Myriads of Divine fishes—in the lips of each fish a needle of gold—
سر بر آوردند از دریای حق ** که بگیر ای شیخ سوزنهای حق
Lifted their heads from God's sea, saying, “Take, O Shaykh, God's needles.”
رو بدو کرد و بگفتش ای امیر ** ملک دل به یا چنان ملک حقیر
He turned his face towards him (the Amír) and said to him, “O Amír, is the kingdom of the heart (spirit) better, or such a despicable kingdom (as I once possessed)?”
این نشان ظاهر است این هیچ نیست ** تا بباطن در روی بینی تو بیست
This (miracle) is the outward sign, this is nothing: wait till you enter the inward (shrine and) see (what is there)!
سوی شهر از باغ شاخی آورند ** باغ و بستان را کجا آن جا برند3230
From the garden they bring to town (only) a branch: how should they carry thither the (whole) garden and orchard?—
خاصه باغی کاین فلک یک برگ اوست ** بلکه این مغز است وین عالم چو پوست
Especially, a Garden whereof this heaven is (but) one leaf; nay, that is the kernel, and this world) is as the husk.
بر نمیداری سوی آن باغ گام ** بوی افزون جوی و کن دفع زکام
(If) you are not stepping on (briskly) towards that Garden, seek more scent, and get rid of (your) rheum,
تا که آن بو جاذب جانت شود ** تا که آن بو نور چشمانت شود
In order that that scent may draw your soul (thither); in order that that scent may become the light of your eyes.
گفت یوسف ابن یعقوب نبی ** بهر بو ألقوا علی وجه أبی
For the scent's sake Joseph, son of Jacob the prophet, said: “Cast (my shirt) upon my father's face.”
بهر این بو گفت احمد در عظات ** دایما قرة عینی فی الصلاة3235
For this scent's sake Ahmad (Mohammed) constantly said in (his) exhortations: “In the ritual prayer is the delight of mine eye.”
پنج حس با همدگر پیوستهاند ** ز انکه این هر پنج از اصلی رستهاند
The five (spiritual) senses are linked with one another, all these five have grown (are derived) from a sublime root (source).
قوت یک قوت باقی شود ** ما بقی را هر یکی ساقی شود
The strength of one becomes the strength of the rest: each one becomes a cupbearer to the rest.
دیدن دیده فزاید عشق را ** عشق در دیده فزاید صدق را
Seeing with the eye increases love; love increases penetration in the eye.
صدق بیداری هر حس میشود ** حسها را ذوق مونس میشود
Penetration (of sight) becomes the (means of) awakening (stimulating) every sense, (so that) perception (of the spiritual) becomes familiar to (all) the senses.
آغاز منور شدن عارف به نور غیب بین
The beginning of the gnostic's illumination by the Light which sees the invisible world.
چون یکی حس در روش بگشاد بند ** ما بقی حسها همه مبدل شوند3240
When one sense in (the course of its) progress has loosed (its) bonds, all the rest of the senses become changed.
چون یکی حس غیر محسوسات دید ** گشت غیبی بر همه حسها پدید
When one sense has perceived things that are not objects of sense-perception, that which is of the invisible world becomes apparent to all the senses.
چون ز جو جست از گله یک گوسفند ** پس پیاپی جمله ز آن سو بر جهند
When one sheep of the flock has jumped over a stream, then they all jump across on each other's heels.
گوسفندان حواست را بران ** در چرا از أخرج المرعی چران
Drive the sheep, thy senses, to pasture: let them browse on (the pasture indicated in the text)—He who hath brought forth the herbage,
تا در آن جا سنبل و نسرین چرند ** تا به گلزار حقایق ره برند
That there they may browse on hyacinth and wild-rose; that they may make their way to the garden of the Realities;
هر حست پیغمبر حسها شود ** تا یکایک سوی آن جنت رود3245
(That) every sense of thine may become an apostle to the senses (of others), so that severally they may go towards that Paradise;
حسها با حس تو گویند راز ** بیزبان و بیحقیقت بیمجاز
(And then those) senses will tell their secret to thy senses, without the proper meaning, without tongue, and without metaphor;
کاین حقیقت قابل تاویلهاست ** وین توهم مایهی تخییلهاست
For this proper meaning admits of (different) interpretations, and this guesswork is the source of (vain) imaginings;
آن حقیقت را که باشد از عیان ** هیچ تاویلی نگنجد در میان
(But in the case of) that truth which is (perceived) from intuition, there is no room for any interpretation.
چون که هر حس بندهی حس تو شد ** مر فلکها را نباشد از تو بد
When every sense has become subject to thy sense, the heavenly spheres cannot avoid (obedience to) thee.
چون که دعویی رود در ملک پوست ** مغز آن کی بود قشر آن اوست3250
When a dispute takes place as to the ownership of the husk, the husk belongs to him who possesses the kernel.
