“Make a better investigation,” he replied; “it is night, and at night material objects are screened from the beholder.
شب غلط بنماید و مبدل بسی ** دید صایب شب ندارد هر کسی
Night causes many a thing to appear wrong and changed (from its proper aspect): not every one has the (power of) seeing correctly by night.
هم شب و هم ابر و هم باران ژرف ** این سه تاریکی غلط آرد شگرف660
(Now there is) both night and clouds and heavy rain withal: these three darknesses produce great error.”
گفت آن بر من چو روز روشنست ** می‌شناسم باد خرکره‌ی منست
He said, “To me ’tis as (manifest as) bright day: I know (it), it is the wind of my ass-colt.
در میان بیست باد آن باد را ** می‌شناسم چون مسافر زاد را
Amongst twenty winds I know that wind as the traveller (knows) his provisions for the journey.”
خواجه بر جست و بیامد ناشکفت ** روستایی را گریبانش گرفت
The Khwája sprang up, and losing patience he seized the countryman by his collar,
کابله طرار شید آورده‌ای ** بنگ و افیون هر دو با هم خورده‌ای
Crying, “O fool and cutpurse, thou hast shown hypocrisy: thou hast eaten both beng and opium together.
در سه تاریکی شناسی باد خر ** چون ندانی مر مرا ای خیره‌سر665
Amidst three darknesses thou knowest the wind of the ass: how dost not thou know me, O giddy-head?
آنک داند نیمشب گوساله را ** چون نداند همره ده‌ساله را
He that knows a colt at midnight, how should he not know his own ten years' comrade?”
خویشتن را عارف و واله کنی ** خاک در چشم مروت می‌زنی
Thou art feigning to be a gnostic and distraught (with love of God): thou art throwing dust in the eyes of generosity,
که مرا از خویش هم آگاه نیست ** در دلم گنجای جز الله نیست
Saying, “I have no consciousness even of myself: in my heart there is no room for aught but God.
آنچ دی خوردم از آنم یاد نیست ** این دل از غیر تحیر شاد نیست
I have no recollection of what I ate yesterday: this heart takes joy in nothing except bewilderment.
عاقل و مجنون حقم یاد آر ** در چنین بی‌خویشیم معذور دار670
I am sane and maddened by God: remember (this), and (since I am) in such a state of selflessness, hold me excusable.
آنک مرداری خورد یعنی نبید ** شرع او را سوی معذوران کشید
He that eats carrion, that is to say, (drinks) date-wine—the (religious) Law enrols him amongst those who are excused.
مست و بنگی را طلاق و بیع نیست ** همچو طفلست او معاف و معتقیست
The drunkard and eater of beng has not (the right of) divorce or barter; he is even as a child: he is a person absolved and emancipated.
مستیی کید ز بوی شاه فرد ** صد خم می در سر و مغز آن نکرد
The intoxication that arises from the scent of the unique King—a hundred vats of wine never wrought that (intoxication) in head and brain.
پس برو تکلیف چون باشد روا ** اسب ساقط گشت و شد بی دست و پا
To him (the God-intoxicated man), then, how should the obligation (to keep the Law) be applicable? The horse is fallen (out of account) and has become unable to move.
بار کی نهد در جهان خرکره را ** درس کی دهد پارسی بومره را675
Who in the world would lay a load upon the ass-colt? Who would give lessons in Persian to Bú Murra?
بار بر گیرند چون آمد عرج ** گفت حق لیس علی الاعمی حرج
When lameness comes, the load is taken off: God hath said,It is no sin in the blind.
سوی خود اعمی شدم از حق بصیر ** پس معافم از قلیل و از کثیر
I have become blind in regard to myself, seeing by (the grace of) God: therefore I am absolved from the small (obligation) and from the great.”
