رحمتش بر قهر از آن سابق شدست ** تا که سرمایه‌ی وجود آید بدست
His (God's) mercy (eternally) preceded His wrath in order that the stock-in-trade, (which is) existence, should come to hand (be acquired);
زانک بی‌لذت نروید لحم و پوست ** چون نروید چه گدازد عشق دوست
For, without pleasure, flesh and skin do not grow; and unless they grow, what shall the love of the Friend consume?
زان تقاضا گر بیاید قهرها ** تا کنی ایثار آن سرمایه را
If, because of that requirement, acts of wrath come to pass, to the end that you may give up that stock-in-trade,
باز لطف آید برای عذر او ** که بکردی غسل و بر جستی ز جو4170
(Yet) again (afterwards) the Grace (of God) will come in order to excuse it (the act of wrath), saying, “(Now) thou hast washed thyself (clean) and hast leaped forth from the river (of tribulation).”
گوید ای نخود چریدی در بهار ** رنج مهمان تو شد نیکوش دار
She (the housewife) says, “O chickpea, thou didst feed in the springtime: (now) Pain has become thy guest: entertain him well,
تا که مهمان باز گردد شکر ساز ** پیش شه گوید ز ایثار تو باز
That the guest may return (home), giving thanks (for his entertainment), and may relate thy generosity in the presence of the King,
تا به جای نعمتت منعم رسد ** جمله نعمتها برد بر تو حسد
So that the Bestower of favour may come to thee instead of the favour, and that all favours may envy thee.
من خلیلم تو پسر پیش بچک ** سر بنه انی ارانی اذبحک
I am Khalíl (Abraham), and thou art my son: lay thy head before the knife:lo, I see (in a dream) that I shall sacrifice thee.
سر به پیش قهر نه دل بر قرار ** تا ببرم حلقت اسمعیل‌وار4175
Lay thy head before (my) wrath, with heart unmoved, that I may cut thy throat, like (that of) Ismá‘íl (Ishmael).
سر ببرم لیک این سر آن سریست ** کز بریده گشتن و مردن بریست
I will cut off thy head, but this head is the head that is immune from being cut off and (from) dying;
لیک مقصود ازل تسلیم تست ** ای مسلمان بایدت تسلیم جست
Yet thy giving thyself up is the object of (God's) eternal purpose: O Moslem, thou must seek to give thyself up.
ای نخود می‌جوش اندر ابتلا ** تا نه هستی و نه خود ماند ترا
Continue, O chickpea, to boil in tribulation, that neither existence nor self may remain to thee.
اندر آن بستان اگر خندیده‌ای ** تو گل بستان جان و دیده‌ای
If thou hast (formerly) laughed in that (earthly) garden, (yet) thou art the rose of the garden of the spirit and the (spiritual) eye.
گر جدا از باغ آب و گل شدی ** لقمه گشتی اندر احیا آمدی4180
If thou hast been parted from the garden of water and earth, (yet) thou hast become food in the mouth and hast entered into the living.
شو غذی و قوت و اندیشه‌ها ** شیر بودی شیر شو در بیشه‌ها
Become nutriment and strength and thoughts! (Formerly) thou wert milk (sap): (now) be a lion in the jungles!
از صفاتش رسته‌ای والله نخست ** در صفاتش باز رو چالاک و چست
By God, thou grewest from His (God's) attributes in the beginning: go back nimbly and fleetly into His attributes.
ز ابر و خورشید و ز گردون آمدی ** پس شدی اوصاف و گردون بر شدی
Thou camest from the cloud and the sun and the sky; then didst thou become (diverse) attributes and ascend to heaven.
آمدی در صورت باران و تاب ** می‌روی اندر صفات مستطاب
Thou camest in the form of rain and heat: thou wilt go into the goodly (Divine) attributes.
جزو شید و ابر و انجمها بدی ** نفس و فعل و قول و فکرتها شدی4185
Thou wert a part of the sun and the cloud and the stars: thou becamest soul and action and speech and thoughts.”
هستی حیوان شد از مرگ نبات ** راست آمد اقتلونی یا ثقات
The existence of the animal arose from the death of the plant: (hence the command) “slay me, O trusty friends” is right.
چون چنین بردیست ما را بعد مات ** راست آمد ان فی قتلی حیات
Since there is such a victory for us after the checkmate (of death), (the words) “verily, in my being slain there is a life” are true.
فعل و قول و صدق شد قوت ملک ** تا بدین معراج شد سوی فلک
Action and speech and sincerity became the food of the angel, so that by means of this ladder he mounted to heaven,
آنچنان کان طعمه شد قوت بشر ** از جمادی بر شد و شد جانور
Just as (when) that morsel became the food of Man, it mounted from (the state of) inanimateness and became possessed of soul.
این سخن را ترجمه‌ی پهناوری ** گفته آید در مقام دیگری4190
As regards this topic, a wide (far-reaching) explanation will be given in another place.
کاروان دایم ز گردون می‌رسد ** تا تجارت می‌کند وا می‌رود
“The caravan (of spirits) is incessantly arriving from heaven, that they may traffic (on the earth) and go back again.