204 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XII 



32. 



If mine enemies array themselves against me, I will prevail; 

 'Tis as if a handful of straw had slapped the sea. 

 I am like to a naked sword in Destiny's hand ; 

 He is killed who dashes himself against me. 



33. 



The Beloved wants the gift of my weary heart ; 



Let me send it to Him — if so He will. 



Then shall my eyes be fixed upon the road , 



Waiting for the glad new3 that my life, too, is wanted. 



Junayd, the great mystic of Baghdad, who lived 

 in the second half of the 9th century a.d., discovered 

 one day that he had lost his heart. He asked God 

 to give it back to him. But an unseen voice 

 answered : " Q Junayd, I stole from thee thy heart 

 that thou mightest stay with Me. Dost thou wish 

 it back so that thou mayest remain with other 

 than Me I ' ' 



The " Law of Sacrifice," one of the great rules 

 of the mystic path, demands not only abstinence 

 and willing service but, in its esoteric sense, the 



" passing away " (luj of self ; death that life may 

 follow. 



*jb «~j *_a3 .^Ju ^ rJ^ 



y^ <X,u ^ £_ XJ j» ^ ^ 



£■ 



i>jl> SJ1* +2V.*d) &*# s &£ 



*)J^ ^ U j**" -*?■♦* **") *> (Sj*J 



When you are a lover you must bow your head 

 to the sword. 



You must drink the poison that is offered you 

 as though it were sherbet. 1 



34. 



Thou should st sorrow, my master, at the thought of the grave 

 Thy heart should burn, thy eyes weep. 

 Thou hast a hundred opportunities for worldly affairs , 

 Once, at least, thou should'st take thought of the grave. 



Compare the Qur'dn Sura 102 :— " The emulous 

 desire of multiplying riches employethyou until ye 

 visit the graves. By no means should ye thus 

 employ your time." 



T — 





1 Abu Sa'id, quatrain 278 in «Abd-ul- Wall's Collection. 



