تخم دولت در زمین میکاشتم ** سخره و بیگار میپنداشتم
I was sowing the seed of fortune in the earth, (though) I fancied it was labour without wages and hire.
آن نبد بیگار کسبی بود چست ** هر یکی دانه که کشتم صد برست
’Twas not labour without hire; ’twas an excellent earning: (for) every grain that I sowed, a hundred grew.
دزد سوی خانهای شد زیر دست ** چون در آمد دید کان خانهی خود است3010
The thief went underhand (by stealth) to a certain house: when he entered, he saw that it was his own house.”
گرم باش ای سرد تا گرمی رسد ** با درشتی ساز تا نرمی رسد
Be hot, O cold one, that heat may come: put up with roughness, that ease may come.
آن دو اشتر نیست آن یک اشتر است ** تنگ آمد لفظ معنی بس پر است
That (subject of my discourse) is not two camels; it is a single camel. Verbal expression is confined, the meaning (to be expressed) is very full.
لفظ در معنی همیشه نارسان ** ز آن پیمبر گفت قد کل لسان
The expression always fails to reach the meaning; hence the Prophet said, “(Whoso knows God), his tongue falters.”
نطق اصطرلاب باشد در حساب ** چه قدر داند ز چرخ و آفتاب
Speech is (like) an astrolabe in (its) reckoning: how much does it know of the sky and the sun?—
خاصه چرخی کاین فلک زو پرهای است ** آفتاب از آفتابش ذرهای است3015
Especially, of that Sky whereof this heaven is (no more than) a blade of straw; (that Sky) of whose Sun the (terrestrial) sun is (but) a mote?
بیان آن که در هر نفسی فتنهی مسجد ضرار است
Showing that there is in every soul the mischief of the Mosque of Opposition.
چون پدید آمد که آن مسجد نبود ** خانهی حیلت بد و دام جهود
When it appeared that that was not a mosque, (but) was a house of intrigue and a trap laid by the Jews,
پس نبی فرمود کان را بر کنید ** مطرحهی خاشاک و خاکستر کنید
The Prophet then gave the command (and said), “Rase it and make it a dumping-place for rubbish and ashes.”
صاحب مسجد چو مسجد قلب بود ** دانهها بر دام ریزی نیست جود
The founder of the Mosque was false, like the Mosque (itself): ‘tis not munificence if you sprinkle grain upon a snare.
گوشت کاندر شست تو ماهی رباست ** آن چنان لقمه نه بخشش نه سخاست
The meat that catches the fish on the hook––such a morsel is neither bounty nor generosity.
مسجد اهل قبا کان بد جماد ** آن چه کفو او نبد راهش نداد3020
The Mosque of the people of Qubá, which was inanimate––he (the Prophet) did not admit to (equality with) it that which was not its equal.
در جمادات این چنین حیفی نرفت ** زد در آن ناکفو امیر داد نفت
(Even) in the case of lifeless things such a wrong did not come to pass: the lord of justice (Mohammed) set fire to that unequal (and incongruous Mosque).
پس حقایق را که اصل اصلهاست ** دان که آن جا فرقها و فصلهاست
Therefore (a fortiori) in the case of the (human) essences, which are the foundation of all fundamentals, know that there (too) there are differences and divisions.
نه حیاتش چون حیات او بود ** نه مماتش چون ممات او بود
Neither is his (one man’s) life like his (another man’s) life, nor is his death like his death.
گور او هرگز چو گور او مدان ** خود چه گویم حال فرق آن جهان
Never deem his (this one’s) grave like his (that one’s) grave. How indeed shall I describe the difference (between them) in that (other) world?
بر محک زن کار خود ای مرد کار ** تا نسازی مسجد اهل ضرار3025
Put thy work to the touchstone, O man of work, lest thou build the Mosque of the Opposers.
بس بر آن مسجد کنان تسخر زدی ** چون نظر کردی تو خود ز یشان بدی
Thou has mocked, then, at those Mosque-makers; (but) when thou considerest (carefully), thou thyself hast been one of them.
حکایت هندو که با یار خود جنگ میکرد بر کاری و خبر نداشت که او هم بدان مبتلاست
Story of the Indian who quarrelled with his friend over a certain action and was not aware that he too was afflicted with (guilty of) it.
چار هندو در یکی مسجد شدند ** بهر طاعت راکع و ساجد شدند
Four Indians went into a mosque: they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves for worship's sake.
هر یکی بر نیتی تکبیر کرد ** در نماز آمد به مسکینی و درد
Each one performed the takbír (following) upon a niyyat, and began to pray with lowliness and contrition.
موذن آمد از یکی لفظی بجست ** کای موذن بانگ کردی وقت هست
(When) the muezzin came, from one of them fell a remark— “O muezzin, have you given the call to prayers? Is it time?”
گفت آن هندوی دیگر از نیاز ** هی سخن گفتی و باطل شد نماز3030
The second Indian said on the spur of the moment, “Hey, you have spoken, and (so) your prayer is null.”
آن سوم گفت آن دوم را ای عمو ** چه زنی طعنه بر او خود را بگو
The third one said to the second, “O uncle, why do you rail at him? Tell yourself (how to behave).”
آن چهارم گفت حمد الله که من ** در نیفتادم به چه چون آن سه تن
Said the fourth, “Praise be to God that I have not fallen into the pit (of error), like those three persons.”