تا نخسبم جمله شب چون گاومیش ** دردها بخشید حق از لطف خویش
In order that I may not slumber all night like a buffalo, God of His grace hath given me pains.
زین شکست آن رحم شاهان جوش کرد ** دوزخ از تهدید من خاموش کرد2260
Through this infirmity the mercy of Kings has been aroused, and Hell’s threatening of me has been silenced.”
رنج گنج آمد که رحمتها در اوست ** مغز تازه شد چو بخراشید پوست
Pain is a treasure, for there are mercies in it: the kernel becomes fresh when you scrape off the rind.
ای برادر موضع تاریک و سرد ** صبر کردن بر غم و سستی و درد
O brother, (to dwell in) a dark and cold place, to endure patiently sorrow and weakness and pain,
چشمهی حیوان و جام مستی است ** کان بلندیها همه در پستی است
Is the Fountain of Life and the cup of (spiritual) intoxication, for those heights are all in lowliness.
آن بهاران مضمر است اندر خزان ** در بهار است آن خزان مگریز از آن
That Spring is implied in autumn, and that autumn is (fulfilled) in the Spring: do not flee from it.
همره غم باش و با وحشت بساز ** میطلب در مرگ خود عمر دراز2265
Be a fellow-traveller with grief, agree with desolation, seek long (lasting) life in thy death (to self).
آن چه گوید نفس تو کاینجا بد است ** مشنوش چون کار او ضد آمده ست
Do not listen to what thy fleshly soul says, that this place (of self-mortification) is bad, inasmuch as her doings are contrary (to thy spiritual advancement).
تو خلافش کن که از پیغمبران ** این چنین آمد وصیت در جهان
Do thou oppose her, for such (is the) injunction (that) has come from the prophets in the world.
مشورت در کارها واجب شود ** تا پشیمانی در آخر کم بود
It becomes necessary to take counsel concerning things to be done, so that there may not be repentance in the end.
گفت امت مشورت با کی کنیم ** انبیا گفتند با عقل امیم
The community said, “With whom shall we take counsel?” The prophets answered, “With intellect, (which is) the Imám (leader).”
گفت گر کودک در آید یا زنی ** کاو ندارد عقل و رای روشنی2270
He (the questioner) said, “(But) if a child should come in, or a woman who has no clear understanding or judgement.”
گفت با او مشورت کن و انچه گفت ** تو خلاف آن کن و در راه افت
“Take counsel with her,” said he (the prophet), “and do the contrary of what she bids (thee), and go thy way.”
نفس خود را زن شناس از زن بتر ** ز انکه زن جزوی است نفست کل شر
Know that your fleshly soul is woman and worse than woman, because woman is a part (of evil), but your fleshly soul is evil entire.
مشورت با نفس خود گر میکنی ** هر چه گوید کن خلاف آن دنی
If you take counsel with your fleshly soul, oppose that vile one (in) whatsoever she may say.
گر نماز و روزه میفرمایدت ** نفس مکار است مکری زایدت
If she bid you pray and fast-the fleshly soul is a great plotter, she will bring some plot against you to birth.
مشورت با نفس خویش اندر فعال ** هر چه گوید عکس آن باشد کمال2275
(When you take) counsel with your fleshly soul concerning (your) actions––whatsoever she tells (you to do), the reverse of that is perfectly right.
بر نیایی با وی و استیز او ** رو بر یاری بگیر آمیز او
(If) you cannot cope with her and her contumacy, go to a friend and mix with him.
عقل قوت گیرد از عقل دگر ** نی شکر کامل شود از نیشکر
Mind gains strength from another mind: the sugar-cane is made perfect by the sugar-cane.
من ز مکر نفس دیدم چیزها ** کاو برد از سحر خود تمییزها
I have seen (wondrous) things (arising) from the deceitfulness of the fleshly soul, for by her magic she takes away the faculties of discernment.
وعدهها بدهد ترا تازه به دست ** که هزاران بار آنها را شکست
She will proffer afresh to you promises that she has broken thousands of times.
عمر اگر صد سال خود مهلت دهد ** اوت هر روزی بهانهی نو نهد2280
If your life be prolonged even for a hundred years, she will lay before you a new pretext every day.
گرم گوید وعدههای سرد را ** جادویی مردی ببندد مرد را
She utters cold (vain) promises (as though) warm (from the heart); (she is) a witch, she ties up the manhood of a man.
ای ضیاء الحق حسام الدین بیا ** که نروید بیتو از شوره گیا
O (thou who art the) radiance of God, Husámu’ddín, come! for without thee no herbs will grow from the brackish soil.
از فلک آویخته شد پردهای ** از پی نفرین دل آزردهای
A curtain has been let down from heaven because of the curse of one whose heart is sorely vexed.
