با دو کهنه مهر جان آمیخته ** هر دو را در حجره‌ای آویخته
Thou hast mingled thy soul’s love with two old articles (of dress) and hung them both in a chamber.
چند گویی با دو کهنه نو سخن ** در جمادی می‌دمی سر کهن
How long wilt thou speak new words to (those) two old things and breathe the ancient secret into a substance devoid of life?
چون عرب با ربع و اطلال ای ایاز ** می‌کشی از عشق گفت خود دراز 3255
Like (the poets among) the Arabs, O Ayáz, thou art drawing out long and lovingly thy converse with the (deserted) abodes and the traces of former habitation.
چارقت ربع کدامین آصفست ** پوستین گویی که کرته‌ی یوسفست
Of what Ásaf are thy shoon the abode? One would say that thy sheepskin jacket is the shirt of Joseph.”
هم‌چو ترسا که شمارد با کشش ** جرم یکساله زنا و غل و غش
(This is) like (the case of) the Christian who recounts to his priest a year’s sins––fornication and malice and hypocrisy––
تا بیامرزد کشش زو آن گناه ** عفو او را عفو داند از اله
In order that the priest may pardon his sins, for he regards his (the priest’s) forgiveness as forgiveness from God.
نیست آگه آن کشش از جرم و داد ** لیک بس جادوست عشق و اعتقاد
The priest has no (real) knowledge of sin and pardon; but love and firm belief are mightily bewitching.
دوستی و وهم صد یوسف تند ** اسحر از هاروت و ماروتست خود 3260
Love and imagination weave (create) a hundred (forms beautiful as) Joseph: in sooth they are greater sorcerers than Hárút and Márút.
صورتی پیدا کند بر یاد او ** جذب صورت آردت در گفت و گو
They cause a form (of phantasy) to appear in memory of him (your Beloved): the attraction of the form leads you into (conversation with it).
رازگویی پیش صورت صد هزار ** آن چنان که یار گوید پیش یار
You tell a hundred thousand secrets in the form’s presence, just as a friend speaks (intimately) in the presence of a friend.
نه بدانجا صورتی نه هیکلی ** زاده از وی صد الست و صد بلی
No (material) form or shape is there; (yet) from it proceed a hundred (utterances of the words) “Am not I (thy Beloved)?” and (from you) a hundred “Yeas.”
آن چنان که مادری دل‌برده‌ای ** پیش گور بچه‌ی نومرده‌ای
(‘Tis) as when a mother, distraught (with grief) beside the grave of a child newly dead,
رازها گوید به جد و اجتهاد ** می‌نماید زنده او را آن جماد 3265
Utters heart-felt words earnestly and intensely: the inanimate (corpse) seems to her to be alive.
حی و قایم داند او آن خاک را ** چشم و گوشی داند او خاشاک را
She regards that dust as living and erect, she regards that rubbish as (having) an eye and an ear.
پیش او هر ذره‌ی آن خاک گور ** گوش دارد هوش دارد وقت شور
To her, at the moment when she is crazed (with grief), every atom of the earth in the grave seems to have hearing and intelligence.
مستمع داند به جد آن خاک را ** خوش نگر این عشق ساحرناک را
She believes with all her might that the earth is hearkening (to her): look well at this Love that works magic!
آنچنان بر خاک گور تازه او ** دم‌بدم خوش می‌نهد با اشک رو
Fondly and with tears she lays her face, time after time, on the fresh earth of the grave in such wise
که بوقت زندگی هرگز چنان ** روی ننهادست بر پور چو جان 3270
As during his life she never laid her face on the son who was so dear to her;
از عزا چون چند روزی بگذرد ** آتش آن عشق او ساکن شود
(But) when some days pass in mourning, the fire of her love sinks to rest.
عشق بر مرده نباشد پایدار ** عشق را بر حی جان‌افزای دار
Love for the dead is not lasting: keep your love (fixed) on the Living One who increases spiritual life.
بعد از آن زان گور خود خواب آیدش ** از جمادی هم جمادی زایدش
Afterwards, indeed, from that grave (nothing) comes to her (but) slumber (indifference and oblivion): from an insensible object is born in her the same insensibility,
زانک عشق افسون خود بربود و رفت ** ماند خاکستر چو آتش رفت تفت
Because Love has carried off his enchantment and gone away: as soon as the fire is sped, (only) ashes remain.
آنچ بیند آن جوان در آینه ** پیر اندر خشت می‌بیند همه 3275
The (wise) Elder (Pír) beholds in the (iron) brick all that the (ignorant) young man beholds in the mirror.
پیر عشق تست نه ریش سپید ** دستگیر صد هزاران ناامید
The Elder is thy love, not (the owner of) a white beard. ‘Tis he (Love) that gives a helping hand to thousands who are in despair.
عشق صورتها بسازد در فراق ** نامصور سر کند وقت تلاق
In (the hour of) separation Love fashions forms (of phantasy); in the hour of union the Formless One puts forth his head,
که منم آن اصل اصل هوش و مست ** بر صور آن حسن عکس ما بدست
Saying, “I am the ultimate origin of sobriety and intoxication: the beauty in (all) forms is reflected from Me.
