Now carries it to the right, now to the left; now makes it roses, now thorns.
دست پنهان و قلم بین خط گزار ** اسب در جولان و ناپیدا سوار
See (how) the Hand (is) hidden, while the pen is writing; the horse careering, while the Rider is invisible.
تیر پران بین و ناپیدا کمان ** جانها پیدا و پنهان جان جان
See the arrow flying, and the Bow not in sight; the (individual) souls manifest, and the Soul of souls hidden.
تیر را مشکن که این تیر شهی است ** تیر پرتابی ز شصت آگهی است1305
Do not break the arrow, for it is the arrow of a King; it is not shot at long range (at random), it is from the thumb-stall of One who knows (how to hit the target).
ما رمیت إذ رمیت گفت حق ** کار حق بر کارها دارد سبق
God said, “Thou didst not throw when thou threwest”: the action of God has precedence over (our) actions.
خشم خود بشکن تو مشکن تیر را ** چشم خشمت خون شمارد شیر را
Break your own anger, do not break the arrow: the eye of your anger reckons milk (to be) blood.
بوسه ده بر تیر و پیش شاه بر ** تیر خون آلود از خون تو تر
Give the arrow a kiss and bring it to the King—the blood-stained arrow, wet with your blood.
آن چه پیدا عاجز و بسته و زبون ** و آن چه ناپیدا چنان تند و حرون
That which is seen is helpless and confined and feeble; and that which is unseen is so fierce and uncontrollable.
ما شکاریم این چنین دامی کراست ** گوی چوگانیم چوگانی کجاست1310
We are the (hunted) prey: to whom belongs such a (fearful) snare? We are the ball (for the blows) of the polo-bat—and where is the Batsman?
میدرد میدوزد این خیاط کو ** میدمد میسوزد این نفاط کو
He tears, He sews: where is this Tailor? He blows, He burns: where is this Fire-kindler?
ساعتی کافر کند صدیق را ** ساعتی زاهد کند زندیق را
At one hour He makes the true saint an unbeliever; at another hour He makes the (impious) deist an (orthodox) ascetic;
ز انکه مخلص در خطر باشد ز دام ** تا ز خود خالص نگردد او تمام
For the mukhlis (sincere worshipper) is in danger of the snare until he becomes entirely purged of self,
ز انکه در راهست و ره زن بیحد است ** آن رهد کاو در امان ایزد است
Because he is (still) on the Way, and the brigands are numberless: (only) he escapes who is under God's safeguard.
آینهی خالص نگشت او مخلص است ** مرغ را نگرفته است او مقنص است1315
(If) he has not become (selfless, like) a pure mirror, he is (no more than) mukhlis: (if) he has not caught the bird, he is (still) hunting;
چون که مخلص گشت مخلص باز رست ** در مقام امن رفت و برد دست
(But) when the mukhlis has become mukhlas, he is delivered: he has reached the place of safety and has won the victory.
هیچ آیینه دگر آهن نشد ** هیچ نانی گندم خرمن نشد
No mirror (ever) became iron again; no bread (ever) became the wheat in the stack.
هیچ انگوری دگر غوره نشد ** هیچ میوهی پخته با کوره نشد
No full-grown grape (ever) became a young grape; no mature fruit (ever) became premature fruit.
پخته گرد و از تغیر دور شو ** رو چو برهان محقق نور شو
Become mature and be far from (the possibility of) change for the worse: go, become the Light, like Burhán-i Muhaqqiq.
چون ز خود رستی همه برهان شدی ** چون که بنده نیست شد سلطان شدی1320
When you have escaped from self, you have become wholly the proof (of God): when the slave (in you) has become naught, you have become the King.
ور عیان خواهی صلاح دین نمود ** دیدهها را کرد بینا و گشود
[And if you wish to behold (this mystery) plainly, Saláhu’ddín has shown it forth: he has made the eyes to see and has opened (them).
فقر را از چشم و از سیمای او ** دید هر چشمی که دارد نور هو
From his eyes and mien every eye that hath the Light of Hú (God) has discerned (mystical) poverty.
شیخ فعال است بیآلت چو حق ** با مریدان داده بیگفتی سبق
The Shaykh (Saláhu’ddín) is one who, like God, acts without instrument, giving lessons to his disciples without anything said.]
دل به دست او چو موم نرم رام ** مهر او گه ننگ سازد گاه نام
In his hand the heart is submissive like soft wax: his seal makes (the impression) now (of) shame, now (of) fame.
مهر مومش حاکی انگشتری است ** باز آن نقش نگین حاکی کیست1325
The seal impressed on his wax is telling of the seal-ring; of whom, again, does the device tell, (which is) graven on the stone of the ring?
حاکی اندیشهی آن زرگر است ** سلسلهی هر حلقه اندر دیگر است
It tells of the thought of the Goldsmith—(all this) is a chain, every link (inserted) in another.
این صدا در کوه دلها بانگ کی ست ** گه پرست از بانگ این که گه تهی است
Whose voice is this echo in the mountains of (our) hearts? Sometimes this mountain is full of the voice, sometimes it is empty.
هر کجا هست او حکیم است اوستاد ** بانگ او زین کوه دل خالی مباد
Wheresoever he is, he is the Sage, the Master—may his voice not forsake this mountain!
هست که کاوا مثنا میکند ** هست که کآواز صد تا میکند
There is a mountain that (only) doubles the voice; there is a mountain that makes it hundredfold.
میزهاند کوه از آن آواز و قال ** صد هزاران چشمهی آب زلال1330
At that voice and speech the mountain lets gush forth hundreds of thousands of springs of clear water.
چون ز کوه آن لطف بیرون میشود ** آبها در چشمهها خون میشود
Inasmuch as that grace emanates (even) from the mountain, the waters in the springs become blood.
ز آن شهنشاه همایون نعل بود ** که سراسر طور سینا لعل بود
’Twas on account of that monarch of auspicious gait that Mount Sinai was (turned to) rubies from end to end.
جان پذیرفت و خرد اجزای کوه ** ما کم از سنگیم آخر ای گروه
(All) the parts of the mountain received life and intelligence— after all, are we inferior to stone, O people?
نه ز جان یک چشمه جوشان میشود ** نه بدن از سبز پوشان میشود
Neither is there gushing from the soul a single spring, nor is the body becoming one of those clad in green;
نه صدای بانگ مشتاقی در او ** نه صفای جرعهی ساقی در او1335
Neither is there in it the echo of the cry of longing, nor the purity (born) of the draught of (wine bestowed by) the Cup-bearer.
کو حمیت تا ز تیشه و ز کلند ** این چنین که را بکلی بر کنند
Where is (so great) zeal, that they should entirely dig up such a mountain as this with axe and with pick?—
بو که بر اجزای او تابد مهی ** بو که در وی تاب مه یابد رهی
(In the hope that) maybe a Moon will shine upon its particles, (that) maybe the radiance of the Moon will find a way into it.
چون قیامت کوهها را بر کند ** پس قیامت این کرم کی میکند
Inasmuch as the (temporal) Resurrection shall dig up the mountains, how shall it cast the shadow (of protection) over us?
این قیامت ز آن قیامت کی کم است ** آن قیامت زخم و این چون مرهم است
How is this (spiritual) Resurrection inferior to that (temporal) Resurrection? That (temporal) Resurrection is the wound, and this (spiritual) Resurrection is as the plaster.
هر که دید این مرهم از زخم ایمن است ** هر بدی کاین حسن دید او محسن است1340
Every one that has seen (experienced) this plaster is safe from the wound: every evil one that has seen this good is a well-doer.