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THE TARJU.MAN AL-ASHW AQ (X X IV , X X V ) 97

9. Aud I asked hei*, Avlien I saw her demesne, through wliieh
the four winds sweep at night,
10. ‘ Did their winds tell thee where they rested at noontide ? ’
i^he said, ‘ Yes; they rested at Dhat al-Ajra‘,
11. Where the white teats are radiant with those rising suns
w it h in .’
COM.MENTARV
I. ‘ The ruined abodes,’ i.e. the vestiges of the dwelling-
places of the Divine Names in the hearts of gnostics.
‘ In that wildernes.s,’ i.e. fh his empty heart.
3. ‘ Plucking the fruit of comely forms,’ i.e. the manifold
knowledge of the Divine Self-subsistence with
which, according to our doctrine, it is possible tQ be invested.
This investiture is a matter of dispute amongst the
Sufis; Ibn Junayd al-Ifriqi and his followers consider that it
is not coiTect. ♦
‘ The roses of a verdant meadow,’ referx’ing to the station
of Shame which results from meditation and con­
templation.
4. ‘ Thy lightning never breaks its promise,’ etc., i.e. through
the lack of Divine favour He also indicates
that he himself is in a lofty station which was not reached
by any of Ins peers, because the lightning is a locus of
manifestation for the Essence, and from this locus the soul of
the seer gains no knowledge, inasmuch as it is a manifestation
devoid of material form.
6. ‘ When my lightning,’ etc., i.e. that manife.station took
place in a lovely foi’m, but my manifestation to thee is
formle.ss and inanimate and is not determined by
love aud passion.
I I . 'T h e w h it e t e n t s ,’ in I’e fe i’e n c e t o th e v e ils o f l i g h t
w h ic h a r e d r a w n o v e r t h e .s p le n d o u rs o f t h e f a c e o f G o d .

XXV
1. O grief for my heart, O grief ! O joy for my mind, O joy !
2. In my heart the lire of jjassion is burning, in my mind the
full moon of darkne.ss hath set.