature that fixes its Gaze on the sky

Becomes debased by receiving benefits by asking poverty is made more abject by begging the beggar is made poorer asking disintegrates the self and deprives of Illumination the Sinai Bush of the self do not scatter thy handful of dust like the moon scrape food from thine own side

Albeit Thou Art poor and wretched and overwhelmed by Affliction seek not thy daily bread from the Bounty of another seek not waves of water from the Fountain of the sun lest thou be put to shame before the prophet on the day when Every Soul shall be stricken with

Fear the moon gets sustenance from the table of the Sun and bears the brand of his bounty on her heart pray God for courage rustle with Fortune do not Sully the honor of the pure religion he who swept the rubbish of Idols out of the kabah said that God loves a man that

Earns his living woe to him that accepts Bounty from another’s table and lets his neck be bent with Benefits he hath consumed himself with the lightning of the favors bestowed on him he hath sold his honor for a poultry coin happy the man who thirsting in the

Sun does not crave of kazir a cup of water his brow is not moist with with the shame of beggar he is a man still not a piece of clay that Noble youth walks under heaven with his head erect like the pine are his hands empty the more is he master of

Himself do his fortunes languish the more alert is he the beggar’s wallet is like a boat tossing in waves of fire sweet is a little Dew gathered by one’s own hand be a man of Honor and like the bubble keep thy cup inverted even in the midst of the sea

Five showing that when the self is strengthened by love it gains dominion over the outward and inward forces of the Universe when the self is made Strong by love its power rules the whole world the Heavenly Sage who adorned the Sky with Stars plucked these buds from the the bow of the self its hand becomes God’s hand the Moon is split by its fingers it is the arbitrator in all the quarrels of

The world its command is obeyed by Darius and jamed I will tell thee a story of BU Ali whose name is renowned in India him who sang of the ancient rose garden and discoursed to us about the lovely rose the air of his fluttering skirt made a paradise of this fireborn country

His young disciple went one day to the bazaar the wine of BU Ali’s discourse had turned his head the governor of the city was coming along on Horseback his servant and staff Bearer rode beside him the Forerunner shouted oh senseless one do not get in the way of the governor’s

Escort but the dervish walked on with drooping head sunk in the sea of his own thoughts the staff Bearer drunken with pride broke his staff on the the head of the dervish who stepped painfully out of the governor’s way sad and sorry with a heavy heart he came to BU Ali and

Complained and released the tears from his eyes like lightning that falls on mountains the Sheik poured forth a fiery torrent of speech he let loose from his soul a Strange Fire he gave an order to his secretary take thy pen and write a letter from a dervish to a sultan say

Thy Governor has broken my servant’s head he has cast burning coals on his own life arrest this wicked Governor or else I will bestow thy kingdom on another the letter of the saint who had access to God caused the Monarch to tremble in every limb his body was

Filled with aches he grew as pale as the Evening Sun he sought out a handcuff for the governor and intreated bu Ali to Pardon this offense kusu the sweet voiced eloquent poet who harmonies flow from the creative mind and whose genius ha the soft Brilliance of moonlight was chosen to be the king’s

Ambassador when he entered bu Ali’s presence and played his loot his song melted the faker’s soul like glass one strain of posy bought the grace of a Majesty that was firm as a mountain do not wound the hearts of dervishes do not throw thyself into burning fire

Six a tale of which the moral is that negation of the self is a Doctrine invented by the subject races of mankind in order that by this means they may sap and weaken the character of their rulers hast thou heard that in the time of old the Sheep dwelling in a certain

Pasture so increased and multiplied that they feared no Enemy At Last from the malice of Fate their breasts were Smitten by a shaft of Calamity the Tigers sprang forth from the jungle and rushed upon the Sheepfold conquest and Dominion are signs of strength victory is the manifestation of strength those Fierce

Tigers beat the drum of sovereignty they deprived the Sheep of freedom for as much as Tigers must have their prey that metal was Crimson with the blood of the sheep one of the sheep which was clever and acute in old years cunning as a weather-beaten wolf being grieved at the

Fate of his fellows and sorely vexed by the violence of the Tigers made complaint of the course of Destiny and sought by Craft to restore his fortunes the weak man in order to preserve himself seeks devices from skilled intelligence in slavery for the sake of repelling harm the power of

Scheming becomes quickened and when The Madness of Revenge gains hold the mind of the slave meditates Rebellion ours is a hard knot said this sheep to himself the ocean of our griefs hath no Shore by force we sheep cannot escape from the tiger our legs are

Silver his paws are steel it is not possible however much one exhorts and counsels to create in a sheep the disposition of a wolf but to make the Furious tiger a sheep that is possible to make him unmindful of his nature that is possible he became as a prophet inspired

And began to preach to the bloodthirsty Tigers he cried out oh ye insolent Liars who what not of a day of ill luck that shall continue forever I am possessed of spiritual power I am an apostle sent by God for the Tigers I come as a light for the eye

That is dark I come to establish laws and give Commandments repent of your blameworthy Deeds oh plotters of evil bethink yourselves of good who so is violent and strong is miserable life’s solidity depends on self-denial the spirit of the righteous is fed by fodder the vegetarian is

Pleasing unto God the sharpness of your teeth brings disgrace upon you and makes the eye of your perception blind Paradise is for the weak alone strength is but a mean to predition it is wicked to seek greatness and glory penury is sweeter than princedom lightning does

