گفت حق دانم که این پرسش ترا ** نیست از انکار و غفلت وز هوا
God said, “I know that this question of thine is not from disbelief and heedlessness and idle fancy;
ورنه تادیب و عتابت کردمی ** بهر این پرسش ترا آزردمی
Else I should have corrected and chastised thee: I should have afflicted thee on account of this question.
لیک می‌خواهی که در افعال ما ** باز جویی حکمت و سر بقا3005
But (I know that) thou wishest to discover in My actions the wisdom and hidden meaning of (phenomenal) duration,
تا از آن واقف کنی مر عام را ** پخته گردانی بدین هر خام را
That thou mayst acquaint the vulgar therewith and by this means make every raw (ignorant) person to become cooked.
قاصدا سایل شدی در کاشفی ** بر عوام ار چه که تو زان واقفی
Thou hast become a questioner on purpose to disclose (this matter) to the vulgar, albeit thou art acquainted with it;
زآنک نیم علم آمد این سال ** هر برونی را نباشد آن مجال
For this questioning is the half of knowledge, and this ability (to ask questions) does not belong to every outsider.”
هم سال از علم خیزد هم جواب ** هم‌چنانک خار و گل از خاک و آب
Both question and answer arise from knowledge, just as the thorn and the rose from earth and water.
هم ضلال از علم خیزد هم هدی ** هم‌چنانک تلخ و شیرین از ندا3010
Both perdition and salvation arise from knowledge, just as bitter and sweet (fruit) from moisture.
ز آشنایی خیزد این بغض و ولا ** وز غذای خویش بود سقم و قوی
This hatred and love arise from acquaintance, and from wholesome food (arise both) sickness and (bodily) powers.
مستفید اعجمی شد آن کلیم ** تا عجمیان را کند زین سر علیم
That Kalím (Moses) became (like) an ignorant enquirer in order that he might make the ignorant acquainted with this mystery.
ما هم از وی اعجمی سازیم خویش ** پاسخش آریم چون بیگانه پیش
Let us too feign ourselves to be ignorant thereof and elicit the answer to it (to the question) as (if we were) strangers (seeking information).
خرفروشان خصم یکدیگر شدند ** تا کلید قفل آن عقد آمدند
(Similarly) the ass-sellers became rivals to one another in order that they might open the way to the contract (of sale).
پس بفرمودش خدا ای ذولباب ** چون بپرسیدی بیا بشنو جواب3015
Then God spake unto him, saying, “O thou who possessest the most excellent (understanding), since thou hast asked (the question), come, hear the answer.
موسیا تخمی بکار اندر زمین ** تا تو خود هم وا دهی انصاف این
O Moses, sow some seed in the earth, that thou thyself mayst render justice to this (question).”
چونک موسی کشت و شد کشتش تمام ** خوشه‌هااش یافت خوبی و نظام
When Moses had sown and the seed-corn was complete (in growth) and its ears had gained beauty and symmetry,
داس بگرفت و مر آن را می‌برید ** پس ندا از غیب در گوشش رسید
He took the sickle and was cutting that (crop); then a voice from the Unseen reached his ear,
که چرا کشتی کنی و پروری ** چون کمالی یافت آن را می‌بری
Crying, “Why dost thou sow and tend some seed-corn and (now) art cutting it when it has attained to perfection?”
گفت یا رب زان کنم ویران و پست ** که درینجا دانه هست و کاه هست3020
He replied, “O Lord, I destroy and lay it low because straw is here and (also) grain.
دانه لایق نیست درانبار کاه ** کاه در انبار گندم هم تباه
The grain is not suitable (to be stored) in the straw-barn; the straw likewise is bad (for putting) in the corn-barn.
نیست حکمت این دو را آمیختن ** فرق واجب می‌کند در بیختن
’Tis not wisdom to mix these twain: it (wisdom) makes necessary the separation (of them) in winnowing.”
گفت این دانش تو از کی یافتی ** که به دانش بیدری بر ساختی
He (God) said, “From whom didst thou gain this knowledge, so that by means of the knowledge thou didst construct a threshing-floor?”
گفت تمییزم تو دادی ای خدا ** گفت پس تمییز چون نبود مرا
He replied, “Thou, O God, gavest me discernment.” He (God) said, “Then how should I not have discernment?”
در خلایق روحهای پاک هست ** روحهای تیره‌ی گلناک هست3025
Amongst the created beings are pure spirits; there are (also) spirits dark and muddy.
