گر ز زخم خار تن غربال شد ** جان و جسمم گلشن اقبال شد
(Bilál said), “If my body is (full of holes, like) a sieve from the blows of the (scourge of) thorns, (yet) my soul and body are a rose-garden of felicity.
تن به پیش زخم خار آن جهود ** جان من مست و خراب آن و دود
My body is exposed to the blows of the Jew's (scourge of) thorns, (but) my spirit is intoxicated and enravished by that Loving One.
The scent of a (beloved) Soul is coming towards my soul: the scent of my loving Friend is coming to me.”
از سوی معراج آمد مصطفی ** بر بلالش حبذا لی حبذا
(When) Mustafá (Mohammed) came (to earth) from the Ascension, (he pronounced) on his Bilál (the blessing), “How dear to me (art thou), how dear!”
چونک صدیق از بلال دم‌درست ** این شنید از توبه‌ی او دست شست
On hearing this (ecstatic utterance) from Bilál, in whose speech there was no guile, the Siddíq (Abú Bakr) washed his hands of urging him to repent.
باز گردانیدن صدیق رضی الله عنه واقعه‌ی بلال را رضی الله عنه و ظلم جهودان را بر وی و احد احد گفتن او و افزون شدن کینه‌ی جهودان و قصه کردن آن قضیه پیش مصطفی علیه‌السلام و مشورت در خریدن او
How the Siddíq (Abú Bakr), may God be pleased with him, recalled (to his mind) what had happened to Bilál, may God be pleased with him, and his maltreatment by the Jews and his crying “One! One!” and the Jews becoming more incensed (against him); and how he told the story of the affair to Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and consulted him as to buying him (Bilál) from the Jews.
بعد از آن صدیق پیش مصطفی ** گفت حال آن بلال با وفا
Afterwards the Siddíq related to Mustafá the plight of the faithful Bilál,
کان فلک‌پیمای میمون‌بال چست ** این زمان در عشق و اندر دام تست
Saying, “That heaven-surveying nimble (spirit) of blessed wing is at this time in love (with thee) and in thy net.
باز سلطانست زان جغدان برنج ** در حدث مدفون شدست آن زفت‌گنج 955
The Sultan's falcon is tormented by those owls; that grand treasure is buried in filth.
جغدها بر باز استم می‌کنند ** پر و بالش بی‌گناهی می‌کنند
The owls are doing violence to the falcon: they are tearing out his plumes and feathers though he is innocent.
جرم او اینست کو بازست و بس ** غیر خوبی جرم یوسف چیست پس
His only crime is this, that he is a falcon: after all, what is Joseph's crime except (that he had) beauty?
جغد را ویرانه باشد زاد و بود ** هستشان بر باز زان زخم جهود
The owl's origin and existence is (in) the wilderness; that is the cause of their Jewish (fanatical) anger against the falcon.
که چرا می یاد آری زان دیار ** یا ز قصر و ساعد آن شهریار
(They say), ‘Why art thou (always) making mention of yonder land, or of the palace and wrist of the Emperor?
در ده جغدان فضولی می‌کنی ** فتنه و تشویش در می‌افکنی 960
Thou art behaving impudently in the owls’ village, thou art introducing dissension and disturbance (amongst us).
مسکن ما را که شد رشک اثیر ** تو خرابه خوانی و نام حقیر
Our dwelling-place, which is the envy of the empyrean, thou callest a wilderness and givest it the name of “vile.”
شید آوردی که تا جغدان ما ** مر ترا سازند شاه و پیشوا
Thou hast employed hypocrisy in order that our owls may make thee (their) king and leader.
وهم و سودایی دریشان می‌تنی ** نام این فردوس ویران می‌کنی
Thou art instilling into them a vain imagination and a mad fancy: thou art giving the name “ruin” to this Paradise.
بر سرت چندان زنیم ای بد صفات ** که بگویی ترک شید و ترهات
We will beat thy head so long, O (bird) of evil qualities, that thou wilt renounce this hypocrisy and nonsense.’
پیش مشرق چارمیخش می‌کنند ** تن برهنه شاخ خارش می‌زنند 965
They (the Jews) are crucifying him (Bilál), his face to the East, and flogging his naked body with a thorny branch.
از تنش صد جای خون بر می‌جهد ** او احد می‌گوید و سر می‌نهد
The blood is spurting from his body in a hundred places, (whilst) he is crying ‘One!’ and bowing his head (in resignation).
پندها دادم که پنهان دار دین ** سر بپوشان از جهودان لعین
I admonished him often, saying, ‘Keep thy religion hidden, conceal thy secret from the accursed Jews.’
عاشق است او را قیامت آمدست ** تا در توبه برو بسته شدست
(But) he is a lover: to him the (spiritual) resurrection has come, so that the door of repentance has been shut on him.”
عاشقی و توبه یا امکان صبر ** این محالی باشد ای جان بس سطبر
Loverhood and repentance or (even) the possibility of patience—this, O (dear) soul, is a very enormous absurdity.
توبه کردم و عشق هم‌چون اژدها ** توبه وصف خلق و آن وصف خدا 970
Repentance is a worm, while Love is like a dragon: repentance is an attribute of Man, while that (other) is an attribute of God.
عشق ز اوصاف خدای بی‌نیاز ** عاشقی بر غیر او باشد مجاز
Love is (one) of the attributes of God who wants nothing: love for aught besides Him is unreal,
زانک آن حسن زراندود آمدست ** ظاهرش نور اندرون دود آمدست
Because that (which is besides Him) is (but) a gilded beauty: its outside is (shining) light, (but) ’tis (like dark) smoke within.
