گر نبودی شب همه خلقان ز آز ** خویشتن را سوختندی ز اهتزاز
If there were no night, on account of cupidity all people would consume themselves by the agitation (of pursuit).
از هوس وز حرص سود اندوختن ** هر کسی دادی بدن را سوختن
From desire and greed of amassing gain, every one would give his body to be consumed.
شب پدید آید چو گنج رحمتی ** تا رهند ازحرص خود یکساعتی
Night appears, like a treasure of mercy, that they may be delivered from their greed for a short while.
چونک قبضی آیدت ای راه‌رو ** آن صلاح تست آتش دل مشو
When a feeling of (spiritual) contraction comes over you, O traveller, ’tis (for) your good: do not become afire (with grief) in your heart,
زآنک در خرجی در آن بسط و گشاد ** خرج را دخلی بباید زاعتداد3735
For in that (contrary state of) expansion and delight you are spending: the expenditure (of enthusiasm) requires an income of (painful) preparation (to balance it).
گر هماره فصل تابستان بدی ** سوزش خورشید در بستان شدی
If it were always the season of summer, the blazing heat of the sun would penetrate the garden
منبتش را سوختی از بیخ و بن ** که دگر تازه نگشتی آن کهن
And burn up from root and bottom the soil whence its plants grow, so that the old (withered) ones would never again become fresh.
گر ترش‌رویست آن دی مشفق است ** صیف خندانست اما محرقست
If December is sour-faced, (yet) it is kind; summer is laughing, but (none the less) it is burning (destroying).
چونک قبض آید تو در وی بسط بین ** تازه باش و چین میفکن در جبین
When (spiritual) contraction comes, behold expansion therein: be fresh (cheerful) and do not let wrinkles fall on your brow.
کودکان خندان و دانایان ترش ** غم جگر را باشد و شادی ز شش3740
Children are laughing, and sages are sour: sorrow appertains to the liver, and joy arises from the lungs.
چشم کودک همچو خر در آخرست ** چشم عاقل در حساب آخرست
The eye of the child, like (that of) the ass, is (fixed) on the stall; the eye of the wise man is (engaged) in reckoning the end.
او در آخر چرب می‌بیند علف ** وین ز قصاب آخرش بیند تلف
He (the child) sees the rich fodder in the stall, while this (wise man) sees his ultimate end to be death by (the hand of) the Butcher.
آن علف تلخست کین قصاب داد ** بهر لحم ما ترازویی نهاد
That fodder is bitter (in the end), for this Butcher gave it: He set up a pair of scales for our flesh.
رو ز حکمت خور علف کان را خدا ** بی غرض دادست از محض عطا
Go, eat the fodder of wisdom which God hath given (us) disinterestedly from pure bounty.
فهم نان کردی نه حکمت ای رهی ** زانچ حق گفتت کلوا من رزقه3745
O slave (to your lusts), you have understood bread, not wisdom, (to be meant) in that (text) which God hath spoken unto you—Eat ye of His provision.
رزق حق حکمت بود در مرتبت ** کان گلوگیرت نباشد عاقبت
God's provision in the (present) stage (of your existence) is wisdom that will not choke you at the last (in the world hereafter).
این دهان بستی دهانی باز شد ** کو خورنده‌ی لقمه‌های راز شد
(If) you have closed this (bodily) mouth, another mouth is opened, which becomes an eater of the morsels of (spiritual) mysteries.
گر ز شیر دیو تن را وابری ** در فطام اوبسی نعمت خوردی
If you cut off your body from the Devil's milk, by (thus) weaning it you will enjoy much felicity.
ترک‌جوشش شرح کردم نیم‌خام ** از حکیم غزنوی بشنو تمام
I have given a half-raw (imperfect) explanation of it, (like) the Turcomans' ill-boiled meat: hear (it) in full from the Sage of Ghazna.
در الهی‌نامه گوید شرح این ** آن حکیم غیب و فخرالعارفین3750
In the Iláhí-náma that Sage of the Unseen and Glory of them that know (God) explains this (matter).
(He says), “Eat (feel) sorrow, and do not eat the bread of those who increase (your) sorrow (hereafter), for the wise man eats sorrow, the child (eats) sugar (rejoices).”
The sugar of joy (hereafter) is the fruit of the garden of sorrow (here): this (sensual) joy is the wound and that (spiritual) sorrow is the plaster.
غم چو بینی در کنارش کش به عشق ** از سر ربوه نظر کن در دمشق
When you see (spiritual) sorrow, embrace it with passionate love: look on Damascus from the top of Rubwa.
عاقل از انگور می بیند همی ** عاشق از معدوم شی بیند همی
The wise man is seeing the wine in the grape, the lover (of God) is seeing the thing (entity) in the non-existent.
جنگ می‌کردند حمالان پریر ** تو مکش تا من کشم حملش چو شیر3755
The day before yesterday the porters were quarrelling (and crying), “Don't you lift (it), let me lift his load (and carry it off) like a lion!”
زانک زان رنجش همی‌دیدند سود ** حمل را هر یک ز دیگر می‌ربود
Since they were seeing profit in that toil, each one was snatching the load from the other.
