قامت تو بر قرار آمد بساز ** سایه‌ات کوته دمی یکدم دراز
Your stature is normally invariable, (but) your shadow is now short, now long.
زانک در پرتو نیابد کس ثبات ** عکسها وا گشت سوی امهات4225
Inasmuch as no one finds permanence in the ray, (all) the reflexions return to (their) origins.
هین دهان بر بند فتنه لب گشاد ** خشک آر الله اعلم بالرشاد
Hark, close thy mouth: Mischief has opened its lips. Dry up! God best knoweth the right way.
ذکرخیال بد اندیشیدن قاصر فهمان
Account of the conception of evil fancies by those deficient in understanding.
پیش از آنک این قصه تا مخلص رسد ** دود و گندی آمد از اهل حسد
Ere this tale reaches the conclusion, there comes from the envious a vapour of stench.
من نمی‌رنجم ازین لیک این لگد ** خاطر ساده‌دلی را پی کند
I am not pained by it, but this kick may break the nerve of a simple-hearted man's mind.
خوش بیان کرد آن حکیم غزنوی ** بهر محجوبان مثال معنوی
Well did the Sage of Ghazna set forth the (following) spiritual parable for the sake of those who are veiled (from perception of the truth),
که ز قرآن گر نبیند غیر قال ** این عجب نبود ز اصحاب ضلال4230
(Saying) that if one see in the Qur’án naught but words, this is not surprising on the part of them that have lost the (right) way,
کز شعاع آفتاب پر ز نور ** غیر گرمی می‌نیابد چشم کور
Since the eye of the blind is sensible of naught but heat from the beams of the luminous sun.
خربطی ناگاه از خرخانه‌ای ** سر برون آورد چون طعانه‌ای
Suddenly a great booby popped his head out of an ass-stable, like a railing woman,
کین سخن پستست یعنی مثنوی ** قصه پیغامبرست و پی‌روی
(Saying) that this discourse, namely, the Mathnawí, is low; (that) it is the story of the Prophet and (consists of) imitation;
نیست ذکر بحث و اسرار بلند ** که دوانند اولیا آن سو سمند
(That) there is no mention of (theosophical) investigation and the sublime mysteries towards which the saints make their steeds gallop;
از مقامات تبتل تا فنا ** پایه پایه تا ملاقات خدا4235
(That) from the stations of asceticism to the passing away (from self-existence), step by step up to union with God,
شرح و حد هر مقام و منزلی ** که بپر زو بر پرد صاحب‌دلی
(It contains not) the explanation and definition of every station and stage, so that by means of the wings thereof a man of heart (a mystic) should soar.
چون کتاب الله بیامد هم بر آن ** این چنین طعنه زدند آن کافران
When the Book of God (the Qur’án) came (down), the unbelievers railed likewise at it too,
که اساطیرست و افسانه‌ی نژند ** نیست تعمیقی و تحقیقی بلند
Saying, “It is (mere) legends and paltry tales; there is no profound inquiry and lofty speculation;
کودکان خرد فهمش می‌کنند ** نیست جز امر پسند و ناپسند
The little children understand it; ’tis naught but things approved and disapproved—
ذکر یوسف ذکر زلف پر خمش ** ذکر یعقوب و زلیخا و غمش4240
The account of Joseph, the account of his curly locks, the account of Jacob and Zalíkhá and her passion.
ظاهرست و هرکسی پی می‌برد ** کو بیان که گم شود در وی خرد
It is plain, and every one finds the way (to its meaning): where is the exposition in which the intellect becomes lost?”
گفت اگر آسان نماید این به تو ** این چنین آسان یکی سوره بگو
He (God) said, “If this seems easy to thee, say (compose) one Súra (in the style that is) so ‘easy’ as this (Qur’án).
جنتان و انستان و اهل کار ** گو یکی آیت ازین آسان بیار
Let the Jinn and mankind and the skilled among you produce a single verse of this ‘easy’ (style).”