چون رود نور و شود پیدا دخان ** بفسرد عشق مجازی آن زمان
When the light goes and the smoke becomes visible, at that moment the unreal love is frozen up.
وا رود آن حسن سوی اصل خود ** جسم ماند گنده و رسوا و بد
That beauty returns to its source; the body is left—foul-smelling, shameful, and ugly.
نور مه راجع شود هم سوی ماه ** وا رود عکسش ز دیوار سیاه 975
The moonlight is returning to the moon: its reflexion goes off the black (dark) wall;
پس بماند آب و گل بی آن نگار ** گردد آن دیوار بی مه دیووار
And then, (when) the water and clay (of the wall) are left without that ornament, the wall, (being) moonless, becomes (hideous) as a devil.
قلب را که زر ز روی او بجست ** بازگشت آن زر بکان خود نشست
When the gold flies from the surface of the base coin, that gold returns to its (original) mine and settles (there);
Then the shamefully exposed copper is left (looking black) like smoke, and its lover is left looking blacker than it.
عشق بینایان بود بر کان زر ** لاجرم هر روز باشد بیشتر
(But) the love of them that have (spiritual) insight is (fixed) on the gold-mine; necessarily it is (grows) greater every day,
زانک کان را در زری نبود شریک ** مرحبا ای کان زر لاشک فیک 980
Because the mine hath no partner in aureity. Hail, O Gold-mine (of Reality), Thou concerning whom there is no doubt!
هر که قلبی را کند انباز کان ** وا رود زر تا بکان لامکان
If any one let a base coin become a sharer with the Mine (in his affection), the gold goes back to the Mine (which is) beyond locality,
عاشق و معشوق مرده ز اضطراب ** مانده ماهی رفته زان گرداب آب
(And then) the lover and his beloved are dead (left to die) in agony: the fish is left (writhing), the water is gone from the whirlpool.
عشق ربانیست خورشید کمال ** امر نور اوست خلقان چون ظلال
The Divine Love is the Sun of perfection: the (Divine) Word is its light, the creatures are as shadows.
مصطفی زین قصه چون خوش برشکفت ** رغبت افزون گشت او را هم بگفت
When Mustafá (Mohammed) expanded with joy on (hearing) this story, his (the Siddíq's) desire to speak (of Bilál) increased also.
مستمع چون یافت هم‌چون مصطفی ** هر سر مویش زبانی شد جدا 985
Since he found a hearer like Mustafá, every hair of him became a separate tongue.
مصطفی گفتش که اکنون چاره چیست ** گفت این بنده مر او را مشتریست
Mustafá said to him, “Now what is the remedy?” He (the Siddíq) replied, “This servant (of God) is going to buy him.
هر بها که گوید او را می‌خرم ** در زیان و حیف ظاهر ننگرم
I will buy him at whatever price he (the Jew) may name: I will not regard the apparent loss (of money) and the extortion;
کو اسیر الله فی الارض آمدست ** سخره‌ی خشم عدو الله شدست
For he is God's captive on the earth, and he has become subjected to the anger of God's enemy.”
وصیت کردن مصطفی علیه‌السلام صدیق را رضی الله عنه کی چون بلال را مشتری می‌شوی هر آینه ایشان از ستیز بر خواهند در بها فزود و بهای او را خواهند فزودن مرا درین فضیلت شریک خود کن وکیل من باش و نیم بها از من بستان
How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, enjoined the Siddíq, may God be pleased with him, saying, “Since thou art going to purchase Bilál, they (the Jews) will certainly raise his price by wrangling (with thee): make me thy partner in this merit, be my agent, and receive from me half the purchase-money.”
مصطفی گفتش کای اقبال‌جو ** اندرین من می‌شوم انباز تو
Mustafá said to him, “O seeker of (spiritual) fortune, I will be thy partner in this (enterprise).
تو وکیلم باش نیمی بهر من ** مشتری شو قبض کن از من ثمن 990
Be my agent, buy a half share (in him) on my account, and receive the payment from me.”
گفت صد خدمت کنم رفت آن زمان ** سوی خانه‌ی آن جهود بی‌امان
He replied, “I will do my utmost to serve thee.” Then he went to the house of the merciless Jew.
گفت با خود کز کف طفلان گهر ** پس توان آسان خریدن ای پدر
He said to himself, “From the hands of children one can buy pearls very cheaply, O father.”
عقل و ایمان را ازین طفلان گول ** می‌خرد با ملک دنیا دیو غول
From these foolish children the ghoul-like Devil is buying their reason and faith in exchange for the kingdom of this world.
آنچنان زینت دهد مردار را ** که خرد زیشان دو صد گلزار را
He decks out the carcase so finely that (with it) he buys from them two hundred rose-gardens.
آنچنان مهتاب پیماید به سحر ** کز خسان صد کیسه برباید به سحر 995
By magic he produces such moonshine that by means of (his) magic he carries off from worthless folk a hundred purses (of money).
انبیاشان تاجری آموختند ** پیش ایشان شمع دین افروختند
The prophets taught them to trade (in the spiritual market) and lighted the candle of the (true) religion before them;
دیو و غول ساحر از سحر و نبرد ** انبیا را در نظرشان زشت کرد
(But) by means of magic and in despite the devilish and ghoulish Magician caused the prophets to appear ugly in their eyes.