That spiritual guide (‘Umar) perceived that he (the ambassador) possessed (the capacity for receiving) guidance: he

sowed the good seed in the good soil.

How the ambassador of Rúm questioned the Commander of the Faithful, may God be well-pleased with him.

The man said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, how did the spirit come to the earth from above?

How did the infinite bird go into the cage?" He replied, "God recited spells and incantations over the spirit.

When He recites spells over the non-existences which have no eye or ear, they begin to stir.

Because of His spells the non-existences at that very moment are dancing joyously into existence.

When, again, He recited a spell over the existent, at His word the existent marched (back) post-haste into non-existence.

He spake into the ear of the rose and made it laughing (blooming); He spake to the stone and made it a cornelian of the mine.

He spake to the body a sign (message), so that it became spirit; He spake to the sun, so that it became radiant.

Again He puts into its ear a fearful saying, and upon the face of the sun fall a hundred eclipses.

Consider what that Speaker chanted into the ear of the cloud, so that it poured tears from its eye, like a waterskin.

Consider what God has chanted into the ear of the earth, so that it became regardful and has (ever since) remained silent."

Whosoever in perplexity is sorely troubled, God has spoken the riddle into his ear,

That He may imprison him in two (doubtful) thoughts, (namely), "Shall I do what He told (me) or the contrary thereof?"

From (the decree of) God also, one side obtains the preponderance, and from that (Divine) quarter he chooses one of the two (alternatives).

If thou wouldst not have the mind of thy spirit in (a state of) perplexity, do not stuff this cotton-wool into thy spiritual ear,

So that thou mayst understand those riddles of His, so that thou mayst apprehend (both) the secret sign and the open.

Then the spiritual ear becomes the place where wahy (inspiration) descends. What is wahy? A speech hidden from sense-perception. The spiritual ear and eye are other than this sense-perception, the ear of (discursive) reason and the ear of opinion are destitute of this (inspiration). The word "compulsion" (jabr) made me impatient (uncon-