Not threaten the corn seed if the seed become a stack it is unwise if you are sensible you will be a moat of sand not a Sahara so that you may enjoy the sunbeams oh thou that delighted in the slaughter of sheep slay thyself and thou wil have honor life is rendered unstable

By violence oppression revenge and exercise of power though trotten underf fooot the Grass Grows Up Time After Time and washes the sleep of death from its eye again and again forget thyself if Thou Art wise if thou Dost not forget thyself Thou Art mad close thine eyes close thine ears

Close thy lips that thy thought May reach the lofty sky this pasturage of the world is not not oh fool do not torment thyself for a phantom the tiger tribe was exhausted by hard struggles they had set their hearts on enjoyment of luxury this soporific advice pleased them in their stupidity they swallowed

The charm of the sheep he that used to make sheep his prey now embraced a sheep’s religion fleeing Tigers took kindly to a diet of fodder at length their tiger ish nature was broken the fod blunted their teeth and put out the awful flashings of Their Eyes by degrees courage ebbed from their

Breasts the sheen departed from the mirror that frenzy of uttermost exertion remained not that craving after action dwelt in their hearts no more they lost the power of ruling and the resolution to be independent they lost reputation Prestige and Fortune their paw that were as iron became strengthless their souls

Died and their bodies became tombs bodily strength diminished while spiritual fear increased spiritual fear robbed them of Courage lack of Courage produced aund diseases poverty pusillanimity low-m mindedness the wakeful tiger was lulled to Slumber by the Sheep’s charm he called his decline moral culture seven to the effect that Plato whose

Thought has deeply influenced the mysticism and literature of Islam followed the Sheep’s Doctrine and that we must be on our guard against his theories Plato the prime athetic and Sage was one of that ancient flock of sheep his Pegasus went astray in the darkness of philosophy and galloped over

The mountains of being he was so fascinated by the ideal that he made head Eye and Ear of no account to die said he is the secret of life the candle is glorified by being put out he dominates our thinking his cup sends us to sleep and takes the world away from

Us he is a sheep in man’s clothing the soul of the Sufi bows to his authority he soared with his intellect to the highest Heaven he called the world of phenomena a myth TW his work to dissolve the structure of life and cut the bow of life’s Fair tree

Asunder the thought of Plato regarded loss as profit his philosophy declared that being is not being his nature drowsed and created a dream his Mind’s Eye created a mirage since he was without any taste for Action his soul was enraptured by the non-existent he disbelieved in the material universe and became the creator

Of invisible ideas sweet as is the world of phenomena to the Living spirit deer is the world of ideas to the dead Spirit its gazel have no Grace of movement its partridges are denied the pleasure of walking daintily its dew drops are unable to quiver its birds have no

Breath in their breasts its seed does not desire to grow its moths do not know how to flutter our philosopher had no remedy but flight he could not endure the noise of this world he set his heart on the glow of a quenched flame and depicted a

World steeped in opium he spread his wings towards the sky and never came down to his nest again his fantasy is sunk in the jar of Heaven I know not whether it is the drags or the bricks the people were poisoned by his intoxication he slumbered and took no Delight in

Deeds eight concerning the true nature of poetry and the reform of Islamic literature is the brand of Desire makes the blood of man run warm by the lamp of Desire this dust is enkindled by desire life’s cup is brimmed with wine so that life leaps to its feet and marches

Briskly on life is occupied with Conquest alone and the one charm for Conquest is desire life is the Hunter and desire the snare desire is Love’s message to be Beauty wherefore doth desire swell continuously the base and trouble of life’s song whatsoever is good and fair and

Beautiful is our guide in the wilderness of seeking its image becomes impressed on thine heart it creates Desires in thine heart beauty is the creator of desires spring tide desire is nourished by the display of beauty is in the poet’s breast that beauty unveils is from his Sinai that Beauty’s beams arise

By his look the fair is made fairer through his enchantments nature is more beloved from his lips the Nightingale hath learned her song and his Rouge hath brightened the cheek of the Rose is his passion Burns in the heart of the moth is he that lends glowing

Hues to love Tales sea and land are hidden within his water and Clay aund new worlds are concealed in his heart tulips blossomed in his brain there was heard no note of Joy or grief his music breathes over us a wonderful enchantment his pen draws a mountain with a single

Hair his thoughts dwell with the moon and the stars he creates Beauty in that which is ugly and strange he is a kazir and amidst his darkness is the Fountain of Life all things that exist are made more living by his tears heavily we go like raw novices stumbling on the way to

The goal his nting Gale hath played a tune and laid a plot to beguile us that he may lead us into life’s paradise and that life’s bow may become a full circle Caravans March at the sound of his Bell and follow the voice of his pipe but

When his Zephyr blows in our Gardens we stay loitering amongst tulips and roses his witchery makes life develop itself and becomes self-questioning and patient he invites the whole world to his table he lavishes his fire as though it were cheap as air woe to a people that

Resigns itself to death and whose poet turns away from the joy of living his mirror shows Beauty as ugliness his honey leaves aund stings in the heart his kiss robs the rose of freshness he takes away from the nightingale’s heart the joy of flying thy senu are relaxed by his opium

Thou payest for his song with thy life he beves the Cyprus of delight in its beauty his cold breath makes a pheasant of the male Falcon he is a fish and from the breast upward a man like the sirens in the ocean with his song He enchants the

