Welcome, O hoopoe, thou who served as guide to the king (Solomon), thou who wert truly the messenger of every valley; O thou who didst happily reach the borders of the kingdom of Saba. Thou whose warbling colloquy (mantic uttaïr) with Solomon was excellent, thou wert the confidante of Solomon’s secrets and thus obtained a crown of glory. To be the worthy confidante of Solomon’s secrets, thou must imprison and fetter the demon who would tempt thee. When thou hast done so, thou shalt enter behind the curtain of Solomon’s palace.
O wagtail, who resemble Moses, rise and make thy pipe resound to celebrate the true knowledge of God. The musician knows how to draw harmonious sounds from his own throat in praise of God. Like Moses, thou hast seen the fire from afar; thou art truly a little Moses on Mount Sinai. Keep away from brutal Pharaoh; arrive at the propitious time and be indeed the bird of Mount Sinai. My speech is without word, without tongue, and without sound; understand it without mind and hear it without ear.
O wagtail, who resemble Moses, rise and make thy pipe resound to celebrate the true knowledge of God. The musician knows how to draw harmonious sounds from his own throat in praise of God. Like Moses, thou hast seen the fire from afar; thou art truly a little Moses on Mount Sinai. Keep away from brutal Pharaoh; arrive at the propitious time and be indeed the bird of Mount Sinai. My speech is without word, without tongue, and without sound; understand it without mind and hear it without ear.
Welcome, O parrot, who restest upon the Tuba; thou who art clad in a fair robe and wearest a collar of fire. This collar of fire wherewith thou art adorned befits an inhabitant of hell; but thy robe is worthy of an inhabitant of heaven and of a generous man. Can he who would save himself from Nimrod’s fire, like Abraham, take pleasure in the fire? Break Nimrod’s head like a calam, and, like Abraham, the friend of God, set Thy foot in the midst of the fire. When thou art delivered from Nimrod’s harshness, put on thy robe, and thou shalt fear the collar of fire no more.
Hail, O partridge! who sways gracefully as thou walkest. Thou art content when thou traversest the mountain of divine knowledge. Give thyself to joy as thou ponderest the benefits of this path; strike with the hammer at the door of God’s house. Humbly melt the mountain of thy perverse inclinations, that a she-camel may emerge from it; then shalt thou see a stream of milk and honey flowing. Drive this she-camel forward, then, if thou canst, and Salih himself will come to meet thee.
Hail, O partridge! who sways gracefully as thou walkest. Thou art content when thou traversest the mountain of divine knowledge. Give thyself to joy as thou ponderest the benefits of this path; strike with the hammer at the door of God’s house. Humbly melt the mountain of thy perverse inclinations, that a she-camel may emerge from it; then shalt thou see a stream of milk and honey flowing. Drive this she-camel forward, then, if thou canst, and Salih himself will come to meet thee.
Hail, O excellent royal falcon, keen of sight! How long wilt thou be violent and passionate? Fasten to thy foot the letter of eternal love, but open it not until eternity. Exchange thy innate reason for thy spirit, so that Thou mayest regard a priori and a posteriori eternity as one and the same. Break thy foul natural carcass and establish thyself within the cave of unity. When thou hast established thyself in this grotto, Mahomet (the friend of the cave), the centre of the world, shall come to thee.
Hail, O quail (darrag) of the mirâdj of alast! thou who hast seen the crown of alast upon the head of balé (yes). When thou hearest in thy spirit the alast of love, thy concupiscent soul answers balé with reluctance. Now, if the assent of thy concupiscent soul is for thee the whirlpool of misfortune, how wilt thou be able to sustain Thyself in that whirlpool? Consume thy concupiscent soul like the ass of Christ; then, like the Messiah, kindle thyself with love for the Creator. Burn therefore this ass and set the bird of the soul to work, so that the spirit of God may come happily to thee.
Hail, O quail (darrag) of the mirâdj of alast! thou who hast seen the crown of alast upon the head of balé (yes). When thou hearest in thy spirit the alast of love, thy concupiscent soul answers balé with reluctance. Now, if the assent of thy concupiscent soul is for thee the whirlpool of misfortune, how wilt thou be able to sustain Thyself in that whirlpool? Consume thy concupiscent soul like the ass of Christ; then, like the Messiah, kindle thyself with love for the Creator. Burn therefore this ass and set the bird of the soul to work, so that the spirit of God may come happily to thee.
