گشته ایشان پیر و باباشان جوان ** پس پدرشان پیش آمد ناگهان
They had grown old, while their father had been made young. Then suddenly their father met them.
پس بپرسیدند ازو کای ره‌گذر ** از عزیر ما عجب داری خبر
So they inquired of him, saying, “O wayfarer, we wonder if thou hast news of our ‘Uzayr;
که کسی‌مان گفت که امروز آن سند ** بعد نومیدی ز بیرون می‌رسد
For some one told us that to-day that man of (great) authority would arrive from abroad after we had given up hope (of seeing him).”
گفت آری بعد من خواهد رسید ** آن یکی خوش شد چو این مژده شنید3275
“Yes,” he replied, “he will arrive after me.” That one (the son of ‘Uzayr) rejoiced when he heard the good tidings,
بانگ می‌زد کای مبشر باش شاد ** وان دگر بشناخت بیهوش اوفتاد
Crying, “Joy to thee, O bringer of the good news!” But the other (son) recognised (him) and fell (to the ground) unconscious,
که چه جای مژده است ای خیره‌سر ** که در افتادیم در کان شکر
Saying, “What occasion is there for good tidings, O scatterbrain, when we have fallen into the mine (the very midst) of sugar?”
وهم را مژده‌ست و پیش عقل نقد ** ز انک چشم وهم شد محجوب فقد
To Opinion it is (merely) good tidings, whereas in the sight of Reason it is ready cash (actuality), because the eye of Opinion is veiled by missing (the object sought).
کافران را درد و مومن را بشیر ** لیک نقد حال در چشم بصیر
It is pain to the infidels and glad news to the faithful, but in the eye of the seer it is immediate experience.
زانک عاشق در دم نقدست مست ** لاجرم از کفر و ایمان برترست3280
Inasmuch as the lover is intoxicated at the moment of immediacy, he is necessarily superior to infidelity and faith.
کفر و ایمان هر دو خود دربان اوست ** کوست مغز و کفر و دین او را دو پوست
Indeed, both infidelity and faith are his door-keeper (who secures him from intrusion); for he is the kernel, while infidelity and religion are his two rinds.
کفر قشر خشک رو بر تافته ** باز ایمان قشر لذت یافته
Infidelity is the dry peel that has averted its face (from the kernel); faith, again, is the peel (inner integument) that has gained a delicious flavour.
قشرهای خشک را جا آتش است ** قشر پیوسته به مغز جان خوش است
The place for the dry peels is the fire, (but) the peel attached to the spiritual kernel is sweet.
مغز خود از مرتبه‌ی خوش برترست ** برترست از خوش که لذت گسترست
The kernel itself is above the grade of “sweet”: it is above “sweet” because it is the dispenser of deliciousness.
این سخن پایان ندارد باز گرد ** تا برآرد موسیم از بحر گرد3285
This discourse hath no end: turn back, that my Moses may cleave the sea asunder.
درخور عقل عوام این گفته شد ** از سخن باقی آن بنهفته شد
This (preceding part) of the discourse hath been spoken suitably to the intelligence of the vulgar; the remainder thereof hath been concealed.
زر عقلت ریزه است ای متهم ** بر قراضه مهر سکه چون نهم
The gold, (which is) thy intelligence, is in fragments, O suspected one: how should I set the stamp of the die upon clippings?
عقل تو قسمت شده بر صد مهم ** بر هزاران آرزو و طم و رم
Thy intelligence is distributed over a hundred important affairs, over thousands of desires and great matters and small.
جمع باید کرد اجزا را به عشق ** تا شوی خوش چون سمرقند و دمشق
Thou must unite the (scattered) parts by means of love, to the end that thou mayst become sweet as Samarcand and Damascus.
جو جوی چون جمع گردی ز اشتباه ** پس توان زد بر تو سکه‌ی پادشاه3290
When thou becomest united, grain by grain, from (after thy dispersion in) perplexity, then it is possible to stamp upon thee the King's die;
ور ز مثقالی شوی افزون تو خام ** از تو سازد شه یکی زرینه جام
And if thou, foolish man, become greater than a mithqál (dinar), the King will make of thee a cup of gold.
پس برو هم نام و هم القاب شاه ** باشد و هم صورتش ای وصل خواه
Then thereon will be both the name and the titles of the King and also his effigy, O thou that cravest to attain,
تا که معشوقت بود هم نان هم آب ** هم چراغ و شاهد و نقل شراب
So that the Beloved will be to thee both bread and water and lamp and minion and dessert and wine.
جمع کن خود را جماعت رحمتست ** تا توانم با تو گفتن آنچ هست
Unite thyself—union is (a Divine) mercy—that I may be able to speak unto thee that which is;
زانک گفتن از برای باوریست ** جان شرک از باوری حق بریست3295
For speaking is for the purpose of (producing) belief: the spirit of polytheism is quit (devoid) of belief in God.
جان قسمت گشته بر حشو فلک ** در میان شصت سودا مشترک
The spirit that has been distributed over the contents of the (mundane) sphere is shared amongst sixty passions;
پس خموشی به دهد او را ثبوت ** پس جواب احمقان آمد سکوت
Therefore silence is best: it gives peace to it ( to that spirit); therefore ( I ought to follow the adage) “Silence is the answer to fools.”