Pilot and casts the ship to the Bottom of the Sea his Melodies steal firmness from thine heart his magic persuades thee that death is life he takes from thy Soul the desire of existence he extracts from thy mind the blushing Ruby he dresses gain in the Garb of loss he

Makes everything praiseworthy blameful he plunges thee in a sea of thought he makes thee a stranger to action he is sick and by his words our sickness is increased the more his cup goes round the more sick are they that quaff of it there are no lightning reins

In his April his garden is a mirage of color and perfume his Beauty hath no dealings with truth there are none but flawed pearls in his sea Slumber he deemed sweeter than waking our fire was quenched by his breath by the chant of his night Andale the heart was poisoned

Under his heap of roses lurked a snake beware of his decanter and cup beware of his sparkling wine oh thou whom his wine hath laid low and who lookth to his glass for thy Rising Dawn oh thou whose heart hath been chilled by his Melodies thou Hast drunk deadly poison through the

Ear thy way of life is a proof of thy degeneracy the strings of thine instrument are Out Of Tune his pampered ease hath made thee so wretched a disgrace to Islam throughout the world one can bind thee with the vein of a rose one can wound thee with a zephyr

Love hath been put to shame by thy wailing his fair picture hath been fouled by thy brush thy ill usage hath paled his cheek thy coldness hath taken the glow from his fire he is heart sick from thy heart sickness and enfeebled by thy feebleness is his cup is full of

Childish tears his house is furnished with distressful size he is a drunkard begging at Tavern doors stealing glimpses of Beauty from ltis unhappy Melancholy injured kicked well nigh to death by the water wasted like a read by Sorrows on his lips a store of complaints against Heaven

Flattery and spite are the metal of his mirror helplessness his comrade of old a miserable baseborn underling without Worth or hope or object whose Lamentations have sucked the marrow from thy soul and driven off gentle sleep from thy neighbor’s eyes alas for a love whose fire is extinct a

Love that was born in the Holy place and died in the house of Idols oh if thou Hast the coin of posy in thy purse rub it on the Touchstone of Life clear seeeing thought shows the way to action as the lightning flash precedes the Thunder it behooves thee to meditate

Well concerning literature it behooves thee to go back to the Arabs thou must needs give thine heart to the Salma of Arabi that the mourn of the hijaz May Blossom from the night of Kurdistan thou Hast gathered roses from the garden of Persia and seen the spring tide of India and

Iran now taste a little of the heart of the desert drink the old wine of the date lay thine head for once on its hot breast yield thy body a while to its scorching wind for a long time thou Hast turned about on a bed of silk now

Accustom thyself to rough cotton for Generations thou Hast danced on tulips and bathed thy cheek and Dew like the Rose now throw thyself on the burning sand and plunge into the Fountain of zamzam how long wilt thou Fain lament like the night and Gale how long make

Thine Abode in gardens oh thou whose auspicious snare would do honor to the Phoenix build a nest on the high mountains a nest embosomed in lightning and thunder loftier than Eagle iy that thou mayest be fit for life’s battles that thy body and soul may burn in life’s fire

Nine showing that the education of the self has three stages obedience self-control and divine vicegerency one obedience Serv and toil are traits of the camel patience and perseverance are ways of the camel noiselessly he steps along the Sandy track he is the ship of those who Voyage in the desert every

Thicket knows the print of his foot he eats seldom sleeps little and is inured to toil he carries Rider baggage and litter he trots on and on to the Journey’s End rejoicing in his speed more patient in travel than his riter thou too do not refuse the burden of

Duty so wilt thou enjoy the best Dwelling Place which is with God Endeavor to obey oh heedless One Liberty is the fruit of compulsion by obedience the man of no worth is made worthy by Disobedience his fire is turned to ashes who so would Master the sun and stars

Let him make himself a prisoner of law the wind is enthralled by the frag Rose the perfume is confined in the navl of the musk deer the star moves towards its goal with head bowed in surrender to a law the grass Springs up in obedience to

The law of growth when it abandons that it is trodden Under Foot to burn unceasingly is the law of the Tulip and so the blood leaps in its veins drops of water become a sea by the law of Union and grains of sand become a Sahara since law makes everything strong

Within why Dost thou neglect this source of strength oh thou that art emancipated from the old custom Adorn thy feet once more with the same fine silver chain do not complain of the hardness of the law do not transgress the statutes of Muhammad two self-control thy Soul cares only for

Itself like the camel it is self-conceited self-governed and self-willed be a man get its halter into thine hand that thou mayest become a pearl albeit thou art a Potter’s vessel he that does not command himself becomes a receiver of commands from others when they molded thee of clay love and fear

Were mingled in thy making fear of this world and of the world to come fear of death fear of all the Pains of Earth and Heaven love of riches and power love of country country love of self and Kindred and wife the mixing of clay with water

Nourishes the body but he that is drowned in sin dies in evil death so long as thou holdest the staff of there is no God but he thou Wilt break every spell of fear one to whom God is as the soul in his body his neck is not bowed before

Vanity fear finds no way into his bosom his heart is afraid of none but Allah who so dwells in the Muslim faith is free from the bonds of wife and child he withdraws his gaze from all except God and lays the knife to the throat of his

Son though single he is like a host in onset life is cheaper in his eyes than wind the profession of faith is the shell but prayer is the Pearl the muslim’s heart deems prayer a lesser pilgrimage in the muslim’s hand prayer is like a dagger killing sin and forwardness and

