آفتاب شاه در برج عتاب ** میکند روها سیه همچون کباب
The King's sun, in the (zodiacal) sign of reproach, makes faces black as a piece of roasted meat.
آن عطارد را ورقها جان ماست ** آن سپیدی و آن سیه میزان ماست
Our souls are leaves for that Mercury (to write on): that white and black (writing) is our standard (criterion).
باز منشوری نویسد سرخ و سبز ** تا رهند ارواح از سودا و عجز
Again, he writes a patent in red and green, that (our) spirits may be delivered from melancholy and despair.
سرخ و سبز افتاد نسخ نو بهار ** چون خط قوس و قزح در اعتبار1600
Red and green are Spring's cancellation (of winter); in regard (to their significance they are) like the (coloured) lines of the rainbow.
عکس تعظیم پیغام سلیمان علیه السلام در دل بلقیس از صورت حقیر هدهد
How reverence for the message of Solomon, on whom be peace, was reflected in the heart of Bilqís from the despicable form of the hoopoe.
رحمت صد تو بر آن بلقیس باد ** که خدایش عقل صد مرده بداد
Hundredfold mercy be on that Bilqís to whom God gave the intellect of a hundred men!
هدهدی نامه بیاورد و نشان ** از سلیمان چند حرفی با بیان
A hoopoe brought the letter with the (royal) sign-manual from Solomon—a few eloquent words.
خواند او آن نکتهای با شمول ** با حقارت ننگرید اندر رسول
(When) she read those pregnant sayings, she did not look with contempt on the messenger.
جسم هدهد دید و جان عنقاش دید ** حس چو کفی دید و دل دریاش دید
Her body saw him as a hoopoe, (but) her spirit saw him as the ‘Anqá; her senses saw him as a fleck of foam, (but) her heart saw him as the sea.
عقل با حس زین طلسمات دو رنگ ** چون محمد با ابو جهلان به جنگ1605
Because of these two-coloured (diverse) talismans (appearance and reality) the intellect is at war with the senses, as Mohammed with the likes of Abú Jahl.
کافران دیدند احمد را بشر ** چون ندیدند از وی انشق القمر
The infidels regarded Ahmad (Mohammed) as (only) a man, since they did not see in him (the Prophetic nature which was manifested by the miracle) the moon was cleft asunder.
خاک زن در دیدهی حس بین خویش ** دیدهی حس دشمن عقل است و کیش
Throw dust on your sense-perceiving eye: the sensuous eye is the enemy of intellect and religion.
دیدهی حس را خدا اعماش خواند ** بت پرستش گفت و ضد ماش خواند
God has called the sensuous eye blind; He has said that it is an idolater and our foe,
ز انکه او کف دید و دریا را ندید ** ز انکه حالی دید و فردا را ندید
Because it saw the foam and not the sea, because it saw the present and not to-morrow.
خواجهی فردا و حالی پیش او ** او نمیبیند ز گنجی جز تسو1610
The master of to-morrow and of the present (is) before it; (yet) of a (whole) treasure it sees only a groat.
ذرهای ز آن آفتاب آرد پیام ** آفتاب آن ذره را گردد غلام
(If) a mote bring a message from yonder Sun, the sun would become a slave to that mote.
قطرهای کز بحر وحدت شد سفیر ** هفت بحر آن قطره را باشد اسیر
The drop that has become an envoy from the Sea of Unity— the seven seas would be captive to that drop.
گر کف خاکی شود چالاک او ** پیش خاکش سر نهد افلاک او
If a handful of earth become His courier, His heavens will lay their heads (in homage) before His earth.
خاک آدم چون که شد چالاک حق ** پیش خاکش سر نهند املاک حق
Since the earth of Adam became God's courier, God's angels lay their heads (in worship) before His earth.
السماء انشقت آخر از چه بود ** از یکی چشمی که خاکی بر گشود1615
Wherefore (was it), pray, that heaven was rent asunder? Because of one (spiritual) eye that an earthly creature opened.
خاک از دردی نشیند زیر آب ** خاک بین کز عرش بگذشت از شتاب
Earth, from its grossness, settles beneath water; (but) see how earth has sped beyond the empyrean!
آن لطافت پس بدان کز آب نیست ** جز عطای مبدع وهاب نیست
Know, then, that the subtlety (of water) is not (derived) from the water: ’tis only the gift of the Bounteous Originator.
گر کند سفلی هوا و نار را ** ور ز گل او بگذراند خار را
If He make air and fire low (in place), and if He let the thorn surpass the rose,
حاکم است و یفعل الله ما یشاء ** کاو ز عین درد انگیزد دوا
He is the Ruler and (the One who said) God doeth what He willeth: from the very self of pain He raises the remedy.
گر هوا و نار را سفلی کند ** تیرگی و دردی و ثقلی کند1620
If He make air and fire low (in place), and make (them assume the qualities of) darkness and grossness and heaviness,
ور زمین و آب را علوی کند ** راه گردون را بپا مطوی کند
And if He make earth and water high (in place), and make the path of heaven (to be) traversed by foot—
پس یقین شد که تعز من تشاء ** خاکیی را گفت پرها بر گشا
Then it has become certain that Thou exaltest whomso Thou wilt: He (God) said to an earthly creature, “Unfold thy wings.”
