268
TIIE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
pºinis
Khás-
às
meda
az
rabi
To himself especially came voice from the Lord Sábir
'ami
mandi tshhºttuth,
ay
[SEp. 6, 1872.
possessor of goodness, who was weeping and afflicted. Said the Sheikh “union with God’assuredly thou hast already attained: than such union what higher desire canst thou have?” The other said,
The name of ‘‘patient” shame you have made nabi!
-
Prophet ! Sani sùtín sabr ay nd at yūt kál 2 Us from patience came not hand so late 2 Kºne
tºoliut
wutshet
mushire"
Why not endured, seeing the manifestation of zu-l-djelál 2 the Glorious 2
Os dapan, ya ilahi, bºs-tam Was he said, Oh God, hear thou Sabr-o-
takat,
mehribani
so: tam
was first accepted and then rejected, whilst the dog
Patience strength by kindness, send thou Tshane taufiq
silt sabre
“Oh Zunun' con
sider thou Him the manifestor, the incomparable. I do not weep on account of bodily pain, but lest I should, after all, be rejected of God. [For many are those who have fallen.] Azazil himself once was near the throne of God, and the leader of angels who were residents of angelic worlds, yet, in conse quence of pride, he became accursed, whilst by means of the weeping of repentance, Father Adam was [re stored] to Paradise. How many Wasils [who had already attained to union with God] have not been rejected in consequence of the Divine wrath ! and how many ignorant have not been accepted | Balaam
hemehá
Thy grace with patience I am taking Zido me ratshtam hamde nish yºtna pameha Tongue my keep thou praise from than nct I may
of the Ashab Kahfº was accepted in His sight.” 4. One night. His Highness [Muhammad] wept, and said I fear Him the Creator, for though till this time he has continued to me the gift of prophesy, yet will the result only be blessed if it he continued to the last.
fall.
5. God caused patient Job, Jonas, and Zacharias, Tithen sabiren thºt kelamas peo kusir Such to patients such words for fell a failing tshi, Ahmad beysabûr 2
him health and wealth and made his body a prey
On that account what is Ahmad impatient?
to leeches, wasps, and worms; yet the afflicted Job did not think it becoming to weep. One day a worm fell to the ground ; he replaced it, when it bit his flesh with double rage. Deserted by his friends and helpless as he was, he fetched a sigh which pierced the hearts of the angels of heaven. Then came a voice to him from the Lord. “Oh prophet ! thou hast disgraced thy name of ‘the Patient’: for thou hast not learnt patience, though thou hast been so long with me. Why hast thou not endured seeing [that thy sufferings were only] the manifestations of the Almighty " Job said “Oh Lord! hear thou me and send me patience and strength. It is only by thy grace that I can be patient; keep thou my tongue lest it cease to praise thee.” If such words were considered reprehensible in such patient saints, what will happen to me, [the author] impatient Ahmad 2 “This story of Sheikh Shibli was composed by the poet Ahmad ; in it there is the mention of the sorrows and patience of Saints and advice for finding one's true friend. It is ancient, and has not much Persian in it.” (Note of copyist found
Timennishen
kill
to bear the pain of trouble and misfortune. See what happened to the holy Job. God took from
Translation.
1. Once there lived a holy man, called Sheikh Shibli, who on one occasion saw a man weeping bitterly from excessive grief. The Shaikh said: “tell me 0 thou
who art plunged in sorrow, who is it that has caused all these tears?” The man replied: “because I have lost my beloved friend.” The Sheikh re joined,—“seek [another] faithful friend, seek such a friend as thou mayest never lose, and find this faithful friend only in God. Thy fault only will it be if thou lose him, for he is never far.”
Of this
good-news the meaning to the seeker of truth is, that he should not abandon the reality of God's love for human friendship.
2. One Light the Sheikh was suffering from pain. The pain caused some tear drops to fall. He reclined on his back with the pain, and uncon
sciously gave vent to an expression of impatience, when an angel's voice struck his ear full of wrath ; saying “why alas! O Sheikh
art thou so ill
behaved ; either thou shouldst make no claim to
in the above poem called “Dastan Sheikh Shibli.") be a servant (of God), or thou shouldst accept with resignation continual suffering. On the one part great calamities. He sends to his servant, on the other the servant should give thanks and praise, considering his sufferings to be the consequence of his own sins.”
Note.
-
Many of the vowel sounds in Kashmiri cannot be rendered by any known alphabet. Our trans literation is merely an approach. Kashmiri is generally written in the Persian character, which
3. Sheikh Zunun of Egypt once saw a believer—a
still more feebly represents the sounds of that very
- Is read both muzhir “one who causes to appear,” and
- I.e. the companion of the cave, otherwise known as the
seven sleepers of Ephesus.
mashar “theatre, manifestation, creation” by the Kashmiris.
