وصف حق کو وصف مشتی خاک کو ** وصف حادث کو وصف پاک کو
What relation exists between the attributes of God and those of a handful of earth? What relation exists between the attributes of him who is originated in time and those of the Holy (Eternal) One?
شرح عشق ار من بگویم بر دوام ** صد قیامت بگذرد و آن ناتمام
If I should continue to describe Love, a hundred Resurrections would pass, and it (my description would still be) incomplete;
زانک تاریخ قیامت را حدست ** حد کجا آنجا که وصف ایزدست 2190
For there is a limit to the date of the Resurrection, but what limit can there be where the Divine attributes are (concerned)?
عشق را پانصد پرست و هر پری ** از فراز عرش تا تحت‌الثری
Love hath five hundred wings, and every wing (extends) from above the empyrean to beneath the earth.
زاهد با ترس می‌تازد به پا ** عاشقان پران‌تر از برق و هوا
The timorous ascetic runs on foot; the lovers (of God) fly more quickly than the lightning and the wind.
کی رسند این خایفان در گرد عشق ** که آسمان را فرش سازد درد عشق
How should those fearful ones overtake Love?—for Love's passion makes the (lofty) heaven its carpet—
جز مگر آید عنایتهای ضو ** کز جهان و زین روش آزاد شو
Unless perchance the favours of the (Divine) Light come and say, “Become free from the world and from this wayfaring;
از قش خود وز دش خود باز ره ** که سوی شه یافت آن شهباز ره 2195
Escape from thine own qush and dush, for (only) the royal falcon has found the way to the King.”
این قش و دش هست جبر و اختیار ** از ورای این دو آمد جذب یار
This “qush and dush” is necessity and free-will: the pull of the Beloved (who draws you to Himself) transcends these twain.
چون رسید آن زن به خانه در گشاد ** بانگ در در گوش ایشان در فتاد
When the wife arrived home, she opened the door: the sound of the door fell on their ears.
آن کنیزک جست آشفته ز ساز ** مرد بر جست و در آمد در نماز
The maid jumped up in consternation and disorder; the man jumped up and began to say his prayers.
زن کنیزک را پژولیده بدید ** درهم و آشفته و دنگ و مرید
The wife saw that the maid was dishevelled and confused and excited and witless and unmanageable.
شوی خود را دید قایم در نماز ** در گمان افتاد زن زان اهتزاز 2200
She saw her husband standing up (and engaged) in the ritual prayer: the wife was made suspicious by (all) that agitation.
شوی را برداشت دامن بی‌خطر ** دید آلوده‌ی منی خصیه و ذکر
Periculi nulla ratione habita, mariti laciniam sustulit: testiculos et penem videt semine inquinatos. [She raised (her) husband’s skirt without risk; she saw (his) testicles and penis soiled with sperm.]
از ذکر باقی نطفه می‌چکید ** ران و زانو گشت آلوده و پلید
Seminis quod reliquum erat e pene stillabat: femur genuque inquinata et spurca evaserant. [Remnants of sperm were dripping from (his) penis; his thighs and knees had become soiled and filthy.]
بر سرش زد سیلی و گفت ای مهین ** خصیه‌ی مرد نمازی باشد این
Caput ejus colapho percussit et “O vilissime,” inquit, “num hujusmodi sunt testiculi viri preces sollennes rite facientis? [She slapped at his head and said, “O despicable (one), are these the testicles of a man of prayer?]
لایق ذکر و نمازست این ذکر ** وین چنین ران و زهار پر قذر
Num iste penis cum Dei commemoratione precibusque sollennibus conveniens est? Num femur tale et inguen sordibus plenum. [Is this (soiled) penis worthy of commemoration (of God) and ritual prayer, or these thighs and groin full of filth?]
نامه‌ی پر ظلم و فسق و کفر و کین ** لایقست انصاف ده اندر یمین 2205
Deal equitably (answer fairly): is a scroll (a register of actions) full of injustice and wickedness and unbelief and enmity fit (to be placed) in the right hand?
