آنک جوی و چشمه‌ها را آب داد ** چشمه‌ای در اندرون من گشاد
He who gave water to the rivers and fountains hath opened a fountain within me.
این جگر که بود گرم و آب‌خوار ** گشت پیش همت او آب خوار 3515
This heart, which was hot and water-drinking—to its high aspiration water has become vile.
کاف کافی آمد او بهر عباد ** صدق وعده‌ی کهیعص
He (God), for the sake of His servants, became (symbolised by) the (letter) káf of Káfí (All-sufficing), (in token of) the truth of the promise of Káf, Há, Yá, ‘Ayn, Sád.
کافیم بدهم ترا من جمله خیر ** بی‌سبب بی‌واسطه‌ی یاری غیر
(God saith), ‘I am All-sufficing: I will give thee all good, without (the intervention of) a secondary cause, without the mediation of another's aid.
کافیم بی‌نان ترا سیری دهم ** بی‌سپاه و لشکرت میری دهم
I am All-sufficing: I will give thee satiety without bread, I will give thee sovereignty without soldiers and armies.
بی‌بهارت نرگس و نسرین دهم ** بی‌کتاب و اوستا تلقین دهم
I will give thee narcissi and wild-roses without the spring, I will give thee instruction without a book and teacher.
کافیم بی داروت درمان کنم ** گور را و چاه را میدان کنم 3520
I am All-sufficing: I will heal thee without medicine, I will make the grave and the pit a (spacious) playing-field.
موسیی را دل دهم با یک عصا ** تا زند بر عالمی شمشیرها
To a Moses I give heart (courage) with a single rod, that he may brandish swords against a multitude.
دست موسی را دهم یک نور و تاب ** که طپانچه می‌زند بر آفتاب
(Such) a light and splendour do I give to the hand of Moses that it is slapping the sun (in triumph).
چوب را ماری کنم من هفت سر ** که نزاید ماده مار او را ز نر
I make the wooden staff a seven-headed dragon, which the female dragon does not (conceive and) bring to birth from the male.
خون نیامیزم در آب نیل من ** خود کنم خون عین آبش را به فن
I do not mingle blood in the water of the Nile: in sooth by My cunning I make the very essence of its water to be blood.
شادیت را غم کنم چون آب نیل ** که نیابی سوی شادیها سبیل 3525
I turn thy joy into sorrow like the (polluted) water of the Nile, so that thou wilt not find the way to rejoicings.
باز چون تجدید ایمان بر تنی ** باز از فرعون بیزاری کنی
Again, when thou art intent on renewing thy faith and abjurest Pharaoh once more,
موسی رحمت ببینی آمده ** نیل خون بینی ازو آبی شده
Thou wilt see (that) the Moses of Mercy (has) come, thou wilt see the Nile of blood turned by him into water.
چون سر رشته نگه داری درون ** نیل ذوق تو نگردد هیچ خون
When thou keepest safe within (thee) the end of the rope (of faith), the Nile of thy spiritual delight will never be changed into blood.’
من گمان بردم که ایمان آورم ** تا ازین طوفان خون آبی خورم
I thought I would profess the Faith in order that from this deluge of blood I might drink some water.
من چه دانستم که تبدیلی کند ** در نهاد من مرا نیلی کند 3530
How did I know that He would work a transformation in my nature and make me a (spiritual) Nile?
سوی چشم خود یکی نیلم روان ** برقرارم پیش چشم دیگران
To my own eye, I am a flowing Nile, (but) to the eyes of others I am at rest.”
هم‌چنانک این جهان پیش نبی ** غرق تسبیحست و پیش ما غبی
Just as, to the Prophet, this world is plunged in glorification of God, while to us it is heedless (insensible).
پیش چشمش این جهان پر عشق و داد ** پیش چشم دیگران مرده و جماد
To his eye, this world is filled with love and bounty; to the eyes of others it is dead and inert.
پست و بالا پیش چشمش تیزرو ** از کلوخ و خشت او نکته شنو
To his eye, vale and hill are moving swiftly: he hears subtle discourse from clod and brick.
با عوام این جمله بسته و مرده‌ای ** زین عجب‌تر من ندیدم پرده‌ای 3535
To the vulgar, all this (world) is a bound and dead (thing): I have not seen a veil (of blindness) more wonderful than this.
گورها یکسان به پیش چشم ما ** روضه و حفره به چشم اولیا
To our eye, (all) the graves are alike; to the eyes of the saints, (one is) a garden (in Paradise), and (another is) a pit (in Hell).
عامه گفتندی که پیغامبر ترش ** از چه گشتست و شدست او ذوق‌کش
The vulgar would say, “Wherefore has the Prophet become sour (of visage) and why has he become pleasure-killing?”
خاص گفتندی که سوی چشمتان ** می‌نماید او ترش ای امتان
The elect would say, “To your eyes, O peoples, he appears to be sour;