عقل اسیرست و همی خواهد ز حق ** روزیی بی رنج و نعمت بر طبق
The intellect is a captive and craves of God daily bread (won) without toil, and bounty (placed before it) on a tray.
روزی بی رنج او موقوف چیست ** آنک بکشد گاو را کاصل بدیست
Upon what does its daily bread (won) without toil depend? Upon its killing the cow is the origin of (all) evil
نفس گوید چون کشی تو گاو من ** زانک گاو نفس باشد نقش تن
The fleshly soul says, “How shouldst thou kill my ‘cow’?-because the “cow” of the fleshly soul is the (outward) form of the body.
خواجهزادهی عقل مانده بینوا ** نفس خونی خواجه گشت و پیشوا2510
The intellect, (typified by) the master’s son, is left destitute, (while) the fleshly soul, (typified by) the murderer, has become a master and leader.
روزی بیرنج میدانی که چیست ** قوت ارواحست و ارزاق نبیست
Do you know what is the daily bread (won) without toil? It is the food of spirits and the daily bread of the prophet.
لیک موقوفست بر قربان گاو ** گنج اندر گاو دان ای کنجکاو
But it depends upon sacrificing the cow: know (that) the (spiritual) treasure (is found) in (sacrifice of) the cow, O you who dig in (holes and) corners!
دوش چیزی خوردهام ور نه تمام ** دادمی در دست فهم تو زمام
Yesternight I ate something; otherwise, I would have given the reins entirely into the hand of your understanding’.
دوش چیزی خوردهام افسانه است ** هرچه میآید ز پنهان خانه است
(The words), ‘ yesternight I ate something,” are an idle tale: whatsoever comes (to pass) is from the secret chamber (of Divine Destiny).
چشم بر اسباب از چه دوختیم ** گر ز خوشچشمان کرشم آموختیم2515
Wherefore have we fixed our eyes on (secondary) causes, if we have learned from those with beauteous eyes how to glance amorously?
هست بر اسباب اسبابی دگر ** در سبب منگر در آن افکن نظر
Over the (secondary) causes there are other (primary) causes: do not look at the (secondary) cause; let thy gaze fall on that (primary cause).
انبیا در قطع اسباب آمدند ** معجزات خویش بر کیوان زدند
The prophets came in order to cut (the cords of secondary) causes: they flung their miracles at Saturn (in the Seventh Heaven).
بیسبب مر بحر را بشکافتند ** بی زراعت چاش گندم یافتند
Without cause (means) they clove the sea asunder; without sowing they found heaps of corn.
ریگها هم آرد شد از سعیشان ** پشم بز ابریشم آمد کشکشان
Sand, too, was turned into flour by their work; goat’s hair became silk as it was pulled (from the hide).
جمله قرآن هست در قطع سبب ** عز درویش و هلاک بولهب2520
The whole of the Qur’án consists in (is concerned with) the cutting off of (secondary) causes: (its theme is) the glory of the poor (prophet or saint) and the destruction of (those like) Abú Lahab.
مرغ بابیلی دو سه سنگ افکند ** لشکر زفت حبش را بشکند
A swift drops two or three pebbles and shatters the mighty host of Abyssinia:
پیل را سوراخ سوراخ افکند ** سنگ مرغی کو به بالا پر زند
The pebble of a bird that flies aloft lays low the elephant, riddled with holes (wounds).
دم گاو کشته بر مقتول زن ** تا شود زنده همان دم در کفن
(God said), “Inflict (a blow with) the tail of the killed cow upon the murdered man, in order that at the same moment he may come to life (again) in the winding-sheet,
حلقببریده جهد از جای خویش ** خون خود جوید ز خونپالای خویش
(And that) he whose throat was cut may spring up from his place and seek (vengeance for) his blood from the shedder of his blood
همچنین ز آغاز قرآن تا تمام ** رفض اسبابست و علت والسلام2525
In like manner, from the beginning of the Qur’án to the end, ‘tis (wholly concerned with) the abandonment of (secondary) causes and means. And (now) farewell (to this subject).
کشف این نه از عقل کارافزا شود ** بندگی کن تا ترا پیداشود
The explanation (of the mystery) thereof is not (given) by the meddlesome intellect: do service (to God), in order that it may become clear to you.
بند معقولات آمد فلسفی ** شهسوار عقل عقل آمد صفی
The philosopher is in bondage to things perceived by the intellect; (but) the ‘pure (saint) is he that rides as a prince on the Intellect of intellect
The Intellect of intellect is your kernel, (while) your intellect is (only) the husk: the belly of animals is ever seeking husks.
مغزجوی از پوست دارد صد ملال ** مغز نغزان را حلال آمد حلال
He that seeks the kernel has a hundred loathings for the husk: to the goodly (saints) the kernel (alone) is lawful, lawful.
چونک قشر عقل صد برهان دهد ** عقل کل کی گام بی ایقان نهد2530
When the intellect, (which is) the husk, offers a hundred evidences, how should the Universal Intellect take a step with out having (intuitive) certainty?
عقل دفترها کند یکسر سیاه ** عقل عقل آفاق دارد پر ز ماه
The intellect makes books entirely black (with writing); the Intellect of intellect keeps the horizons (the whole universe) filled (with light) from the Moon (of Reality).
