一千零一夜-天方夜谭-1001 Nights(英文版)-第38部分

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With　this　the　discourse　between　them　came　to　an　end　and　Shimas　and　all　the　learned　men；　who　were　present；　rose　and　prostrating　themselves　before　the　prince；　magnified　and　extolled　him；　whilst　his　father　pressed　him　to　his　bosom　and　seating　him　on　the　throne　of　kingship；　said；　'Praised　be　God　who　hath　blessed　me　with　a　son　to　be　the　solace　of　mine　eyes　in　my　lifetime！'　Then　said　the　prince　to　Shimas；　'O　sage　that　art　versed　in　metaphysical　questions；　albeit　God　hath　vouchsafed　me　but　little　knowledge；　yet　do　I　apprehend　thine　intent　in　accepting　from　me　what　I　proffered　in　answer　concerning　that　whereof　thou　hast　asked　me；　whether　I　hit　or　missed　the　mark　therein；　and　belike　thou　favest　my　errors；　but　now　I　wish　to　question　thee　of　a　thing；　whereof　my　judgment　fails　and　whereto　my　capacity　is　unequal　and　which　my　tongue　availeth　not　to　set　forth；　for　that　it　is　obscure　to　me；　with　the　obscurity　of　limpid　water　in　a　black　vessel；　wherefore　I　would　have　thee　expound　it　to　me；　so　no　whit　thereof　may　remain　doubtful　to　the　like　of　me；　to　whom　its　obscurity　may　present　itself　in　the　future；　even　as　it　hath　presented　itself　to　me　in　the　past；　since　God；　even　as　He　hath　made　life　to　be　in　water　（162）　and　sustenance　in　food　and　the　healing　of　the　sick　in　the　physician's　skill；　so　hath　He　appointed　the　cure　of　the　ignorant　to　be　in　the　learning　of　the　wise。　Give　ear；　therefore；　to　my　speech。'　'O　luminous　of　wit　and　master　of　apt　questions；'　replied　the　vizier；　'thou　whose　superiority　all　the　learned　men　attest；　by　reason　of　the　goodliness　of　thy　discrimination　of　things　and　thy　departition　（163）　thereof　and　the　justness　of　thine　answers　to　the　questions　I　have　put　to　thee；　thou　knowest　that　thou　canst　ask　me　of　nought　but　thou　art　better　able　＇than　I＇　to　form　a　just　judgment　thereon　and　expound　it　truly；　for　that　God　hath　vouchsafed　unto　thee　such　wisdom　as　He　hath　bestowed　on　none　other：　but　tell　me　of　e。'　Quoth　the　prince；　'Tell　me　from　what　did　the　Creator　（magnified　be　His　power！）　create　the　world；　albeit　there　was　before　it　nought　and　there　is　nought　seen　in　this　world　but　it　is　created　from　something；　and　the　Divine　Creator　（blessed　and　exalted　be　He！）　is　able　to　create　things　from　nothing；　yet　hath　His　will　decreed；　for　all　the　perfection　of　＇His＇　power　and　grandeur；　that　He　shall　create　nought　but　from　something。'　'As　for　those；'　answered　the　vizier；　'who　fashion　vessels　of　potters'　clay；　and　other　handicraftsmen；　who　cannot　produce　one　thing　except　from　another；　they　are　themselves　but　created　things：　but；　as　for　the　Creator；　who　hath　wrought　the　world　after　this　wondrous　fashion；　if　thou　wouldst　know　His　power　（blessed　and　exalted　be　He！）　of　calling　things　into　existence；　consider　the　various　kinds　of　created　things；　and　thou　wilt　find　signs　and　tokens；　denoting　the　perfection　of　His　omnipotence　and　that　He　is　able　to　create　things　out　of　nothing：　nay；　He　called　them　into　being；　after　absolute　nonentity；　for　the　elements　that　are　the　matter　of　created　things　were　sheer　nothingness。　I　will　expound　this　to　thee；　so　thou　mayst　be　in　no　doubt　thereof；　and　this　the　phenomenon　of　the　alternation　of　night　and　day　shall　make　clear　to　thee。　When　the　day　departs　and　the　night　es；　the　day　is　hidden　from　us　and　we　know　not　where　it　abideth；　and　when　the　night　passes　away　with　its　darkness　and　its　terror；　the　day　es　and　we　know　not　the　abidingplace　of　the　night。　In　like　manner；　when　the　sun　rises　upon　us；　we　know　not　where　it　has　laid　up　its　light；　and　when　it　sets；　we　know　not　the　abidingplace　of　its　setting：　and　the　examples　of　this　among　the　works　of　the　Creator　（magnified　be　His　name　and　exalted　be　His　power！）　abound　in　what　confounds　the　thought　of　the　keenestwitted　of　human　beings。'　