Wrong fasting makes an assault upon hunger and thirst and breaches The Citadel of sensuality the pilgrimage enlightens the minds of the faithful it teaches separation from one’s own home and destroys attachment to one’s native land it is an act of devotion in which all feel themselves to be one it binds

Together the leaves of the book of religion almsgiving causes love of riches to pass away and makes equality familiar it fortifies the heart with righteousness it increases wealth and diminishes fondness for wealth all this is a means of strengthening thee Thou Art impregnable If thy Islam be strong

Draw might from the litany oh mighty one that thou mayest ride the camel of thy body three Divine vicegerency if thou can rule thy camel thou Wilt rule the world and wear on thine head the crown of Solomon thou Wilt be the glory of the world whilst the world lasts and thou

Wilt reign in the Kingdom Incorruptible is sweet to be God’s vicegerent in the world and exercise sway over the elements God’s vicant is as the soul of the universe his being is the shadow of the greatest name he knows the mysteries of part and whole he executes the

Command of Allah in the world when he pitches his tent in the wide world he rolls up this ancient carpet his genius abounds with life and desires to manifest itself he will bring another world into existence a hundred worlds like this world of parts and holes

Spring up like roses from the seed of his imagination he makes every raw nature ripe he puts the idols out of the sanctuary heartstrings give forth music at his touch he wakes and sleeps for God Alone he teaches Age The Melody of Youth and endows everything with the radiance

Of Youth to the human race he brings both a glad message and a warning he comes both as a soldier and as a Marshall and Prince he is the final cause of God taught Adam the names of all things he is the inmost sense of Glory to him that transported his

Servant by night his white hand is strengthened by the staff his knowledge is twinned with the power of a perfect man when that bold Cavalier seizes the Reigns The Ste of time gallops faster his awful mean makes the Red Sea dry he leads Israel out of

Egypt at his cry arise the dead Spirits rise in their Bly tomb like Pines in the field his person is an atonement for all the world by his Grandeur the world is saved his protecting shadow makes the moat familiar with the sun his Rich substance makes precious all that

Exists he bestows Life by miraculous Works he founds a new system to work by Splendid Visions rise from the print of his foot many a Moses is entranced by his Sinai he gives a new explanation of Life a new interpretation of this dream his hidden being is life’s mystery the unheard music of

Life’s harp nature travails in blood for generations to compose the harmony of his personality when our handful of Earth has reached the Zenith that champion will come forth from this dust their sleeps amidst the ashes of today the flame of a world consuming tomorrow our Bud infolds a garden of

Roses our eyes are bright with tomorrow’s Dawn appear oh Rider of Destiny appear oh light of the Dark Realm of change illumine the scene of existence dwell in the Blackness of our eyes silence the noise of the nations in Paradise our ears with thy music arise

And tune the harp of Brotherhood give us back the cup of the wine of Love bring once more days of peace to the world give a message of peace to them that seek battle mankind are the cornfield and thou the Harvest Thou Art the goal of life’s Caravan the leaves are scattered by

Autumn’s Fury oh do thou pass over our Gardens as the spring receive from our downcast brows the homage of little children and of young men and old when thou art there we will lift up our heads content to suffer the burning fire of this world 10 setting forth the inner meanings of

The names of Ali Ali is the first Muslim and the king of men in love’s eyes Ali is The Treasure of the faith Devotion to his family inspires me with life so that I am as a shining Pearl like the narcissist I am en raptured with gazing

Like perfume I am straying through his pleasure Garden if holy water gushes from my Earth he is the source if wine pours from my grapes he is the cause I am dust but his son hath made me as a mirror song can be seen in my breast from Ali’s face the prophet drew

A fair Omen by his majesty the true religion is glorified his Commandments are the strength of Islam all things pay allegiance to his house the Apostle of God gave him the name bu turab God in the Quran called him the hand of Allah everyone that is acquainted with

Life’s mysteries knows what is the inner meaning of the names of Ali the dark clay whose name is the body our reason is ever beoning its iniquity on account of it our Sky reaching thought plods over the Earth it makes our eyes blind in our ears deaf it hath in its hand a

Two-edged sword of lust traveler’s heart are broken by this brigand Ali the lion of God subdued the body’s clay and transmuted this dark Earth to Gold mortaza by whose sword the Splendor of Truth was revealed is named Bu turab from his conquest of the body man wins territory by prowess and

Battle but his brightest jewel is Mastery of himself whosoever in the world becomes bab turns back the son from the West whosoever Saddles tightly the Steed of the body sits like the bezel on the Seal of sovereignty here the might of kar is under his feet and Hereafter his hand

Will distribute the water of kutar through self- knowledge he acts as God’s hand and in virtue of being God’s hand He reigns over all his person is the Gate of the city of the Sciences Arabia China and Greece are subject to him if thou wouldest drink clear wine

From thine own grapes thou must needs wield authority over thine own Earth to become Earth is the Creed of a moth to be a conqueror of Earth that alone is worthy of a man Thou Art soft as a rose become hard as a stone that thou mayest be the

Foundation of the wall of the garden build thy clay into a man build thy man into a world if Thou Art unfit to be either a wall or a door someone else will make bricks of thine earth oh thou who complain of the cruelty of Heaven thou whose glass cries out against the

