چون معلم زد صبی را شد تلف ** بر معلم نیست چیزی لا تخف
(But) when a teacher strikes a boy and he (the boy) perishes (is killed by the blows), nothing (in the way of penalty) is (imposed) on the teacher; no fear’
کان معلم نایب افتاد و امین ** هر امین را هست حکمش همچنین
For the teacher is a deputy (of God) and a trustee; and the ease of every trustee is the same as this
نیست واجب خدمت استا برو ** پس نبود استا به زجرش کارجو 1520
It is not his (the boy’s) duty to serve his master (teacher) therefore in chastising him the master was not seeking benefit (for himself),
ور پدر زد او برای خود زدست ** لاجرم از خونبها دادن نرست
But if his father struck him, he struck for his own sake: consequently he was not freed from (responsibility for) paying the blood-price.
پس خودی را سر ببر ای ذوالفقار ** بی‌خودی شو فانیی درویش‌وار
Behead (your) selfhood, then, O (you who resemble the sword) Dhu ‘l-faqár: become a selfless naughted one like the dervish.
چون شدی بی‌خود هر آنچ تو کنی ** ما رمیت اذ رمیتی آمنی
When you have become selfless, everything that you do (is a case of) thou didst not throw when thou threwest, (and) you are safe.
آن ضمان بر حق بود نه بر امین ** هست تفصیلش به فقه اندر مبین
The responsibility lies on God, not on the trustee: ‘tis set forth plainly in (books of) jurisprudence.
هر دکانی راست سودایی دگر ** مثنوی دکان فقرست ای پسر 1525
Every shop has a different (kind of) merchandise: the Mathnawi is the shop for (spiritual) poverty, O son.
در دکان کفشگر چرمست خوب ** قالب کفش است اگر بینی تو چوب
In the shoemaker’s shop there is fine leather: if you see wood (there), it is (only) the mould for the shoe.
پیش بزازان قز و ادکن بود ** بهر گز باشد اگر آهن بود
The drapers have (in their shops) silk and dun-coloured cloth: if iron be (there), it is (only to serve) for a yard-measure.
مثنوی ما دکان وحدتست ** غیر واحد هرچه بینی آن بتست
Our Mathnawi is the shop for Unity: anything that you see (there) except the One God) is (only) an idol.
Know that to praise an idol for the purpose of ensnaring the vulgar is just like (the Prophet’s reference to) “the most exalted Cranes.”
خواندش در سوره‌ی والنجم زود ** لیک آن فتنه بد از سوره نبود 1530
He recited it those words) quickly in the Súra (entitled) Wa’l-Najm, but it was a temptation (of the Devil), it was not (really) part of the Súra.
جمله کفار آن زمان ساجد شدند ** هم سری بود آنک سر بر در زدند
Thereupon all the infidels prostrated themselves (in worship): ‘twas a mystery (of Divine Wisdom), too, that they knocked their heads upon the door.
بعد ازین حرفیست پیچاپیچ و دور ** با سلیمان باش و دیوان را مشور
After this there is a perplexing and abstruse argument stay with Solomon and do not stir up the demons!
هین حدیث صوفی و قاضی بیار ** وان ستمکار ضعیف زار زار
Hark, relate the story of the Súfí and the Cadi and the offender who was (so) feeble and wretchedly ill.
گفت قاضی ثبت العرش ای پسر ** تا برو نقشی کنم از خیر و شر
The Cadi said (to the Súfí), “Make the roof firm, O son, in order that I may decorate it with good and evil.
کو زننده کو محل انتقام ** این خیالی گشته است اندر سقام 1535
Where is the assailant? Where is that which is subject to vengeance? This man in (consequence of) sickness has become a (mere) phantom.
شرع بهر زندگان و اغنیاست ** شرع بر اصحاب گورستان کجاست
The law is for the living and self-sufficient: where (how) is the law (binding) upon the occupants of the graveyard?”
آن گروهی کز فقیری بی‌سرند ** صد جهت زان مردگان فانی‌تراند
The class (of men) who are headless (selfless) because of (their spiritual) poverty are in a hundred respects more naughted than those dead (and buried).
مرده از یک روست فانی در گزند ** صوفیان از صد جهت فانی شدند
The dead man is naughted (only) from one point of view, namely), as regards loss (of bodily life); the Súfís have been naughted in a hundred respects.
مرگ یک قتلست و این سیصد هزار ** هر یکی را خونبهایی بی‌شمار
(Bodily) death is a single killing, while this (spiritual death) is three hundred thousand (killings), for each one of which there is a blood-price beyond reckoning.
گرچه کشت این قوم را حق بارها ** ریخت بهر خونبها انبارها 1540
Though God hath killed these folk many a time, (yet) He hath poured forth (infinite) stores (of grace) in payment of the blood-price.
هم‌چو جرجیس‌اند هر یک در سرار ** کشته گشته زنده گشته شصت بار
Every one (of these martyrs) is inwardly like Jirjís (St George): they have been killed and brought to life (again) sixty times.
کشته از ذوق سنان دادگر ** می‌بسوزد که بزن زخمی دگر
From his delight in (being smitten by) the spear-point of the (Divine) Judge, the killed one is ever burning (in rapture) and crying. Strike another blow!”