از سیاهی و سپیدی فارغست ** نور ماهش بر دل و جان بازغست
It is free from blackness and whiteness: the light of its moon rises (and shines) upon heart and soul.
این سیاه و این سپید ار قدر یافت ** زان شب قدرست کاختروار تافت
If this black and white’ has gotten (any) power (value), ‘tis from the Night of Power that shone forth like a star.
قیمت همیان و کیسه از زرست ** بی ز زر همیان و کیسه ابترست
The value of scrip and purse is (derived) from the gold: with out the gold, scrip and purse are docked
همچنانک قدر تن از جان بود ** قدر جان از پرتو جانان بود2535
Even as the worth of the body is (derived) from the soul, (so) the worth of the soul is (derived) from the radiance of the Soul of souls.
گر بدی جان زنده بی پرتو کنون ** هیچ گفتی کافران را میتون
If the soul were now alive without (that) radiance, would He (God) ever have called the infidels “dead”
هین بگو که ناطقه جو میکند ** تا به قرنی بعد ما آبی رسد
Come, speak (O my soul)! for the Logos is digging a channel to the end that some water may reach a generation after us.
گرچه هر قرنی سخنآری بود ** لیک گفت سالفان یاری بود
Although (in) every generation there is one who brings the word (of God), yet the sayings of them that have gone before are helpful
نه که هم توریت و انجیل و زبور ** شد گواه صدق قرآن ای شکور
Is it not (the case) that the Pentateuch and the Gospel and the Psalms have borne witness to the truth of theQur’an, O thankful one?
روزی بیرنج جو و بیحساب ** کز بهشتت آورد جبریل سیب2540
Seek a (spiritual) livelihood (won) without toil and without reckoning, so that Gabriel may bring you apples from Paradise;
بلک رزقی از خداوند بهشت ** بیصداع باغبان بی رنج کشت
Nay, (that there may come to you) a livelihood from the Lord of Paradise, without headache (trouble) on the part of the gardener and without the toil of sowing.
زانک نفع نان در آن نان داد اوست ** بدهدت آن نفع بی توسیط پوست
Inasmuch as in that (spiritual) bread the benefit of (conferred by) the bread is His (God’s) gift, He gives you that benefit (directly), without making the husk a means (of imparting it to you).
ذوق پنهان نقش نان چون سفرهایست ** نان بی سفره ولی را بهرهایست
The savour is hidden; the outward form of the bread is (visible) like a table-cloth: the bread that is without table-cloth is a portion (reserved) for the saint.
رزق جانی کی بری با سعی و جست ** جز به عدل شیخ کو داود تست
How will you, notwithstanding (all your) endeavour and search, gain the spiritual livelihood except through ‘the justice of the Shaykh who is your David?
نفس چون با شیخ بیند کام تو ** از بن دندان شود او رام تو2545
‘When the fleshly soul sees your steps (joined) with (those of) the Shaykh, willy-nilly it becomes submissive to you.
صاحب آن گاو رام آنگاه شد ** کز دم داود او آگاه شد
Then (and then only) did the owner of the cow become sub missive, when he was made aware of the (inspired) words of David.
عقل گاهی غالب آید در شکار ** برسگ نفست که باشد شیخ یار
The intellect, in chase (of spiritual truth), prevails over your currish fleshly soul (only) at the time when the Shaykh is its helper.
نفس اژدرهاست با صد زور و فن ** روی شیخ او را زمرد دیده کن
The fleshly soul is a dragon with hundredfold strength and cunning: the face of the Shaykh is the emerald that plucks out its eye
گر تو صاحب گاو را خواهی زبون ** چون خران سیخش کن آن سو ای حرون
If you wish the owner of the cows to be abased, goad him in that direction as (you would goad) asses, O contumacious man!
چون به نزدیک ولی الله شود ** آن زبان صد گزش کوته شود2550
When he approaches him (the saint) who is nigh unto God, his tongue, a hundred ells long, is shortened.
صد زبان و هر زبانش صد لغت ** زرق و دستانش نیاید در صفت
(He hath) a hundred tongues, and each tongue of him (hath) a hundred languages: his fraud and guile come not into (the bounds of) description.
مدعی گاو نفس آمد فصیح ** صد هزاران حجت آرد ناصحیح
The claimant for the cow, the fleshly soul, is eloquent and brings forward hundreds of thousands of unsound pleas.
شهر را بفریبد الا شاه را ** ره نتاند زد شه آگاه را
He deceives (all in) the city except the king: he cannot waylay the sagacious king.
نفس را تسبیح و مصحف در یمین ** خنجر و شمشیر اندر آستین
The fleshly soul hath glorification of God (on its tongue), and the Qur’án in its right hand; (but) in its sleeve (it hath) dagger and sword.
مصحف و سالوس او باور مکن ** خویش با او همسر و همسر مکن2555
Do not believe its Qur’án and hypocritical ostentation, do not make yourself its confidant and comrade;
سوی حوضت آورد بهر وضو ** واندر اندازد ترا در قعر او
(For) it will take you to the tank to perform the ritual ablution, and will cast you to the bottom thereof.