Injustice of the stone how long this wailing and crying and lamentation how long this Perpetual beating of thy breast the pth of life is contained in action to Delight in creation is the law of life arise and create a new world wrap thyself in Flames be in Abraham to comply with this ill-starred

World is to fling away thy buckler on the field of battle the man of strong character who is master of himself will find Fortune complacent if the world does not comply with his humor he will try the hazard of War With Heaven he will dig up the foundations of the

Universe and cast its atoms into a new mold he will subvert the course of time and wreck the Azure firmament by his own strength he will produce a new world which will do his pleasure if one cannot live in the world as Bes seems a man it

Is true life to give up one’s Soul he that hath sound intelligence will prove his strength by great Enterprises is sweet to use love in hard tasks and like Abraham to gather roses from flames the potentialities of men of action are displayed in Willing Acceptance of what

Is difficult mean Spirits have no weapon but spite this is their one rule of life but life is power made manifest and its mainspring is the desire for victory Mercy out of season is a coldness of life’s blood a break in the rhythm of life’s music whoever is sunk in the

Depths of ignominy calls his weakness contentment weakness is the plunderer of Life its womb is teeming with fears and lies its soul is empty of Virtues its milk is a fattening for vices oh man of sound judgment beware this spoiler is lurking in Ambush be not

His dupe if Thou Art wise chameleon like he changes color every moment even by Keen observers his form is not discerned veils are thrown over his face now he is muffled in pity and gentleness now he wears the cloak of humility sometimes he is disguised as a victim of Oppression sometimes as one

Whose sins are to be excused he appears in the shape of self-indulgence and robs the strong man’s Heart of Courage strength is the twin of truth if thou knowest thyself strength is the truth revealing glass life is the seed and power the crop power explains the mystery of Truth

And falsehood the false claimant if he be possessed of power needs no argument for his claim falsehood derives from Power the authority of Truth and by falsifying truth deems itself true its creative word transforms poison into nectar it says to good thou art bad and good becomes

Evil oh thou that art heedless of the trust committed to thee esteem thyself super ior to both worlds gain knowledge of life’s mysteries be a tyrant ignore all except God oh man of understanding open thine eyes ears and lips if then thou seest not the way of Truth laugh at

Me 11 story of a young man of MV who came to the Saint Ali Hui God have mercy on him and complained that he was oppressed by his enemies the saint hir was venerated by the peoples and Pi e sanjar visited his tomb as a pilgrim with ease he broke

Down the mountain barriers loss and sold 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 honor of the Quran the house of falsehood fell in

Ruins at his gate days the dust of the Punjab was brought to life by his breath or Dawn was made Splendid by his son he was a lover and with all a courier of love the secrets of Love Shone forth from his brow I will tell a story of his

Perfection and enclose a whole Rose bed in a single Bud a young man Cypress tall came from the town of MV to lore he went to see the venerable saint that that the sun might dispel his Darkness I am hemmed in he said by foes

I am as a glass in the midst of stones do thou teach me oh sire of heavenly rank how to lead my life amongst enemies the wise director in whose nature 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 when the stone was anxious on account of the glass it became glass and got into the way of breaking if the traveler thinks himself weak he delivers his soul unto the brigand how long wil thou regard thyself

As water and Clay 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 thine friend his existence crowns thee with Glory 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 raincloud he awakens its potentialities If thy Spirit be strong the stones in thy way are as water what reeks the torrent of the ups and downs of the road the sword of resolution is wetted 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 when thou makest thyself strong with self thou wil destroy the world at thy pleasure if thou wouldest pass away

Become free of self if thou wouldest live become full of self what is death to become oblivious to self 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 I will explain the matter by means of stories I will open the bud by the power of my breath is better that a Lover’s secret should be told by the lips of others 12 story of the bird that was faint with thirst a bird was faint with thirst 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 he got no moisture from the gem he pecked at it with his beak but it it did not wet his pallet oh thall of vain desire said the diamond thou Hast sharpened thy greedy beak on me but I am not a DW drop I give

No drink I do not live for the sake of others wouldest 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 the bird won not his heart wish

From the diamond and turned away from the sparkling Stone disappointment swelled in his breast the song in his throat became a whale Upon A Rose twig a drop of dew gleamed like the tear in a night and Gale’s eye all its glitter was owing to

The sun it was trembling in fear of the Sun a Restless skyborn star that had dropped for a moment from desire to be seen of 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 the Dew Drop trickled into his mouth oh thou that wouldest deliver thy soul from enemies I asked thee art thou a drop of water or a jam when the bird melted in the fire of

Thirst it appropriated the life of another the drop was not solid and gemlike the diamond had a being the drop had none never for an instant neglect self-preservation be a diamond not a dew drop be massive in nature like mountains and bear on thy crust aund 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 13 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 mind said to the diamond oh thou entrusted with splendors Everlasting we are comrades and our being is one 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 my darkness illumines the shaing dish then my substance is incinerated at last everyone puts the soul of his foot on my

Head and covers my stock of existence with ashes my fate must needs be deplored 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 splendors rise

From every side of thee now thou becomes the light of a Monarch’s eye now thou Adorn the halft of a dagger oh said Jus friend said the diamond dark earth when hardened becomes in dignity as a buzzel having been at stripe with its environment it is ripened by the struggle and grows hard