Hail, O nightingale of the garden of love! Lament gracefully under the effect of love’s pain and wound; lament tenderly under the effect of the affliction of thy heart, like David, that at every instant a hundred souls may make the niçar for thee. Open thy melodious throat, worthy of David, concerning the spiritual meaning of things; show men the straight path by the song of thy throat. Long enough hast thou fashioned a coat of mail for thy vile soul, like David; with him also make the iron of thy heart as soft as wax. If this iron become tender as wax, thou shalt be as fervent as David in the love of God.
Hail, O peacock of the garden with eight gates! Thou hast been afflicted because of the seven-headed serpent. The company of this serpent hath cast thee into blood and driven thee out of the garden of Eden. Far removed from the Sidra and the Tuba, it hath blackened thy heart through the effect of its evil nature. So long as thou dost not destroy this serpent, how shalt thou be worthy to practise these mysteries? If thou art delivered from this detestable serpent, Adam will take thee with him into Paradise.
Hail, O peacock of the garden with eight gates! Thou hast been afflicted because of the seven-headed serpent. The company of this serpent hath cast thee into blood and driven thee out of the garden of Eden. Far removed from the Sidra and the Tuba, it hath blackened thy heart through the effect of its evil nature. So long as thou dost not destroy this serpent, how shalt thou be worthy to practise these mysteries? If thou art delivered from this detestable serpent, Adam will take thee with him into Paradise.
Hail, O excellent pheasant, who seest afar and thus beholdest the source of the heart that is submerged in the ocean of light. Yet thou hast remained in a dark well, held captive in the prison of uncertainty. Come forth from this dark well, lift thy head toward the summit of the divine throne; in imitation of Joseph, leave the well and the prison, that thou mayest be king in the Egypt of honour. If such a kingdom were allotted thee, thou wouldst find Joseph the True at the same time.
Hail, O moaning turtle-dove! Thou art afflicted, content, and hast returned with a constricted heart, because thou hast remained in blood and shut up in a prison as narrow as that of Jonah. O thou who wanderest hither and thither like the fish! Canst thou languish for an instant in ill will? Oh! cut off the tail of this fish (mahi) of ill will, that thou mayest rub thyself against the summit of the moon (mdh). If thou escapest the fish of thine own soul, thou shalt become the familiar companion of Jonah.
Hail, O moaning turtle-dove! Thou art afflicted, content, and hast returned with a constricted heart, because thou hast remained in blood and shut up in a prison as narrow as that of Jonah. O thou who wanderest hither and thither like the fish! Canst thou languish for an instant in ill will? Oh! cut off the tail of this fish (mahi) of ill will, that thou mayest rub thyself against the summit of the moon (mdh). If thou escapest the fish of thine own soul, thou shalt become the familiar companion of Jonah.
Hail, O dove (fakhita)! Pour thy cooing, that I may scatter over thee in nisar seven trays of pearls. Since the necklace of fidelity is about thy neck, it would ill become thee to act unfaithfully. So long as thou hast the least speck of defect, I shall truly call thee faithless. If thou enterest the realm of spiritual things and comest forth from thyself, thou wilt find, through thy wisdom, the path to spiritual meaning. When thy wisdom leadeth thee thither, Khizr will bring thee the water of eternal life.
Well done, thou falcon, who hast flown away, and who, after rebelling against thy master, hast bowed thy head. Raise not thyself when thou oughtest to bow thy head; comport thyself fittingly, even when thou art plunged in blood. Thou art bound to the corpse of this world, and hast thus been kept from the other. Rather, leave not only the present world, but the future as well; take off thy hood, look freely, and, when thou hast freed thyself from both worlds, thou shalt rest upon the hand of Alexander.
Well done, thou falcon, who hast flown away, and who, after rebelling against thy master, hast bowed thy head. Raise not thyself when thou oughtest to bow thy head; comport thyself fittingly, even when thou art plunged in blood. Thou art bound to the corpse of this world, and hast thus been kept from the other. Rather, leave not only the present world, but the future as well; take off thy hood, look freely, and, when thou hast freed thyself from both worlds, thou shalt rest upon the hand of Alexander.
Hail, O goldfinch! Come joyfully, be eager to act, and arrive like fire. Consume entirely, by Thy heat, all that shall appear; burn utterly down to the very essence of the soul. When thou hast burned all that presents itself, the light of God shall manifest itself in thee more and more with every passing moment. Since Thy heart has known the secrets of God, remain faithfully attached to the things of God. When Thou art therein a perfect bird, Thou shalt exist no more, but God shall remain. Hail!