این همی‌دانم ولی مستی تن ** می‌گشاید بی‌مراد من دهن
This I know, but intoxication of the body is opening my mouth without volition on my part,
آنچنان که از عطسه و از خامیاز ** این دهان گردد بناخواه تو باز
Just as in sneezing and yawning this mouth becomes open without your willing it.
تفسیر این حدیث کی ائنی لاستغفر الله فی کل یوم سبعین مرة
Commentary on the Tradition, "Verily, I ask pardon of God seventy times every day."
هم‌چو پیغامبر ز گفتن وز نثار ** توبه آرم روز من هفتاد بار3300
Like the Prophet, I repent seventy times daily of speaking and giving out (mysteries);
لیک آن مستی شود توبه‌شکن ** منسی است این مستی تن جامه کن
But that intoxication becomes a breaker of (vows of) penitence: this intoxication of the body causes oblivion and tears the robe (of penitence).
حکمت اظهار تاریخ دراز ** مستیی انداخت در دانای راز
The (Divine) purpose of making manifest the (things of) long ago (the eternal things) cast an intoxication upon the knower of the mystery,
راز پنهان با چنین طبل و علم ** آب جوشان گشته از جف القلم
(So that) with such drum and banner (conspicuousness) the hidden mystery has become water gushing from (the fountain of) “the Pen is dry.”
رحمت بی‌حد روانه هر زمان ** خفته‌اید از درک آن ای مردمان
The infinite Mercy is flowing continually: ye are asleep to the perception thereof, O men!
جامه‌ی خفته خورد از جوی آب ** خفته اندر خواب جویای سراب3305
The sleeper's garment drinks water from the river, (while) the sleeper is seeking the mirage in his dream.
می‌رود که آنجای بوی آب هست ** زین تفکر راه را بر خویش بست
He keeps running (to and fro), saying, “Yonder there is hope of water”: by this (false) thought he has barred the way against himself.
زانک آنجا گفت زینجا دور شد ** بر خیالی از حقی مهجور شد
Because he said “yonder” he became far from here (from the place where the water is): (through resting) in a vain imagination he was banished from a reality.
دوربینانند و بس خفته‌روان ** رحمتی آریدشان ای ره‌روان
They (the worldly) are far-seeing (for their selfish ends) and very fast asleep spiritually: take some mercy upon them, O travellers on the Way!
من ندیدم تشنگی خواب آورد ** خواب آرد تشنگی بی‌خرد
I never saw thirst (eager desire) induce sleep: (only) the thirst of the unintelligent induces sleep.
خود خرد آنست کو از حق چرید ** نه خرد کان را عطارد آورید3310
The (true) intelligence, indeed, is that which was fed by God, not the intelligence that was bestowed by (the planet) Mercury.
بیان آنک عقل جزوی تا بگور بیش نبیند در باقی مقلد اولیا و انبیاست
Explaining that the particular (discursive) intellect does not see beyond the grave and, as regards all the rest, is subject to the authority of the saints and prophets.
پیش‌بینی این خرد تا گور بود ** وآن صاحب دل به نفخ صور بود
The foresight of this intellect extends (only) to the grave, while that of the spiritual man is till the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection).
این خرد از گور و خاکی نگذرد ** وین قدم عرصه‌ی عجایب نسپرد
This intellect does not pass beyond a grave and sepulchre, and this (intellectual) foot does not tread the arena of marvels.
زین قدم وین عقل رو بیزار شو ** چشم غیبی جوی و برخوردار شو
Go, become quit of this foot and this intellect: seek the eye appertaining to the invisible (the inward eye) and enjoy (contemplation).
هم‌چو موسی نور کی یابد ز جیب ** سخره‌ی استاد و شاگردان کتاب
How should one subservient to a preceptor and in pupilage to a book find, like Moses, light from (his own) bosom?
زین نظر وین عقل ناید جز دوار ** پس نظر بگذار و بگزین انتظار3315
From this (scholastic) study and this intellect comes naught but vertigo; therefore leave this study and adopt (in its stead) expectation.
از سخن‌گویی مجویید ارتفاع ** منتظر را به ز گفتن استماع
Do not seek (spiritual) eminence from disputation: for him who is expectant (of Divine inspiration) listening is better than speaking.
منصب تعلیم نوع شهوتست ** هر خیال شهوتی در ره بتست
The office of teaching is a sort of sensual desire: every sensual fancy is an idol (source of polytheism) in the Way.
گر بفضلش پی ببردی هر فضول ** کی فرستادی خدا چندین رسول
If every busybody had found the track (had attained) to His grace, how should God have sent so many prophets?
عقل جزوی هم‌چو برقست و درخش ** در درخشی کی توان شد سوی وخش
The particular intellect is like the lightning and the flash: how is it possible to go to Wakhsh in a flash?
نیست نور برق بهر رهبری ** بلک امریست ابر را که می‌گری3320
The light of the lightning is not for guidance on the way; nay, it is a command to the cloud to weep.
برق عقل ما برای گریه است ** تا بگرید نیستی در شوق هست
The lightning of our intellect is for the sake of weeping, to the end that nonexistence may weep in longing for (real) existence.