Like a stone is this ripeness that has endowed my form with light and filled my bosom with Radiance because thy being is immature thou Hast become a base because thy body is soft Thou Art burnt 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 which puts forth its head in the kabah 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 14 story of the Sheik and the Brahman followed by a conversation between ganji and Himalaya to the effect that the continuation of social life depends on firm attachment to the characteristic traditions of the community at benas lived a venerable Brahman 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 his intellect moved on a level with the pleades his nest was as high as that of dianka

Sun and moon were cast like Ru on the flame of his thought for a long time he labored and sweated but philosophy brought no wine to his cup although he set many a snare in The Gardens of learning his snares never caught a glimpse of the ideal bird and not

Withstanding that the nails of his thought were dabbled with blood the knot of being and not being remained untied the size on his lips bore witness to his despair his countenance told Tales of his distraction one day he visited an excellent Sheik a man who had in his

Breast a heart of gold the Sheik laid the Seal of Silence on his lips while he lent his ear to the Sage’s discourse then he said oh 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 oh Sky traveler 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 oh inheritor of ancient culture

Turn not thy back on the path thy father’s Tred 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 Thou Art far from AAR and I from Abraham our majnun hath not fallen into Melancholy for his Lis sake he ha not become perfect in The Madness of love when the lamp of self expires what is the use of Heaven’s surveying imagination once son of time laying hold

Of the skirt of the mountain ganis said to Himalaya oh thou mantled in snow since the mourn of creation thou whose form is girdled with streams God made thee a partner in the secrets of heaven but deprived thy foot of graceful gate he took away from Thee the power to walk

What avails this Sublimity and stateliness life Springs from Perpetual movement motion constitutes the w whole existence 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 aund rivers like thee this

Graceful gate of thine is an instrument of death who so goeth from self is meat to die thou Hast no knowledge of thine own case thou exalted in thy Misfortune thou art a fool oh born of the womb of the revolving sphere a fallen in bank is

Better than thou thou Hast made thine existence and offering to the ocean thou Hast thrown the rich purse of thy life to the highway man be self-contained like the rose in the garden do not go to the Florest in order to smell sweet to live is to grow in thyself 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 pleads sank to rest under my skirts 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 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 Endeavor to Surge and rustle with the sea desire the water of a jewel become a jewel be an eardrop Adorn a beauty oh expand thyself move swiftly be a cloud that shoots lightning and shed a flood

Of rain let the ocean sue for thy storms as a beggar let it complain of the straightness of thy skirts let it deem itself less than a wave and glide along at thy feet 15 showing that the purpose of the muslim’s life is to exalt the word of

Allah and that the Jihad the war against unbelievers if it be prompted by land hunger is unlawful in the religion of Islam imbue thine heart with the tinure of Allah give honor and glory to love the muslim’s nature prevails by means of love the Muslim 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 how shall a man believe this saying 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 Jin by the most truthful of witnesses leave words and seek that spiritual State shed the light of God over the darkness of works albe it 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 that his Glory may be made manifest by thee peace becomes an evil if its object be ought else war is good if its object is God if God be

Not exalted by our swords War dishonors the people the holy shik M Mir W by the light of whose Soul every hidden thing was revealed his feet were firmly planted on the path of Muhammad he was a flute for the impassioned music of love his tomb keeps our city safe from harm

And causes the beams of True Religion to shine on us Heaven stooped its bow to his threshold the Emperor of India was one of his disciples now this Monarch had sown the seed of ambition in his heart and was resolved on Conquest the Flames of vain desire were

A light in him he was teaching his sword to ask is there anymore in the decken he was a great noise of War his army stood on the battlef field he went to the Sheik of Heaven High dignity that he might receive his Blessing the Muslim turns from this world to God and

Strengthens policy with prayer the Sheik made no answer to the emperor’s speech the Assembly of dervishes was all ears until a disciple in his hand a silver coin opened his lips and broke the silence saying accept this poor offering from me oh guide of them that have lost

The way to God my limbs were bathed in sweat and labor before I put away a Durham in my skirt the Sheik said this money ought to be given to our Sultan who is a beggar wearing the reignment of a king though he holds sway over sun moon and stars

Our emperor is the most penniless of mankind 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 indent 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 both the Royal troops and those of the enemy are cloven in Twain

By The Sword of his hunger the Beggars hung consumes his own soul but the Sultan’s hunger destroys State and religion who so shall draw the sword for anything except Allah his sword is sheathed in his own Breast 16 precepts written for the Muslims of India by Mir naat nak Shaban who is generally known as Baba sahi oh th thou that Hast grown from Earth like a rose thou too art born of the womb of self do not abandon self persist therein be a drop of water and

Drink up the ocean glowing with the light of self as Thou Art make self strong and thou Wilt endure thou get us profit from this trade thou gainst riches by preserving this commodity thou Hast being and art thou afraid of not being oh fool one thy understanding is at fault since I am

Acquainted with the harmony of life I will tell thee what is the secret of life to sink into thyself like the Pearl than to emerge from thine inward Solitude to collect Sparks beneath the ashes and become a flame and Dazzle men’s eyes go burn the house of 40 years

Tribulation move round thyself be a circling flame what is life but to be freed from moving round others and regard thyself as the Holy Temple beat thy wings and escape from the attraction of Earth like birds be safe from falling unless thou art a bird thou Wilt do wisely not to

Build thy nest on the top of a cave oh thou that seekest to acquire knowledge I say over to thee the message of the sage of room knowledge if it lie on thy skin is a snake knowledge if thou take it to heart is a friend hast thou heard how the master of