چون تنازع در فتد در تنگ کاه ** دانه آن کیست آن را کن نگاه
When there happens to be a quarrel about a load of straw, observe who is the owner of the grain.
پس فلک قشر است و نور روح مغز ** این پدید است آن خفی زین رو ملغز
The heavenly sphere, then, is the husk, and the light of the spirit is the kernel. This (sky) is visible, that (spirit) is concealed; (but) do not stumble on this account.
جسم ظاهر روح مخفی آمده ست ** جسم همچون آستین جان همچو دست
The body is manifest, the (vital) spirit is concealed: the body is as the sleeve, the spirit as the hand.
باز عقل از روح مخفیتر بود ** حس سوی روح زوتر ره برد
Again, the intellect flies (moves) in a more occult manner than the (vital) spirit: (your mental) perception makes its way to (apprehends) the (vital) spirit sooner (than it apprehends the intellect).
جنبشی بینی بدانی زنده است ** این ندانی که ز عقل آگنده است3255
(If) you see a movement, you know that he (who moves) is alive; (but) this you do not know, that he is full of intellect,
تا که جنبشهای موزون سر کند ** جنبش مس را به دانش زر کند
Until regulated movements appear, and he by means of knowledge turns the motion of copper into gold.
ز آن مناسب آمدن افعال دست ** فهم آید مر ترا که عقل هست
From manual actions being conformable (to reason) you may perceive that there is intellect (behind them).
روح وحی از عقل پنهانتر بود ** ز انکه او غیب است او ز ان سر بود
The spirit (that partakes) of Divine inspiration is more concealed than the intellect, because it is of the Unseen: it belongs to that side.
عقل احمد از کسی پنهان نشد ** روح وحیش مدرک هر جان نشد
The intellect of Ahmad (Mohammed) was not hidden from any one; (but) his spirit of (prophetic) inspiration was not apprehended by every soul.
روح وحیی را مناسبهاست نیز ** در نیابد عقل کان آمد عزیز3260
The spirit of prophecy also has actions conformable (to reason), (but) the intellect does not apprehend (them), for that (spirit) is exalted (above intellectual apprehension).
گه جنون بیند گهی حیران شود ** ز انکه موقوف است تا او آن شود
Sometimes he (the man of intellect) regards (the actions of one endowed with the spirit) as madness, sometimes he is bewildered, since it (all) depends on his becoming that (other one);
چون مناسبهای افعال خضر ** عقل موسی بود در دیدش کدر
As (for example) the intellect of Moses was troubled by seeing the reasonable actions of Khadir.
نامناسب مینمود افعال او ** پیش موسی چون نبودش حال او
His actions seemed unreasonable to Moses, since he (Moses) had not his (Khadir's) state (of Divine inspiration).
عقل موسی چون شود در غیب بند ** عقل موشی خود کی است ای ارجمند
Inasmuch as the intellect of Moses becomes tied up (perplexed and helpless) in (the matter of) the mysterious (inspiration), who (what) is the intellect of a (mere) mouse, O excellent (reader)?
علم تقلیدی بود بهر فروخت ** چون بیابد مشتری خوش بر فروخت3265
Conventional knowledge is (only) for sale (self-advertisement): when it finds a purchaser, it glows with delight.
مشتری علم تحقیقی حق است ** دایما بازار او با رونق است
The purchaser of real knowledge is God: its market is always splendid.
لب ببسته مست در بیع و شری ** مشتری بیحد که الله اشتری
He (the owner of real knowledge) has closed his lips (and is) enraptured in (his) trading: the purchasers are without end, for God hath purchased.
درس آدم را فرشته مشتری ** محرم درسش نه دیو است و پری
The angels purchase Adam's teaching; the devils and Jinn are not privileged to receive it.
آدم أنبئهم بأسما درس گو ** شرح کن اسرار حق را مو به مو
Adam, inform them of the Names, give (them) teaching, explain the mysteries of God, hair by hair.
آن چنان کس را که کوته بین بود ** در تلون غرق و بیتمکین بود3270
Such a person as is short-sighted, plunged in variability and without steadfastness,
موش گفتم ز انکه در خاک است جاش ** خاک باشد موش را جای معاش
I called a “mouse,” because his place is in the earth (of the body): earth is the place of living for the mouse.
راهها داند ولی در زیر خاک ** هر طرف او خاک را کرده ست چاک
He knows (many) ways, but (only) underground: he has pierced the earth in every direction.
نفس موشی نیست الا لقمه رند ** قدر حاجت موش را عقلی دهند
The mouse-soul is naught but a nibbler: to the mouse is given a mind proportionate to its need,
ز انکه بیحاجت خداوند عزیز ** مینبخشد هیچ کس را هیچ چیز
Because without need the Almighty God does not give anything to any one.
گر نبودی حاجت عالم زمین ** نافریدی هیچ رب العالمین3275
If the earth had not been needed by the (inhabitants of the) world, the Lord of all beings would not have created any (earth);