این قضا را هم قضا داند علاج ** عقل خلقان در قضا گیج است گیج
This destiny only the (Divine) destiny can cure: the understanding of His creatures is stunned at His destiny, stunned.
اژدها گشته ست آن مار سیاه ** آن که کرمی بود افتاده به راه2285
The lack serpent that was (as) a worm fallen on the road has become a dragon;
اژدها و مار اندر دست تو ** شد عصا ای جان موسی مست تو
(But) in thy hand, O thou with (love for) whom the soul of Moses is intoxicated, the dragon or serpent became (as) the rod (in the hand of Moses).
حکم خذها لا تخف دادت خدا ** تا به دستت اژدها گردد عصا
God gave thee command, saying, “Take it; fear not, so that the dragon may become a rod in thy hand.”
Hark, show the white hand, O King: out of the black nights reveal a new dawn!
دوزخی افروخت در وی دم فسون ** ای دم تو از دم دریا فزون
A hell hath blazed forth; breathe (thy) enchantment over it, O thou whose breath is more (excellent) than the breath of the sea.
بحر مکار است بنموده کفی ** دوزخ است از مکر بنموده تفی2290
She (the fleshly soul) is the guileful sea that shows (but) a (little) foam; she is the hell that from guile shows (but) a (little) heat.
ز آن نماید مختصر در چشم تو ** تا زبون بینیش جنبد خشم تو
She appears exiguous in your eyes, to the end that you may regard her as feeble and that your wrath may be stirred (against her);
همچنان که لشکر انبوه بود ** مر پیمبر را به چشم اندک نمود
Even as there was a dense host (of infidels), (but) to the Prophet’s eye it seemed small,
تا بر ایشان زد پیمبر بیخطر ** ور فزون دیدی از آن کردی حذر
So that the Prophet set upon them without (fear of) the danger; but if he had deemed (them) more (in number), he would have acted cautiously in that (affair).
آن عنایت بود و اهل آن بدی ** احمدا ور نه تو بد دل میشدی
That was the Divine favour, and thou wert worthy of it, O Ahmad (Mohammed); else, thou wouldst have become faint-hearted.
کم نمود او را و اصحاب و را ** آن جهاد ظاهر وباطن خدا2295
God caused the outward and inward warfare to seem little to him and his Companions,
تا میسر کرد یسری را بر او ** تا ز عسری او بگردانید رو
In order that He might make it easy for him to gain ease (success), and that he might turn away his face from difficulty (unsuccess).
کم نمودن مر و را پیروز بود ** که حقش یار و طریق آموز بود
For him, (God’s) causing (the warfare) to seem little was victory, since God was his friend and taught him the way.
آن که حق پشتش نباشد از ظفر ** وای اگر گربش نماید شیر نر
(But) he that hath not God for his victorious support, alas if the fierce lion seem to him a cat.
وای اگر صدرا یکی بیند ز دور ** تا به چالش اندر آید از غرور
Alas if from afar he see a hundred as one, so that in vain confidence he enters on the fray.
ز آن نماید ذو الفقاری حربهای ** ز آن نماید شیر نر چون گربهای2300
He (God) causes a Prophet’s sword to seem a dart and makes the fierce lion appear as a cat,
تا دلیر اندر فتد احمق به جنگ ** و اندر آردشان بدین حیلت به چنگ
To the end that the fool may fall boldly to fighting, and that He may catch them by this device;
تا به پای خویش باشند آمده ** آن فلیوان جانب آتشکده
(And besides He is acting thus), in order that those dolts may have come towards the fire-temple by means of their own feet (by their own free will).
کاه برگی مینماید تا تو زود ** پف کنی کاو را برانی از وجود
He is showing (what seems to you) a blade of straw, in order that you may quickly give a puff so as to make it vanish out of existence.
هین که آن که کوهها بر کنده است ** زو جهان گریان و او در خنده است
Beware! for that straw has uprooted mountains: through it the world is weeping, while it (the straw) is in laughter.
مینماید تا به کعب این آب جو ** صد چو عاج ابن عنق شد غرق او2305
He makes this river-water seem (only) up to the ankle, (but) a hundred such as Áj son of 'Unuq have ben drowned therein.
مینماید موج خونش تل مشک ** مینماید قعر دریا خاک خشک
He makes the wave of blood seem to him a mound of musk: He makes the bottom of the sea seem dry land.
خشک دید آن بحر را فرعون کور ** تا در او راند از سر مردی و زور
Blind Pharaoh deemed that sea dry, so that in (the pride of his) manhood and strength he drave into it.
چون در آید در تگ دریا بود ** دیدهی فرعون کی بینا بود
When he enters (it), he is at the bottom of the sea: how should the eye of Pharaoh be seeing?