The flowers that bloom from earth become faded; the flowers that bloom from the heart—oh, what a joy!
علم‌های با مزه‌ی دانسته‌مان ** زان گلستان یک دو سه گل‌دسته دان
Know that (all) the delightful sciences known to us are (only) two or three bunches of flowers from that Garden.
زان زبون این دو سه گل دسته‌ایم ** که در گلزار بر خود بسته‌ایم
We are devoted to these two or three bunches of flowers because we have shut the Garden-door on ourselves.
آن‌چنان مفتاح‌ها هر دم بنان ** می‌فتد ای جان دریغا از بنان
Alas, O (dear) soul, (that) on account of (thy greed for) bread such (admirable) keys are always dropping from thy fingers!
ور دمی هم فارغ آرندت ز نان ** گرد چادر گردی و عشق زنان
And if for a moment thou art relieved from preoccupation with bread, thou danglest about the chádar and (givest thyself up to) thy passion for women;
باز استسقات چون شد موج‌زن ** ملک شهری بایدت پر نان و زن 4655
And then, when (the sea of) thy dropsy (lust) breaks into billows, thou must needs have under thy sway a (whole) city full of bread and women.
مار بودی اژدها گشتی مگر ** یک سرت بود این زمانی هفت‌سر
(At first) thou wert (only) a snake: (now) indeed thou hast become a dragon. Thou hadst (only) one head: now thou hast seven heads.
اژدهای هفت‌سر دوزخ بود ** حرص تو دانه‌ست و دوزخ فخ بود
Hell is a seven-headed dragon: thy greed is the bait and Hell the snare.
دام را بدران بسوزان دانه را ** باز کن درهای نو این خانه را
Pull the snare to pieces, burn the bait, open new doors in this (bodily) tenement!
چون تو عاشق نیستی ای نرگدا ** هم‌چو کوهی بی‌خبر داری صدا
O sturdy beggar, unless thou art a lover (of God), thou hast (only) an echo, like the unconscious mountain.
کوه را گفتار کی باشد ز خود ** عکس غیرست آن صدا ای معتمد 4660
How should the mountain possess a voice of its own? The echo is reflected from another, O trusty man.
گفت تو زان سان که عکس دیگریست ** جمله احوالت به جز هم عکس نیست
In the same fashion as thy speech is the reflexion of another, so all thy feelings are nothing but a reflexion.
خشم و ذوقت هر دو عکس دیگران ** شادی قواده و خشم عوان
Both thy anger and thy pleasure are (only) reflected from others, (like) the joy of the procuress and the rage of the night-patrol.
آن عوان را آن ضعیف آخر چه کرد ** که دهد او را به کینه زجر و درد
Pray, what (harm) did that poor fellow do to the night-patrol that he should punish and torment him in revenge?
تا بکی عکس خیال لامعه ** جهد کن تا گرددت این واقعه
How long (wilt thou follow) the glittering phantom reflected (from another)?Strive to make this (experience) actual for thyself,
تا که گفتارت ز حال تو بود ** سیر تو با پر و بال تو بود 4665
So that thy words will be (prompted) by thy immediate feelings, and thy flight will be made with thine own wings and pinions.
صید گیرد تیر هم با پر غیر ** لاجرم بی‌بهره است از لحم طیر
’Tis with alien feathers that the arrow captures its prey; consequently it gets no share of the bird's flesh;
باز صید آرد به خود از کوهسار ** لاجرم شاهش خوراند کبک و سار
(But) the falcon brings its quarry from the mountains itself; consequently the king lets it eat partridge and starling.
منطقی کز وحی نبود از هواست ** هم‌چو خاکی در هوا و در هباست
The speech that is not (derived) from (Divine) inspiration springs from self-will: it is like dust (floating) in the air and among the motes (in the sunbeams).
گر نماید خواجه را این دم غلط ** ز اول والنجم بر خوان چند خط
If this saying appear to the Khwája to be erroneous, recite a few lines at the beginning of (the Súra) Wa’l-Najm.
تا که ما ینطق محمد عن هوی ** ان هو الا بوحی احتوی 4670
Down to (the words), Mohammed does not speak from self-will: ’tis only (a speech) gained by inspiration.
احمدا چون نیستت از وحی یاس ** جسمیان را ده تحری و قیاس
O Ahmad (Mohammed), since thou despairest not of (receiving) inspiration, leave investigation and conjecture to the corporealists;
کز ضرورت هست مرداری حلال ** که تحری نیست در کعبه‌ی وصال
For in case of necessity a carcase is lawful (food), but there is no need to investigate (when one is) in the Ka‘ba of union.
بی‌تحری و اجتهادات هدی ** هر که بدعت پیشه گیرد از هوی
Whosoever wilfully adopts a heresy without investigation and the utmost efforts to discover the right way,
هم‌چو عادش بر برد باد و کشد ** نه سلیمانست تا تختش کشد
The wind (of self-will) will lift him up and kill him, like (the people of) ‘Ád: he is no Solomon that it should waft his throne along.
