پس نظرگاه شعاع آن آهن است ** پس نظرگاه خدا دل نی تن است
Therefore the theatre of the (Divine) rays is that iron; therefore the theatre of God is the heart, not the body.
باز این دلهای جزوی چون تن است ** با دل صاحب دلی کاو معدن است
Again, these partial (individual) hearts are as the body in relation to the heart of the man of heart (the perfect saint), which is the original source.
بس مثال و شرح خواهد این کلام ** لیک ترسم تا نلغزد وهم عام840
This argument wants much illustration and exposition, but I fear lest the opinion of the vulgar should stumble (and fall into error),
تا نگردد نیکویی ما بدی ** اینکه گفتم هم نبد جز بیخودی
(And) lest my goodness should be turned (by them) to badness;—even this that I have spoken was (from) naught but selflessness.
پای کج را کفش کج بهتر بود ** مر گدا را دستگه بر در بود
The crooked shoe is better for the crooked foot; the beggar's power reaches only as far as the door.
امتحان پادشاه به آن دو غلام که نو خریده بود
How the King made trial of the two slaves whom he had recently purchased.
پادشاهی دو غلام ارزان خرید ** با یکی ز آن دو سخن گفت و شنید
A King bought two slaves cheap, and conversed with one of the twain.
یافتش زیرک دل و شیرین جواب ** از لب شکر چه زاید شکر آب
He found him quick-witted and answering sweetly: what issues from the sugar-lip? Sugar-water.
آدمی مخفی است در زیر زبان ** این زبان پرده است بر درگاه جان845
Man is concealed underneath his tongue: this tongue is the curtain over the gate of the soul.
چون که بادی پرده را در هم کشید ** سر صحن خانه شد بر ما پدید
When a gust of wind has rolled up the curtain, the secret of the interior of the house is disclosed to us,
کاندر آن خانه گهر یا گندم است ** گنج زر یا جمله مار و کژدم است
(And we see) whether in that house there are pearls or (grains of) wheat, a treasure of gold or whether all is snakes and scorpions;
یا در او گنج است و ماری بر کران ** ز انکه نبود گنج زر بیپاسبان
Or whether a treasure is there and a serpent beside it, since a treasure of gold is not without some one to keep watch.
بیتامل او سخن گفتی چنان ** کز پس پانصد تامل دیگران
Without premeditation he (that slave) would speak in such wise as others after five hundred premeditations.
گفتی اندر باطنش دریاستی ** جمله دریا گوهر گویاستی850
You would have said that in his inward part there was a sea, and that the whole sea was pearls of eloquence,
نور هر گوهر کز او تابان شدی ** حق و باطل را از او فرقان شدی
(And that) the light that shone from every pearl became a criterion for distinguishing between truth and falsehood.
نور فرقان فرق کردی بهر ما ** ذره ذره حق و باطل را جدا
(So) would the light of the Criterion (Universal Reason), (if it shone into our hearts), distinguish for us truth and falsehood and separate them mote by mote;
نور گوهر نور چشم ما شدی ** هم سؤال و هم جواب از ما بدی
The light of the (Divine) Pearl would become the light of our eyes: both the question and the answer would be (would come) from us.
چشم کژ کردی دو دیدی قرص ماه ** چون سؤال است این نظر در اشتباه
(But) you have made your eyes awry and seen the moon's disk double: this gazing in perplexity is like the question.
راست گردان چشم را در ماهتاب ** تا یکی بینی تو مه را نک جواب855
Make your eyes straight in the moonshine, so that you may see the moon as one. Lo, (that is) the answer.
فکرتت که کژ مبین نیکو نگر ** هست آن فکرت شعاع آن گهر
Your thought, (namely), "Do not see awry, look well!" is just the light and radiance of that Pearl.
هر جوابی کان ز گوش آید به دل ** چشم گفت از من شنو آن را بهل
Whenever an answer comes to the heart through the ear, the eye says, “Hear it from me; let that (answer given through the ear) alone!”
گوش دلاله ست و چشم اهل وصال ** چشم صاحب حال و گوش اصحاب قال
The ear is a go-between, while the eye is possessed of union (immediate vision); the eye has direct experience (of reality), while the ear has (only) words (doctrine).
در شنود گوش تبدیل صفات ** در عیان دیدها تبدیل ذات
In the ear's hearing there is a transformation of qualities; in the eyes' seeing there is a transformation of essence.
ز آتش ار علمت یقین شد از سخن ** پختگی جو در یقین منزل مکن860
If your knowledge of fire has been turned to certainty by words (alone), seek to be cooked (by the fire itself), and do not abide in the certainty (of knowledge derived from others).
تا نسوزی نیست آن عین الیقین ** این یقین خواهی در آتش در نشین
There is no intuitive (actual) certainty until you burn; (if) you desire this certainty, sit down in the fire.
