شیخ خندید و بگفتش ای سلیم ** این درخت علم باشد در علیم
The Shaykh laughed and said to him, “O simpleton, this is the tree of knowledge in the sage—
بس بلند و بس شگرف و بس بسیط ** آب حیوانی ز دریای محیط
Very high and very grand and very far-spreading: (it is) a Water of Life from the all-encompassing Sea (of God).
تو به صورت رفتهای ای بیخبر ** ز آن ز شاخ معنیی بیبار و بر3670
Thou hast gone after the form, O ignorant man: hence thou art without fruit and produce from the bough of reality.
گه درختش نام شد گه آفتاب ** گاه بحرش نام گشت و گه سحاب
Sometimes it is named ‘tree,’ sometimes ‘sun’; sometimes it is named ‘sea,’ sometimes ‘cloud.’
آن یکی کش صد هزار آثار خاست ** کمترین آثار او عمر بقاست
(It is) that one (thing) from which a hundred thousand effects arise: its least effects are everlasting life.
گر چه فرد است او اثر دارد هزار ** این یکی را نام شاید بیشمار
Although (in essence) it is single, it hath a thousand effects: innumerable names befit (may be properly applied to) that one (thing).
آن یکی شخص ترا باشد پدر ** در حق شخصی دگر باشد پسر
One person may be father in relation to thee; in regard to another individual he may be son.
در حق دیگر بود قهر و عدو ** در حق دیگر بود لطف و نکو3675
In regard to another he may be wrath and a foe; in regard to another he may be graciousness and a friend.
صد هزاران نام و او یک آدمی ** صاحب هر وصفش از وصفی عمی
(He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).
هر که جوید نام اگر صاحب ثقه است ** همچو تو نومید و اندر تفرقه است
Whoever seeks the (mere) name, if he is entrusted (with a confidential mission) he is hopeless and in distraction, even as thou art.
تو چه بر چفسی بر این نام درخت ** تا بمانی تلخ کام و شور بخت
Why dost thou stick to the name ‘tree,’ so that thou art left bitterly disappointed and ill-fortuned?
در گذر از نام و بنگر در صفات ** تا صفاتت ره نماید سوی ذات
Pass on from the name and look at the attributes, in order that the attributes may show thee the way to the essence.”
اختلاف خلق از نام اوفتاد ** چون به معنی رفت آرام اوفتاد3680
The disagreement of mankind is caused by names: peace ensues when they advance to the reality (denoted by the name).
منازعت چهار کس جهت انگور که هر یکی به نام دیگر فهم کرده بود آن را
How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name.
چار کس را داد مردی یک درم ** آن یکی گفت این به انگوری دهم
A certain man gave a dirhem to four persons: one of them (a Persian) said, “I will spend this on angúr.”
آن یکی دیگر عرب بد گفت لا ** من عنب خواهم نه انگور ای دغا
The second one was an Arab: he said, “No, I want ‘inab, not angúr, O rascal!”
آن یکی ترکی بدو گفت ای گزم ** من نمیخواهم عنب خواهم ازم
The third was a Turk; and he said, “This (money) is mine: I don't want ‘inab, I want uzum.”
آن یکی رومی بگفت این قیل را ** ترک کن خواهیم استافیل را
The fourth, a Greek, said, “Stop this talk: I want istáfíl.”
در تنازع آن نفر جنگی شدند ** که ز سر نامها غافل بدند3685
These people began fighting in contention with one another, because they were unaware of the hidden meaning of the names.
مشت بر هم میزدند از ابلهی ** پر بدند از جهل و از دانش تهی
In their folly they smote each other with their fists: they were full of ignorance and empty of knowledge.
صاحب سری عزیزی صد زبان ** گر بدی آن جا بدادی صلحشان
If a master of the esoteric had been there, a revered and many-languaged man, he would have pacified them;
پس بگفتی او که من زین یک درم ** آرزوی جملهتان را میخرم
And then he would have said, “With this one dirhem I will give all of you what ye wish.
چون که بسپارید دل را بیدغل ** این درمتان میکند چندین عمل
When without deceit ye surrender your hearts (to me), this dirhem will do all this for you.
یک درمتان میشود چار المراد ** چار دشمن میشود یک ز اتحاد3690
Your one dirhem will become four—the result desired: four enemies will become one through unanimity.
گفت هر یک تان دهد جنگ و فراق ** گفت من آرد شما را اتفاق
What each one of you says produces strife and separation; what I say brings you agreement.
پس شما خاموش باشید أنصتوا ** تا زبان تان من شوم در گفتوگو
Therefore be ye mute, keep silence, that I may be your tongue in speech and talk.”