Room gave lectures on philosophy at Aleppo fast in the bonds of intellectual proofs drifting over the dark and stormy sea of understanding a Moses unilluminated by Love’s Sinai ignorant of love and of Love’s passion he discoursed on skepticism and neoplatonism and strung many a brilliant pearl of metaphysic he unraveled the

Problems of the parapatics the light of his his thought made clear whatever was obscure heaps of books lay around and in front of him and on his lips was the key to all their Mysteries Sams EAB directed by Kamal sought his way to the College of

Jalaludin Rumi and cried out what is all this noise and babble what are all these syllogisms and judgments and demonstrations peace oh fool exclaimed the mavi Do Not Laugh at the doctr of the sages get thee out of my college this is argument and discussion what

Hast thou to do with it my discourse is beyond thy understanding it will not brighten the glass of thy perception these words increased the anger of shami T and caused a fire to burst forth from his soul the lightning of his look fell on the earth and the

Glow of his breath made the dust spring into flames the spiritual fire burned the intellectual stack and clean consumed the book of philosophy theal being a stranger to Love’s Miracles and unversed in love’s harmonies cried how didst thou Kindle this fire which hath burned the books of the philosophers the Sheik answered oh

Unbelieving Muslim this is vision and ecstasy what hast thou to do with it my state is beyond thy thought my flame is the alchemist’s elixir thou Hast drawn thy substance from the snow of philosophy The Cloud of thy thought sheds nothing but hailstones Kindle a fire in thy Rubble

Foster a flame in thy Earth the muslim’s knowledge is perfected by spiritual fervor the meaning of Islam is renounce what shall pass away when Abraham escaped from the bondage of that which sets he set unhe hurt in the midst of flames thou Hast cast knowledge of God behind thee and squandered thy religion

For the sake of a loaf Thou Art hot in pursuit of antimony Thou Art unaware of the Blackness of thine own eye seek the Fountain of Life from The sword’s Edge and the river of paradise from the dragon’s mouth demand the Black Stone from the door of the House of idols and

The musk deer’s bladder from a Mad Dog but do not seek the glow of love from the knowledge of today do not seek the nature of truth from this infidel cup long have I been running to and fro learning the secrets of the new knowledge its gardeners have put me to

The trial and have made me intimate with their roses roses tulips rather that warn one not to smell them like paper roses a mirage of perfume since this Garden ceased to enthrall me I have nested on the paradisal tree modern knowledge is the greatest blind Idol worshiping Idol

Selling Idol making making Shackled In the prison of phenomena it has not over leaped the limits of the sensible it has fallen down and crossing the bridge of life it has laid the knife to its own throat having fire it is yet cold as the Tulip having flame it is yet cold as

Hail its nature remains Untouched by the glow of love it is ever engaged in a joyless search love is the Plato that heals the sicknesses of the Mind the mind’s melan col is cured by its lcet the whole world bows in adoration to love love is the Mahmud that conquers the sth of

Intellect modern science lacks this old wine in its cup its nights are not louded with passionate prayer thou Hast misprised thine own Cyprus and deemed tall the Cyprus of others like the Reed thou Hast emptied thyself of self and given thine heart to the music of others oh thou that begest

Morsels from another’s table wilt thou seek thine own kind in another’s shop the Muslims Feast is burned up by the lamps of strangers his mosque is consumed by the Christian Monastery when the deer fled from the sacred territory of Mecca the Hunter’s Arrow pierced her side the leaves of the

Rose are scattered like its scent oh thou that Hast fled from thyself come back to it oh Trustee of the wisdom of the find thy lost Unity again we who keep the Gate of the Citadel of Islam have become unbelievers by neglecting the watch word of Islam the ancient sakis bowl is

Shattered the wine party of the hijaz is broken up the kabah is filled with our Idols infidelity mocks at our Islam our Sheik hath gambled Islam away for love of idols and made a rosary of the zunar our spiritual directors owe their rank to their white hairs and are the

Laughing stock of children in the street their hearts bear no impress of the faith but house the idols of sensuality every long-haired fellow wears the Garb of a dervish alas for these traffickers in religion day and night they are traveling about with disciples and ignoring their religious duties their

Eyes are without light like the narcissists their breasts devoid of spiritual wealth preachers and stiffs all worship worldliness alike The Prestige of the pure religion is ruined our preacher fixed his eyes on the Pagoda and the Muti of the faith sold his decision after this o friends what are

We to do our guide turns his face towards the wine Housee 17 time is a sword green be the pure grave of shafii whose Vine hath cheered a whole world his thought plucked a star from Heaven he named time a cutting sword how shall I say what is the secret of this sword all its Brilliance is derived from Life its owner is exalted

Above hope and fear his hand is whiter than the hand of Moses at one stroke thereof water gushes from from The Rock and the Sea becomes land from Dar of moisture Moses held this sword in his hand therefore he wrought more than man May contrive he

Clothed the Red Sea asunder and made its Waters like dry Earth the arm of Ali the Conqueror of cayar Drew its strength from this same sword the revolution of the sky is visible the change of day and night is perceived look oh thou enthralled by yesterday and tomorrow behold another

World in thine own heart thou Hast swn the seed of darkness in thy clay thou Hast imagined time as a line thy thought measures length of time with the measure of Night and Day thou makest this line a girdle on thine Infidel waste Thou Art an Advertiser of falsehood like Idols

