مست را چون دل مزاح اندیشه شد ** این ندانم و آن ندانم پیشه شد
Since the intoxicated man's heart is occupied with thoughts of merriment, it has become his practice (to say repeatedly) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that.”
این ندانم وان ندانم بهر چیست ** تا بگویی آنک می‌دانیم کیست
What is the purpose of (saying) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that”? (It is) in order that you may say who He is whom we know.
نفی بهر ثبت باشد در سخن ** نفی بگذار و ز ثبت آغاز کن 640
In discourse negation is (employed) for the purpose of affirmation: cease from negating and begin to affirm.
نیست این و نیست آن هین واگذار ** آنک آن هستست آن را پیش آر
Come, leave off (saying) “this is not” and “that is not”: bring forward that One who is Real Being.
نفی بگذار و همان هستی پرست ** این در آموز ای پدر زان ترک مست
Leave negation and worship only that Real Being: learn this, O father, from (the story of) the drunken Turk.
استدعاء امیر ترک مخمور مطرب را بوقت صبوح و تفسیر این حدیث کی ان لله تعالی شرابا اعده لاولیائه اذا شربوا سکروا و اذا سکروا طابوا الی آخر الحدیث می در خم اسرار بدان می‌جوشد تا هر که مجردست از آن می نوشد قال الله تعالی ان الابرار یشربون این می که تو می‌خوری حرامست ما می نخوریم جز حلالی «جهد کن تا ز نیست هست شوی وز شراب خدای مست شوی»
How a drunken Turkish Amír summoned a minstrel at the hour of the morning-drink; and a commentary on the Tradition, “Verily, God most High hath a wine that He prepared for His friends: when they drink it they become intoxicated, and when they become intoxicated they are purified,” to the end of the Tradition. “The wine is bubbling in the jars of the mysteries in order that any one who is denuded (of self-existence) may drink of that wine.” God most High hath said, “Lo, the righteous shall drink.” “This wine that thou drinkest is forbidden; we drink none but a lawful wine.” “Endeavour through non-existence (of self) to become (really) existent and to be intoxicated with God's wine.”
اعجمی ترکی سحر آگاه شد ** وز خمار خمر مطرب‌خواه شد
A barbarian Turk came to his senses at dawn and, (suffering) from crop-sickness caused by wine, desired the minstrel (to divert him).
مطرب جان مونس مستان بود ** نقل و قوت و قوت مست آن بود
The spiritual minstrel is the bosom-friend of those intoxicated (with God): he is the dessert and food and strength of the drunken.
مطرب ایشان را سوی مستی کشید ** باز مستی از دم مطرب چشید 645
The minstrel led them on to intoxication; then again, he (the intoxicated one) quaffed intoxication from the song of the minstrel.
آن شراب حق بدان مطرب برد ** وین شراب تن ازین مطرب چرد
That one (the mystic) fetches God's wine (to drink) because of that (spiritual) minstrel, while this one (the sensualist) imbibes the bodily wine from this (sensual) minstrel.
هر دو گر یک نام دارد در سخن ** لیک شتان این حسن تا آن حسن
Though both (minstrels) have one name in discourse, yet there is a vast difference between this Hasan and that Hasan.
اشتباهی هست لفظی در بیان ** لیک خود کو آسمان تا ریسمان
There is a verbal resemblance in enunciation, but what (real) relation has heaven (ásmán) to a rope (rísmán)?
اشتراک لفظ دایم ره‌زنست ** اشتراک گبر و مؤمن در تنست
The participation of a word (in several meanings) is always obstructive (to the understanding): the participation of the infidel with the true believer is in the body (alone).
جسمها چون کوزه‌های بسته‌سر ** تا که در هر کوزه چه بود آن نگر 650
Bodies are like pots with the lids on: look and see what is in each pot.
کوزه‌ی آن تن پر از آب حیات ** کوزه‌ی این تن پر از زهر ممات
The pot of that body is filled with the Water of Life; the pot of this body is filled with the poison of death.
