راست‌گو دانیش تو از روی وصف ** گرچه ماهیت نشد از نوح کشف
You, veracious man, know him by way of description, though the quiddity of Noah has not been revealed (to you).
ور بگویی من چه دانم نوح را ** همچو اویی داند او را ای فتی
And if you reply, “How should I know Noah? (Only) one like him can know him, O youth.
مور لنگم من چه دانم فیل را ** پشه‌ای کی داند اسرافیل را
I am a lame ant. How should I know the elephant? How should a gnat know Isráfíl?”—
این سخن هم راستست از روی آن ** که بماهیت ندانیش ای فلان
This saying (answer) is also true in regard to the fact that you do not know him in his quiddity, O so-and-so.
عجز از ادراک ماهیت عمو ** حالت عامه بود مطلق مگو3650
To be unable to perceive the quiddity, uncle, is the condition of common men: do not say it absolutely,
زانک ماهیات و سر سر آن ** پیش چشم کاملان باشد عیان
Inasmuch as quiddities and their inmost secret are clearly visible to the eyes of the Perfect.
در وجود از سر حق و ذات او ** دورتر از فهم و استبصار کو
Where in existence is (anything) more remote from understanding and mental perception than the consciousness and essence of God?
چونک آن مخفی نماند از محرمان ** ذات و وصفی چیست کان ماند نهان
Since that does not remain hidden from (His) familiars, what is the essence and attribute that should remain concealed?
عقل بحثی گوید این دورست و گو ** بی ز تاویل محالی کم شنو
The intellect of the scholastic theologian says, “This is far (from reasonable) and deeply involved (in error): do not listen to an absurdity without some explanation.”
قطب گوید مر ترا ای سست‌حال ** آنچ فوق حال تست آید محال3655
The Qutb (the Head of the Saints) replies, “To thee, O infirm one, that which is above thy (spiritual) state seems absurd.”
واقعاتی که کنونت بر گشود ** نه که اول هم محالت می‌نمود
The visions which are now revealed to you, is it not the case that at first they seemed absurd to you?
چون رهانیدت ز ده زندان کرم ** تیه را بر خود مکن حبس ستم
Inasmuch as the (Divine) Bounty has released you from ten prisons, do not make the (wide) desert an oppressive prison to yourself.
جمع و توفیق میان نفی و اثبات یک چیز از روی نسبت و اختلاف جهت
How the negation and affirmation of one (and the same) thing may be combined and reconciled from the standpoint of relativity and difference of aspect.
نفی آن یک چیز و اثباتش رواست ** چون جهت شد مختلف نسبت دوتاست
It is possible to deny and affirm the same thing: when the point of view is different, the relation is twofold.
ما رمیت اذ رمیت از نسبتست ** نفی و اثباتست و هر دو مثبتست
(The text) thou didst not throw when thou threwest is relative: it is negation and affirmation: both are authorised.
آن تو افکندی چو بر دست تو بود ** تو نه افکندی که قوت حق نمود3660
Thou threwest that (gravel), since it was on thy hand; thou didst not throw, for God manifested (His) power.
زور آدم‌زاد را حدی بود ** مشت خاک اشکست لشکر کی شود
The strength of one born of Adam has a limit: how should a handful of earth become (the cause of) the rout of an army?
مشت مشت تست و افکندن ز ماست ** زین دو نسبت نفی و اثباتش رواست
“(O Mohammed), the handful is thy handful, and the throwing is from Me”: on account of these two relations (both) the denial and the affirmation of it (the throwing) are right.
یعرفون الانبیا اضدادهم ** مثل ما لا یشتبه اولادهم
The prophets are known by their enemies, just as their (the enemies') children are not doubtful (to their parents).
همچو فرزندان خود دانندشان ** منکران با صد دلیل و صد نشان
The unbelievers know them (the prophets) as (they know) their children by a hundred indications and a hundred signs,
لیک از رشک و حسد پنهان کنند ** خویشتن را بر ندانم می‌زنند3665
But, from jealousy and envy, they conceal (their knowledge) and attach themselves to (become addicted to saying) “I do not know.”
پس چو یعرف گفت چون جای دگر ** گفت لایعرفهم غیری فذر
Then, since He (God) hath said, “He (the unbeliever) knows,” how hath He said in another place?—“None knoweth them except Me, so leave off (seeking to know them);
انهم تحت قبابی کامنون ** جز که یزدانشان نداند ز آزمون
Verily, they are hidden beneath My tents.” None knows them by (immediate) experience except God.
هم بنسبت گیر این مفتوح را ** که بدانی و ندانی نوح را
Regard also as (explicable) by means of relation this (subject) which was opened (above), (namely) that you know and do not know Noah.
مسله‌ی فنا و بقای درویش
The question of the faná and baqá of the dervish.
