حق تعالی گفت در گوش شعیب ** در جواب او فصیح از راه غیب
In answer to him God most High by the mysterious way spoke clearly into the ear of Shu‘ayb,
که بگفتی چند کردم من گناه ** و ز کرم نگرفت در جرمم اله
Saying, “(Tell him), Thou hast said, ‘How many sins have I committed! And (still) God in His kindness hath not punished me for my trespasses.’
عکس میگویی و مقلوب ای سفیه ** ای رها کرده ره و بگرفته تیه
Thou art saying the opposite and reverse (of the truth), O fool, O thou that hast abandoned the road and taken to the wilderness!
چند چندت گیرم و تو بیخبر ** در سلاسل ماندهای پا تا به سر
How oft, how oft do I chastise thee, and thou unaware! Thou art lying (bound) in chains from head to foot.
زنگ تو بر تویت ای دیگ سیاه ** کرد سیمای درونت را تباه3370
Thy rust, coat on coat, O black pot, hath marred the visage of thy heart.
بر دلت زنگار بر زنگارها ** جمع شد تا کور شد ز اسرارها
Layers of rust have collected upon thy heart, so that it hath become blind to (the spiritual) mysteries.”
گر زند آن دود بر دیگ نوی ** آن اثر بنماید ار باشد جوی
If that smoke should beat upon a new pot, the traces of it would show, though it were (only as much as) a barley-corn,
ز انکه هر چیزی به ضد پیدا شود ** بر سپیدی آن سیه رسوا شود
Because everything is made manifest by (its) contrary: upon a white object the black becomes conspicuous;
چون سیه شد دیگ پس تاثیر دود ** بعد از این بروی که بیند زود زود
(But) when the pot has been blackened, then after this who will at once perceive the effect of the smoke upon it?
مرد آهنگر که او زنگی بود ** دود را با روش هم رنگی بود3375
The ironsmith who is an Ethiopian—the smoke is of the same colour as his face;
مرد رومی کاو کند آهنگری ** رویش ابلق گردد از دود آوری
The Greek who does the work of an ironsmith—his face, from gathering smoke, becomes piebald (spotted with black).
پس بداند زود تاثیر گناه ** تا بنالد زود گوید ای اله
Therefore he will quickly recognise the effect of sin, so that he will soon lament (and) say, “O God!”
چون کند اصرار و بد پیشه کند ** خاک اندر چشم اندیشه کند
(But) when he persists (in sin) and makes a practice of evil, and puts dust in the eye of meditation,
توبه نندیشد دگر شیرین شود ** بر دلش آن جرم تا بیدین شود
He thinks of penitence no more: that sin becomes so sweet to his heart that (in the end) he comes to be without the Faith (he turns infidel).
آن پشیمانی و یا رب رفت از او ** شست بر آیینه زنگ پنج تو3380
That repenting and (crying) “O Lord!” are gone from him: fivefold rust has settled on the mirror (of his heart).
آهنش را زنگها خوردن گرفت ** گوهرش را زنگ کم کردن گرفت
The coats of rust have began to eat his iron (mirror): the rust has begun to lessen its sheen.
چون نویسی کاغذ اسپید بر ** آن نبشته خوانده آید در نظر
When you write upon white paper, that writing may be read at sight.
چون نویسی بر سر بنوشته خط ** فهم ناید خواندنش گردد غلط
When you write script over that which has been (already) written, it is not understood: the reading of it will be erroneous;
کان سیاهی بر سیاهی اوفتاد ** هر دو خط شد کور و معنیی نداد
For that (second) blackness has fallen (been made) upon blackness; (hence) both scripts have become obscure and have given no meaning.
ور سوم باره نویسی بر سرش ** پس سیه کردی چو جان کافرش3385
And if you write a third time on the top of it, then you make it black as a soul full of wickedness.
پس چه چاره جز پناه چارهگر ** ناامیدی مس و اکسیرش نظر
What help is there, then, but (to take) refuge with (God) the Helper? Despair is copper, and the elixir for it is (God's) regard.
ناامیدیها به پیش او نهید ** تا ز درد بیدوا بیرون جهید
Lay your despairs before Him, that ye may escape from irremediable pain.
چون شعیب این نکتهها با او بگفت ** ز آن دم جان در دل او گل شکفت
When Shu‘ayb had told him these deep sayings, at that breath of the spirit roses blossomed in his heart.
جان او بشنید وحی آسمان ** گفت اگر بگرفت ما را کو نشان
His soul hearkened to the inspiration from Heaven; he said, (however), “If He hath punished me, where is the sign?”
گفت یا رب دفع من میگوید او ** آن گرفتن را نشان میجوید او3390
He (Shu‘ayb) cried, “O Lord, he rebuts me, he seeks the sign of that punishment.”
گفت ستارم نگویم رازهاش ** جز یکی رمز از برای ابتلاش
He (God) said, “I am the Coverer (of sins): I will not tell his secrets, (I will give) but one indication for the sake of trying him.
