زلت او به ز طاعت نزد حق ** پیش کفرش جمله ایمانها خلق
In the sight of God his backsliding is better than obedience; beside his infidelity all faiths are tattered (worthless).
هر دمی او را یکی معراج خاص ** بر سر تاجش نهد صد تاج خاص1580
Every moment he hath an ascension (to God) peculiar to himself: He (God) lays upon his crown a hundred peculiar crowns.
صورتش بر خاک و جان بر لامکان ** لامکانی فوق وهم سالکان
His form is on earth and his spirit in “no-place,” a “no-place” beyond the imagination of travellers (on the mystic Way):
لامکانی نه که در فهم آیدت ** هر دمی در وی خیالی زایدت
Not such a “no-place” that it should come into thy understanding (or that) a fancy about it should be born in thee every moment;
بل مکان و لامکان در حکم او ** همچو در حکم بهشتی چارجو
Nay, place and “no-place” are in his control, just as the four (Paradisal) rivers are in the control of one who dwells in Paradise.
شرح این کوته کن و رخ زین بتاب ** دم مزن و الله اعلم بالصواب
Cut short the explanation of this and avert thy face from it: do not breathe a word (more)—and God knows best what is right.
باز می‌‌گردیم ما ای دوستان ** سوی مرغ و تاجر و هندوستان1585
We return, O friends, to the bird and the merchant and India.
مرد بازرگان پذیرفت این پیام ** کاو رساند سوی جنس از وی سلام
The merchant accepted this message (and promised) that he would convey the greeting from her (the parrot) to her congeners.
دیدن خواجه طوطیان هندوستان را در دشت و پیغام رسانیدن از آن طوطی
How the merchant saw the parrots of India in the plain and delivered the parrot's message.
چون که تا اقصای هندوستان رسید ** در بیابان طوطی چندی بدید
When he reached the farthest bounds of India, he saw a number of parrots in the plain.
مرکب استانید پس آواز داد ** آن سلام و آن امانت باز داد
He halted his beast; then he gave voice, delivered the greeting and (discharged) the trust.
طوطیی ز آن طوطیان لرزید بس ** اوفتاد و مرد و بگسستش نفس
One of those parrots trembled exceedingly, fell, and died, and its breath stopped.
شد پشیمان خواجه از گفت خبر ** گفت رفتم در هلاک جانور1590
The merchant repented of having told the news, and said, “I have gone about to destroy the creature.
این مگر خویش است با آن طوطیک ** این مگر دو جسم بود و روح یک
This one, surely, is kin to that little parrot (of mine): they must have been two bodies and one spirit.
این چرا کردم چرا دادم پیام ** سوختم بی‌‌چاره را زین گفت خام
Why did I do this? Why did I give the message? I have consumed the poor creature by this raw (foolish) speech.”
این زبان چون سنگ و هم آهن‌‌وش است ** و آن چه بجهد از زبان چون آتش است
This tongue is like stone and is also like iron, and that which springs from the tongue is like fire.
سنگ و آهن را مزن بر هم گزاف ** گه ز روی نقل و گاه از روی لاف
Do not vainly strike stone and iron against each other, now for the sake of relating (a story), now for the sake of boasting,
ز آن که تاریک است و هر سو پنبه زار ** در میان پنبه چون باشد شرار1595
Because it is dark, and on every side are fields of cotton: how should sparks be amongst cotton?
ظالم آن قومی که چشمان دوختند ** ز آن سخنها عالمی را سوختند
Iniquitous are those persons who shut their eyes and by such (vain) words set a whole world ablaze.
عالمی را یک سخن ویران کند ** روبهان مرده را شیران کند
A single word lays waste a (whole) world, turns dead foxes into lions.
جانها در اصل خود عیسی دمند ** یک زمان زخمند و گاهی مرهمند
Spirits in their original nature have the (life-giving) breath of Jesus, (but while they remain embodied) at one time they are (like) the wound, and another time (like) the plaster.
گر حجاب از جانها برخاستی ** گفت هر جانی مسیح آساستی
If the (bodily) screen were removed from the spirits, the speech of every spirit would be like (the breath of) the Messiah.
گر سخن خواهی که گویی چون شکر ** صبر کن از حرص و این حلوا مخور1600
If you wish to utter words like sugar, refrain from concupiscence and do not eat this sweetmeat (the desires of the flesh).
صبر باشد مشتهای زیرکان ** هست حلوا آرزوی کودکان
Self-control is the thing desired by the intelligent; sweetmeat is what children long for.
هر که صبر آورد گردون بر رود ** هر که حلوا خورد واپس‌‌تر رود
تفسیر قول فرید الدین عطار قدس الله روحه: تو صاحب نفسی ای غافل میان خاک خون می‌‌خور که صاحب دل اگر زهری خورد آن انگبین باشد
Commentary on the saying of Farídu’ddín ‘Attár, -may God sanctify his spirit- “Thou art a sensualist: O heedless one, drink blood (mortify thyself) amidst the dust (of thy bodily existence), For if the spiritualist drink a poison, it will be (to him as) an antidote.”
