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2
286-335

  • قلب و نیکو در جهان بودی روان ** چون همه شب بود و ما چون شب روان‏
  • False coin and fine (both) were current in the world, since all was night, and we were as night-travellers,

  • تا بر آمد آفتاب انبیا ** گفت ای غش دور شو صافی بیا
  • Until the sun of the prophets rose and said, “Begone, O alloy! Come, O thou that art pure!”

  • چشم داند فرق کردن رنگ را ** چشم داند لعل را و سنگ را
  • The eye can distinguish colours, the eye knows ruby and (common) stone.

  • چشم داند گوهر و خاشاک را ** چشم را ز آن می‏خلد خاشاکها
  • The eye knows the jewel and the rubbish; hence bits of rubbish sting the eye.

  • دشمن روزند این قلابکان ** عاشق روزند آن زرهای کان‏ 290
  • These vile counterfeiters are enemies of day, those pieces of gold from the mine are lovers of day,

  • ز آن که روز است آینه‏ی تعریف او ** تا ببیند اشرفی تشریف او
  • Because day is the mirror that makes it (the fine gold) known, so that the ashrafí (the coin of sterling gold) may see (receive) its (day's) gift of honour.

  • حق قیامت را لقب ز آن روز کرد ** روز بنماید جمال سرخ و زرد
  • Hence God bestowed the title of “Day” on the Resurrection, (for) day displays the beauty of red and yellow.

  • پس حقیقت روز سر اولیاست ** روز پیش ماهشان چون سایه‏هاست‏
  • In reality, then, day is the inmost consciousness of the saints, (though) beside their moon day is (dim) as shadows.

  • عکس راز مرد حق دانید روز ** عکس ستاریش شام چشم دوز
  • Know that day is the reflexion of the mystery (the illumined consciousness) of the man of God, while eye-sealing night is the reflexion of his occultation.

  • ز آن سبب فرمود یزدان و الضحی ** و الضحی‏ نور ضمیر مصطفی‏ 295
  • For that reason God said, By the morn: by the morn is (refers to) the light of the hidden mind of Mustafá (Mohammed).

  • قول دیگر کین ضحی را خواست دوست ** هم برای آنکه این هم عکس اوست
  • The other view, that the Beloved (God) meant this morn (in the literal sense), is (held) just for the reason that this too is the reflexion of him;

  • ور نه بر فانی قسم گفتن خطاست ** خود فنا چه لایق گفت خداست‏
  • Else it is wrong to swear by a transient thing: how indeed is transiency proper to the speech of God?

  • لا أحب الآفلین گفت آن خلیل ** کی فنا خواهد از این رب جلیل‏
  • That Friend (of God) said, “I love not them that set”: how should the glorious Lord mean transiency by this (oath)?

  • باز و اللیل است ستاری او ** و آن تن خاکی زنگاری او
  • Again, and by the night is (refers to) his occultation and his earthen rust-dark body.

  • آفتابش چون بر آمد ز آن فلک ** با شب تن گفت هین ما ودعک‏ 300
  • When his sun rose from that sky, it said to the night of the body, “Lo, He hath not forsaken thee.”

  • وصل پیدا گشت از عین بلا ** ز آن حلاوت شد عبارت ما قلی‏
  • Union was made manifest out of the essence of affliction: that sweetness (of union) was expressed by (the words) He hath not hated (thee).

  • هر عبارت خود نشان حالتی است ** حال چون دست و عبارت آلتی است‏
  • In fact, every expression is the symbol of a state: the state is as a hand, while the expression is a tool.

  • آلت زرگر به دست کفشگر ** همچو دانه‏ی کشت کرده ریگ در
  • The goldsmith's tool in the hand of a shoemaker is like a seed sown in sand;

  • و آلت اسکاف پیش برزگر ** پیش سگ کاه استخوان در پیش خر
  • And the cobbler's tool (put) before the husbandman is (as) straw before a dog (or) bones before an ass.

  • بود انا الحق در لب منصور نور ** بود انا الله در لب فرعون زور 305
  • “I am God” on the lips of Mansúr was the light (of truth); “I am Allah” on the lips of Pharaoh was a lie.

  • شد عصا اندر کف موسی گوا ** شد عصا اندر کف ساحر هبا
  • In the hand of Moses the rod became a witness (to the truth); in the hand of the magician the rod became (worthless as) motes in the air.

  • زین سبب عیسی بدان همراه خود ** در نیاموزید آن اسم صمد
  • On this account Jesus did not teach his fellow-traveller that Name of the Lord,

  • کاو نداند نقص بر آلت نهد ** سنگ بر گل زن تو آتش کی جهد
  • For he would not know (its proper use) and would attribute imperfection to the tool (which he misused). Strike stone on clay, and how should fire leap forth?

  • دست و آلت همچو سنگ و آهن است ** جفت باید جفت شرط زادن است‏
  • Hand and tool are as stone and iron; there must be a pair: (the existence of) a pair is the condition (necessary) for bringing to birth.

  • آن که بی‏جفت است و بی‏آلت یکی است ** در عدد شک است و آن یک بی‏شکی است‏ 310
  • The One is He who hath no consort and no tool; in number there is doubt, and that One is beyond doubt.