گر بپرسی گبر را کین آسمان ** آفریده‌ی کیست وین خلق و جهان
If you ask an infidel, “By whom were this heaven and these creatures and this world created?”
گوید او کین آفریده‌ی آن خداست ** که آفرینش بر خدایی‌اش گواست
He will reply that they were created by the Lord to whose Lordship the Creation bears witness.
کفر و فسق و استم بسیار او ** هست لایق با چنین اقرار او
Do his unbelief and great wickedness and wrong-doing fit (properly agree with) such a confession by him?
هست لایق با چنین اقرار راست ** آن فضیحتها و آن کردار کاست
Do those infamous deeds and that vicious conduct go fitly with such a true confession?
فعل او کرده دروغ آن قول را ** تا شد او لایق عذاب هول را 2210
His actions have given the lie to his words, so that he has become fit for (deserving of) the awful torment.
روز محشر هر نهان پیدا شود ** هم ز خود هر مجرمی رسوا شود
On the Day of Resurrection every hidden thing will be made manifest: every sinner will be ignominiously exposed by himself.
دست و پا بدهد گواهی با بیان ** بر فساد او به پیش مستعان
His hands and feet will give evidence and declare his iniquity in the presence of Him whose help is sought.
دست گوید من چنین دزدیده‌ام ** لب بگوید من چنین پرسیده‌ام
His hand will say, “I have stolen such and such”; his lip will say, “I have asked such and such questions”;
پای گوید من شدستم تا منی ** فرج گوید من بکردستم زنی
His foot will say, “I have gone to (enjoy) things desired”; his pudendum will say, “I have committed fornication.” [His foot will say, “I have gone to (enjoy) things desired”; his private parts will say, “I have committed fornication.”]
His eye will say, “I have cast amorous glances at things forbidden”; his ear will say, “I have gathered evil words.”
پس دروغ آمد ز سر تا پای خویش ** که دروغش کرد هم اعضای خویش
Therefore he is a lie from head to foot, for even his own members give him the lie,
آنچنان که در نماز با فروغ ** از گواهی خصیه شد زرقش دروغ
Just as, in (the case of) the specious prayers (performed by the ascetic), their fine appearance was proved to be false testimonio testiculi. [Just as, in (the case of) the specious prayers (performed by the ascetic), their fine appearance was proved to be false by the testimony of the (soiled) testicles.]
پس چنان کن فعل که آن خود بی‌زبان ** باشد اشهد گفتن و عین بیان
Act, then, in such wise that the action itself, without (your) tongue (uttering a word), will be (equivalent to) saying “I testify” and (to making) the most explicit declaration,
تا همه تن عضو عضوت ای پسر ** گفته باشد اشهد اندر نفع و ضر
So that your whole body, limb by limb, O son, will have said “I testify” as regards both good and ill.
رفتن بنده پی خواجه گواست ** که منم محکوم و این مولای ماست 2220
The slave's walking behind his master is a testimony (equivalent to saying), “I am subject to authority and this man is my lord.”
گر سیه کردی تو نامه‌ی عمر خویش ** توبه کن زانها که کردستی تو پیش
If you have blackened the scroll (record) of your life, repent of the deeds you did formerly.
عمر اگر بگذشت بیخش این دمست ** آب توبه‌ش ده اگر او بی‌نمست
Though your life has (almost) passed, this (present) moment is its root: water it with repentance if it lacks moisture.
بیخ عمرت را بده آب حیات ** تا درخت عمر گردد با نبات
Give the Living Water to the root of your life, in order that the tree of your life may become verdant.
By this (Water) all past (sins) are made good: by this (Water) last year's poison is made (sweet) as sugar.
سیاتت را مبدل کرد حق ** تا همه طاعت شود آن ما سبق 2225
God hath changed your evil deeds (to good), in order that what has preceded may become wholly (acts of) piety.
