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(Persianverse):Iamarogue,andthepeoplecallmeaSufi;/seethisnice

namethatIhavediscovered!

Andsome,havingfledfromtheaffairsoftheignorantmobtothecaveofthe

abidingdarknessofnonexistence,havewageredthecashofthetwoworldsin

thedicehouseofisolationandasceticismwithasinglethrow,andhavecast

themselvesbeyondthesightofmen,onaccountofbeinguprootedfromthe

formsofcustomaryconventions.Thisisthestyleoftheaudaciousonesofthe

cornerofblame.

(Persianverse):Myheart’supsetwiththemonasteryandthestainedcloak.

/WhereisthetempleoftheMagi,andwhere’sthepurewine?[Ḥāfiẓ]^22

Eventhoughinthepaththeremaybeagroupbetweenthesetwopositions,

theaimofbothfactionsistheconcealmentofrealities,forinthelawoflove,

fortheintoxicatedloverrevealingsecretsisacrime.Eventhoughgradually

thewine-bearerofecstasygivesthemanotherswallowofthewineofrealities

inthegobletoftime,andeverymomentfromthearrivalofthecupsofsatis-

faction with the manifestations of majesty and glory they have another

increase,continuallythevoiceofdivinepowergivesthecrythat:

(Persianverse):ItistheSultan’sfeast,sodon’tgetdrunk;/haveacupof

wine,andthenshutup!

Andifoccasionallythehopelesslovergivesoffsomesmokefromtheover-

whelmingflamesofthefiresoflove,andlikeanincense-burnerreleasessighs

fromwithin,hekeepsthemconcealedandimprisonedatthebottomofhis

skirtofinfamy,for[astheḥadīthstates]‘Myfriendsareunderneathmy

domes;nooneknowsthemexceptme.’Andiffromtheoverwhelmingforce

ofintoxicationheuttersawordofthesecretsoflove,theytakehimtothe

gallowsofblame.

(Arabicverse):Bythesecret,iftheyareeffaced,theirbloodisshed;/thusit

isthatthebloodofloversmaybeshed.[‘Aynal-Quḍāt]

(Persianverse):Forthehelplessonewhospillsthesecretoflove,/tellhim

toscratchhisfacewiththefingersofblame.

Thatfriendbywhomthegallowswasennobled–/hiscrimewasthis:he

madethesecretspublic.[Ḥāfiẓ]^23

Itisforthisreasonthatifanyofthechildrenofthepathoflonginghasan

appropriatelydelicaterelationshipwiththisgroupfromhisoriginalnature,

hemaybeworthyoftheinheritanceofthosegreatonesbyreasonofthat

spiritualproximity,byreasonof‘Wejoinedtothemtheirseed’(Qur’ān52:21).

ḤāfiẓandtheReligionofLoveinClassicalPersianPoetry