لاف درویشی زنی و بی‌خودی ** های هوی مستیان ایزدی
Thou braggest of thy dervishhood and selflessness, (thou utterest) the wailful cries of those intoxicated with God,
که زمین را من ندانم ز آسمان ** امتحانت کرد غیرت امتحان
Saying, “I know not earth from heaven.” The (Divine) jealousy hath tried thee, tried thee (and found thee wanting).
باد خرکره‌ی چنین رسوات کرد ** هستی نفی ترا اثبات کرد680
Thus hath the wind of thy ass-colt put thee to shame, thus hath it affirmed the existence of thy self-negation.
این چنین رسوا کند حق شید را ** این چنین گیرد رمیده‌صید را
In this wise doth God expose hypocrisy, in this wise doth He catch the quarry that has started away.
صد هزاران امتحانست ای پسر ** هر که گوید من شدم سرهنگ در
There are hundreds of thousands of trials, O son, for any one who says, “I am the captain of the Gate.”
گر نداند عامه او را ز امتحان ** پختگان راه جویندش نشان
If the vulgar do not know him by (putting him to) the trial, (yet) the adepts of the Way will demand from him the token (of his veracity).
چون کند دعوی خیاطی خسی ** افکند در پیش او شه اطلسی
When a churl pretends to be a tailor, the king will throw down a piece of satin in front of him,
که ببر این را بغلطاق فراخ ** ز امتحان پیدا شود او را دو شاخ685
Saying, “Cut this into a wide undervest (baghaltáq)”: from (as the result of) the trial there appear two horns on him.
گر نبودی امتحان هر بدی ** هر مخنث در وغا رستم بدی
Were there not a testing of every vicious person, every effeminate would be a Rustam in the fray.
خود مخنث را زره پوشیده گیر ** چون ببیند زخم گردد چون اسیر
Even suppose that the effeminate has put on a coat of mail: as soon as he feels the blow, he will become as a captive.
مست حق هشیار چون شد از دبور ** مست حق ناید به خود تا نفخ صور
How will he that is intoxicated with God be restored to his senses by (the soft breath of) the west-wind? The God-intoxicated man will not come to himself till the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection).
باده‌ی حق راست باشد بی دروغ ** دوغ خوردی دوغ خوردی دوغ دوغ
The wine of God is true, not false: thou hast drunk buttermilk, thou hast drunk buttermilk, buttermilk, buttermilk!
ساختی خود را جنید و بایزید ** رو که نشناسم تبر را از کلید690
Thou hast made thyself out to be a Junayd or a Báyazíd, (saying), “Begone, for I do not know a hatchet from a key.”
بدرگی و منبلی و حرص و آز ** چون کنی پنهان بشید ای مکرساز
How by means of hypocrisy, O contriver of fraud, wilt thou conceal depravity of nature and (spiritual) sloth and greed and concupiscence?
خویش را منصور حلاجی کنی ** آتشی در پنبه‌ی یاران زنی
Thou makest thyself a Mansúr-i Halláj and settest fire to the cotton of thy friends,
که بنشناسم عمر از بولهب ** باد کره‌ی خود شناسم نیمشب
Saying, “I do not know ‘Umar from Bú Lahab, (but) I know the wind of my ass-colt at midnight.”
ای خری کین از تو خر باور کند ** خویش را بهر تو کور و کر کند
Oh, the ass that would believe this from an ass like thee, and would make himself blind and deaf for thy sake!
خویش را از ره‌روان کمتر شمر ** تو حریف ره‌ریانی گه مخور695
Do not count thyself one of the travellers on the Way; thou art a comrade of them that defile the Way: do not eat dung (do not talk rubbish)!
باز پر از شید سوی عقل تاز ** کی پرد بر آسمان پر مجاز
Fly back from hypocrisy, hasten towards Reason: how shall the wing of the phenomenal (unreal) soar to Heaven?
خویشتن را عاشق حق ساختی ** عشق با دیو سیاهی باختی
Thou hast feigned to be a lover of God, (but in truth) thou hast played the game of love with a black devil.