مزد حق کو مزد آن بی‌مایه کو ** این دهد گنجیت مزد و آن تسو
What comparison is there between God's reward and the reward given by that worthless creature? The former gives you a treasure as your reward, and the latter a groat.
گنج زری که چو خسپی زیر ریگ ** با تو باشد ان نباشد مردریگ
(God gives you) a golden treasure that remains with you when you lie (buried) under the sand and is not left as a heritage.
پیش پیش آن جنازه‌ت می‌دود ** مونس گور و غریبی می‌شود
It runs before your hearse and becomes your companion in the tomb and in the state where all is strange.
بهر روز مرگ این دم مرده باش ** تا شوی با عشق سرمد خواجه‌تاش3760
For the sake of your death-day be dead (to self), now, so that you may be (united) with everlasting Love, O fellow-servant.
صبر می‌بیند ز پرده‌ی اجتهاد ** روی چون گلنار و زلفین مراد
Through the curtain of the struggle (against self) renunciation sees the face like a pomegranate-flower and the two tresses of the Desired One.
غم چو آیینه‌ست پیش مجتهد ** کاندرین ضد می‌نماید روی ضد
Sorrow is as a mirror before the struggler, for in this contrary there appears the face of the (other) contrary.
بعد ضد رنج آن ضد دگر ** رو دهد یعنی گشاد و کر و فر
After the (one) contrary, (which is) pain, the other contrary, that is, gladness and triumph, shows its face.
این دو وصف از پنجه‌ی دستت ببین ** بعد قبض مشت بسط آید یقین
Observe these two qualities (contraction and expansion) in the fingers of your hand: assuredly after the closing of the fist comes the opening.
پنجه را گر قبض باشد دایما ** یا همه بسط او بود چون مبتلا3765
If the fingers be always closed or entirely (invariably) open, he (their owner) is like an afflicted person.
زین دو وصفش کار و مکسب منتظم ** چون پر مرغ این دو حال او را مهم
His work and action is regulated by these two qualities: these two conditions are (as) important for him as the bird's wings (to the bird).
چونک مریم مضطرب شد یک زمان ** همچنانک بر زمین آن ماهیان
When Mary was all at once dismayed, like those fishes on land,
گفتن روح القدس مریم راکی من رسول حقم به تو آشفته مشو و پنهان مشو از من کی فرمان اینست
[How the Holy Spirit said to Mary, “I am sent to thee by God: be not agitated and do not hide from me, for this is the (Divine) command.”]
بانگ بر وی زد نمودار کرم ** که امین حضرتم از من مرم
The Exemplar of (Divine) Bounty cried out to her, “I am the trusted (messenger) of the Lord: be not afraid of me.
از سرافرازان عزت سرمکش ** از چنین خوش محرمان خود درمکش
Do not turn thy head away from the exalted (favourites) of (Divine) Majesty, do not withdraw thyself from such goodly confidants.”
این همی گفت و ذباله‌ی نور پاک ** از لبش می‌شد پیاپی بر سماک3770
He was saying this, and (meanwhile) from his lips a wick (ray) of pure light was going up to Simák (Arcturus) step by step (uninterruptedly).
از وجودم می‌گریزی در عدم ** در عدم من شاهم و صاحب علم
“Thou art fleeing from my existence into non-existence (the Unseen World): in non-existence I am a King and standard-bearer.
خود بنه و بنگاه من در نیستیست ** یکسواره نقش من پیش ستیست
Verily, my home and dwelling-place is in non-existence: solely my (outward) form is before the Lady (Mary).
مریما بنگر که نقش مشکلم ** هم هلالم هم خیال اندر دلم
O Mary, look (well), for I am a difficult form (to apprehend): I am both a new moon and a phantasy in the heart.
چون خیالی در دلت آمد نشست ** هر کجا که می‌گریزی با توست
When a phantasy comes into thy heart and settles (there), it is (still) with thee wheresoever thou fleest—
جز خیالی عارضی باطلی ** کو بود چون صبح کاذب آفلی3775
Except an unsubstantial and vain phantasy which is one that sinks (and disappears) like the false dawn.
من چو صبح صادقم از نور رب ** که نگردد گرد روزم هیچ شب
I am of the light of the Lord, like the true dawn, for no night prowls around my day.
هین مکن لاحول عمران زاده‌ام ** که ز لاحول این طرف افتاده‌ام
Hark, do not cry Lá hawl against me, O daughter of ‘Imrán, for I have descended hither from Lá hawl.
مر مرا اصل و غذا لاحول بود ** نور لاحولی که پیش از قول بود
Lá hawl was my origin and sustenance—the light of that Lá hawl which was prior to the spoken word.
تو همی‌گیری پناه ازمن به حق ** من نگاریده‌ی پناهم در سبق
Thou art taking refuge from me with God: I am in eternity the image of (Him who is) the (only) refuge.
آن پناهم من که مخلصهات بوذ ** تو اعوذ آری و من خود آن اعوذ3780
I am the refuge that was oft (the source of) thy deliverance. Thou takest refuge (from me), and I myself am that refuge.