تفسیر این خبر مصطفی علیه السلام کی للقران ظهر و بطن و لبطنه بطن الی سبعة ابطن
Commentary on the Tradition of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, that the Qur’án hath an exterior (sense) and an interior (sense), and that its interior (sense) hath an interior (sense), (and so on) to seven interior (senses).
حرف قرآن را بدان که ظاهریست ** زیر ظاهر باطنی بس قاهریست
Know that the words of the Qur’án have an exterior (sense), and under the exterior (sense) an interior (sense), exceedingly overpowering;
زیر آن باطن یکی بطن سوم ** که درو گردد خردها جمله گم4245
And beneath that inward (sense) a third interior (sense), wherein all intellects become lost.
بطن چارم از نبی خود کس ندید ** جز خدای بی‌نظیر بی‌ندید
The fourth interior (sense) of the Qur’án none hath perceived at all, except God the peerless and incomparable.
تو ز قرآن ای پسر ظاهر مبین ** دیو آدم را نبیند جز که طین
In the Qur’án do not thou, O son, regard (only) the exterior: the Devil regards Adam as naught but clay.
ظاهر قرآن چو شخص آدمیست ** که نقوشش ظاهر و جانش خفیست
The exterior (sense) of the Qur’án is like a man's person, for his features are visible, while his spirit is hidden.
مرد را صد سال عم و خال او ** یک سر مویی نبیند حال او
A man's paternal and maternal uncles (may see him) for a hundred years, and of his (inward) state not see (so much as) the tip of a hair.
بیان آنک رفتن انبیا و اولیا به کوهها و غارها جهت پنهان کردن خویش نیست و جهت خوف تشویش خلق نیست بلک جهت ارشاد خلق است و تحریض بر انقطاع از دنیا به قدر ممکن
It is explained that the going of the prophets and the saints, on whom be peace, to mountains and caves, is not for the purpose of hiding themselves and on account of their fear of being disturbed by the people, but for the purpose of guiding the people in the right way and inciting them to abandon this world as much as is possible.
آنک گویند اولیا در که بوند ** تا ز چشم مردمان پنهان شوند4250
As for their saying that the saints are (dwelling) in the mountains in order that they may be hidden from the eyes of men,
پیش خلق ایشان فراز صد که‌اند ** گام خود بر چرخ هفتم می‌نهند
In the sight of the people they are higher than a hundred mountains and plant their footsteps on the Seventh Heaven.
پس چرا پنهان شود که‌جو بود ** کو ز صد دریا و که زان سو بود
Why, then, should he who is beyond a hundred seas and mountains become hidden and seek (refuge in) the mountains?
حاجتش نبود به سوی که گریخت ** کز پیش کره‌ی فلک صد نعل ریخت
He has no need to flee to the mountains, he in pursuit of whom the colt, Heaven, has dropped a hundred horse-shoes.
چرخ گردید و ندید او گرد جان ** تعزیت‌جامه بپوشید آسمان
The celestial sphere revolved (so long) and never saw the dust of the spirit; (hence) Heaven donned the garb of mourning.
گر به ظاهر آن پری پنهان بود ** آدمی پنهان‌تر از پریان بود4255
If, outwardly, the peri is hidden, (yet) Man is a hundred times more hidden than the peris.
نزد عاقل زان پری که مضمرست ** آدمی صد بار خود پنهان‌ترست
In the view of the intelligent, Man is indeed a hundred times more hidden than the peri who is concealed.
آدمی نزدیک عاقل چون خفیست ** چون بود آدم که در غیب او صفیست
Since, in the view of the intelligent, Man is hidden, how (hidden) must be the Adam who is pure (chosen of God) in the unseen world!
تشبیه صورت اولیا و صورت کلام اولیا به صورت عصای موسی و صورت افسون عیسی علیهما السلام
Comparison of the form of the saints and the form of the speech of the saints to the form of the rod of Moses and to the form of the incantation of Jesus, peace be on them both!