آتشی را گفت رو ابلیس شو ** زیر هفتم خاک با تلبیس شو
To the creature of fire He said, “Go, become Iblís: begone under the Seventh Earth with (thy) imposture!
آدم خاکی برو تو بر سها ** ای بلیس آتشی رو تا ثری
O earthly Adam, go thou above (the star) Suhá; O fiery Iblís, go to (the bottom of) the Earth.
چار طبع و علت اولی نیام ** در تصرف دایما من باقیام1625
I am not the four temperaments or the first cause, I am ever remaining in (absolute) control.
کار من بیعلت است و مستقیم ** هست تقدیرم نه علت ای سقیم
My action is uncaused and upright (independent): I have (the power of) predetermination, (I have) no cause, O infirm one.
عادت خود را بگردانم به وقت ** این غبار از پیش بنشانم به وقت
I alter My custom at the time (I choose): at the time (I will) I lay the dust (that rises) in front.
بحر را گویم که هین پر نار شو ** گویم آتش را که رو گلزار شو
I say to the sea, ‘Hark, be full of fire!’ I say to the fire, ‘Go, be a rose-garden!’
کوه را گویم سبک شو همچو پشم ** چرخ را گویم فرو در پیش چشم
I say to the mountain, ‘Be light as wool!’ I say to heaven, ‘Be rent asunder before the eye!’
گویم ای خورشید مقرون شو به ماه ** هر دو را سازم چو دو ابر سیاه1630
I say, ‘O sun, be joined to the moon!’ I make them both like two black clouds.
چشمهی خورشید را سازیم خشک ** چشمهی خون را به فن سازیم مشک
We make dry the fountain of the sun: by Our art We turn into musk the fountain of blood.”
آفتاب و مه چو دو گاو سیاه ** یوغ بر گردن ببنددشان اله
Sun and moon (shall be) like two black oxen: God will fasten a yoke upon their necks.
انکار فلسفی بر قرائت إن أصبح ماؤکم غورا
How a philosopher showed disbelief at the recitation of (the text), “if your water shall have sunk into the ground.”
مقریی میخواند از روی کتاب ** ماؤکم غورا ز چشمه بندم آب
A teacher of Qur’án-recitation was reading from the page of the Book, “(if) your water (shall have) sunk into the ground: (that is, if) I stop the water from (reaching) the spring,
آب را در غورها پنهان کنم ** چشمهها را خشک و خشکستان کنم
And hide the water in the depths, and make the springs dry and a place of drought,
آب را در چشمه کی آرد دگر ** جز من بیمثل با فضل و خطر1635
Who shall bring the water to the spring again except Me who have no like, the Gracious, the Glorious?”
فلسفی منطقی مستهان ** میگذشت از سوی مکتب آن زمان
A contemptible philosopher and logician was passing beside the school at that moment.
چون که بشنید آیت او از ناپسند ** گفت آریم آب را ما با کلند
When he heard the verse (of the Qur’án), he said in disapproval, “We bring the water (back) with a mattock;
ما بزخم بیل و تیزی تبر ** آب را آریم از پستی ز بر
With strokes of the spade and (with) the sharpness of the axe we bring the water up from below.”
شب بخفت و دید او یک شیر مرد ** زد طپانچه هر دو چشمش کور کرد
At night he fell asleep and saw (in dream) a lion-hearted man (who) gave (him) a blow on the face and blinded both his eyes,
گفت زین دو چشمهی چشم ای شقی ** با تبر نوری بر آر ار صادقی1640
And said, “O wretch, if you are speaking the truth, bring up some light with an axe from these two springs of vision.”
روز بر جست و دو چشم کور دید ** نور فایض از دو چشمش ناپدید
At (dawn of) day he jumped up and found (he had) two blind eyes: from both his eyes the overflowing light had vanished.
گر بنالیدی و مستغفر شدی ** نور رفته از کرم ظاهر شدی
If he had moaned and asked pardon (of God), the departed light would have appeared (again) through (God's) kindness;
لیک استغفار هم در دست نیست ** ذوق توبه نقل هر سر مست نیست
But (the power of) asking pardon, also, is not in (our) hands: the savour of repentance is not the dessert of every inebriate.
زشتی اعمال و شومی جحود ** راه توبه بر دل او بسته بود
The wickedness of (his) actions and the disastrousness of (his) denial (of the Truth) had barred the way of repentance to his heart.
دل به سختی همچو روی سنگ گشت ** چون شکافد توبه آن را بهر کشت1645
His heart became in hardness as the face of a rock: how should repentance cleave it for sowing?
چون شعیبی کو که تا او را دعا ** بهر کشتن خاک سازد کوه را
Where is one like Shu‘ayb, that by prayer he may make the mountain earth (fit) for sowing?