Suhrawardi - Three Treatises on Mysticism.pdf - Platonic Philosophy

49
end. So we took great pains, so that we passed six mountains
and reached the seventh. Then some said, 4t lt is time
to take rest, for we have not the strength to fly; and we
are away from enemies and hunters and have come a long
distance, and an hour's rest will take us to the destination ;
but if we add to these troubles we will perish.
"
So we alighted on this mountain. We saw trimmed
fruit-gardens, beautiful buildings, nice palaces, pleasant fruitbearing
trees and running waters, such that its bounties arrested
the eye and its elegance deprived the body of its senses;
and notes of birds the like of which we had not heard, and
sweet smells which had never readied our nostrils. We todk
fruit and water with great pleasure
1
and we stayed there
till we cast away our fatigue. Then we heard the cry: "We
must prepare for the journey because there IH no safety
beyond circumspection, and no fortress is stronger than suspicion;
and to stay for long is to waste away life;
and the
enemies are following at our wake and gathering news (about
us)".
So we went up
to the eighth mountain. On account of
height its summit reached the sky. When we neared it we
heard notes of birds 011 account of the melodiousness of
which our wings became feeble and we began to drop. We
saw many kinds of bounties, and figures, from which we could
not remove our eyes. We alighted. They treated us kindly
and entertained us with these bounties which no created
being can praise or describe. When the governor
of that
province made us free with himself and when familiarity
developed we informed him of our affliction and explained to
him what had passed on us. He was distressed and
u said, I
heartily share these sorrows with you". Then he added,
1. Persian >j~>. ^s^. If we read (j^. to go with Wj *j** it
will mean "Out of pleasure we took plenty of those fruits etc/*