عاد را با دست حمال خذول ** هم‌چو بره در کف مردی اکول 4675
For ‘Ád (and those like them) the wind is a treacherous carrier: (they are) as a lamb in the hands of a glutton,
هم‌چو فرزندش نهاده بر کنار ** می‌برد تا بکشدش قصاب‌وار
Which he lays in his lap as though it were his own child and carries away to slaughter like a butcher.
عاد را آن باد ز استکبار بود ** یار خود پنداشتند اغیار بود
That wind was (the punishment) for ‘Ád because of their pride: they indeed deemed it a friend, (but) it was (really) a stranger (foe).
چون بگردانید ناگه پوستین ** خردشان بشکست آن بس القرین
When of a sudden it turned its coat, that evil comrade shattered them piecemeal.
باد را بشکن که بس فتنه‌ست باد ** پیش از آن کت بشکند او هم‌چو عاد
Shatter (destroy) the wind—for the wind (of self-will) is a great temptation— ere it shatter thee, like ‘Ád.
هود دادی پند که ای پر کبر خیل ** بر کند از دستتان این باد ذیل 4680
Húd admonished them, saying, “O prideful folk, this wind will tear out of your hands the skirt (to which ye are clinging).
لشکر حق است باد و از نفاق ** چند روزی با شما کرد اعتناق
The wind is God's army, and (only) in hypocrisy (deceit) has it embraced you for a few days.
او به سر با خالق خود راستست ** چون اجل آید بر آرد باد دست
Secretly it is loyal to its Creator: when the appointed term arrives, the wind will throw up its hands (and desert you).”
باد را اندر دهن بین ره‌گذر ** هر نفس آیان روان در کر و فر
See how the wind passes through the mouth, coming and going at every moment in advance and retreat.
حلق و دندان‌ها ازو آمن بود ** حق چو فرماید به دندان در فتد
The throat and teeth are in no danger from it; (but) when God commands, it attacks the teeth;
کوه گردد ذره‌ای باد و ثقیل ** درد دندان داردش زار و علیل 4685
(And then) a (mere) atom of wind becomes (like) a mountain and heavy, and toothache keeps him (the sufferer) miserable and ill.
این همان بادست که امن می‌گذشت ** بود جان کشت و گشت او مرگ کشت
This is the same wind that used to pass by harmlessly: it was the life of the crops and it became the death of the crops.
دست آن کس که بکردت دست‌بوس ** وقت خشم آن دست می‌گردد دبوس
The hand of the person who (formerly) kissed thy hand—in the moment of anger that hand becomes a mace.
یا رب و یا رب بر آرد او ز جان ** که ببر این باد را ای مستعان
He (who has toothache) cries from his soul, “O Lord! O Lord! Take away this wind, O Thou whose aid is besought (by all)!
ای دهان غافل بدی زین باد رو ** از بن دندان در استغفار شو
O mouth, thou wert heedless of this wind: (now) go and betake thyself to asking pardon of God with utter abasement.”
چشم سختش اشک‌ها باران کند ** منکران را درد الله‌خوان کند 4690
His hard eye (now) sheds tears like rain: (only) pain causes the unbelievers to call unto God.
چون دم مردان نپذرفتی ز مرد ** وحی حق را هین پذیرا شو ز درد
Since thou hast not received the breath (inspiration) of (holy) men from a (holy) man, hark, receive the Divine inspiration from pain.
باد گوید پیکم از شاه بشر ** گه خبر خیر آورم گه شوم و شر
The wind says, “I am a messenger from the King of mankind: now I bring good news, now calamitous and bad;
ز آنک مامورم امیر خود نیم ** من چو تو غافل ز شاه خود کیم
For I am subject to command, I am not in command of myself: when am I forgetful, like thee, of my King?
گر سلیمان‌وار بودی حال تو ** چون سلیمان گشتمی حمال تو
If thy (spiritual) state resembled that of Solomon, I should have carried thee as (I carried) Solomon.
عاریه‌ستم گشتمی ملک کفت ** کردمی بر راز خود من واقفت 4695
I am (only) lent (to thee); I should have become a possession in thy hand: I should have made thee acquainted with my mystery.
لیک چون تو یاغیی من مستعار ** می‌کنم خدمت ترا روزی سه چار
But since thou art rebellious and I am (only) taken on loan to serve thee for three or four days,
پس چو عادت سرنگونی‌ها دهم ** ز اسپه تو یاغیانه بر جهم
Therefore I will lay thee low, like ‘Ád, and dash away in revolt from thy army,
تا به غیب ایمان تو محکم شود ** آن زمان که ایمانت مایه‌ی غم شود
In order that thy faith in the Unseen may become firm at the moment when thy faith is (only) a source of woe.”