سهو و نسیان را مبدل کن به علم ** من همه خلمم مرا کن صبر و حلم
Transmute mistake and forgetfulness into knowledge: I am all choler, make me patience and forbearance.
ای که خاک شوره را تو نان کنی ** وی که نان مرده را تو جان کنی
O Thou who makest nitrous earth to be bread, and O Thou who makest dead bread to be life,
ای که جان خیره را رهبر کنی ** وی که بی‌ره را تو پیغمبر کنی
O Thou who makest the distracted soul to be a Guide, and O Thou who makest the wayless wanderer to be a Prophet,
می‌کنی جزو زمین را آسمان ** می‌فزایی در زمین از اختران 785
Thou makest a piece of earth to be heaven, Thou givest increase in the earth from the stars.
هر که سازد زین جهان آب حیات ** زوترش از دیگران آید ممات
Whosoever makes the Water of Life to consist of (the pleasures of) this world, death comes to him sooner than to the others.
دیده‌ی دل کو به گردون بنگریست ** دید که اینجا هر دمی میناگریست
The eye of the heart (the inward eye) that contemplated the (spiritual) firmament perceived that here (in the sensible world) is a continual alchemy.
قلب اعیانست و اکسیری محیط ** ایتلاف خرقه‌ی تن بی‌مخیط
The harmonious cohesion of the patched garment, (which is) the body, without being stitched (together), is (owing to) the transmutation of essences and (to) an all-embracing elixir.
تو از آن روزی که در هست آمدی ** آتشی یا بادی یا خاکی بدی
From the day when thou camest into existence, thou wert fire or air or earth.
گر بر آن حالت ترا بودی بقا ** کی رسیدی مر ترا این ارتقا 790
If thou hadst remained in that condition, how should this (present) height have been reached by thee?
از مبدل هستی اول نماند ** هستی بهتر به جای آن نشاند
The Transmuter did not leave thee in thy first (state of) existence: He established a better (state of) existence in the place of that (former one);
هم‌چنین تا صد هزاران هستها ** بعد یکدیگر دوم به ز ابتدا
And so on till (He gave thee) a hundred thousand states of existence, one after the other, the second (always) better than the beginning.
از مبدل بین وسایط را بمان ** کز وسایط دور گردی ز اصل آن
Regard (all change as derived) from the Transmuter, leave (ignore) the intermediaries, for by (regarding) the intermediaries thou wilt be come far from their Origin.
واسطه هر جا فزون شد وصل جست ** واسطه کم ذوق وصل افزونترست
Wherever the intermediaries increase, union (with the Origin) is removed: (in proportion as) the intermediaries are less, the delight of (attaining to) union is greater.
از سبب‌دانی شود کم حیرتت ** حیرت تو ره دهد در حضرتت 795
By knowing the intermediaries thy bewilderment (in God) is diminished: thy bewilderment gives thee admission to the (Divine) Presence.
این بقاها از فناها یافتی ** از فنااش رو چرا برتافتی
Thou hast gained these (successive) lives from (successive) deaths: why hast thou averted thy face from dying in Him?
زان فناها چه زیان بودت که تا ** بر بقا چفسیده‌ای ای نافقا
What loss was thine (what loss didst thou suffer) from those deaths, that thou hast clung (so tenaciously) to (this earthly) life, O rat?
چون دوم از اولینت بهترست ** پس فنا جو و مبدل را پرست
Since thy second (life) is better than thy first, therefore seek to die (to the world), and worship the Transmuter.
صد هزاران حشر دیدی ای عنود ** تاکنون هر لحظه از بدو وجود
O contumacious man, thou hast experienced a hundred thousand resurrections at every moment from the beginning of thy existence until now:
از جماد بی‌خبر سوی نما ** وز نما سوی حیات و ابتلا 800
From inanimateness (thou didst move) unconsciously towards (vegetal) growth, and from (vegetal) growth towards (animal) life and tribulation;
باز سوی عقل و تمییزات خوش ** باز سوی خارج این پنج و شش
Again, towards reason and goodly discernments; again, towards (what lies) outside of these five (senses) and six (directions).
تا لب بحر این نشان پایهاست ** پس نشان پا درون بحر لاست
These footprints are (extend) as far as the shore of the Ocean; then the footprints disappear in the Ocean;
زانک منزلهای خشکی ز احتیاط ** هست دهها و وطنها و رباط
Because, from (Divine) precaution, the resting-places (appointed for the traveller) on the dry land are (like) villages and dwellings and caravanserays,
باز منزلهای دریا در وقوف ** وقت موج و حبس بی‌عرصه و سقوف
(While) on the contrary the resting-places of the Ocean, when its billows swell, have no floor or roof (to shelter the traveller) during (his) stay and detention.
نیست پیدا آن مراحل را سنام ** نه نشانست آن منازل را نه نام 805
These (Oceanic) stages have no visible beacon: these resting-places have neither sign nor name.
هست صد چندان میان منزلین ** آن طرف که از نما تا روح عین
Between every two resting-places Yonder there is (a distance) a hundred times as much as from the vegetal state to the Essential Spirit.
