(The disciple asked), “What is his name?” He replied, “His name is Bu ’l- Hasan,” and described his features—his eyebrows and chin;
قد او و رنگ او و شکل او ** یک به یک واگفت از گیسو و رو
He described his height and his complexion and his figure and spoke in detail of his locks of hair and his face.
حلیه‌های روح او را هم نمود ** از صفات و از طریقه و جا و بود
He also declared his spiritual features—his qualities and the way (he should follow in his religion) and his (spiritual) rank and estate.
حلیه‌ی تن هم‌چو تن عاریتیست ** دل بر آن کم نه که آن یک ساعتیست1840
The bodily features, like the body (itself), are borrowed (transient): set not your heart on them, for they are lasting (only) one hour.
حلیه‌ی روح طبیعی هم فناست ** حلیه‌ی آن جان طلب کان بر سماست
The features of the natural (animal) spirit also are perishable: seek the features of that spirit which is above the sky.
جسم او هم‌چون چراغی بر زمین ** نور او بالای سقف هفتمین
Its body is on the earth, like a lamp, (but) its light is above the Seventh Roof (of heaven).
آن شعاع آفتاب اندر وثاق ** قرص او اندر چهارم چارطاق
Those rays of the sun are in the house, (but) their orb is in the Fourth Dome (of heaven).
نقش گل در زیربینی بهر لاغ ** بوی گل بر سقف و ایوان دماغ
The form of the rose is (placed) beneath the nose for idle pleasure's sake, (but) the scent of the rose is on the roof and palace of the brain.
مرد خفته در عدن دیده فرق ** عکس آن بر جسم افتاده عرق1845
A man asleep sees terror (dreams of something which terrifies him) at Aden: the reflexion thereof appears as sweat on his body.
پیرهن در مصر رهن یک حریص ** پر شده کنعان ز بوی آن قمیص
The shirt (of Joseph) was in Egypt in the keeping of one exceedingly careful (of it): (the land of) Canaan was filled with the (sweet) scent of that shirt.
بر نبشتند آن زمان تاریخ را ** از کباب آراستند آن سیخ را
Thereupon they wrote down the (predicted) date: they adorned the spit with the meat for roasting.
چون رسید آن وقت و آن تاریخ راست ** زاده شد آن شاه و نرد ملک باخت
When the right time and date arrived, that (spiritual) king was born and played the dice of empire.
از پس آن سالها آمد پدید ** بوالحسن بعد وفات بایزید
After those years (had passed), Bu ’l-Hasan appeared (in the world) after the death of Báyazíd.
جمله‌ی خوهای او ز امساک وجود ** آن‌چنان آمد که آن شه گفته بود1850
All his dispositions, (whether in the way) of withholding tenaciously or bestowing liberally, proved to be such as that (spiritual) king (Báyazíd) had foretold.
لوح محفوظ است او را پیشوا ** از چه محفوظست محفوظ از خطا
His (Báyazíd's) guide is “the guarded tablet.” From what is it guarded? It is guarded from error.
نه نجومست و نه رملست و نه خواب ** وحی حق والله اعلم بالصواب
The inspiration of God is not (like) astrology or geomancy or dreams—and God best knoweth what is right.
از پی روپوش عامه در بیان ** وحی دل گویند آن را صوفیان
The Súfís in explaining (their doctrine) call it (the Divine inspiration) the inspiration of the heart, in order to disguise (its real nature) from the vulgar.
وحی دل گیرش که منظرگاه اوست ** چون خطا باشد چو دل آگاه اوست
Take it to be the inspiration of the heart, for it (the heart) is the place where He is seen: how should there be error when the heart is aware of Him?
مومنا ینظر به نور الله شدی ** از خطا و سهو آمن آمدی1855
O true believer, thou hast become seeing by the light of God: thou hast become secure from error and inadvertence.
نقصان اجرای جان و دل صوفی از طعام الله
The reduction of the allowance of God’s food for the soul and heart of the Súfí .
صوفیی از فقر چون در غم شود ** عین فقرش دایه و مطعم شود
How should a Súfí be grieved on account of poverty? The very essence of poverty becomes his nurse and his food,
زانک جنت از مکاره رسته است ** رحم قسم عاجزی اشکسته است
Because Paradise hath grown from things disliked and Mercy is the portion of one who is helpless and broken.
آنک سرها بشکند او از علو ** رحم حق و خلق ناید سوی او
He that haughtily breaks the heads (of people), the mercy of God and His creatures cometh not towards him.
این سخن آخر ندارد وان جوان ** از کمی اجرای نان شد ناتوان
This topic hath no end, and that youth (the slave) has been deprived of strength by the reduction of his bread-allowance.
