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English translation

Zubaidah had a son by Harun Who, in seclusion, was unaware of the world His mother did not let him out of the palace For she raised him behind the curtain like her own soul When his immeasurable intellect gained strength His wisdom-seeking heart began to boil He said to his mother, "Is the world just this palace, Or are there many places outside of this? If there is any other place manifest, Tell me so that I may go and observe." The mother's heart, in truth, burned for him fiercely She said to him, "O dear and fortunate one, I will send you out of the palace this moment I will send you to the desert and the plains." She adorned an Egyptian donkey for him And requested a slave and two servants. They took only that boy outside So that he might open his eyes to the world. That unique one had not seen the world He was amazed by the ways of the times. By chance, he saw a coffin on the road Which a group of people were suddenly carrying. All were left in weeping and lamentation From weeping, left in heartache. The boy asked the servant at that moment "Is dying necessary for all people?" He answered him, "That body which found a soul Cannot find safety from the hand of death. Death has no commoner or elite From it, escape is possible for no one." The boy said, "We have such a task before us Why should my soul not fear fiercely for itself? Since stone will become like wax from death This state must quickly be made known." Since the lion of death was in ambush for him The child's observation was such. At nightfall, when he came before his mother Joy and happiness came to an end for him. All night he did not sleep from the awe of death Like a broken branch, he trembled like a leaf. At dawn, he fled from the city He abandoned grace from the awe of wrath. Harun sought him at every moment He could not find his name and trace from anyone. Thus said one who was a pure-hearted man "Once, there was mud-work in my house When I went out of the house to the bazaar I became a seeker of a laborer. I saw a youth, frail and pale From head to toe, I saw him as the essence of pain. Having placed a pickaxe and a basket before him Become bewildered, neither with himself nor without himself. I said to him, 'Can you do mud-work?' 'I can,' he said, 'but not with my heart.' I said to him, 'It suits me, you arise' Thus said that chivalrous youth, 'Beware For I work on Saturdays and not otherwise If you want me, it is this very day, and if not then no.' Since his work-day was Saturday For this reason, he became known as 'Sabti'. At last I took him to the house That unique one did the work of two men for me. I went to the bazaar the next week I sought him much from every direction. They told me, 'He is a madman He is always in such-and-such a ruin.' I went and saw him in that ruin I saw him a stranger to the people of the world. Fallen in misery and weakness Fallen into the trap of death and wretchedness. I said to him, 'Since you are sick and miserable I can give you care. Come, enter our house today For I see no one sympathetic to you.' He did not accept; in short, he arose He fulfilled my request for my sake. When he came into my room, he became such That how could one ever become so weak? A world of pain became current in him The sign of death became apparent on him. He told me, 'I have three needs, O friend I must come out of the skin (be frank) with you. I said to him, 'Whatever need you want Ask, O confidant of the divine secret.' He said to me, 'At the time when my soul departs And emerges from the depth of the well of this prison, Tie a rope around my neck and on my face Cast me down, then drag me in all four directions. Say that this deed is the deed of the people of religion The recompense of whoever disobeys the Omnipotent is this. Anyone who is disobedient to the Omnipotent Shall be thus headlong and wretched. Second, I have a clean old blanket Make a shroud of this and put me in the earth with this. For with this I have performed much obedience Perhaps I may benefit from it in the earth. Third, take this Quran of mine and know That it belonged to Abdullah ibn Abbas. Which Harun used to wear as a baldric It was veiled from the eyes of others. Take this Quran to Harun in Baghdad Tell him, 'He who gave me this Quran Said greetings to you and said: Listen, So that you do not die miserably in negligence like me. For I died in negligence and illusion I did not see life, I died as a corpse. Tell my mother: With a prayer, Do not forget me in any place.' He said this, let out a sigh, and gave up his soul God forgive us, how else can one give up their soul but thus? I said to my heart that a rope must be sought So that I may fulfill that will immediately. I tied a rope around his neck with crying I dragged his face on the dirt in wretchedness. A hidden voice suddenly opened its tongue 'O you who have fallen from the path out of sheer ignorance! Do you not have shame, out of great ignorance, To do such a thing to Our friends? Do not cast a rope around the neck of a person Whom the wheel of heaven placed a halo on his neck. What do you want from this sorrow-killed one of the path? 'Do not grieve, for We have forgiven him.'' When I heard that exalted voice My two hands immediately became loose from awe. I said to my heart, 'O negligent one, beware What place is this for rope-play? Arise.' I went and called my companions forward I spoke of the state of that dervish. All gathered, and with a pure heart They made his blanket his shroud in the earth. When I finished the affair of the youth I took the Quran and set off. I stood at Harun's door at dawn Until Harun appeared from the road. I showed the Quran, and he took it from me happily He said to me, 'Who gave you this Quran?' I said to him, 'A laborer A frail, pale, weak youth.' When I said, 'Oh wonder! A laborer' His two torrential, raining eyes appeared. He wept much until he lost consciousness When that boiling somewhat subsided in him, He said to me, 'Where is that free cypress?' I said to him, 'May the Sultan live long.' When he heard this, he roared greatly That knowing, aware one fainted. He shed tears and cried out so much That no one could ever remember the like of it. The sound of his sigh reached the sky His army was watching him from every side. Then he said, 'That moment when he died What did he say to you about me, and what sign did he give?' I said to him, 'That moment he spoke thus, That it must be told to the Commander of the Faithful: Beware, do not be proud of this kingship Hear the word of this dervish laborer. Strive in this, that you take advice from me So that you do not die as a corpse in the midst of your kingdom. For if you die as a corpse, O unique one, You will remain as a corpse eternally. How long will you be afflicted with the world? Pursue religion so that you may be content. For the world is the veil of your soul But religion is the candle of your faith. If you conquer the kingdom of the whole world It will not settle upon you when you die. You are a delicate man, nurtured in luxury Break the habit of being the porter of the people. Now I have spoken and gone; do not accept That you do not listen to such advice at such a time.' From anew, the pain in Harun became fresher From bewilderment, he became of another sort every moment. At last he took him to his chamber with him Until the dervish sat before the curtain. Zubaidah came behind that curtain So that the story could be told before her. Thus he said, 'When I reached that point Where I cast him in the dirt and was dragging him, A roar arose from behind the curtain A boiling arose from those women like the sea.' Zubaidah said, 'Oh, my cry is from you! May God at last take my justice from you! My darling child in wretchedness— Did you not fear to cast him on his face? Did you not recognize the son of the Caliph? You threw a rope around his neck! Alas, O my stranger and my youth! Alas, the light of my eyes and the candle of my soul! Like the wind you suddenly resolved upon the road And you turned your mother's soul into a fire-temple. Alas, O my delicate, sweet one! That you remained like a treasure in the earth!' What can I say? In short, she asked for the sign of his grave She immediately prepared an adorned shrine. She gave much gold to the bearer of the news But Harun gave him more than the wife did. That news-telling man became wealthy Now this is gone; if you have another, speak! What will you do with a kingdom which, unfulfilled, Will ultimately be the bane of your soul? If you possess the kingship of the world's house, You will be checkmated in that house miserably. Why have you sat straight in a hut From which you must rise unfulfilled? Why do you desire a beloved such that continuously The sorrow of it will eventually bring you low? Why do you gather something with a hundred honors, Of which you will never consume a single grain? If you are an enemy of the kingdom, be the father; And if you are in the kingdom of Harun, be the son. I gave you a sign of the condition of that son; Now I will tell you the condition of the father for a while.