چون شهیدی روزی جانم نبود ** رفتم اندر خلوت و در چله زود 3785
When (I saw that) martyrdom was not the lot of my spirit, I went immediately into (religious) seclusion and (entered on) a forty days' fast.
در جهاد اکبر افکندم بدن ** در ریاضت کردن و لاغر شدن
I threw myself into the Greater Warfare (which consists) in practising austerities and becoming lean.
بانگ طبل غازیان آمد به گوش ** که خرامیدند جیش غزوکوش
(One day) there reached my ear the sound of the drums of the holy warriors; for the hard-fighting army was on the march.
نفس از باطن مرا آواز داد ** که به گوش حس شنیدم بامداد
My fleshly soul cried out to me from within: at morningtide I heard (its voice) with my sensuous ear,
خیز هنگام غزا آمد برو ** خویش را در غزو کردن کن گرو
(Saying), ‘Arise! ’Tis time to fight. Go, devote thyself to fighting in the holy war!’
گفتم ای نفس خبیث بی‌وفا ** از کجا میل غزا تو از کجا 3790
I answered, ‘O wicked perfidious soul, what hast thou to do with the desire to fight?
راست گوی ای نفس کین حیلت‌گریست ** ورنه نفس شهوت از طاعت بریست
Tell the truth, O my soul! This is trickery. Else (why wouldst thou fight)?—the lustful soul is quit of obedience (to the Divine command).
گر نگویی راست حمله آرمت ** در ریاضت سخت‌تر افشارمت
Unless thou tell the truth, I will attack thee, I will squeeze (torment) thee more painfully (than before) in maceration.’
نفس بانگ آورد آن دم از درون ** با فصاحت بی‌دهان اندر فسون
Thereupon my soul, mutely eloquent, cried out in guile from within me,
که مرا هر روز اینجا می‌کشی ** جان من چون جان گبران می‌کشی
‘Here thou art killing me daily, thou art putting my (vital) spirit (on the rack), like the spirits of infidels.
هیچ کس را نیست از حالم خبر ** که مرا تو می‌کشی بی‌خواب و خور 3795
No one is aware of my plight—how thou art killing me (by keeping me) without sleep and food.
در غزا بجهم به یک زخم از بدن ** خلق بیند مردی و ایثار من
In war I should escape from the body at one stroke, and the people would see my manly valour and self-sacrifice.’
گفتم ای نفسک منافق زیستی ** هم منافق می‌مری تو چیستی
I replied, ‘O wretched soul, a hypocrite thou hast lived and a hypocrite thou wilt die: what (a pitiful thing) art thou!
در دو عالم تو مرایی بوده‌ای ** در دو عالم تو چنین بیهوده‌ای
In both worlds thou hast been a hypocrite, in both worlds thou art such a worthless creature.’
نذر کردم که ز خلوت هیچ من ** سر برون نارم چو زنده‌ست این بدن
I vowed that I would never put my head outside of (come out of) seclusion, seeing that this body is alive,
زانک در خلوت هر آنچ تن کند ** نه از برای روی مرد و زن کند 3800
Because everything that this body does in seclusion it does with no regard to man or woman.
جنبش و آرامش اندر خلوتش ** جز برای حق نباشد نیتش
During seclusion the intention of (all) its movement and rest is for God's sake only.”
این جهاد اکبرست آن اصغرست ** هر دو کار رستمست و حیدرست
This is the Greater Warfare, and that (other) is the Lesser Warfare: both are (fit) work for (men like) Rustam and Haydar (‘Alí).
کار آن کس نیست کو را عقل و هوش ** پرد از تن چون بجنبد دنب موش
They are not (fit) work for one whose reason and wits fly out of his body when a mouse's tail moves.
آن چنان کس را بباید چون زنان ** دور بودن از مصاف و از سنان
Such a one must stay, like women, far off from the battle-field and the spears.
صوفیی آن صوفیی این اینت حیف ** آن ز سوزن کشته این را طعمه سیف 3805
That one a Súfí and this one (too) a Súfí! Here's a pity! That one is killed by a needle, while the sword is this one's food.
نقش صوفی باشد او را نیست جان ** صوفیان بدنام هم زین صوفیان
He (the false Súfí) is (only) the figure of a Súfí: he has no soul (life); accordingly, the (true) Súfís get a bad name from Súfís such as these.
بر در و دیوار جسم گل‌سرشت ** حق ز غیرت نقش صد صوفی نبشت
Upon the door and wall of the body moulded of clay God, in His jealousy, traced the figures of a hundred Súfís (of this sort),
تا ز سحر آن نقشها جنبان شود ** تا عصای موسوی پنهان شود
To the end that by means of magic those figures should move and that Moses' rod should be hidden.
نقشها را میخورد صدق عصا ** چشم فرعونیست پر گرد و حصا
The truth of the rod swallows up the figures, (but) the Pharaoh-like eye is filled with dust and gravel (and cannot see).
صوفی دیگر میان صف حرب ** اندر آمد بیست بار از بهر ضرب 3810
Another Súfí entered the battle-line twenty times for the purpose of fighting
با مسلمانان به کافر وقت کر ** وانگشت او با مسلمانان به فر
Along with the Moslems when they attacked the infidels; he did not fall back with the Moslems in their retreat.
زخم خورد و بست زخمی را که خورد ** بار دیگر حمله آورد و نبرد
He was wounded, but he bandaged the wound which he had received, and once more advanced to the charge and combat,
تا نمیرد تن به یک زخم از گزاف ** تا خورد او بیست زخم اندر مصاف
In order that his body might not die cheaply at one blow and that he might receive twenty blows in the battle.