شاد آن صوفی که رزقش کم شود ** آن شبه‌ش در گردد و اویم شود1860
Happy is the Súfí whose daily bread is reduced: his bead becomes a pearl, and he becomes the Sea.
زان جرای خاص هر که آگاه شد ** او سزای قرب و اجری‌گاه شد
Whosoever has become acquainted with that choice (spiritual) allowance, he has become worthy of approach (to the Presence) and of (Him who is) the Source of (every) allowance.
زان جرای روح چون نقصان شود ** جانش از نقصان آن لرزان شود
When there is a reduction of that spiritual allowance, his spirit trembles on account of its reduction;
پس بداند که خطایی رفته است ** که سمن‌زار رضا آشفته است
(For) then he knows that a fault has been committed (by him) which has ruffled the jasmine-bed of (Divine) approbation,
هم‌چنانک آن شخص از نقصان کشت ** رقعه سوی صاحب خرمن نبشت
Just as (happened when) that person (the slave), on account of the deficiency of his crop, wrote a letter to the owner of the harvest.
رقعه‌اش بردند پیش میر داد ** خواند او رقعه جوابی وا نداد1865
They brought his letter to the lord of justice: he read the letter and returned no answer.
گفت او را نیست الا درد لوت ** پس جواب احمق اولیتر سکوت
He said, “He hath no care but for (the loss of) viands: silence, then, is the best answer to a fool.
نیستش درد فراق و وصل هیچ ** بند فرعست او نجوید اصل هیچ
He hath no care at all for separation (from me) or union (with me): he is confined to the branch (the derivative); he does not seek the root (the fundamental) at all.
احمقست و مرده‌ی ما و منی ** کز غم فرعش فراغ اصل نی
He is a fool and (spiritually) dead in egoism, for because of his anxious care for the branch he hath no leisure for the root.”
آسمانها و زمین یک سیب دان ** کز درخت قدرت حق شد عیان
Deem the skies and the earth to be an apple that appeared from the tree of Divine Power.
تو چه کرمی در میان سیب در ** وز درخت و باغبانی بی‌خبر1870
Thou art as a worm in the midst of the apple and art ignorant of the tree and the gardener.
آن یکی کرمی دگر در سیب هم ** لیک جانش از برون صاحب‌علم
The other worm’ too is in the apple, but its spirit is outside, bearing the banner aloft.
جنبش او وا شکافد سیب را ** بر نتابد سیب آن آسیب را
Its (the worm’s) movement splits the apple asunder: the apple cannot endure that shock.
بر دریده جنبش او پرده‌ها ** صورتش کرمست و معنی اژدها
Its movement has rent (all) veils: its form is (that of) a worm, but its reality is a dragon.
آتش که اول ز آهن می‌جهد ** او قدم بس سست بیرون می‌نهد
The fire that first darts from (the impact of) the steel puts forth its foot very feebly.
دایه‌اش پنبه‌ست اول لیک اخیر ** می‌رساند شعله‌ها او تا اثیر1875
Cotton is its nurse at first, but in the end it carries its flames up to the aether.
مرد اول بسته‌ی خواب و خورست ** آخر الامر از ملایک برترست
At first, man is in bondage to sleep and food; ultimately he is higher than the angels.
در پناه پنبه و کبریتها ** شعله و نورش برآیدت بر سها
Under the protection of cotton and sulphur matches his flame and light rises above Suhá.
عالم تاریک روشن می‌کند ** کنده‌ی آهن به سوزن می‌کند
He illuminates the dark world: he tears the iron fetter (in pieces) with a needle.
گرچه آتش نیز هم جسمانی است ** نه ز روحست و نه از روحانی است
Though the fire too is connected with the body, is ‘it not derived from the spirit and the spiritual?
جسم را نبود از آن عز بهره‌ای ** جسم پیش بحر جان چون قطره‌ای1880
The body hath no share in that glory: the body is as a drop of water in comparison with the sea of the spirit.
جسم از جان روزافزون می‌شود ** چون رود جان جسم بین چون می‌شود
The days of the body are increased by the spirit: mark what becomes of the body when the spirit goes (from it).
حد جسمت یک دو گز خود بیش نیست ** جان تو تا آسمان جولان‌کنیست
The range of thy body is an ell or two, no more: thy spirit is a maker of swift flights to heaven.
تا به بغداد و سمرقند ای همام ** روح را اندر تصور نیم گام
In the spirit’s imagination, O prince, ‘tis (but) half a step to Baghdad and Samarcand.
دو درم سنگست پیه چشمتان ** نور روحش تا عنان آسمان
The fat (white) of thine eye is two dirhems in weight: the light of its spirit (reaches) to the lofty region of the sky.