| ALI is the first Muslim and the King of men, |
995 |
| 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 narcissus, I am entraptured with gazing: |
| Like perfume, I am straying though his pleasure garden. |
970 |
| 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 sun hath made me as a mirror: |
| Song can be seen in my breast. |
| From Ali's face the Prophet drew many a fair omen, |
975 |
| 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 Koran called him "the Hand of Allah." |
980 |
| Every one 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 be moaning its iniquity. |
| On avvount of it our sky-reaching thought plods over the earth; |
985 |
| It makes our eyes blind and our cars deaf. |
| It hath in its hand a two-edge sword of lust: |
| Travelers' hearts are broken by this brigand. |
| Ali, the Lion of God, subdued the body's clay |
| And transmuted this dark earth to gold. |
990 |
| Murtaza, by whose sword the splendour of Truth was revealed, |
| Is named Bu Turab from his conquest of the body.79 |
| Man wins territory by prowess in battle, |
| But his brightest jewel is masters of himself. |
| Whosoever in the world become a Bu Turab |
995 |
| Turns back the sun from the west;80 |
| Whosoever saddles tightly the seed of the body |
| Sits like the bezel on the seal of sovereignty: |
| Here the might of Khaibar is under his feet,81 |
| And hereafter his hand will distribute the water of Kauthar.82 |
1000 |
| 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.83 |
| Arabia, China, and Greece are subject to him. |
| If thou wouldst drink clear wine from thine own grapes. |
1005 |
| Thou must needs wield authority over thine own earth. |
| To become earth is the creed of a moth: |
| 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 mayst be the foundation of the wall of the garden! |
1010 |
| Build thy clay into a Man, |
| Build thy Man into a World |
| Unless from thine own earth thou build - thine own wall or door. |
| Someone else will make bricks of thine earth. |
| O thou who complaints of the cruelty of Heaven, |
1015 |
| 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 pith of Life is contained in action, |
| The delight in creation is the law of Life. |
1020 |
| Arise and create a new world! |
| Wrap thyself in flames, be an Abraham!84 |
| To comply with this world which does not favour thy purposes |
| Is to fling away thy buckler on the field of battle. |
| The man of strong character who is master of himself |
1025 |
| Will find Fortune complaisant. |
| If the world does not comply with his humour, |
| 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 mould. |
1030 |
| 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 be seems a man, |
1035 |
| Then it is better to die like the brave. |
| He that hath a sound heart |
| Will prove his strength by great enterprises. |
| ' Tis sweet to use love in hard tasks |
| And, like Abraham, to gather roses from flames 85 |
1040 |
| The potentialities of men of action |
| Are displayed in willing acceptance of what is difficult. |
| Mean spirits have no weapon but resentment, |
| Life has only one law. |
| Life is power made manifest, |
1045 |
| And its mainspring is the desire for victory. |
| Mercy out of season is a chilling of Life's blood, |
| A break in the rhythm of Life's music. |
| Whoever is sunk in the depths of ignomity |
| Calls his weakness contentment. |
1050 |
| Weakness is the plunderer of Life, |
| Its womb is teeming with fears and lies. |
| Its soul is empty of virtues, |
| Vices fatten on its milk. |
| O man of sound judgment, beware! |
1055 |
| This spoiler is lurking in ambush |
| Be not its dupe, if thou art wise: |
| Chameleon-like, it changes colour every moment. |
| Even by keen observers its form is not discerned |
| Veils are thrown over its face. |
1060 |
| Now it is muffled in pity and gentleness, |
| Now it wears the cloak of humanity. |
| Some times it is disguised as compulsion, |
| Sometimes as excusability. |
| It appears in the shape of self-indulgence |
1065 |
| 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. |
1070 |
| A 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. |
1075 |
| It says to good, "Thou art bad," and Good becomes Evil. |
| O thou that art heedless of the trust committed to thee, |
| Esteem thyself superior to both worlds86! |
| Gain knowledge of Life's mysteries! |
| Be a tyrant! Ignore all except God ! |
1080 |
| O man of understanding, open thine eyes, ears, and lips !87 |
| If then thou seest not the Way of Truth, laugh at me! |