گر سخنتان مینماید یک نمط ** در اثر مایهی نزاع است و سخط
(Even) if your words appear uniform (seem to express an agreement), in effect they are the source of contention and anger.
سرکه را گر گرم کردی ز آتش آن ** چون خوری سردی فزاید بیگمان3695
If you have made vinegar hot by means of fire, (still) when you drink it, it will undoubtedly increase the coldness (of your constitution),
ز انکه آن گرمی او دهلیزی است ** طبع اصلش سردی است و تیزی است
Because that (artificially produced) heat of it is exotic: its fundamental nature is coldness and tartness.
ور بود یخ بسته دوشاب ای پسر ** چون خوری گرمی فزاید در جگر
And (on the other hand), though grape-syrup be frozen, my son, it will add heat to the liver when you drink it.
پس ریای شیخ به ز اخلاص ماست ** کز بصیرت باشد آن وین از عماست
Hence the Shaykh's hypocrisy is better than our sincerity, for the former arises from (spiritual) insight, while the latter arises from (spiritual) blindness.
از حدیث شیخ جمعیت رسد ** تفرقه آرد دم اهل حسد
From the Shaykh's discourse comes union (concord); the words of the corporealists (materialists) bring separation (discord).
چون سلیمان کز سوی حضرت بتاخت ** کاو زبان جمله مرغان را شناخت3700
As (for example) Solomon, who sped (on his prophetic mission) from God, and who knew the language of all birds—
در زمان عدلش آهو با پلنگ ** انس بگرفت و برون آمد ز جنگ
In the time of his just sway the deer made friends with the leopard and ceased from war.
شد کبوتر ایمن از چنگال باز ** گوسفند از گرگ ناورد احتراز
The dove became secure from the talons of the hawk, the sheep took no precaution against the wolf.
او میانجی شد میان دشمنان ** اتحادی شد میان پر زنان
He (Solomon) became an arbitrator between enemies: he became a (means of establishing) oneness between the creatures that fly with wings.
تو چو موری بهر دانه میدوی ** هین سلیمان جو چه میباشی غوی
Thou art running after grain, like an ant. Hark! seek for Solomon! Why art thou still astray?
دانه جو را دانهاش دامی شود ** و آن سلیمان جوی را هر دو بود3705
To the seeker of grain his grain becomes a snare, but the seeker of Solomon may have both (Solomon and the grain).
مرغ جانها را در این آخر زمان ** نیستشان از همدگر یک دم امان
In these latter days the soul-birds have no security from each other for a moment;
هم سلیمان هست اندر دور ما ** کاو دهد صلح و نماند جور ما
(Yet) even in our epoch there is a Solomon who would give (us) peace and not suffer our injustice to continue.
قول إن من أمة را یاد گیر ** تا به إلا و خلا فیها نذیر
Call to mind (the text), There is no people down to (the words) but in the past a warner dwelt among them.
گفت خود خالی نبوده ست امتی ** از خلیفهی حق و صاحب همتی
God said that verily there has never been a people devoid of a vicar of God and a man of spiritual power;
مرغ جانها را چنان یکدل کند ** کز صفاشان بیغش و بیغل کند3710
And he makes the soul-birds so unanimous that, in respect of sincerity, he purges them of (all) guile and rancour.
مشفقان گردند همچون والده ** مسلمون را گفت نفس واحده
They become (as) kind as a mother: he (Mohammed) said of the Moslems, “(They are as) one soul.”
نفس واحد از رسول حق شدند ** ور نه هر یک دشمن مطلق بدند
(’Twas) through the Messenger of Allah they became one soul; else, they were absolute enemies, every one (to the other).
برخاستن مخالفت و عداوت از میان انصار به برکات رسول صلی الله علیه و آله
How dissension and enmity amongst the Ansár were removed by the blessings of the Prophet—may God bless and save him!
دو قبیله کاوس و خزرج نام داشت ** یک ز دیگر جان خون آشام داشت
The two tribes which were named Aws and Khazraj had a blood-thirsty spirit towards each other.
کینههای کهنهشان از مصطفی ** محو شد در نور اسلام و صفا
Through (the preaching of) Mustafá (Mohammed) their ancient feuds vanished in the light of Islam and of pureness (of heart).
اولا اخوان شدند آن دشمنان ** همچو اعداد عنب در بوستان3715
First, those enemies became brethren like the units of (a bunch of) grapes in the garden;
و ز دم المؤمنون إخوة به پند ** در شکستند و تن واحد شدند
And (then) at the admonition given in the words, The true believers are brethren, they dissolved (and mingled) and became one body.
صورت انگورها اخوان بود ** چون فشردی شیرهی واحد شود
The appearance of the (clustered) grapes is (that of) brethren: when you squeeze them they become one juice.