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.
غوره و انگور ضدانند لیک ** چون که غوره پخته شد شد یار نیک
The immature and the full-grown grape are opponents, but when the immature grape has ripened, it becomes a good friend.
غورهای کاو سنگ بست و خام ماند ** در ازل حق کافر اصلیش خواند
The immature grape that has remained stone-hard and crude —God in eternity has called it an original unbeliever.
نه اخی نه نفس واحد باشد او ** در شقاوت نحس ملحد باشد او3720
He (such a one) is neither a brother nor one (in) soul (with the faithful Moslems): he is an ill-starred heretic in (the state of) damnation.
گر بگویم آن چه او دارد نهان ** فتنهی افهام خیزد در جهان
If I should tell that which he keeps hidden (in his heart), there would arise in the world a sore temptation of (men's) minds.
سر گبر کور نامذکور به ** دود دوزخ از ارم مهجور به
’Tis better that the secret of the blind infidel should be untold: ’tis better that the smoke of Hell should be banished from Iram.
غورههای نیک کایشان قابلاند ** از دم اهل دل آخر یک دلاند
The good immature grapes, which are capable (of ripening), are at last (made) one in heart by the breath of the masters of heart (the saints).
سوی انگوری همیرانند تیز ** تا دویی برخیزد و کین و ستیز
They push on rapidly to grapehood (maturity), so that duality and hatred and strife depart (from them).
پس در انگوری همیدرند پوست ** تا یکی گردند و وحدت وصف اوست3725
Then in grapehood they rend their skins till they become one: unity is the (proper) attribute of him (who is one with others).
دوست دشمن گردد ایرا هم دو است ** هیچ یک با خویش جنگی در نبست
A friend becomes a foe because he is still two: no one (ever) engaged in a battle with himself.
آفرین بر عشق کل اوستاد ** صد هزاران ذره را داد اتحاد
Blessings on the universal love of the Master, (which) gave oneness to hundreds of thousands of motes!
همچو خاک مفترق در رهگذر ** یک سبوشان کرد دست کوزهگر
(They were) as dust scattered on the thoroughfare: the hand of the Potter made them one jug.
که اتحاد جسمهای آب و طین ** هست ناقص جان نمیماند بدین
(But the simile fails as applied to souls), for the oneness of bodies (formed) of water and clay is imperfect: the (oneness of) soul is not like this.
گر نظایر گویم اینجا در مثال ** فهم را ترسم که آرد اختلال3730
If I should here utter similitudes in comparison (illustration), I fear it might disorder (perplex) the understanding.
هم سلیمان هست اکنون لیک ما ** از نشاط دور بینی در عما
Even now there exists (a) Solomon, but we are blinded by exulting in (our) farsightedness.
دور بینی کور دارد مرد را ** همچو خفته در سرا کور از سرا
Far-sightedness keeps a man blind, just as one sleeping in a house is blind to the house.
مولعیم اندر سخنهای دقیق ** در گرهها باز کردن ما عشیق
We are much addicted to subtle discussions, we are exceedingly fond of solving problems;
تا گره بندیم و بگشاییم ما ** در شکال و در جواب آیین فزا
And to the end that we may tie knots and (then) undo them, (we are) making many rules for (posing and stating) the difficulty and for answering (the questions raised by it),
همچو مرغی کاو گشاید بند دام ** گاه بندد تا شود در فن تمام3735
Like a bird which should undo the fastenings of a snare, and tie (them together) at times, in order that it might become perfect in skill:
او بود محروم از صحرا و مرج ** عمر او اندر گره کاری است خرج
It is deprived of the open country and meadowland, its life is spent in dealing with knots;
خود زبون او نگردد هیچ دام ** لیک پرش در شکست افتد مدام
And even (then) the snare is nowise subdued by it, but its wings are always getting broken.
با گره کم کوش تا بال و پرت ** نگسلد یک یک از این کر و فرت
Do not struggle with knots, lest thy wings and feathers be snapped asunder one by one through this vain display (of effort) on thy part.
صد هزاران مرغ پرهاشان شکست ** و آن کمین گاه عوارض را نبست
Myriads of birds have had their wings broken, and have not stopped that calamitous ambuscade (from doing its work).
حال ایشان از نبی خوان ای حریص ** نقبوا فیها ببین هل من محیص3740
Read in the Qur’án (concerning) their state, O covetous one: —They explored (and wandered) in them (the lands of the earth); mark (the words), Was there any refuge?
از نزاع ترک و رومی و عرب ** حل نشد اشکال انگور و عنب
The difficulty over angúr and ‘inab was not solved by the contest between the Turk, the Greek, and the Arab.
تا سلیمان لسین معنوی ** در نیاید بر نخیزد این دوی
Until the spiritual Solomon, skilled in tongues, shall intervene, this duality will not disappear.
جمله مرغان منازع بازوار ** بشنوید این طبل باز شهریار
O all ye wrangling birds, hearken, like the falcon, to this falcon-drum of the King.
ز اختلاف خویش سوی اتحاد ** هین ز هر جانب روان گردید شاد
Hark, from every quarter set out with joy, (flying away) from your diversity towards oneness.
حیث ما کنتم فولوا وجهکم ** نحوه هذا الذی لم ینهکم3745
Wheresoever ye be, turn your faces towards it: this is the thing which He hath not forbidden unto you (at any time).
کور مرغانیم و بس ناساختیم ** کان سلیمان را دمی نشناختیم
Blind birds are we and very inept, in that we have not once recognised that Solomon.