یک نشان آن که میگیرم و را ** آن که طاعت دارد از صوم و دعا
One sign of My punishing him is this, that he has (to his credit) pious acts of fasting and orison
و ز نماز و از زکات و غیر آن ** لیک یک ذره ندارد ذوق جان
And ritual prayer and almsgiving et cetera, but he has not one atom of spiritual savour.
میکند طاعات و افعال سنی ** لیک یک ذره ندارد چاشنی
He performs high acts and deeds of devotion, but he has not one atom of (spiritual) relish.
طاعتش نغز است و معنی نغز نی ** جوزها بسیار و در وی مغز نی3395
His devotions are good (in form), but the spirit is not good: the walnuts are many, but there is no kernel therein.”
ذوق باید تا دهد طاعات بر ** مغز باید تا دهد دانه شجر
Spiritual savour is required, in order that devotions may yield fruit: a kernel is required, in order that the berry may produce a tree.
دانهی بیمغز کی گردد نهال ** صورت بیجان نباشد جز خیال
How shall a berry without kernel become a sapling? The soulless form is naught but phantasy.
بقیهی قصهی طعنه زدن آن مرد بیگانه در شیخ
Remainder of the story of the stranger’s reviling the Shaykh.
آن خبیث از شیخ میلایید ژاژ ** کژنگر باشد همیشه عقل کاژ
That malign wretch was gabbling silly nonsense about the Shaykh: the perverted intellect is always squinting (envious).
که منش دیدم میان مجلسی ** او ز تقوی عاری است و مفلسی
(He said), “I saw him amidst a company (of revellers): he is one denuded and destitute of piety.
ور که باور نیستت خیز امشبان ** تا ببینی فسق شیخت را عیان3400
And if you do not believe it, arise (and go) to-night, that you may see plainly your Shaykh’s depravity.”
شب ببردش بر سر یک روزنی ** گفت بنگر فسق و عشرت کردنی
At night he took him to a window and said, “Behold a (fine) debauch and merry-making!
بنگر آن سالوس روز و فسق شب ** روز همچون مصطفی شب بو لهب
Behold such hypocrisy by day and profligacy by night!––in the daytime (he is) like Mustafá (Mohammed), at night (like) Bú Lahab.
روز عبد الله او را گشته نام ** شب نعوذ بالله و در دست جام
By day his name has become ‘Abdullah (the servant of God); by night––God save us! And (see), the wine-cup in his hand!”
دید شیشه در کف آن پیر پر ** گفت شیخا مر ترا هم هست غر
He (the disciple) saw a full glass in the Shaykh’s hand. “O Shaykh,” said he, “is there a tumour even in thee?
تو نمیگفتی که در جام شراب ** دیو میمیزد شتابان ناشتاب3405
Nonne dicebas?— ‘In vini poculo mingit Diabolus festinans lente’.” [Did you not say, ‘The Devil pees into the wine cup quickly (but) without hurry?’]
گفت جامم را چنان پر کردهاند ** کاندر او اندر نگنجد یک سپند
He (the Shaykh) replied, “They have made my cup so full that there is not room in it for a single rue-seed.
بنگر اینجا هیچ گنجد ذرهای ** این سخن را کژ شنیده غرهای
Look, is there any room here for a single mote? A deluded man has wrongly apprehended this matter.”
جام ظاهر خمر ظاهر نیست این ** دور دار این را ز شیخ غیب بین
This is not the apparent cup (or) the apparent wine: deem this (allegation) far from (far below the dignity of) the Shaykh who sees the Unseen.
جام می هستی شیخ است ای فلیو ** کاندر او اندر نگنجد بول دیو
The wine-cup, O fool, is the being of the Shaykh, in qua (essentia) urina Diaboli non continetur.” [The wine cup, O fool, is the being of the Shaykh, in which the Devil’s urine is not contained.]
پر و مالامال از نور حق است ** جام تن بشکست نور مطلق است3410
He is full and brimming with the Light of God: he has shattered the bodily cup, he is the Absolute Light.
نور خورشید ار بیفتد بر حدث ** او همان نور است نپذیرد خبث
If sunlight fall upon filth, it is the same light (still): it suffers no defilement.
شیخ گفت این خود نه جام است و نه می ** هین به زیر آن منکرا بنگر به وی
The Shaykh said, “Indeed this is not a cup, nor (is this) wine. Hey, unbeliever, come down and look at it!”
آمد و دید انگبین خاص بود ** کور شد آن دشمن کور و کبود
He came, and saw it was fine honey. That miserable enemy (of God) became blind (with shame and confusion).
گفت پیر آن دم مرید خویش را ** رو برای من بجو می ای کیا
Thereupon the Pír said to his disciple, “Go, seek wine for me, O noble sir;
که مرا رنجی است مضطر گشتهام ** من ز رنج از مخمصه بگذشتهام3415
For I have a pain; I am reduced to necessity: because of the pain, I have passed beyond starvation.