سایه را تو شخص میبینی ز جهل ** شخص از آن شد نزد تو بازی و سهل
From ignorance you deem the shadow to be the substance: hence to you the substance has become a plaything and of slight account.
باش تا روزی که آن فکر و خیال ** بر گشاید بیحجابی پر و بال
Wait till the Day when that thought and phantasy unfolds its wings and pinions without any veil (encumbrance).
کوهها بینی شده چون پشم نرم ** نیست گشته این زمین سرد و گرم
You will see that the mountains have become soft as wool, (and that) this Earth of hot and cold has become naught;
نه سما بینی نه اختر نه وجود ** جز خدای واحد حی ودود1045
You will see neither the sky nor the stars nor (any) existence but God, the One, the Living, the Loving.
یک فسانه راست آمد یا دروغ ** تا دهد مر راستیها را فروغ
Here is a tale, (be it) true or false, to illustrate (these) truths.
حسد کردن حشم بر غلام خاص
How the (King's) retainers envied the favourite slave.
پادشاهی بندهای را از کرم ** بر گزیده بود بر جمله حشم
A King had, of his grace, preferred a certain slave above all his retinue.
جامگی او وظیفهی چل امیر ** ده یک قدرش ندیدی صد وزیر
His allowance was the stipend of forty Amírs; a hundred Viziers would not see (receive) a tenth of its amount.
از کمال طالع و اقبال و بخت ** او ایازی بود و شه محمود وقت
Through the perfection of (his) natal star and prosperity and fortune he was an Ayáz, while the King was the Mahmúd of the time.
روح او با روح شه در اصل خویش ** پیش از این تن بوده هم پیوند و خویش1050
His spirit in its origin, before (the creation of) this body, was near-related and akin to the King's spirit.
کار آن دارد که پیش از تن بده ست ** بگذر از اینها که نو حادث شده ست
(Only) that matters which has existed before the body; leave (behind you) these things which have newly sprung into being.
کار عارف راست کاو نه احول است ** چشم او بر کشتهای اول است
That which matters belongs to the knower (of God), for he is not squinting: his eye is (fixed) upon the things first sown.
آن چه گندم کاشتندش و آن چه جو ** چشم او آن جاست روز و شب گرو
That which was sown as wheat (good) or as barley (relatively evil)—day and night his eye is fastened on that place (where it was sown).
آنچ آبست است شب جز آن نزاد ** حیلهها و مکرها باد است باد
Night gave birth to nothing but what she was pregnant withal: designs and plots are wind, (empty) wind.
کی کند دل خوش به حیلتهای گش ** آن که بیند حیلهی حق بر سرش1055
How should he please his heart with fair designs who sees the design of God (prevailing) over them?
او درون دام دامی مینهد ** جان تو نه این جهد نه آن جهد
He is within the snare (of God) and is laying a snare: by your life, neither that (snare) will escape (destruction) nor will this (man).
گر بروید ور بریزد صد گیاه ** عاقبت بر روید آن کشتهی اله
Though (in the meanwhile) a hundred herbs grow and fade, there will grow up at last that which God has sown.
کشت نو کارید بر کشت نخست ** این دوم فانی است و آن اول درست
He (the cunning man) sowed new seed over the first seed; (but) this second (seed) is passing away, and (only) the first is sound (and enduring).
تخم اول کامل و بگزیده است ** تخم ثانی فاسد و پوسیده است
The first seed is perfect and choice; the second seed is corrupt and rotten.
افکن این تدبیر خود را پیش دوست ** گر چه تدبیرت هم از تدبیر اوست1060
Cast away this contrivance of yours before the Beloved— though your contrivance indeed is of His contriving.
کار آن دارد که حق افراشته ست ** آخر آن روید که اول کاشته ست
That which God has raised (and that alone) has use: what He has at first sown at last grows.
هر چه کاری از برای او بکار ** چون اسیر دوستی ای دوستدار
Whatever you sow, sow for His sake, inasmuch as you are the Beloved's captive, O lover.
گرد نفس دزد و کار او مپیچ ** هر چه آن نه کار حق هیچ است هیچ
Do not hang about the thievish fleshly soul and its work: whatsoever is not God's work is naught, naught.
پیش از آن که روز دین پیدا شود ** نزد مالک دزد شب رسوا شود
(Sow the good seed) ere the Day of Resurrection shall appear and the night-thief be shamed before Him whose is the Kingdom,
رخت دزدیده به تدبیر و فنش ** مانده روز داوری بر گردنش1065
With the goods stolen by his contrivance and craft (still) remaining on his neck at the Day of Judgement.