گوش چون نافذ بود دیده شود ** ور نه قل در گوش پیچیده شود
When the ear is penetrating, it becomes an eye; otherwise, the word (of God) becomes entangled in the ear (and does not reach the heart).
این سخن پایان ندارد باز گرد ** تا که شه با آن غلامانش چه کرد
This discourse hath no end. Turn back, that (we may see) what the King did to those slaves of his.
به راه کردن شاه یکی را از آن دو غلام و از این دیگر پرسیدن
How the King sent away one of the two slaves and interrogated the other.
آن غلامک را چو دید اهل ذکا ** آن دگر را کرد اشارت که بیا
When he saw that that laddie was possessed of keen intelligence, he made a sign to the other to come (to him).
(If) I have called him by (a word which has) the suffix of pity (tenderness), ’tis not to belittle him: if a grandfather say “my sonny,” it is not (in) contempt.
چون بیامد آن دوم در پیش شاه ** بود او گنده دهان دندان سیاه
When the second (slave) came before the King, he had a stinking mouth and black teeth.
گر چه شه ناخوش شد از گفتار او ** جستجویی کرد هم ز اسرار او
Although the King was displeased by his speech, still he made some inquiry concerning his hidden thoughts.
گفت با این شکل و این گند دهان ** دور بنشین لیک آن سو تر مران
He said, “With this aspect and this foul smell of the mouth, sit at a distance, but do not move too far off—
که تو اهل نامه و رقعه بدی ** نه جلیس و یار و هم بقعه بدی
For (hitherto) you have been (with regard to me in the position of) a writer of letters and notes; you have not been a companion and friend and comrade—
تا علاج آن دهان تو کنیم ** تو حبیب و ما طبیب پر فنیم870
That we may treat (and cure) that mouth of yours: you are (now) the beloved (patient), and we are the skilful physician.
بهر کیکی نو گلیمی سوختن ** نیست لایق از تو دیده دوختن
’Tis not fitting to burn a new blanket on account of one flea; (nor would it become me) to shut my eyes to (turn my back on) you (because of superficial faults).
با همه بنشین دو سه دستان بگو ** تا ببینم صورت عقلت نکو
Notwithstanding all (this), sit down and talk on a few topics, that I may well see the form of your mind.”
آن ذکی را پس فرستاد او به کار ** سوی حمامی که رو خود را بخار
Then he sent that keen-witted one away to do (his behest): (he sent him) to a bathhouse, saying, “Go, scrub yourself.”
وین دگر را گفت خه تو زیرکی ** صد غلامی در حقیقت نه یکی
And to this other one he said, “Good! you are a clever lad: in truth you are a hundred slaves, not one.
آن نهای که خواجهتاش تو نمود ** از تو ما را سرد میکرد آن حسود875
You are not such as your fellow-servant declared: that envious one would (fain) have made me cold to (disgusted with) you,
گفت او دزد و کژ است و کژنشین ** حیز و نامرد و چنان است و چنین
(For) he said that you are thievish and dishonest and ill-behaved, immoral and infamous and so forth.”
گفت پیوسته بده ست او راست گو ** راست گویی من ندیده ستم چو او
The slave said, “He (my fellow-servant) has always been veracious; I have not seen any one so truthful as he is.
راست گویی در نهادش خلقتی است ** هر چه گوید من نگویم تهمتی است
Veracity is inborn in his nature; whatever he says, I do not say it is void (of truth).
کژ ندانم آن نکو اندیش را ** متهم دارم وجود خویش را
I deem not that good-minded one malicious: I (rather) suspect my own person.
باشد او در من ببیند عیبها ** من نبینم در وجود خود شها880
Maybe, he sees in me faults I do not see in myself, O King.”
هر کسی گر عیب خود دیدی ز پیش ** کی بدی فارغ خود از اصلاح خویش
Any one saw his own faults before (seeing those of others) —how should he be unconcerned with correcting himself?
غافلند این خلق از خود ای پدر ** لاجرم گویند عیب همدگر
These people (of the world) take no heed of themselves, O father: consequently they blame one another.
من نبینم روی خود را ای شمن ** من ببینم روی تو تو روی من
O idolater (dualist), (if) I do not behold my own face (reality), I behold thy face and thou beholdest mine.
آن کسی که او ببیند روی خویش ** نور او از نور خلقان است بیش
He that beholds his own face (reality)—his light is greater than the light of the creatures (of God).
گر بمیرد دید او باقی بود ** ز انکه دیدش دید خلاقی بود885
Though he die, his sight is everlasting, because his sight is the sight of the Creator.
نور حسی نبود آن نوری که او ** روی خود محسوس بیند پیش رو
That light by which he sensibly beholds his own face (reality) before him, is not the light of sense.
گفت اکنون عیبهای او بگو ** آن چنان که گفت او از عیب تو
The King said, “Now tell his (your fellow-servant's) faults, just as he spoke of yours,