صاحب دل را ندارد آن زیان ** گر خورد او زهر قاتل را عیان
It does not harm the spiritualist (saint) though he drink deadly poison for all to see,
ز آن که صحت یافت و از پرهیز رست ** طالب مسکین میان تب در است
Because he has attained to (spiritual) health and has been set free from (the need for) abstinence, (while) the poor seeker (of God) is (still) in the (state of) fever.
گفت پیغمبر که ای مرد جری ** هان مکن با هیچ مطلوبی مری1605
The Prophet said, "O seeker of the (Divine) allowance (bounty), do not contend with anyone who is sought.".
در تو نمرودی است آتش در مرو ** رفت خواهی اول ابراهیم شو
In thee is a Nimrod: do not go into the fire. If thou wish to go in, first become Abraham!
چون نه‌‌ای سباح و نه دریاییی ** در میفکن خویش از خود راییی
When thou art neither a swimmer nor a seaman, do not cast thyself (into the sea) from a (feeling of) self-conceit.
او ز آتش ورد احمر آورد ** از زیانها سود بر سر آورد
He (the saint) brings red roses from the fire, from losses he brings gain to the surface.
کاملی گر خاک گیرد زر شود ** ناقص ار زر برد خاکستر شود
If a perfect man (saint) take earth, it becomes gold; if an imperfect one has carried away gold, it becomes ashes.
چون قبول حق بود آن مرد راست ** دست او در کارها دست خداست1610
Since that righteous man is accepted of God, his hand in (all) things is the hand of God.
دست ناقص دست شیطان است و دیو ** ز آن که اندر دام تکلیف است و ریو
The hand of the imperfect man is the hand of Devil and demon, because he is in the trap of imposition and guile.
جهل آید پیش او دانش شود ** جهل شد علمی که در ناقص رود
If ignorance come to him (the perfect man), it becomes knowledge, (but) the knowledge that goes into the disbelieving man becomes ignorance.
هر چه گیرد علتی علت شود ** کفر گیرد کاملی ملت شود
Whatever an ill man takes becomes illness, (but) if a perfect man takes infidelity, it becomes religion.
ای مری کرده پیاده با سوار ** سر نخواهی برد اکنون پای دار
O thou who, being on foot, hast contended with a horseman, thou wilt not save thy head. Now hold thy foot (desist)!
تعظیم ساحران مر موسی را علیه السلام که چه فرمایی اول تو اندازی عصا یا ما
How the magicians paid respect to Moses, on whom be peace, saying, “What dost thou command? Wilt thou cast down thy rod first?”
ساحران در عهد فرعون لعین ** چون مری کردند با موسی به کین1615
The magicians in the time of the accursed Pharaoh, when they contended with Moses in enmity,
لیک موسی را مقدم داشتند ** ساحران او را مکرم داشتند
Yet gave Moses the precedence—the magicians held him in honour—
ز آن که گفتندش که فرمان آن تست ** گر تو می‌‌خواهی عصا بفکن نخست
Because they said to him, “’Tis for thee to command: (if) thou wishest, do thou cast down thy rod first (of all).”
گفت نی اول شما ای ساحران ** افکنید آن مکرها را در میان
“Nay,” said he, “first do ye, O magicians, cast down those tricks (objects of enchantment) into the middle (where all can see them).”
این قدر تعظیم دینشان را خرید ** کز مری آن دست و پاهاشان برید
This amount of respect purchased their (belief in) (the true) religion, so that it (the true belief) cut off the hands and feet of their contention (prevented them from disputing further with Moses).
ساحران چون حق او بشناختند ** دست و پا در جرم آن درباختند1620
When the magicians acknowledged his (Moses') right, they sacrificed their hands and feet (as a penance) for the sin of that (contention).
لقمه و نکته ست کامل را حلال ** تو نه‌‌ای کامل مخور می‌‌باش لال
To the perfect man (every) mouthful (of food) and (every) saying is lawful. Thou art not perfect: do not eat, be mute,
چون تو گوشی او زبان نی جنس تو ** گوشها را حق بفرمود أنصتوا
Inasmuch as thou art an ear and he a tongue, not thy congener: God said to the ears, “Be silent.”
کودک اول چون بزاید شیر نوش ** مدتی خامش بود او جمله گوش
When the sucking babe is born, at first it keeps silence for a while, it is all ear.
مدتی می‌‌بایدش لب دوختن ** از سخن تا او سخن آموختن
For a while it must close its lips (and refrain) from speech, until it learns to speak;
ور نباشد گوش و تی‌‌تی می‌‌کند ** خویشتن را گنگ گیتی می‌‌کند1625
And if it is not (silent like) an ear but makes babbling sounds, it makes itself the dumbest creature in the world.
کر اصلی کش نبود آغاز گوش ** لال باشد کی کند در نطق جوش
He that is deaf by nature, he that had no ear at the beginning, is dumb: how should he burst into speech?
ز آن که اول سمع باید نطق را ** سوی منطق از ره سمع اندر آ
Since, in order to speak, one must first hear, do thou come to speech by the way of hearing.
ادخلوا الأبیات من أبوابها ** و اطلبوا الأغراض فی أسبابها
And enter ye the houses by their doors, and seek ye the ends in their causes.