صد هزاران عقل با هم بر جهند ** تا به غیر دام او دامی نهند
Hundreds of thousands of minds may jump together (conspire) to lay a snare other than His snare;
دام خود را سختتر یابند و بس ** کی نماید قوتی با باد خس
(But) they only find their snare more grievous (to themselves), (for) how can straws show any power (of resistance) against the wind?
گر تو گویی فایدهی هستی چه بود ** در سؤالت فایده هست ای عنود
If you say, “What was the profit of (our created) being?” (I reply), “There is profit in your question, O contumacious one.
گر ندارد این سؤالت فایده ** چه شنویم این را عبث بیعایده
If this question of yours has no profit, why should we listen to it in vain and fruitlessly?
ور سؤالت را بسی فاییدههاست ** پس جهان بیفایده آخر چراست1070
And if there are many profits in your question, then why, pray, is the world unprofitable?
ور جهان از یک جهت بیفایده ست ** از جهتهای دگر پر عایده ست
And (again), if from one standpoint the world is unprofitable, from other standpoints it is advantageous.
فایدهی تو گر مرا فاییده نیست ** مر ترا چون فایده ست از وی مه ایست
If your profit is no profit to me, (yet) since it is a profit to you, do not withdraw from it.”
حسن یوسف عالمی را فایده ** گر چه بر اخوان عبث بد زایده
The beauty of Joseph profited a (whole) world (of people), though to his brethren it was a vain superfluity.
لحن داودی چنان محبوب بود ** لیک بر محروم بانگ چوب بود
The melodies of David were so dear (to the faithful), but to the interdicted (unbeliever) they were (no more than) the noise of wood.
آب نیل از آب حیوان بد فزون ** لیک بر محروم و منکر بود خون1075
The water of the Nile was superior to the Water of Life, but to the interdicted and unbelieving it was blood.
هست بر مومن شهیدی زندگی ** بر منافق مردن است و ژندگی
To the true believer martyrdom is life; to the hypocrite it is death and corruption.
چیست در عالم بگو یک نعمتی ** که نه محرومند از وی امتی
Tell (me), what single blessing is there in the world, from which some group of people is not excluded?
گاو و خر را فایده چه در شکر ** هست هر جان را یکی قوتی دگر
What profit have the ox and the ass in sugar? Every soul has a different food;
لیک گر آن قوت بر وی عارضی است ** پس نصیحت کردن او را رایضی است
But if that food is accidental to it (and not according to its real nature), then admonition is the (proper) correction for it.
چون کسی کاو از مرض گل داشت دوست ** گر چه پندارد که آن خود قوت اوست1080
As (in the case of) one who from disease has become fond of (eating) clay— though he may suppose that that (clay) is indeed his (natural) food,
قوت اصلی را فرامش کرده است ** روی در قوت مرض آورده است
He has (in reality) forgotten his original food and has betaken himself to the food of disease.
نوش را بگذاشته سم خورده است ** قوت علت همچو چوبش کرده است
Having given up honey, he has eaten poison; he has made the food of disease (to be his nourishment) as (though it were) fat.
قوت اصلی بشر نور خداست ** قوت حیوانی مر او را ناسزاست
Man's original food is the Light of God: animal food is improper for him;
لیک از علت در این افتاد دل ** که خورد او روز و شب زین آب و گل
But, in consequence of disease, his mind has fallen into this (delusion), that day and night he should eat of this water and clay.
روی زرد و پای سست و دل سبک ** کو غذای و السما ذات الحبک1085
(He is) pale-faced, weak-footed, faint-hearted—where is the food of by Heaven which hath (starry) tracks?
آن غذای خاصگان دولت است ** خوردن آن بیگلو و آلت است
That is the food of the chosen ones of the (Divine) sovereignty; the eating thereof is (done) without throat or instrument.
شد غذای آفتاب از نور عرش ** مر حسود و دیو را از دود فرش
The food of the (spiritual) sun is (derived) from the light of the (celestial) Throne; (the food that belongs) to the envious and devilish is (derived) from the smoke of the (terrestrial) carpet.
در شهیدان یرزقون فرمود حق ** آن غذا را نه دهان بد نه طبق
God said concerning the martyrs, they are (alive with their Lord) receiving sustenance. For that food there was neither mouth nor dish.
دل ز هر یاری غذایی میخورد ** دل ز هر علمی صفایی میبرد
The heart is eating a (particular) food from every single companion; the heart is getting a (particular) excellence from every single (piece of) knowledge.
صورت هر آدمی چون کاسهای است ** چشم از معنی او حساسهای است1090
Every human being's (outer) form is like a cup; (only) the (spiritual) eye is a percipient of his (or her) reality.
از لقای هر کسی چیزی خوری ** و ز قران هر قرین چیزی بری
You eat (receive) something from meeting with any one, and you carry away something from conjunction with any associate.