گر به مظروفش نظر داری شهی ** ور به ظرفش بنگری تو گم‌رهی
If you keep your eye fixed on its contents, you are a (spiritual) king; but if you regard its vessel, you are misguided.
لفظ را ماننده‌ی این جسم دان ** معنیش را در درون مانند جان
Know that words resemble this body and that their inward meaning resembles the soul.
دیده‌ی تن دایما تن‌بین بود ** دیده‌ی جان جان پر فن بین بود
The bodily eye is always seeing the body; the spiritual eye sees the artful (elusive) soul.
پس ز نقش لفظهای مثنوی ** صورتی ضالست و هادی معنوی 655
Therefore the man of appearance is misled by the form of the expressions used in the Mathnawí, while they guide the man of reality (to the Truth).
در نبی فرمود کین قرآن ز دل ** هادی بعضی و بعضی را مضل
He (God) hath said in the Qur’án, “This Qur’án with all its heart leads some aright and others astray.”
الله الله چونک عارف گفت می ** پیش عارف کی بود معدوم شی
God, God! When the gnostic speaks of “wine,” how in the gnostic's eyes should the (materially) non-existent be a (material) thing?
فهم تو چون باده‌ی شیطان بود ** کی ترا وهم می رحمان بود
Since your understanding is (only of) the Devil's wine, how should you have any conception of the wine of the Merciful (God)?
این دو انبازند مطرب با شراب ** این بدان و آن بدین آرد شتاب
These twain—the minstrel and the wine—are partners: this one quickly leads to that, and that one to this.
پر خماران از دم مطرب چرند ** مطربانشان سوی میخانه برند 660
They that are full of crop-sickness feed on the song of the minstrel: the minstrels bring them to the tavern.
آن سر میدان و این پایان اوست ** دل شده چون گوی در چوگان اوست
That one (the minstrel) is the beginning of the (lover's) course, and this (tavern) is the end thereof: the witless (lover) is like a ball in (the sway of) his polo-bat.
در سر آنچ هست گوش آنجا رود ** در سر ار صفراست آن سودا شود
The ear goes (inclines) to that which is in the head: if there is yellow bile in the head, it becomes black bile.
بعد از آن این دو به بیهوشی روند ** والد و مولود آنجا یک شوند
Afterwards, these twain (the minstrel and the lover) pass into unconsciousness: there the begetter and the begotten become one.
چونک کردند آشتی شادی و درد ** مطربان را ترک ما بیدار کرد
When joy and sorrow made peace (with each other), our Turk awakened the minstrels.
مطرب آغازید بیتی خوابناک ** که انلنی الکاس یا من لا اراک 665
The minstrel began (to sing) a slumberous verse—“Hand me the cup, O Thou whom I see not.
انت وجهی لا عجب ان لا اراه ** غایة القرب حجاب الاشتباه
Thou art my face: no wonder that I see it not: extreme proximity is a mystifying veil.
انت عقلی لا عجب ان لم ارک ** من وفور الالتباس المشتبک
Thou art my reason: no wonder if I see Thee not, on account of the abundance of the intricate perplexities (of thought).
جت اقرب انت من حبل الورید ** کم اقل یا یا نداء للبعید
Thou hast come nearer to me than my neck-artery: how long shall I say ‘Oh’? ‘Oh’ is a call to one who is far off.
بل اغالطهم انادی فی القفار ** کی اکتم من معی مومن اغار
Nay, but I dissemble with them when I call (to Him) in the deserts, in order that I may conceal Him who is beside me from those who excite my jealousy.”
در آمدن ضریر در خانه‌ی مصطفی علیه‌السلام و گریختن عایشه رضی الله عنها از پیش ضریر و گفتن رسول علیه‌السلام کی چه می‌گریزی او ترا نمی‌بیند و جواب دادن عایشه رضی الله عنها رسول را صلی الله علیه و سلم
How a blind man entered the house of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and how ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, fled from the presence of the blind man, and how the Prophet, on whom be peace, asked, “Why art thou running away? He cannot see thee”; and the answer given by ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, to the Prophet—God bless and save him!
