تا یکی یاری ز یاران رسول ** در دلش انکار آمد ز آن نکول
(Their request was ignominiously refused), so that one of the Prophet's Companions conceived in his heart dislike of that recoilment,
که چنین پیران با شیب و وقار ** میکندشان این پیمبر شرمسار
Thinking, “Grey-haired and venerable old men like these— this Prophet is putting them to shame.
کو کرم کو ستر پوشی کو حیا ** صد هزاران عیب پوشند انبیا2890
Where is generosity? Where cloaking (of sins)? Where modesty (respect for the feelings of others)? The prophets cover up hundreds of thousands of faults.”
باز در دل زود استغفار کرد ** تا نگردد ز اعتراض او روی زرد
Quickly, again, in his heart he asked pardon of God, lest he should be disgraced for objecting (to the Prophet's behaviour).
شومی یاری اصحاب نفاق ** کرد مومن را چو ایشان زشت و عاق
The turpitude of befriending the Hypocrites made the true believer wicked and rebellious like them.
باز میزارید کای علام سر ** مر مرا مگذار بر کفران مصر
Again he was crying in supplication, “O Thou who knowest the inmost consciousness, do not leave me persisting in unbelief!
دل به دستم نیست همچون دید چشم ** ور نه دل را سوزمی این دم به خشم
My heart is not in my control, as (my) eyesight (is); else I would at this moment burn my heart in anger.”
اندر این اندیشه خوابش در ربود ** مسجد ایشانش پر سرگین نمود2895
(Whilst he was) in this thought, slumber seized him. To him (dreaming), their mosque seemed full of dung:
سنگهاش اندر حدث جای تباه ** میدمید از سنگها دود سیاه
A corrupted place, its stones (steeped) in filth: from the stones floated up black smoke.
دود در حلقش شد و حلقش بخست ** از نهیب دود تلخ از خواب جست
The smoke went into his throat and made it smart: terrified by the bitter smoke, he sprang from sleep.
در زمان در رو فتاد و میگریست ** کای خدا اینها نشان منکری است
Forthwith he fell on his face and wept, saying, “O God, these things are the sign of (their) disbelief.
خلم بهتر از چنین حلم ای خدا ** که کند از نور ایمانم جدا
Wrath (against them) is better, O God, than such forbearance (as mine), which separates me from the light of Faith.”
گر بکاوی کوشش اهل مجاز ** تو به تو گنده بود همچون پیاز2900
If you scrutinise the labour of them that follow falsehood, (you will se that) it is stinking, coat upon coat, like an onion—
هر یکی از یکدیگر بیمغزتر ** صادقان را یک ز دیگر نغزتر
Every one (of their efforts) more pithless than another, (while), in the case of the sincere, (every effort) is more excellent than the other.
صد کمر آن قوم بسته بر قبا ** بهر هدم مسجد اهل قبا
Those folk (the Hypocrites) tied a hundred belts on their mantles in order to destroy the Mosque of the people of Qubá—
همچو آن اصحاب فیل اندر حبش ** کعبهای کردند حق آتش زدش
Even as the Lords of the Elephant (who abode) in Abyssinia made a Ka‘ba, (but) God set it afire;
قصد کعبه ساختند از انتقام ** حالشان چون شد فرو خوان از کلام
(And then) they (the Abyssinians) made an attempt on the Ka‘ba in revenge: read from the Word (of God) how they fared!
مر سیه رویان دین را خود جهیز ** نیست الا حیلت و مکر و ستیز2905
The reprobates of the Religion have indeed no equipment but cunning and deceit and contentiousness.
هر صحابی دید ز آن مسجد عیان ** واقعه تا شد یقینشان سر آن
Every Companion saw plainly (in sleep) some vision of that Mosque, so that the secret (purpose) of it became to them certain knowledge.
واقعات ار باز گویم یک به یک ** پس یقین گردد صفا بر اهل شک
If I should relate the visions, one by one, then the purity (of the Companions) would become certain to them that doubt;
لیک میترسم ز کشف رازشان ** نازنینانند و زیبد نازشان
But I am afraid of revealing their mystery: they are the disdainful loved ones (of God), and disdain beseems them.
شرع بیتقلید میپذرفتهاند ** بیمحک آن نقد را بگرفتهاند
They have received the (religious) Law (directly from God) without mechanical imitation (of others): they have taken that (unadulterated) coin without (applying) the touchstone.
حکمت قرآن چو ضالهی مومن است ** هر کسی در ضالهی خود موقن است2910
The Wisdom of the Qur’án is like the true believer's stray camel: every one has certain (intuitive) knowledge of his own stray.
قصهی آن شخص که اشتر ضالهی خود میجست و میپرسید
Story of the person who was seeking after his stray camel and inquiring about it.
اشتری گم کردی و جستیش چست ** چون بیابی چون ندانی کان تست
(If) you have lost a camel and sought it busily, how should you not know,when you find it, that it is yours?
