تا نیابیدم نبودم طالبش ** مس کنون مغلوب شد زر غالبش
Till I found it, I was not seeking it; now the copper is overcome, the gold overpowers it.
سیئاتم شد همه طاعات شکر ** هزل شد فانی و جد اثبات شکر
My evil deeds have become pious acts entirely—thanks (to God)! Jest is vanished and earnest is realised—thanks (to God)!
سیئاتم چون وسیلت شد به حق ** پس مزن بر سیئاتم هیچ دق3005
Since my evil deeds have become the means of (my) attaining unto God, do not, then, throw any blame on my evil deeds.
مر ترا صدق تو طالب کرده بود ** مر مرا جد و طلب صدقی گشود
Thee thy sincerity had made a seeker; for me, toil and search opened (the way to) a sincere feeling.
صدق تو آورد در جستن ترا ** جستنم آورد در صدقی مرا
Thy sincerity led thee to seek; my seeking led me to a feeling of sincerity.
تخم دولت در زمین میکاشتم ** سخره و بیگار میپنداشتم
I was sowing the seed of fortune in the earth, (though) I fancied it was labour without wages and hire.
آن نبد بیگار کسبی بود چست ** هر یکی دانه که کشتم صد برست
’Twas not labour without hire; ’twas an excellent earning: (for) every grain that I sowed, a hundred grew.
دزد سوی خانهای شد زیر دست ** چون در آمد دید کان خانهی خود است3010
The thief went underhand (by stealth) to a certain house: when he entered, he saw that it was his own house.”
گرم باش ای سرد تا گرمی رسد ** با درشتی ساز تا نرمی رسد
Be hot, O cold one, that heat may come: put up with roughness, that ease may come.
آن دو اشتر نیست آن یک اشتر است ** تنگ آمد لفظ معنی بس پر است
That (subject of my discourse) is not two camels; it is a single camel. Verbal expression is confined, the meaning (to be expressed) is very full.
لفظ در معنی همیشه نارسان ** ز آن پیمبر گفت قد کل لسان
The expression always fails to reach the meaning; hence the Prophet said, “(Whoso knows God), his tongue falters.”
نطق اصطرلاب باشد در حساب ** چه قدر داند ز چرخ و آفتاب
Speech is (like) an astrolabe in (its) reckoning: how much does it know of the sky and the sun?—
خاصه چرخی کاین فلک زو پرهای است ** آفتاب از آفتابش ذرهای است3015
Especially, of that Sky whereof this heaven is (no more than) a blade of straw; (that Sky) of whose Sun the (terrestrial) sun is (but) a mote?
بیان آن که در هر نفسی فتنهی مسجد ضرار است
Showing that there is in every soul the mischief of the Mosque of Opposition.
چون پدید آمد که آن مسجد نبود ** خانهی حیلت بد و دام جهود
When it appeared that that was not a mosque, (but) was a house of intrigue and a trap laid by the Jews,
پس نبی فرمود کان را بر کنید ** مطرحهی خاشاک و خاکستر کنید
The Prophet then gave the command (and said), “Rase it and make it a dumping-place for rubbish and ashes.”
صاحب مسجد چو مسجد قلب بود ** دانهها بر دام ریزی نیست جود
The founder of the Mosque was false, like the Mosque (itself): ‘tis not munificence if you sprinkle grain upon a snare.
گوشت کاندر شست تو ماهی رباست ** آن چنان لقمه نه بخشش نه سخاست
The meat that catches the fish on the hook––such a morsel is neither bounty nor generosity.
مسجد اهل قبا کان بد جماد ** آن چه کفو او نبد راهش نداد3020
The Mosque of the people of Qubá, which was inanimate––he (the Prophet) did not admit to (equality with) it that which was not its equal.
در جمادات این چنین حیفی نرفت ** زد در آن ناکفو امیر داد نفت
(Even) in the case of lifeless things such a wrong did not come to pass: the lord of justice (Mohammed) set fire to that unequal (and incongruous Mosque).
پس حقایق را که اصل اصلهاست ** دان که آن جا فرقها و فصلهاست
Therefore (a fortiori) in the case of the (human) essences, which are the foundation of all fundamentals, know that there (too) there are differences and divisions.
نه حیاتش چون حیات او بود ** نه مماتش چون ممات او بود
Neither is his (one man’s) life like his (another man’s) life, nor is his death like his death.
گور او هرگز چو گور او مدان ** خود چه گویم حال فرق آن جهان
Never deem his (this one’s) grave like his (that one’s) grave. How indeed shall I describe the difference (between them) in that (other) world?
بر محک زن کار خود ای مرد کار ** تا نسازی مسجد اهل ضرار3025
Put thy work to the touchstone, O man of work, lest thou build the Mosque of the Opposers.
بس بر آن مسجد کنان تسخر زدی ** چون نظر کردی تو خود ز یشان بدی
Thou has mocked, then, at those Mosque-makers; (but) when thou considerest (carefully), thou thyself hast been one of them.
حکایت هندو که با یار خود جنگ میکرد بر کاری و خبر نداشت که او هم بدان مبتلاست
Story of the Indian who quarrelled with his friend over a certain action and was not aware that he too was afflicted with (guilty of) it.