'O　sage；'　rejoined　the　prince；　'thou　hast　set　before　me　of　the　power　of　the　Creator　what　may　not　be　denied；　but　tell　me　how　He　called　His　creatures　into　existence。'　'＇He　created　them＇　by　＇the　sole　power　of＇　His　Word；'　（164）　answered　Shimas；　'which　existed　before　time；　and　with　it　He　created　all　things。'　'Then；'　said　the　prince；　'God　（be　His　name　magnified　and　His　power　exalted！）　only　willed　the　existence　of　created　things；　before　they　came　into　being？'　'And　of　His　will；'　replied　Shimas；　'He　created　them　with　His　Word　and　but　for　His　speech　and　Manifest　Word；　the　creation　had　not　e　into　existence。　And；　O　my　son；　there　is　no　man　can　tell　thee　other　than　this　that　I　have　said；　except　he　pervert　the　words　handed　down　to　us　of　the　law　of　God　and　turn　the　truths　thereof　from　their　evident　meaning。　And　such　a　perversion　is　their　saying　that　the　Word　hath　power　＇of　itself＇　and　I　take　refuge　with　God　from　such　a　conclusion。　Nay；　the　meaning　of　our　saying　that　God　（to　whom　belong　might　and　majesty）　created　the　world　with　His　Word　is　that　He　（exalted　be　His　name！）　is　One　in　His　essence　and　His　attributes　and　not　that　His　Word　hath　power　＇of　itself＇。　On　the　contrary；　power　is　one　of　God's　attributes；　even　as　speech　and　other　attributes　of　perfection　are　attributes　of　God　（exalted　be　His　dignity　and　magnified　be　His　dominion！）；　wherefore　He　may　not　be　conceived　without　His　Word；　nor　may　His　Word　be　conceived　without　Him；　for；　with　His　Word；　God　（extolled　be　His　praise！）　created　all　His　creatures；　and　without　His　Word；　he　created　nought。　Indeed；　He　created　all　things　but　by　His　Word　of　Truth；　and　by　Truth　are　we　created。'　Quoth　the　prince；　'I　apprehend　that　which　thou　hast　said　on　the　subject　of　the　Creator　and　accept　this　from　thee　with　understanding；　but　I　hear　thee　say　that　He　created　the　world　by　His　Word　of　Truth。　Now　Truth　is　the　opposite　of　Falsehood；　whence　then　arose　Falsehood　and　its　opposition　unto　Truth；　and　bow　es　it　to　be　possible　that　it　should　be　confounded　therewith　and　be　obscure　（165）　to　human　beings；　so　that　they　need　to　distinguish　between　them？　And　doth　the　Creator　（to　whom　belong　might　and　majesty！）　love　Falsehood　or　hate　it？　If　thou　say　He　loves　the　Truth　and　by　it　created　all　things　and　hates　Falsehood；　how　came　the　latter；　which　the　Creator　hates；　to　invade　the　Truth；　as；　'Verily　God　the　Most　High　created　man　after　His　own　image　and　likened　him　to　Himself；　all　of　him　truth；　without　falsehood；　then　He　gave　him　dominion　over　himself　and　ordered　him　and　forbade　him；　and　it　was　man　who　transgressed　His　mandment　and　erred　in　his　disobedience　and　brought　falsehood　upon　himself　of　his　own　will。　When　God　created　man　with　Truth；　he　had　no　need　of　repentance；　till　Falsehood　invaded　the　Truth　by　which　he　was　created；　by　means　of　the　ableness　（166）　that　God　had　placed　in　him；　being　the　will　and　the　inclination　called　acquisitiveness。　（167）　When　Falsehood　invaded　Truth　on　this　wise；　it　became　confounded　therewith；　by　reason　of　the　will　of　man　and　his　ableness　and　acquisitiveness；　which　is　the　voluntary　party　together　with　the　weakness　of　human　nature：　wherefore　God　created　repentance　for　man；　to　turn　away　from　him　falsehood　and　stablish　him　in　truth；　and　He　created　for　him　also　punishment；　if　he　should　abide　in　the　obscurity　of　falsehood。'　Quoth　the　prince；　'Tell　me　how　came　falsehood　to　invade　truth；　so　as　to　be　confounded　therewith　and　how　became　man　liable　to　punishment　and　so　stood　in　need　of　repentance。'　'When　God　created　man　with　truth；'　replied　Shimas；　'He　made　him　loving　to　Himself　and　there　was　for　him　neither　repentance　nor　punishment；　but　he　abode　thus　till　God　put　in　him　the　soul；　which　is　of　the　perfection　of　humanity；　with　the　inclination　to　lusts　which　is　inherent　therein。　