Original content

English translation

It is clearly written in the tales That Abraham the Prophet was such That he had forty thousand slaves And a dog under the command of each slave. All their collars were golden, but Counting his sheep was impossible. The angels cast their eyes on his affairs, And fell into doubt regarding him, Thinking, 'He is occupied with so many sheep, While God says he is pure and exalted. If he is absorbed in the Majestic Lord, He would not abandon such a friend as this friend.' The Truth (God) said to Gabriel the Trustworthy, 'Arise, Sharpen your tongue with a voice before him, So that you may see how he is on Our path, And what you see of him before Our court.' When the Holy Spirit became perceptible as a man, He said 'Holy' (Quddus) with a melodious voice. When the Friend of God (Abraham) heard his voice, You would say that proud one fell off his feet. He bestowed upon him a third of the sheep, And said to him, 'O cure for the suffering! Say the name of my Friend once more, For this name is constantly my sorrow-dispeller.' The Holy Spirit said it once more, And again he fell on the path out of longing. That crown of the exalted ones bestowed upon him The second third of the sheep. He said, 'Say the name of the Truth one more time, For there is no work better than this.' Once again he said 'Holy' with a loud voice, And again he fell unconscious as before. He bestowed upon him all the sheep at once, Not keeping back even as much as a ewe. Gabriel came forward and said, 'O pure one! I am the Holy Spirit in the world of dust. These sheep are not fitting for me, They are all yours, O pure and immaculate one, For Gabriel the Trustworthy in no respect Has ever desired roasted meat.' The Friend (Abraham) said to him, 'Are you aware of this secret, That what I have given, I do not take back from anyone?' Gabriel said to him, 'I am not fit to be A shepherd; I am going now, you know best.' The Friend said to him, 'I too have left all this Completely behind, just as you fearlessly left it.' An address came from the Truth to the angels: 'Behold, how was Abraham an owner? For when Gabriel called Our name, He sacrificed all his wealth in Our name. Are you certain now that he is nothing but a servant, Living by Us, not living by wealth?' The angels replied, 'O Lord! Perhaps his heart finds life in his son.' Then the Truth, through his dream, Addressed him to submit to sacrificing his son. When he brought his son for sacrifice, He made the earth turn like the sky. A cry and shout rose from the angels, 'He is free from wealth and children! But his security lies in himself, That life is far greater than all.' Such a decree passed from the unseen knowledge, That they would put him in the fire for a test. Finally, when he was caught in the fire, Gabriel entered from the peak of secrets, Saying, 'Behold, ask for whatever need you have.' He said to him, 'I have no need, for I have no helper [but Him]. If I seek my needs from other than Him, Then I would be among the strangers to this court. I am free from sorrow; hear the true word: God knows and will do whatever He wishes.' When the angels saw his station, They raised a cry out of his truthfulness: 'O God, he is pure of body and pure of soul, In whatever You tested him, he is more than that. We saw such gentleness in Your decree, That the fire grew cold from his warm love. Hell became paradise from his heart, Hail to the friendship that became his yield! If You call him Your Friend, it is fitting; If You manifest him more than this, it is fitting. If you have no guidance from the religion of the Friend, Then you have no path but that of Azar. If you are without silver and without gold, You still have a Nimrod and an Azar too. Are you amazed that Nimrod became such, That he went to the sky to make war with God? For if your affairs suddenly go awry, Your heart becomes a Nimrod that day. Anger and hatred appear in your eyes such That the chest of your breast reaches the sky. Since you have a vulture and a chest too, Your Nimrod-nature is a banner in the world. As a hundred arrows of denial arrive every moment, Like Nimrod in this revolving compass, You are then the Nimrod of your own self in your affairs, In good and bad, you are your own loss and profit. You have remained captive to increase (wealth), While the angels remain immersed in the Ineffable. When your life passes, what will you do in the end? Since you sat down to increase your gold. Your whole life has been a loss, O friend, Until you profit by one barleycorn of gold, O friend. When a man's aspiration is worth only a fraction of a coin, He is much less than menstruating women. The Prophet has called the rich man dead, Anyone who has silver remains dead. Do not run after the world so much like a dog, For a bone is enough for this dog. This lower soul (nafs) of yours, like a Zoroastrian of Zardusht, Will suddenly kill you underfoot. If you do not keep it busy with some work, You will be dismissed from work by its hand.