پرده‌ها را این زمان برداشتم ** حسن را بی‌واسطه بفراشتم
At this moment I have removed the veils: I have raised Beauty on high without intermediaries.
زانک بس با عکس من در بافتی ** قوت تجرید ذاتم یافتی 3280
Because thou hast been much occupied with My reflexion, thou hast gained the power to contemplate My essence denuded (of the forms by which it is veiled).
چون ازین سو جذبه‌ی من شد روان ** او کشش را می‌نبیند در میان
When My pull is set in motion (begins to be exerted) from this side, he (the Christian) does not see (is not conscious of) the priest intervening (between him and Me).”
مغفرت می‌خواهد از جرم و خطا ** از پس آن پرده از لطف خدا
(At that time) he is craving forgiveness for his sins and trespasses from the grace of God behind the veil.
چون ز سنگی چشمه‌ای جاری شود ** سنگ اندر چشمه متواری شود
When a fountain gushes from a rock, the rock disappears in the fountain.
کس نخواهد بعد از آن او را حجر ** زانک جاری شد از آن سنگ آن گهر
After that, no one calls it “stone,” seeing that such a pure substance has gushed forth from the rock.
کاسه‌ها دان این صور را واندرو ** آنچ حق ریزد بدان گیرد علو 3285
Know that these forms are (like) bowls and acquire excellence through that which God pours into them.
گفتن خویشاوندان مجنون را کی حسن لیلی باندازه‌ایست چندان نیست ازو نغزتر در شهر ما بسیارست یکی و دو و ده بر تو عرضه کنیم اختیار کن ما را و خود را وا رهان و جواب گفتن مجنون ایشان را
How the kinsfolk of Majnún said to him, “The beauty of Laylá is limited, it is not so very great: in our city there are many fairer than she. We will show unto thee one or two or ten: take thy choice, and deliver us (from reproach) and thyself (from affliction)”; and how Majnún answered them.
ابلهان گفتند مجنون را ز جهل ** حسن لیلی نیست چندان هست سهل
The fools in their ignorance said to Majnún, “The beauty of Laylá is not so very great, it is of slight account.
بهتر از وی صد هزاران دلربا ** هست هم‌چون ماه اندر شهر ما
There are thousands of moon-like sweethearts fairer than she in our city.”
گفت صورت کوزه است و حسن می ** می خدایم می‌دهد از نقش وی
He replied, “The (outward) form is a pot, and beauty is the wine: God is giving me wine from her form.
مر شما را سرکه داد از کوزه‌اش ** تا نباشد عشق اوتان گوش کش
He gave you vinegar from her pot, lest love of her should pull you by the ears.”
از یکی کوزه دهد زهر و عسل ** هر یکی را دست حق عز و جل 3290
The hand of God, the Almighty and Glorious, gives poison or honey to every one from the same pot.
کوزه می‌بینی ولیکن آب شراب ** روی ننماید به چشم ناصواب
Thou seest the pot, but the wine does not show itself to the wrong eye.
قاصرات الطرف باشد ذوق جان ** جز به خصم خود بنماید نشان
Spiritual experience is (like) the women who look modestly: it shows no sign but to its possessor.
قاصرات الطرف آمد آن مدام ** وین حجاب ظرفها هم‌چون خیام
That wine is (like) the women who look modestly, while these vessels screening it (from view) are like the tents.
هست دریا خیمه‌ای در وی حیات ** بط را لیکن کلاغان را ممات
The great river (too) is (like) a tent, wherein is life for the duck, but death for crows.
زهر باشد مار را هم قوت و برگ ** غیر او را زهر او دردست و مرگ 3295
Venom also is the snake's food and provision, (but) its venom is anguish and death to others.
صورت هر نعمتی و محنتی ** هست این را دوزخ آن را جنتی
The form of every blessing and affliction is a Hell to this one, a Paradise to that one.
پس همه اجسام و اشیا تبصرون ** واندرو قوتست و سم لاتبصرون
Therefore (though) ye see all bodies and things, and there is food and poison in them (all)—ye see (it) not.
هست هر جسمی چو کاسه و کوزه‌ای ** اندرو هم قوت و هم دلسوزه‌ای
Every body resembles a bowl or a pot, wherein is both food and a (cause of) heart-burning.
کاسه پیدا اندرو پنهان رغد ** طاعمش داند کزان چه می‌خورد
The bowl is visible, the plenty (contained) in it is hidden: (only) he who tastes it (the contents) knows what he is eating or drinking from it.
صورت یوسف چو جامی بود خوب ** زان پدر می‌خورد صد باده‌ی طروب 3300
The form of Joseph was like a beauteous cup: from it his father drank a hundred exhilarating wines.
باز اخوان را از آن زهراب بود ** کان دریشان خشم و کینه می‌فزود
Again, to his brethren (the draught they took) from it was poisoned water which was increasing in them anger and hatred.
باز از وی مر زلیخا را سکر ** می‌کشید از عشق افیونی دگر
Again, to Zalíkhá (the draught she took) from it was (sweet as) sugar: she was quaffing a different opiate from (the hand of) Love.