  • آن که دو گفت و سه گفت و بیش ازین ** متفق باشند در واحد یقین‏
  • Those who say “two” or “three” or more than these (numbers) are certainly agreed in (affirming the existence of) One.

  • احولی چون دفع شد یکسان شوند ** دو سه گویان هم یکی گویان شوند
  • When squinting has been put aside (so that they see correctly), they become alike: the assertors of two or three become assertors of Unity.

  • گر یکی گویی تو در میدان او ** گرد بر می‏گرد از چوگان او
  • If you are a ball in His polo-field, keep spinning round from (the blows of) His polo-stick.

  • گوی آن گه راست و بی‏نقصان شود ** که ز زخم دست شه رقصان شود
  • The ball becomes right and flawless (only) at the time when it is made to dance by the stroke of the King's hand.

  • گوش دار ای احول اینها را به هوش ** داروی دیده بکش از راه گوش‏ 315
  • Give ear heedfully to these (sayings), O squinting one: apply the eye-salve by way of the ear.

  • پس کلام پاک در دلهای کور ** می‏نپاید می‏رود تا اصل نور
  • Holy words, then, do not abide in blind hearts, (but) go to the Light whence they came,

  • و آن فسون دیو در دلهای کژ ** می‏رود چون کفش کژ در پای کژ
  • While the (guileful) spell of the Devil goes into crooked (perverse) hearts as a crooked shoe on to a crooked foot.

  • گر چه حکمت را به تکرار آوری ** چون تو نااهلی شود از تو بری‏
  • Though you may learn Wisdom by rote, it becomes quit of you when you are unworthy (to receive it);

  • ور چه بنویسی نشانش می‏کنی ** ور چه می‏لافی بیانش می‏کنی‏
  • And though you write it and note it (down), and though you brag (about it) and expound it,

  • او ز تو رو در کشد ای پر ستیز ** بندها را بگسلد وز تو گریز 320
  • It withdraws its face from you, O disputatious one: it snaps its bonds and (takes) flight from you.

  • ور نخوانی و ببیند سوز تو ** علم باشد مرغ دست‏آموز تو
  • (But) if you read not and it sees your ardour (of love), Knowledge will be a bird docile (and obedient) to your hand.

  • او نپاید پیش هر نااوستا ** همچو طاوسی به خانه‏ی روستا
  • It does not abide with every unskilled tiro: (it is) like a peacock (which does not stay) in the house of a peasant.

  • یافتن پادشاه باز را به خانه‏ی کمپیر زن
  • How the King found his falcon in the house of a decrepit old woman.

  • دین نه آن باز است کاو از شه گریخت ** سوی آن کمپیر کاو می‏آرد بیخت‏
  • Religion is not (like) the falcon that fled from the King to the old crone who was sifting flour

  • تا که تتماجی پزد اولاد را ** دید آن باز خوش خوش زاد را
  • That she might cook tutmáj for her children. (When) she saw the beautiful well-born falcon,

  • پایکش بست و پرش کوتاه کرد ** ناخنش ببرید و قوتش کاه کرد 325
  • She tied its little foot and clipped its wings; she cut its talons and fed it with straw.

  • گفت نااهلان نکردندت به ساز ** پر فزود از حد و ناخن شد دراز
  • “Unworthy folk,” said she, “have not kept thee in (good) trim: thy wings are overgrown and thy talons have become long.

  • دست هر نااهل بیمارت کند ** سوی مادر آ که تیمارت کند
  • Every unworthy one's hand makes thee ill: come to thy mother that she may take care of thee.”

  • مهر جاهل را چنین دان ای رفیق ** کژ رود جاهل همیشه در طریق‏
  • Know, O friend, that such is the affection of the fool: the fool ever walks crookedly on the way.

  • روز شه در جستجو بی‏گاه شد ** سوی آن کمپیر و آن خرگاه شد
  • The King's day became late (far-spent) in searching (for the falcon): he went (at last) to the old woman and the tent (where she lived).

  • دید ناگه باز را در دود و گرد ** شه بر او بگریست زار و نوحه کرد 330
  • Suddenly he espied the falcon amidst smoke and dust: the King wept sorely over it and made lament.

  • گفت هر چند این جز ای کار تست ** که نباشی در وفای ما درست‏
  • He said, “Albeit this is the retribution for thy deed, in that thou art not firm in keeping faith with me,

  • چون کنی از خلد زی دوزخ فرار ** غافل از لا یستوی اصحاب نار
  • (Yet) how shouldst thou take flight from Paradise to Hell, heedless of (the text) the people of the Fire (and those of Paradise) are not equal?

  • این سزای آن که از شاه خبیر ** خیره بگریزد به خانه‏ی گنده پیر
  • This is the fitting reward for one that unconscionably flees from the King who knows (him) well to the house of an old hag.”

  • باز می‏مالید پر بر دست شاه ** بی‏زبان می‏گفت من کردم گناه‏
  • (Meanwhile) the falcon was rubbing its wings against the King's hand: without tongue it was saying, “I have sinned.”

  • پس کجا زارد کجا نالد لئیم ** گر تو نپذیری بجز نیک ای کریم‏ 335
  • Where then should the vile (sinner) plead piteously, where should he moan, if Thou wilt accept naught but good, O bountiful (King)?