اندر آمد پیش پیغامبر ضریر ** کای نوابخش تنور هر خمیر 670
A blind man came into the presence of the Prophet, saying, “O thou who suppliest fuel to every oven of dough,
ای تو میر آب و من مستسقیم ** مستغاث المستغاث ای ساقیم
O thou who art the lord of the Water (of Life), while I am suffering from dropsy—help, help, O giver of drink to me!”
چون در آمد آن ضریر از در شتاب ** عایشه بگریخت بهر احتجاب
When the blind man came in hastily by the door, ‘Á’isha ran away to conceal herself (from him),
زانک واقف بود آن خاتون پاک ** از غیوری رسول رشکناک
Because that chaste lady was aware of the resentfulness of the jealous Prophet.
هر که زیباتر بود رشکش فزون ** زانک رشک از ناز خیزد یا بنون
The more beautiful any one is, the greater his jealousy, for jealousy arises from (the possession of) loveliness, O sons.
گنده‌پیران شوی را قما دهند ** چونک از زشتی و پیری آگهند 675
Since foul hags are aware of their ugliness and old age, they let their husbands take a concubine.
چون جمال احمدی در هر دو کون ** کی بدست ای فر یزدانیش عون
When has there (ever) been in the two worlds a beauty like that of Ahmad (Mohammed)? Oh, may the Divine Glory aid him!
نازهای هر دو کون او را رسد ** غیرت آن خورشید صدتو را رسد
To him belong (all) the charms of both worlds: it beseems that hundredfold Sun to be jealous,
که در افکندم به کیوان گوی را ** در کشید ای اختران هم روی را
Saying, “I have thrown my (resplendent) orb over Saturn: beware, O stars, and cover your faces!
در شعاع بی‌نظیرم لا شوید ** ورنه پیش نور نم رسوا شوید
Be naughted in my incomparable radiance; else ye will be put to shame before my light.
از کرم من هر شبی غایب شوم ** کی روم الا نمایم که روم 680
For kindness' sake, I disappear every night; (but) how should I depart? I only make a show of departing,
تا شما بی من شبی خفاش‌وار ** پر زنان پرید گرد این مطار
That for a night ye may fly without me like bats, flapping your wings, around this flying-place;
هم‌چو طاووسان پری عرضه کنید ** باز مست و سرکش و معجب شوید
And that, like peacocks, ye may display a (gorgeous) wing, and then become intoxicated and haughty and self-conceited.
ننگرید آن پای خود را زشت‌ساز ** هم‌چو چارق کو بود شمع ایاز
Look at your uncouth feet, like the rustic shoon that were (as) a candle to Ayáz.
رو نمایم صبح بهر گوشمال ** تا نگردید از منی ز اهل شمال
At dawn I show my face to reprimand you, lest from egoism ye become (included) among the people of the left hand.”
ترک آن کن که درازست آن سخن ** نهی کردست از درازی امر کن 685
Leave that (topic), for that topic is lengthy: (he who is the final cause of) the command “Be!” hath forbidden lengthiness.
امتحان کردن مصطفی علیه‌السلام عایشه را رضی الله عنها کی چه پنهان می‌شوی پنهان مشو که اعمی ترا نمی‌بیند تا پدید آید کی عایشه رضی الله عنها از ضمیر مصطفی علیه السلام واقف هست یا خود مقلد گفت ظاهرست
How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, made trial of ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, and said, “Why art thou hiding? Do not hide, for the blind man cannot see thee,” in order that it might appear whether ‘Á’isha was acquainted with the secret thoughts of Mustafá, on whom be peace, or whether she was (merely) one who would follow his expressed wishes.
گفت پیغامبر برای امتحان ** او نمی‌بیند ترا کم شو نهان
The Prophet said by way of trial, “He cannot see thee: do not hide.”
کرد اشارت عایشه با دستها ** او نبیند من همی‌بینم ورا
‘Á’isha made a sign with her hands (as though to say), “(If) he does not see (me), yet I see him.”