خواجه بر توبه‌ی نصوحی خوش به تن ** کوششی کن هم به جان و هم به تن
O master, cleave bravely to a repentance (like that) of Nasúh: strive earnestly both with body and spirit.
شرح این توبه‌ی نصوح از من شنو ** بگرویدستی و لیک از نو گرو
Hear from me the description of this repentance of Nasúh: (if) you have believed (in it before), (yet now) believe afresh.
حکایت در بیان توبه‌ی نصوح کی چنانک شیر از پستان بیرون آید باز در پستان نرود آنک توبه نصوحی کرد هرگز از آن گناه یاد نکند به طریق رغبت بلک هر دم نفرتش افزون باشد و آن نفرت دلیل آن بود کی لذت قبول یافت آن شهوت اول بی‌لذت شد این به جای آن نشست نبرد عشق را جز عشق دیگر چرا یاری نجویی زو نکوتر وانک دلش باز بدان گناه رغبت می‌کند علامت آنست کی لذت قبول نیافته است و لذت قبول به جای آن لذت گناه ننشسته است سنیسره للیسری نشده است لذت و نیسره للعسری باقیست بر وی
Story explaining the repentance of Nasúh. As milk that flows from the teat never returns to the teat, so he who has repented like Nasúh will never think of that sin in the way of desire; nay, his loathing will increase continually, and that loathing is a proof that he has experienced the delight of being accepted (as a sincere penitent), and that the old lust has ceased to give delight, and that the former (delight) has established itself in the place of the latter, as it has been said (in verse): “Nothing breaks off (one) love except another love: why don't you take a friend (who is) fairer than he?” And when his (the penitent's) heart desires to sin again, it is a sign that he has not experienced the delight of acceptance, and that the delight of acceptance has not superseded the delight of sin, and that he has not (yet) become (like the righteous of whom God saith), “We will surely dispose him to ease,” but that the (sinful) delight (spoken) of (in the text), “We will surely dispose him to hardship,” is still remaining in him.
بود مردی پیش ازین نامش نصوح ** بد ز دلاکی زن او را فتوح
There was aforetime a man named Nasúh: he earned his livelihood by shampooing women.
بود روی او چو رخسار زنان ** مردی خود را همی‌کرد او نهان
His face resembled a female countenance: he was disguising his manliness.
او به حمام زنان دلاک بود ** در دغا و حیله بس چالاک بود 2230
He was a shampooer in the women's bath, and very active in (contriving) fraud and deceit.
سالها می‌کرد دلاکی و کس ** بو نبرد از حال و سر آن هوس
For (many) years he went on shampooing, and no one suspected the (real) nature and secret of his fondness (for that employment).
زانک آواز و رخش زن‌وار بود ** لیک شهوت کامل و بیدار بود
(’Twas) because, (though) his voice and countenance were woman-like, yet his lust was at full strength and wide-awake.
چادر و سربند پوشیده و نقاب ** مرد شهوانی و در غره‌ی شباب
He wore the chádar and snood and veil, (but he was) a man lustful and in the prime of youth.
دختران خسروان را زین طریق ** خوش همی‌مالید و می‌شست آن عشیق
In this fashion that enamoured man was massaging and washing the daughters of emperors,
توبه‌ها می‌کرد و پا در می‌کشید ** نفس کافر توبه‌اش را می‌درید 2235
(And though) he often resolved on repentance and was turning his back (on sin), the miscreant carnal soul would always tear his repentance to pieces.
رفت پیش عارفی آن زشت‌کار ** گفت ما را در دعایی یاد دار
That evil-doer (Nasúh) went to a gnostic and said, “Remember me in a prayer.”
سر او دانست آن آزادمرد ** لیک چون حلم خدا پیدا نکرد
The holy man knew his secret but, (acting) like the forbearance of God, he did not divulge it;