ضاله چه بود ناقهای گم کردهای ** از کفت بگریخته در پردهای
What is the stray? You have lost a she-camel: (she has) fled from your herd into a veil (of concealment).
آمده در بار کردن کاروان ** اشتر تو ز آن میان گشته نهان
The caravaneers have begun to load, (but) your camel has disappeared from the midst (of the caravan).
میدوی این سو و آن سو خشک لب ** کاروان شد دور و نزدیک است شب
You are running to and fro with parched lips; the caravan is (now) far away, and night is near.
رخت مانده بر زمین در راه خوف ** تو پی اشتر دوان گشته به طوف2915
Your baggage is left on the ground, (lying) on the road of peril, (whilst) you are running about in search of the camel,
کای مسلمانان که دیده ست اشتری ** جسته بیرون بامداد از آخوری
Crying, “O Moslems, who has seen a camel which this morning escaped from a stable?
هر که بر گوید نشان از اشترم ** مژدگانی میدهم چندین درم
Whoever will tell (me) a clue to my camel, I will give so many dirhems as a reward (for the information).”
باز میجویی نشان از هر کسی ** ریشخندت میکند زین هر خسی
You are requesting clues from every one: every rascal is making a mock of you on this account,
کاشتری دیدیم میرفت این طرف ** اشتر سرخی به سوی آن علف
Saying, “We saw a camel going in this direction, a reddish camel (going) towards yonder pasturage.”
آن یکی گوید بریده گوش بود ** و آن دگر گوید جلش منقوش بود2920
One (of them) says, “It was crop-eared,” and another says, “Its saddlecloth was embroidered.”
آن یکی گوید شتر یک چشم بود ** و آن دگر گوید ز گر بیپشم بود
One says, “The camel had (only) one eye,” and another says, “It (was suffering) from mange (and) had no hair.”
از برای مژدگانی صد نشان ** از گزافه هر خسی کرده بیان
For the sake of the reward every rascal, (speaking) at random, sets forth a hundred clues.
متردد شدن در میان مذهبهای مخالف و بیرون شو و مخلص یافتن
On being perplexed amidst discordant doctrines and finding (a means of) escape and deliverance.
همچنان که هر کسی در معرفت ** میکند موصوف غیبی را صفت
(This is) even as in the matter of knowledge (of God) every one describes (differently) the Unseen Object of description.
فلسفی از نوع دیگر کرده شرح ** باحثی مر گفت او را کرده جرح
The philosopher gives an explanation of another (a particular) kind; a scholastic theologian invalidates his statement;
و آن دگر در هر دو طعنه میزند ** و آن دگر از زرق جانی میکند2925
And some one else jeers at both of them, while another hypocritically tires himself to death (trying to prove that he has real knowledge of God).
هر یک از ره این نشانها ز آن دهند ** تا گمان آید که ایشان ز آن دهاند
Each one (of them) gives these indications of the Way, in order that it may be supposed that they belong to that Village.
این حقیقت دان نه حقاند این همه ** نی بکلی گمرهانند این رمه
Know the truth to be this, (that) all these (various persons) are not in the right; nor (again) are this herd entirely astray,
ز انکه بیحق باطلی ناید پدید ** قلب را ابله به بوی زر خرید
Because nothing false is shown without the True: the fool bought (desired) spurious coin in the hope of (its being) gold.
گر نبودی در جهان نقدی روان ** قلبها را خرج کردن کی توان
If there were no current (genuine) coin in the world, how would it be possible to issue false coins?
تا نباشد راست کی باشد دروغ ** آن دروغ از راست میگیرد فروغ2930
Unless there be truth, how should there be falsehood? That falsehood receives brilliance (prestige and reputation) from truth.
بر امید راست کژ را میخرند ** زهر در قندی رود آن گه خورند
They buy (desire) the wrong in hope of (its being) the right: (if) poison go into a piece of sugar, then (and then only) they eat (poison).
گر نباشد گندم محبوب نوش ** چه برد گندمنمای جو فروش
If there be no savoury wheat, what shall he get who sells barley, pretending that it is wheat?
پس مگو کاین جمله دمها باطلند ** باطلان بر بوی حق دام دلند
Do not say, then, that all these utterances are false: the false (pretenders) are a snare to the heart on the ground of (because they give) hope of truth.
پس مگو جمله خیال است و ضلال ** بیحقیقت نیست در عالم خیال
Do not say, then, that all (this) is phantasy and error: without truth phantasy exists not in the world.
حق شب قدر است در شبها نهان ** تا کند جان هر شبی را امتحان2935
Truth is the Night of Power (which is) hidden amidst the (other) nights in order that the soul may make trial of every night.
نه همه شبها بود قدر ای جوان ** نه همه شبها بود خالی از آن
Not all nights are (the Night of) Power, O youth, nor are all nights void of that (Night).
در میان دلق پوشان یک فقیر ** امتحان کن و آن که حق است آن بگیر
Amongst the wearers of the dervish-cloak there is one (true) dervish: make trial, and accept him that is true.