چار هندو در یکی مسجد شدند ** بهر طاعت راکع و ساجد شدند
Four Indians went into a mosque: they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves for worship's sake.
هر یکی بر نیتی تکبیر کرد ** در نماز آمد به مسکینی و درد
Each one performed the takbír (following) upon a niyyat, and began to pray with lowliness and contrition.
موذن آمد از یکی لفظی بجست ** کای موذن بانگ کردی وقت هست
(When) the muezzin came, from one of them fell a remark— “O muezzin, have you given the call to prayers? Is it time?”
گفت آن هندوی دیگر از نیاز ** هی سخن گفتی و باطل شد نماز3030
The second Indian said on the spur of the moment, “Hey, you have spoken, and (so) your prayer is null.”
آن سوم گفت آن دوم را ای عمو ** چه زنی طعنه بر او خود را بگو
The third one said to the second, “O uncle, why do you rail at him? Tell yourself (how to behave).”
آن چهارم گفت حمد الله که من ** در نیفتادم به چه چون آن سه تن
Said the fourth, “Praise be to God that I have not fallen into the pit (of error), like those three persons.”
پس نماز هر چهاران شد تباه ** عیب گویان بیشتر گم کرده راه
Hence the prayers of all the four were marred; and the fault-finders went astray more (than he who made the original mistake).
ای خنک جانی که عیب خویش دید ** هر که عیبی گفت آن بر خود خرید
Oh, happy the soul that saw its own fault, and if any one told (found) a fault, wished eagerly (to take) that (fault) upon itself!—
ز انکه نیم او ز عیبستان بده ست ** و آن دگر نیمش ز غیبستان بده ست3035
Because half of him (every man) has always belonged to the realm of faults, and the other half of him to the realm of the Unseen.
چون که بر سر مر ترا ده ریش هست ** مرهمت بر خویش باید کار بست
Since you have ten sores on your head, you must apply the plaster to yourself.
عیب کردن ریش را داروی اوست ** چون شکسته گشت جای ارحمواست
Finding fault with one's self is the (right) remedy for him (who is at fault); when he has become broken (contrite), it is (then) the (proper) occasion for (obeying the Prophet's injunction), “Have pity.”
گر همان عیبت نبود ایمن مباش ** بو که آن عیب از تو گردد نیز فاش
(Even) if you have not the same fault, be not secure; maybe, that fault will afterwards become notorious in you.
لا تخافوا از خدا نشنیدهای ** پس چه خود را ایمن و خوش دیدهای
You have not heard from God (the comforting words) Do not fear: why, then, have you deemed yourself secure and happy?
سالها ابلیس نیکو نام زیست ** گشت رسوا بین که او را نام چیست3040
For years Iblís lived in good renown; (afterwards) he was disgraced: mark what is (the meaning of) his name.
در جهان معروف بد علیای او ** گشت معروفی بعکس ای وای او
His eminence was famed throughout the (celestial) world; (then) his fame turned to infamy—oh, alas for him!
تا نه ای ایمن تو معروفی مجو ** رو بشو از خوف پس بنمای رو
Do not seek fame till you are secure: wash your face of fear, then show your face.
تا نروید ریش تو ای خوب من ** بر دگر ساده ز نخ طعنه مزن
Until your (own) beard grows, my good man, do not jeer at another whose chin is smooth.
این نگر که مبتلا شد جان او ** در چهی افتاد تا شد پند تو
Consider this, that his (Satan's) soul was tried (by the wrath of God), he fell into a pit (of perdition) so that he became a warning to you.
تو نیفتادی که باشی پند او ** زهر او نوشید تو خور قند او3045
You did not fall, so that you should be a warning to him. He drank the poison: eat you his sugar!
قصد کردن غزان به کشتن یک مردی تا آن دگر بترسد
How the Ghuzz set about killing one man in order that another might be terrorised.
آن غزان ترک خونریز آمدند ** بهر یغما بر دهی ناگه زدند
Those blood-shedding (murderous) Ghuzz Turcomans came, and suddenly fell upon a village (on a raid) for plunder.
دو کس از اعیان آن ده یافتند ** در هلاک آن یکی بشتافتند
They found two of the notables of that village, and made (ready in) haste to put one (of the two) to death.
دست بستندش که قربانش کنند ** گفت ای شاهان و ارکان بلند
They tied his hands in order to sacrifice (kill) him. He said, “O princes and high pillars (of the empire),
در چه مرگم چرا میافگنید ** از چه آخر تشنهی خون منید
Why are ye casting me into the pit of death? Wherefore, pray, are ye thirsting after my blood?
چیست حکمت چه غرض در کشتنم ** چون چنین درویشم و عریان تنم3050
What is the wisdom, what is the object, in killing me, when I am so poor and bare-bodied?”
گفت تا هیبت بر این یارت زند ** تا بترسد او و زر پیدا کند
He (one of the Ghuzz) replied, “To strike awe into this friend of yours, so that he may be afraid and produce (his) gold.”
گفت آخر او ز من مسکینتر است ** گفت قاصد کرده است او را زر است
He (the man) said, “Why, he is poorer than I.” “He has done it (made himself out to be poor) on purpose,” replied the other; “he has gold.”