این صدفها نیست در یک مرتبه ** در یکی درست و در دیگر شبه
These shells are not in one grade: in one (of them) is the pearl and in another the (worthless) bead.
واجبست اظهار این نیک و تباه ** هم‌چنانک اظهار گندمها ز کاه
It is necessary to make manifest (the difference between) this good and evil, just as (it is necessary) to make manifest (distinguish) the wheat from the straw.
بهر اظهارست این خلق جهان ** تا نماند گنج حکمتها نهان
(The creation of) these creatures of the world is for the purpose of manifestation, to the end that the treasure of (Divine) providences may not remain hidden.
He (God) said, “I was a hidden treasure”: hearken! Do not let thy (spiritual) substance be lost: become manifest!
بیان آنک روح حیوانی و عقل جز وی و وهم و خیال بر مثال دوغند و روح کی باقیست درین دوغ هم‌چون روغن پنهانست
Explaining that the animal spirit and the particular (discursive) reason and the imagination and the fancy may be compared to buttermilk, while the spirit, which is everlasting, is hidden in this buttermilk, like the butter.
جوهر صدقت خفی شد در دروغ ** هم‌چو طعم روغن اندر طعم دوغ3030
Thy true substance is concealed in falsehood, like the taste of butter in the taste of buttermilk.
آن دروغت این تن فانی بود ** راستت آن جان ربانی بود
Thy falsehood is this perishable body; thy truth is that lordly spirit.
سالها این دوغ تن پیدا و فاش ** روغن جان اندرو فانی و لاش
(During many) years this buttermilk, (which is) the body, is visible and manifest, (while) the butter, (which is) the spirit, is perishing and naughted within it,
تا فرستد حق رسولی بنده‌ای ** دوغ را در خمره جنباننده‌ای
Till God send a messenger (prophet), a (chosen) servant, a shaker of the buttermilk in the churn,
تا بجنباند به هنجار و به فن ** تا بدانم من که پنهان بود من
That he may shake (it) with method and skill, to the end that I may know that (my true) ego was hidden;
یا کلام بنده‌ای کان جزو اوست ** در رود در گوش او کو وحی جوست3035
Or (till) the speech of a (chosen) servant, which is part is part of (the speech of) him (the prophet), enter into the ear of him who is seeking inspiration.
اذن مومن وحی ما را واعیست ** آنچنان گوشی قرین داعیست
The true believer's ear is retaining our inspiration: such an ear is closely linked to the caller (the perfect saint)—
هم‌چنانک گوش طفل از گفت مام ** پر شود ناطق شود او درکلام
Just as (for example) the infant's ear is filled with its mother's words, (and then) it (the infant) begins to speak articulately;
ور نباشد طفل را گوش رشد ** گفت مادر نشنود گنگی شود
And if the infant have not a right (rightly-hearing) ear, it does not hear its mother's words and becomes a mute.
دایما هر کر اصلی گنگ بود ** ناطق آنکس شد که از مادر شنود
Every one born deaf has always been dumb: (only) that one who heard (speech) from his mother became a speaker.
دانک گوش کر و گنگ از آفتیست ** که پذیرای دم و تعلیم نیست3040
Know that the deaf ear and the dumb man are the result of a certain defect; for it (the deaf ear) is not capable of (hearing) words and being taught.
آنک بی‌تعلیم بد ناطق خداست ** که صفات او ز علتها جداست
The (only) one that possessed speech without being taught is God, whose attributes are separated (exempt) from infirmities,
یا چو آدم کرده تلقینش خدا ** بی‌حجاب مادر و دایه و ازا
Or one like Adam whom God instructed without the screen (mediation) of mother and nurse and necessaries,
یا مسیحی که به تعلیم ودود ** در ولادت ناطق آمد در وجود
Or the Messiah (Christ) who, through being taught by the Loving (God), at his birth came speaking into the world,
از برای دفع تهمت در ولاد ** که نزادست از زنا و از فساد
For the purpose of repelling the suspicion as to his birth (and proving) that he was not born of fornication and wickedness.
جنبشی بایست اندر اجتهاد ** تا که دوغ آن روغن از دل باز داد3045
A (great) shaking was required in the effort that the buttermilk might render back that butter from its (inmost) heart.
روغن اندر دوغ باشد چون عدم ** دوغ در هستی برآورده علم
The butter in the buttermilk is (invisible) like non-existence; the buttermilk has raised its banner (has become manifest) in existence.