گفت قایل در جهان درویش نیست ** ور بود درویش آن درویش نیست
The speaker said, “There is no dervish in the world; and if there be a dervish, that dervish is (really) non-existent.”
هست از روی بقای ذات او ** نیست گشته وصف او در وصف هو3670
He exists in respect of the survival of his essence, (but) his attributes have become non-existent in the attributes of Him (God).
چون زبانه‌ی شمع پیش آفتاب ** نیست باشد هست باشد در حساب
Like the flame of a candle in the presence of the sun, he is (really) non-existent, (though he is) existent in (formal) calculation.
هست باشد ذات او تا تو اگر ** بر نهی پنبه بسوزد زان شرر
Its (the flame's) essence is existent, so that, if you put cotton upon it, it (the cotton) will be consumed by the sparks;
نیست باشد روشنی ندهد ترا ** کرده باشد آفتاب او را فنا
(But) it is (really) non-existent: it gives you no light: the sun will have naughted it.
در دو صد من شهد یک اوقیه خل ** چون در افکندی و در وی گشت حل
When you have thrown an ounce of vinegar into two hundred maunds of sugar, and it has become dissolved therein,
نیست باشد طعم خل چون می‌چشی ** هست اوقیه فزون چون برکشی3675
The flavour of the vinegar, when you taste (the sugar), is non-existent, (though) the ounce exists (as a) surplus when you weigh.
پیش شیری آهوی بیهوش شد ** هستی‌اش در هست او روپوش شد
In the presence of a lion a deer becomes senseless: her existence becomes a (mere) veil for his existence.
این قیاس ناقصان بر کار رب ** جوشش عشقست نه از ترک ادب
These analogies drawn by imperfect men concerning the action of the Lord are (like) the emotion of love, (they are) not from irreverence.
نبض عاشق بی ادب بر می‌جهد ** خویش را در کفه‌ی شه می‌نهد
The lover's pulse bounds up without reverence, he lays himself on the scale of the King's balance.
بی‌ادب‌تر نیست کس زو در جهان ** با ادب‌تر نیست کس زو در نهان
None is more irreverent than he in the world (outwardly); none is more reverent than he in secret (inwardly).
هم بنسبت دان وفاق ای منتجب ** این دو ضد با ادب با بی‌ادب3680
Know, O chosen one, that these two opposites also, “reverent” and “irreverent,” are reconciled by means of relation.
بی‌ادب باشد چو ظاهر بنگری ** که بود دعوی عشقش هم‌سری
He (the lover) is irreverent when you regard the outward aspect, for his claim of love is (involves) equality (with the Beloved);
چون به باطن بنگری دعوی کجاست ** او و دعوی پیش آن سلطان فناست
(But) when you regard the inward aspect, where is the claim? He and (his) claim are naughted in the presence of that Sultan.
مات زید زید اگر فاعل بود ** لیک فاعل نیست کو عاطل بود
Máta Zaydun (Zayd died): if Zayd is the agent (grammatical subject), (yet) he is not the agent, for he is defunct.
او ز روی لفظ نحوی فاعلست ** ورنه او مفعول و موتش قاتلست
He is the agent (only) in respect of the grammatical expression; otherwise, he is the one acted upon (the object of the action), and Death is his slayer.
فاعل چه کو چنان مقهور شد ** فاعلیها جمله از وی دور شد3685
What agent (is he), since he has been so overpowered and all the qualities of an agent have been removed from him?
قصه وکیل صدر جهان کی متهم شد و از بخارا گریخت از بیم جان باز عشقش کشید رو کشان کی کار جان سهل باشد عاشقان را
Story of the Sadr-i Jahán's Wakíl (minister), who fell under suspicion and fled from Bukhárá in fear of his life; then love drew him back irresistibly, for the matter of life is of small account to lovers.
در بخارا بنده‌ی صدر جهان ** متهم شد گشت از صدرش نهان
In Bukhárá the servant of the Sadr-i Jahán incurred suspicion and hid from his Sadr (prince).
مدت ده سال سرگردان بگشت ** گه خراسان گه کهستان گاه دشت
During ten years he roamed distractedly, now in Khurásán, now in the mountain-land, now in the desert.
از پس ده سال او از اشتیاق ** گشت بی‌طاقت ز ایام فراق
After ten years, through longing he became unable to endure the days of separation (from his beloved).
گفت تاب فرقتم زین پس نماند ** صبر کی داند خلاعت را نشاند
He said, “Henceforth I cannot bear to be parted (from him) any more: how can patience allay (the lover's) state of abandonment?”
از فراق این خاکها شوره بود ** آب زرد و گنده و تیره شود3690
From separation these soils are nitrous (barren), and water becomes yellow and stinking and dark;