The form of existence is an effect of the Self, Whatsoever thou seest is a secret of the Self. When the Self awoke to consciousness, It revealed the universe of Thought. 190 A hundred worlds are hidden in its essence: Self-affirmation brings Not-self to light. By the Self the seed of hostility is sown in the world: It imagines itself to be other than itself. It makes from itself the forms of others 195 In order to multiply the pleasure of strife. It is slaying by the strength of its arm That it may become conscious of its own strength. Its self-deceptions are the essence of Life; Like the rose, it lives by bathing itself in blood. 200 For the sake of a single rose it destroys a hundred rose-gardens And makes a hundred lamentations in quest of a single melody. For one sky it produces a hundred new moons, And for one word a hundred discourses. The excuse for this wastefulness and cruelty 205 Is the shaping and perfecting of spiritual beauty. The loveliness of Shírín justifies the anguish of Farhád,[32] The fragrant navel justifies a hundred musk-deer. ‘Tis the fate of moths to consume in flame: The suffering of moths is justified by the candle. 210 The pencil of the Self limned a hundred to-days In order to achieve the dawn of a single morrow. Its flames burned a hundred Abrahams[33] That the lamp of one Mohammed might be lighted. Subject, object, means, and causes-- 215 They all exist for the purpose of action. The Self rises, kindles, falls, glows, breathes, Burns, shines, walks, and flies. The spaciousness of Time is its arena, Heaven is a billow of the dust on its road. 220 From its rose-planting the world abounds in roses; Night is born of its sleep, day springs from its waking. It divided its flame into sparks And taught the understanding to worship particulars. It dissolved itself and created the atoms, 225 It was scattered for a little while and created the sands. Then it wearied of dispersion And by re-uniting itself it became the mountains. ‘Tis the nature of the Self to manifest itself: In every atom slumbers the might of the Self. 230 Power that is unexpressed and inert Chains the faculties which lead to action. Inasmuch as the life of the universe comes from the strength of the Self, Life is in proportion to this strength. When a drop of water gets the Self’s lesson by heart, 235 It makes its worthless existence a pearl. Wine is formless because its self is weak; It receives a form by favour of the cup. Although the cup of wine assumes a form, It is indebted to us for its motion. 240 When the mountain loses its self, it turns into sands And complains that the sea surges over it;