From　this　sprang　the　growth　of　falsehood　and　its　confusion　with　the　truth；　wherewith　man　was　created　and　with　the　love　whereof　he　had　been　informed；　and　when　man　came　to　this　pass；　he　swerved　from　the　truth　with　disobedience；　and　whoso　swerves　from　the　truth　falls　into　falsehood。'　'Then；'　said　the　prince；　'falsehood　invaded　truth　only　by　reason　of　disobedience　and　transgression？'　'Yes；'　answered　Shimas；　'and　it　is　thus　because　God　loves　man；　and　of　the　abundance　of　His　love　to　him；　He　created　him　having　need　of　Himself；　that　is　to　say；　of　the　very　Truth：　but　oftentimes　man　falls　away　from　this　by　reason　of　the　inclination　of　the　soul　to　lusts　and　turns　unto　frowardness；　wherefore　he　falls　into　falsehood　by　the　very　act　of　disobeying　his　Lord　and　thus　renders　himself　liable　to　punishment；　and　by　the　putting　away　from　himself　of　falsehood　with　repentance　and　the　returning　to　the　love　of　the　truth；　he　merits　reward。'　Quoth　the　prince；　'Tell　me　the　origin　of　frowardness。　We　see　that　all　mankind　trace　their　being　to　Adam；　and　how　es　it　that　he；　being　created　of　God　with　truth；　drew　disobedience　on　himself；　then　was　his　disobedience　coupled　with　repentance；　after　the　soul　had　been　set　in　him；　that　his　issue　might　be　reward　or　punishment？　Indeed；　we　see　some　men　constant　in　frowardness；　inclining　to　that　which　God　loves　not　and　transgressing　in　this　the　original　exigence　of　their　creation；　which　is　the　love　of　the　Truth　and　drawing　on　themselves　the　wrath　of　their　Lord；　whilst　others　are　constant　in　seeking　to　please　their　Creator　and　obeying　Him　and　meriting　mercy　and　repense。　Whence　es　this　difference　between　them？'　'The　origin　of　disobedience　in　mankind；'　replied　Shimas；　'is　attributable　to　Iblis；　who　was　the　noblest　of　all　that　God　（magnified　be　His　name！）　created　of　angels　and　men　and　Jinn；　and　the　love　＇of　the　Truth＇　was　inherent　in　him；　for　he　knew　nought　but　this；　but；　for　that　he　saw　himself　unique　in　this；　there　entered　into　him　conceit　and　vainglory　and　arrogance　and　he　revolted　from　loyalty　and　obedience　to　the　mandment　of　his　Creator；　wherefore　God　made　him　inferior　to　all　creatures　and　cast　him　out　from　love；　making　his　abidingplace　to　be　in　disobedience。　So；　when　he　knew　that　God　（glorified　be　His　name！）　loved　not　disobedience　and　saw　Adam　and　the　case　wherein　he　was　of　truth　and　love　and　obedience　to　his　Creator；　envy　entered　into　him　and　he　cast　about　to　pervert　Adam　from　the　truth；　that　he　might　be　a　partaker　with　himself　in　falsehood；　and　by　this；　Adam　incurred　chastisement；　through　his　inclining　to　disobedience；　which　his　enemy　made　fair　to　him；　and　his　subjection　to　his　lusts；　whenas　he　transgressed　the　injunction　of　his　Lord；　by　reason　of　the　appearance　of　falsehood。　When　the　Creator　（magnified　be　His　praises　and　hallowed　be　His　names！）　saw　the　weakness　of　man　and　the　swiftness　of　his　inclining　to　his　enemy　and　leaving　the　truth；　He　appointed　to　him；　of　His　mercy；　repentance；　that　therewith　he　might　arise　from　the　morass　of　inclination　to　disobedience　and　taking　the　arms　of　repentance；　overe　therewith　his　enemy　Iblis　and　his　hosts　and　return　to　the　truth；　wherein　he　was　created。　When　Iblis　saw　that　God　had　appointed　him　a　protracted　term；　（168）　he　hastened　to　wage　war　upon　man　and　to　beset　him　with　wiles；　to　the　intent　that　he　might　oust　him　from　his　Lord's　favour　and　make　him　a　partaker　with　himself　in　the　curse　which　he　and　his　hosts　had　incurred；　wherefore　God　（extolled　be　His　praises！）　appointed　unto　man　the　power　of　repentance　and　manded　him　to　apply　himself　to　the　truth　and　persevere　therein。　Moreover；　he　forbade　him　from　disobedience　and　frowardness　and　revealed　to　him　that　he　had　an　enemy　on　the　earth　warring　against　him　and　relaxing　not　from　him　night　nor　day。　Thus　hath　man　a　right　to　reward；　if　he　adhere　to　the　truth；　in　the　love　of　which　his　essence　was　created；　bu