حیفش آمد که به زخمی جان دهد ** جان ز دست صدق او آسان رهد
To him it was anguish that he should give up his soul at one blow and that his soul should escape lightly from the hand of his fortitude.
حکایت آن مجاهد کی از همیان سیم هر روز یک درم در خندق انداختی به تفاریق از بهر ستیزه‌ی حرص و آرزوی نفس و وسوسه‌ی نفس کی چون می‌اندازی به خندق باری به یک‌بار بینداز تا خلاص یابم کی الیاس احدی الراحتین او گفته کی این راحت نیز ندهم
Story of the (spiritual) warrior who every day used to take one dirhem separately from a purse containing (pieces of) silver and throw it into a ditch (full of water) for the purpose of thwarting the greed and cupidity of his fleshly soul; and how his soul tempted him, saying, “Since you are going to throw (this money) into the ditch, at least throw it away all at once, so that I may gain deliverance, for despair is one of the two (possible) reliefs”; and how he replied, “I will not give thee this relief either.”
آن یکی بودش به کف در چل درم ** هر شب افکندی یکی در آب یم 3815
A certain man had forty dirhems in his hand: every night he would throw one (of them) into the sea-water,
تا که گردد سخت بر نفس مجاز ** در تانی درد جان کندن دراز
In order that the long agony suffered in (the process of) deliberation might become grievous to the illusory soul.
با مسلمانان بکر او پیش رفت ** وقت فر او وا نگشت از خصم تفت
He (the valiant Súfí) advanced with the Moslems to attack (the infidels), (but) in the hour of retreat he did not fall back in haste before the enemy.
زخم دیگر خورد آن را هم ببست ** بیست کرت رمح و تیر از وی شکست
He was wounded again, (but) he bound up those (wounds) too: twenty times were the spears and arrows (of the enemy) broken by him.
بعد از آن قوت نماند افتاد پیش ** مقعد صدق او ز صدق عشق خویش
After that no strength remained (in him): his fell forward (and expired in) the seat of truth because his love was true.
صدق جان دادن بود هین سابقوا ** از نبی برخوان رجال صدقوا 3820
Truth consists in giving up the soul (to God). Hark, try to outstrip (the others) in the race! Recite from the Qur’án (the words) men who have been true.
این همه مردن نه مرگ صورتست ** این بدن مر روح را چون آلتست
All this dying is not the death of the (physical) form: this body is (only) like an instrument for the spirit.
ای بسا خامی که ظاهر خونش ریخت ** لیک نفس زنده آن جانب گریخت
Oh, there is many a raw (imperfect) one whose blood was shed externally, but whose living fleshly soul escaped to yonder side.
آلتش بشکست و ره‌زن زنده ماند ** نفس زنده‌ست ارچه مرکب خون فشاند
Its instrument was shattered, but the brigand was left alive: the fleshly soul is living though that on which it rode has bled to death.
اسپ کشت و راه او رفته نشد ** جز که خام و زشت و آشفته نشد
His (the rider's) horse was killed before his road was traversed: he became naught but ignorant and wicked and miserable.
If a martyr were made by every (mortal) bloodshed, an infidel killed (in battle) also would be a Bú Sa‘íd.
ای بسا نفس شهید معتمد ** مرده در دنیا چو زنده می‌رود
Oh, there is many a trusty martyred soul that has died (to self) in this world, (though) it is going about like the living.
روح ره‌زن مرد و تن که تیغ اوست ** هست باقی در کف آن غزوجوست
The brigand (animal) spirit has died, though the body, which is its sword, survives: it (the sword) is (still) in the hand of that eager warrior.
تیغ آن تیغست مرد آن مرد نیست ** لیک این صورت ترا حیران کنیست
The sword is that (same) sword, the man is not that (same) man; but this appearance (of identity) is a cause of bewilderment to you.
نفس چون مبدل شود این تیغ تن ** باشد اندر دست صنع ذوالمنن
When the soul is transformed, this sword, namely, the body, remains in the hand of (is wielded by) the action of the Beneficent (God).
آن یکی مردیست قوتش جمله درد ** این دگر مردی میان‌تی هم‌چو گرد 3830
The one (whose fleshly soul is dead) is a man whose food is entirely (Divine) love; the other is a man hollow as dust.
صفت کردن مرد غماز و نمودن صورت کنیزک مصور در کاغذ و عاشق شدن خلیفه‌ی مصر بر آن صورت و فرستادن خلیفه امیری را با سپاه گران بدر موصل و قتل و ویرانی بسیار کردن بهر این غرض
How an informer described a girl and exhibited the picture of her on paper, and how the Caliph of Egypt fell in love with it and sent an Amír with a mighty army to the gates of Mawsil (Mosul) and made great slaughter and devastation for the purpose (of obtaining the girl).
مر خلیفه‌ی مصر را غماز گفت ** که شه موصل به حوری گشت جفت
An informer said to the Caliph of Egypt, “The King of Mawsil is wedded to a houri.
یک کنیزک دارد او اندر کنار ** که به عالم نیست مانندش نگار
He holds in his arms a girl like whom there is no (other) beauty in the world.
در بیان ناید که حسنش بی‌حدست ** نقش او اینست که اندر کاغذست
She does not admit of description, for her loveliness is beyond (all) limits: here is her portrait on paper.”
نقش در کاغذ چو دید آن کیقباد ** خیره گشت و جام از دستش فتاد
When the Emperor saw the portrait on the paper, he became distraught and the cup dropped from his hand.