How a king was enraged with his boon-companion, and an intercessor interceded on behalf of the object of (the king's) anger and begged the king (to pardon the
offender); and how (when) the king accepted his intercession, the boon-companion resented the action of the intercessor and asked, “Why did
you intercede?”
A king
was
enraged with a boon-companion and was about to reduce him to smoke and
dust. The king drew his sword from
the scabbard that
he might inflict upon him
the
punishment for that disobedience.
2935. No one
had the courage
to utter a word
nor any intercessor to
venture on intercession, Except
one amongst the
courtiers named
‘Imádu ’l-Mulk, (who was) privileged in respect of intercession, like Mustafá (Mohammed).
He sprang up and at once
prostrated himself: the
king immediately put away
from his hand the sword
of
vengeance,
And said, “If he is the (very) Devil,
I forgive him; and if he has
done a satanic
deed, I cover it up. Since
you have intervened, I am satisfied,
(even) if the culprit
has committed a hundred
acts of harm.
2940. I can break (annul) a hundred thousand angers, seeing that you have such excellence and such worth;
(But) nowise can
I break (annul) your supplication, because your supplication is
assuredly my
supplication.
(Even) if he had thrown earth
and heaven into confusion, this man
would not have escaped from
(my) vengeance;
And if (the
whole world) atom by
atom had become a suppliant (for his release), he would not have
saved his head from
the sword at this moment.
We confer no obligation on you (by this), O noble one; but
(on the contrary) it is (only) to
explain your honour (the honour in which I hold thee), O boon-companion.
2945. You didst not make this (intercession),
for assuredly I made it, O
you whose qualities are buried in my qualities.
In this (matter)
you art the one
employed to do the
work, not the (prime) doer (of it),
inasmuch
as you art
borne by me and
art
not (yourself) the
bearer.
You have become (the instrument of my action,
according to the text)
You didst not throw when you threwest: like the foam, you have abandoned yourself in the wave.
You have become ‘not’; (now)
take up your abode beside ‘except.’ This is wonderful, that
you art both a prisoner
and a prince.
You didst not give what
you gavest: the king gave it. He alone is. God best
knoweth the right
course.”
2950. And the
boon-companion who had been
delivered from the
stroke of
calamity was offended with
this intercessor and drew
back from (his
former) fealty.
He cut off
all (relations of) friendship with
that sincere man, and
turned his face to the wall in order
that he might
not give (him) the
salaam.
He became estranged from
his intercessor; in astonishment at
this the people began
to talk,
Saying, “(If)
he
is not mad, how did he cut off friendly
relations with the
person who redeemed his life?
He (the intercessor)
redeemed (saved) him from beheading at
that moment: he (the culprit)
ought to have become
the dust of his
(the intercessor's) shoe.
2955. He has
gone the reverse
way and has taken (the course
of) renouncing (his
friend): he has taken to cherishing enmity
against a beloved
like this.”
Then a certain mentor
reproached him, saying, “Why are you
acting so unjustly towards a loyal friend?
That elect beloved redeemed your life
and saved you
from beheading at
that moment.
If he had
done evil (towards you), you
ought not to have
turned away (from him;
but) that praiseworthy friend was especially your benefactor.”
He replied, “Life is freely given for the king's sake: why should he come as an intercessor
between (us)?
2960. At that moment
mine was (the state
described by the words)
—‘I am with God in a
state wherein no
chosen prophet
is
my peer.’
I desire no mercy but
the blows of the king; I desire
no refuge except
that king.
I have
naughted all besides the king for the
reason that I have devoted myself to the king. The king, if he
behead me in his wrath, will bestow on me sixty other
lives.
It is my business to
hazard (and lose) my head
and to be selfless; it
is the business of my
sovereign king to give (me) a (new)
head.”
2965. Honour to the head that is severed by the King's
hand! Shame on the head that betakes
itself to another!
The night
which the King in his wrath
covered with pitch
(pitchy darkness) holds
in disdain a
thousand days of festival.
Verily, the circumambulation performed by him who beholds the King is above
wrath and grace
and infidelity and religion.
Not one
word (capable of)
expressing it has (ever)
come into the world, for it is
hidden,
hidden, hidden,
Inasmuch as
these glorious names and words were manifested
from the reel (uttered
from the mouth) of
Adam.
2970. He (God) taught (him) the names was an Imám (an infallible authority) for Adam;
but
(the
teaching was) not in the garb
of (letters
such as) ‘ayn and lám.
When he put on
his head the cap of water
and clay, those spiritual names
became black-faced, For
they assumed the
veil of letters and breath,
(only) in order
that the essential
reality might (gradually) be made
manifest to the water
and clay.
Although from one point of view speech is a revealer, yet from ten points of view it is a curtain
and concealer.
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