در فناها این بقاها دیده‌ای ** بر بقای جسم چون چفسیده‌ای
Thou hast seen this life (to be implicit) in (previous) deaths: how, (then), art thou (so) attached to the life of the body?
هین بده ای زاغ این جان باز باش ** پیش تبدیل خدا جانباز باش
Come, O crow, give up this (animal) soul! Be a falcon, be self-sacrificing in the presence of the Divine transmutation.
تازه می‌گیر و کهن را می‌سپار ** که هر امسالت فزونست از سه پار
Take the new and surrender the old, for every “this year” of thine is superior to three “last years.”
گر نباشی نخل‌وار ایثار کن ** کهنه بر کهنه نه و انبار کن 810
If thou wilt not be lavish (of thyself) like the date-palm, (then) pile old rags on old rags and make a heap,
کهنه و گندیده و پوسیده را ** تحفه می‌بر بهر هر نادیده را
And offer the stinking and rotten old rags to every blind man.
آنک نو دید او خریدار تو نیست ** صید حقست او گرفتار تو نیست
He that hath seen the new is not thy customer: he is God's prey, he is not thy captive.
هر کجا باشند جوق مرغ کور ** بر تو جمع آیند ای سیلاب شور
(But) wherever is a flock of blind birds, they will gather around thee, O brackish flood-water,
تا فزاید کوری از شورابها ** زانک آب شور افزاید عمی
That (their) blindness may be increased by (thy) brackish waters; for brackish water increases blindness.
اهل دنیا زان سبب اعمی‌دل‌اند ** شارب شورابه‌ی آب و گل‌اند 815
Hence the worldly are blind of heart: they are drinkers of the brackish water of clay.
شور می‌ده کور می‌خر در جهان ** چون نداری آب حیوان در نهان
Continue to give brackish water and buy (the favour of) the blind in the world, since thou hast not the Water of Life within thee.
با چنین حالت بقا خواهی و یاد ** هم‌چو زنگی در سیه‌رویی تو شاد
In such a (despicable) state (as has been described) thou wouldst fain live and be remembered: in blackness of face (shame and opprobrium), like a negro, thou art rejoicing.
در سیاهی زنگی زان آسوده است ** کو ز زاد و اصل زنگی بوده است
The negro in (his) blackness is pleased (with himself), for he has (always) been a negro by birth and nature;
آنک روزی شاهد و خوش‌رو بود ** گر سیه‌گردد تدارک‌جو بود
(But) he that (even) for a day is beloved and beautiful, if he become black, will seek to repair (the misfortune).
مرغ پرنده چو ماند در زمین ** باشد اندر غصه و درد و حنین 820
When the bird that can fly remains (helpless) on the earth, it is in anguish and grief and lamentation;
مرغ خانه بر زمین خوش می‌رود ** دانه‌چین و شاد و شاطر می‌دود
(But) the domestic fowl walks complacently on the earth: it runs about picking grain and happy and bold,
زآنک او از اصل بی‌پرواز بود ** وآن دگر پرنده و پرواز بود
Because by nature it was (always) without (the power of) flight, while the other (bird) was (naturally) a flier and open-winged.
قال النبی علیه‌السلام ارحموا ثلاثا عزیز قوم ذل و غنی قوم افتقر و عالما یلعب به الجهال
The Prophet, on whom be peace, said, “Pity three (classes of men): the mighty man of a people who is abased, and the rich man of a people who is impoverished, and a learned man whom the ignorant make sport of.”
گفت پیغامبر که رحم آرید بر ** جان من کان غنیا فافتقر
The Prophet said, “Take pity on the soul of him who was rich and then became poor,
والذی کان عزیزا فاحتقر ** او صفیا عالما بین المضر
And on him who was mighty and became despised, or on one (who is) virtuous and learned (dwelling) amongst the (people of) Mudar.”
گفت پیغامبر که با این سه گروه ** رحم آرید ار ز سنگید و ز کوه 825
The Prophet said, “Show pity to these three classes (of men), (even) if ye are of (the hardness of) rock and mountain:
آنک او بعد از رئیسی خوار شد ** وآن توانگر هم که بی‌دینار شد
(Namely), him who was made lowly after having been a chief, and the rich man, too, who became impecunious,
وآن سوم آن عالمی که اندر جهان ** مبتلی گردد میان ابلهان
And, thirdly, the learned man who in this world becomes afflicted (by living amongst) the foolish;
زانک از عزت به خواری آمدن ** هم‌چو قطع عضو باشد از بدن
For to come (fall) from high to low estate is like the amputation of a limb from the body.”
عضو گردد مرده کز تن وا برید ** نو بریده جنبد اما نی مدید
The limb that is cut off from the body becomes dead: (when) newly cut off, it moves, but not for long.
هر که از جام الست او خورد پار ** هستش امسال آفت رنج و خمار 830
(Similarly) he who drank of the cup of Alast last year, this year he suffers the pain and headache (in consequence of having drunk),
وآنک چون سگ ز اصل کهدانی بود ** کی مرورا حرص سلطانی بود
While he who, like a dog, is by nature attached to the kennel —how should he have the desire for (spiritual) sovereignty?