Thou wart The Elixir and thou Hast become a peck of dust thou W born the conscience of Truth and thou Hast become lie art thou a Muslim then cast off this girdle be a candle to the Feast of the religion of the free knowing not the origin of time Thou Art ignorant of

Everlasting life how long wil thou be a thall of Night and Day learn the mystery of time from the words I have a time with God phenomena arise from the march of time life is a part of the contents of time’s Consciousness the cause of time is not

The revolution of the sun time is Everlasting but the sun does not last forever time is joy and sorrow festival and fast time is The Secret Of Moonlight and sunlight thou Hast extended time like space and distinguished yesterday from Tomorrow thou Hast fled like a scent

From thine own garden thou Hast made thy prison with thine own hand our time which has neither beginning nor end blossoms from the flower bed of our mind to know its root quickens the living with new life its being is more Splendid than the

Dawn life is of time and time is of Life do not abuse time was the command of the Prophet oh the memory of those days when Time sword was allied with the strength of our hands we sowed the seed of religion in men’s hearts and unveiled

The face of Truth our nails tore loose the knot of the this world our Bowing in prayer gave blessings to the Earth from the jar of Truth we made Rosy wine gush forth we charged against the ancient taverns oh thou in whose cup is old wine

A wine so hot that the glass is well nigh turned to water wilt thou in thy pride and arrogance and self-conceit taunt us with our emptiness our cup too hath graced the Symposium our breast hath owned a spirit a new age hath been endued with our

Beauty and hath risen from the dust of our feet our blood hath watered God’s Harvest all worshippers of God are our debtors the Tak beir was our gift to the world kabas were built of our clay by means of us God taught the Quran from our hand he dispensed his Bounty

Although crown and signant have passed from us do not look with contempt in our beggar liness in thine eyes we are good for nothing thinking all old thoughts despicable we have honor from there is no God but Allah we are the preservers of the universe freed from the vexation

Of today and tomorrow we have pledged ourselves to love one we are the conscience hidden in God’s heart We Are The Heirs of Moses and Aaron Sun and Moon are still bright with our Radiance lightning flashes still lurk in our Cloud our Essence is the mirror of the

Divine Essence the muslim’s being is one of the signs of God 18 an invocation oh thou that art as the soul in the body of the universe Thou Art our soul and thou art ever fleeing from us thou breathes music into life’s loot Life envies Death when death is for thy

Sake once more bring comfor Comfort to our sad Hearts once more dwell in our breasts once more let us hear thy call to honor strengthen our weak love we are of complaining of Destiny Thou Art of great price and we of not hide not thy Fair face from the empty-handed sell

Cheap the love of Solomon and belal give us the sleepless eye and the passionate heart give us again the nature of quicksilver show unto us one of thy manifest son signs that the necks of our enemies may be bowed make this chaff a mountain crested

With fire burn with our fire all that is not God when the people let the clue of unity go from their hands they fell into a 100 mazes we are dispersed like stars in the world though of the same family we are strange to one another bind again these scattered

Leaves revive the law of love take us back to serve thee as of old commit thy cause to them that love thee we are Travelers give us devotion as our goal give us the strong faith of Abraham make us know the meaning of there is no God

Make us acquainted with the mystery of except Allah I who burn like a candle for the sake of others teach myself to weep like the candle oh God a tear that is heart enkindling passion full rung forth by pain peace consuming may I sew in the garden and may it grow

Into a fire that washes away the fire brand from the tulip’s robe my heart is with yester Eve my eye is on tomorrow amidst the company I am alone everyone fancies he is my friend but my secret thoughts have not escaped from my heart oh where in the wide world is my

Comrade I am the bush of Si where is my Moses I am tyranus I have done many a wrong to myself I have nourished a flame in my bosom a flame that seized the furniture of judgment and cast fire on the skirt of discretion and lessened with Madness the reason and burned up

The existence of knowledge its Blaze enthrones the Sun in the sky and Lightnings encircle it with adoration forever my eye felt weeping like Dew since I was entrusted with that hidden fire I taught the candle to burn openly while I myself burned unseen by the world’s eye at last Flames breathed from

Every hair of me fire dropped from the veins of my thought my Nightingale picked up the spark grains and created a fire tempered song is the breast of this age without a heart majnon trembles lest laila’s Howa be empty it is not easy for the candle to throb

Alone ah is there no moth worthy of me how how long shall I wait for one to share my grief how long must I search for a confidant oh thou whose face lends light to the moon and the stars withdraw thy fire from my soul take back what thou

Hast put in my breast remove the stabbing Radiance from my mirror or give me one old comrade to be the mirror of mine all Burning Love in the sea wave tosses side by side with wave each have a partner in its emotion in heaven star consorts with star and the bright moon

Lays her head on the knees of Knight morning touches night’s dark side and today throws itself against tomorrow one River loses its being in another a waft of air dies in perfume there is dancing in every nook of the wine housee madman dances with mad

Man how be it in thine Essence Thou Art single thou Hast Reed out for thyself a whole world I am as the Tulip of the field in the midst of a company I am alone I beg of thy Grace a sympathizing friend an adapt in the mysteries of my

Nature a friend endowed with Madness and wisdom one that knoweth not the Phantom of vain things that I may confide my lament to his soul and see again my face in his heart His Image I will mold of my own clay I will be to him both Idol and Worshipper that

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