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.
چون ستاره با ستاره شد قرین ** لایق هر دو اثر زاید یقین
When planet comes into conjunction with planet, the effect appropriate to them both is assuredly produced,
چون قران مرد و زن زاید بشر ** وز قران سنگ و آهن شد شرر
As (for example) the conjunction of man and woman brings to birth the human being, and (as) sparks arise from the conjunction of stone and iron;
و ز قران خاک با بارانها ** میوهها و سبزه و ریحانها
And (as) from the conjunction of earth with rains (there are produced) fruits and greenery and sweet herbs;
و ز قران سبزهها با آدمی ** دل خوشی و بیغمی و خرمی1095
And (as) from the conjunction of green things (plants and verdant spots) with man (there is produced) joy of heart and carelessness and happiness;
وز قران خرمی با جان ما ** میبزاید خوبی و احسان ما
And (as) from the conjunction of happiness with our souls are born our goodness and beneficence.
قابل خوردن شود اجسام ما ** چون بر آید از تفرج کام ما
Our bodies become capable of eating and drinking when our desire for recreation (in the open air) is satisfied.
سرخ رویی از قران خون بود ** خون ز خورشید خوش گلگون بود
Redness of countenance is (derived) from the conjunction of blood (with the face); blood is (derived) from the beautiful rose-coloured sun.
بهترین رنگها سرخی بود ** و آن ز خورشید است و از وی میرسد
Redness is the best of (all) colours, and that is (born) of the sun and is arriving (to us) from it.
هر زمینی کان قرین شد با زحل ** شوره گشت و کشت را نبود محل1100
Every land that has been conjoined with Saturn has become nitrous and is not the place for sowing.
قوت اندر فعل آید ز اتفاق ** چون قران دیو با اهل نفاق
Through concurrence power comes into action, as (in the case of) the conjunction of the Devil with hypocrites.
این معانی راست از چرخ نهم ** بیهمه طاق و طرم طاق و طرم
These spiritual truths without (possessing) any (worldly) pomp and grandeur, have pomp and grandeur from the Ninth Heaven.
خلق را طاق و طرم عاریت است ** امر را طاق و طرم ماهیت است
The pomp and grandeur belonging to (the world of) creation is a borrowed (adventitious) thing; the pomp and grandeur belonging to the (world of) Command is an essential thing.
از پی طاق و طرم خواری کشند ** بر امید عز در خواری خوشند
For the sake of (earthly) pomp and grandeur they endure abasement; in the hope of glory they are happy in (their) abasement.
بر امید عز ده روزهی خدوک ** گردن خود کردهاند از غم چو دوک1105
In the hope of a ten days' (transient) glory (full) of annoyance, they have made their necks, from anxiety, (thin) as a spindle.
چون نمیآیند اینجا که منم ** کاندر این عز آفتاب روشنم
How do not they come to this place where I am?—for in this (spiritual) glory I am the shining Sun.
مشرق خورشید برج قیرگون ** آفتاب ما ز مشرقها برون
The rising-place of the sun is the pitch-coloured tower (of heaven), (but) my Sun is beyond (all) rising-places.
مشرق او نسبت ذرات او ** نه بر آمد نه فرو شد ذات او
His “rising-place” (is only) in relation to His motes: His essence neither rose nor set.
ما که واپس ماند ذرات ویایم ** در دو عالم آفتابی بیفیایم
I who am left behind (surpassed in eminence) by His motes am (nevertheless) in both worlds a sun without shadow.
باز گرد شمس میگردم عجب ** هم ز فر شمس باشد این سبب1110
Still, I am revolving round the Sun—’tis wonderful; the cause of this is the majesty of the Sun.
شمس باشد بر سببها مطلع ** هم از او حبل سببها منقطع
The Sun is acquainted with (all secondary) causes; at the same time the cord of (all secondary) causes is severed from Him.
صد هزاران بار ببریدم امید ** از که از شمس این شما باور کنید
Hundreds of thousands of times have I cut off (abandoned) hope—of whom? Of the Sun? Do you believe this?
تو مرا باور مکن کز آفتاب ** صبر دارم من و یا ماهی ز آب
Do not believe of me that I can endure to be without the Sun, or the fish to be without water;
ور شوم نومید نومیدی من ** عین صنع آفتاب است ای حسن
And if I become despairing, my despair is the objective manifestation of the Sun's work, O goodly (friend).
عین صنع از نفس صانع چون برد ** هیچ هست از غیر هستی چون چرد1115
How should the objective manifestation of the work be cut off from the very self of the Worker? How should any object of (contingent) being pasture on (derive existence from) aught but (Absolute) Being?
جمله هستیها از این روضه چرند ** گر براق و تازیان ور خود خرند
All (contingent) beings pasture on this Meadow, whether they be Buráq or Arab horses or even asses;
و انکه گردشها از آن دریا ندید ** هر دم آرد رو به صحرایی جدید
And he that has not regarded (all) becomings (movements and changes) as (proceeding) from that Sea, at every instant turns his face towards a new point of orientation.