چون معلم بود عقلش ز ابتدا ** بعد از این شد عقل شاگردی و را1065
When his understanding has been his teacher at the beginning, after this the understanding becomes his pupil.
عقل چون جبریل گوید احمدا ** گر یکی گامی نهم سوزد مرا
The understanding says, like Gabriel, “O Ahmad (Mohammed), if I take one (more) step, it will burn me;
تو مرا بگذار زین پس پیش ران ** حد من این بود ای سلطان جان
Do thou leave me, henceforth advance (alone): this is my limit, O sultan of the soul!”
هر که ماند از کاهلی بیشکر و صبر ** او همین داند که گیرد پای جبر
Whoever, through heedlessness, remains without thanksgiving and patience (selfcontrol), knows (no resource) but this, that he should follow in the heels of necessity (jabr).
هر که جبر آورد خود رنجور کرد ** تا همان رنجوریاش در گور کرد
Any one who pleads necessity (as an excuse) feigns himself to be ill, with the result that the (feigned) illness brings him to the grave.
گفت پیغمبر که رنجوری به لاغ ** رنج آرد تا بمیرد چون چراغ1070
The Prophet said, “Illness (assumed) in jest brings (real) disease, so that he (the jester) dies like a lamp.”
جبر چه بود بستن اشکسته را ** یا بپیوستن رگی بگسسته را
What is (the meaning of) jabr? To bind up a broken (limb) or tie a severed vein.
چون در این ره پای خود نشکستهای ** بر که میخندی چه پا را بستهای
Inasmuch as you have not broken your foot in this path, whom are you mocking? Why have you bandaged your foot?
و آن که پایش در ره کوشش شکست ** در رسید او را براق و بر نشست
But as for him who broke his foot in the path of exertion, Buráq came up to him, and he mounted (and rode).
حامل دین بود او محمول شد ** قابل فرمان بد او مقبول شد
He was a bearer of the (true) religion, and he became one who is borne; he was an accepter of the (Divine) command, and he became accepted.
تا کنون فرمان پذیرفتی ز شاه ** بعد از این فرمان رساند بر سپاه1075
Until now, he was receiving commands from the King; henceforth he delivers the (King's) commands to the people.
تا کنون اختر اثر کردی در او ** بعد از این باشد امیر اختر او
Until now, the stars were influencing him; henceforth he is the ruler of the stars.
گر ترا اشکال آید در نظر ** پس تو شک داری در انشق القمر
If (on this account) perplexity arise in thy sight (mind), then thou wilt have doubts concerning The moon was cloven asunder.
تازه کن ایمان نه از گفت زبان ** ای هوا را تازه کرده در نهان
Refresh thy faith, (but) not with talk of the tongue, O thou who hast secretly refreshed thy (evil) desire.
تا هوا تازه ست ایمان تازه نیست ** کاین هوا جز قفل آن دروازه نیست
So long as desire is fresh, faith is not fresh, for ’tis this desire that locks (against thee) that gate.
کردهای تاویل حرف بکر را ** خویش را تاویل کن نی ذکر را1080
Thou hast interpreted (and altered the meaning of) the virgin (uncorrupted) Word: interpret (alter) thyself, not the (Divine) Book.
بر هوا تاویل قرآن میکنی ** پست و کژ شد از تو معنی سنی
Thou interpretest the Qur’án according to thy desire: by thee the sublime meaning is degraded and perverted.
زیافت تاویل رکیک مگس
The baseness of the foul interpretation given by the fly.
آن مگس بر برگ کاه و بول خر ** همچو کشتیبان همیافراشت سر
The fly was lifting up his head, like a pilot, on a blade of straw and (a pool of) ass's urine.
گفت من دریا و کشتی خواندهام ** مدتی در فکر آن میماندهام
“I have called (them) sea and ship,” said he; “I have been pondering over that (interpretation) for a long while.
اینک این دریا و این کشتی و من ** مرد کشتیبان و اهل و رایزن
Look! here is this sea and this ship, and I am the pilot and skilled (in navigation) and judicious.”
بر سر دریا همیراند او عمد ** مینمودش آن قدر بیرون ز حد1085
He was propelling the raft on the “sea”: that (small) quantity appeared to him illimitable.
بود بیحد آن چمین نسبت بدو ** آن نظر که بیند آن را راست کو
That urine was boundless in relation to him: where was the vision that should see it truly?
عالمش چندان بود کش بینش است ** چشم چندین بحر هم چندینش است
His world extends (just) as far as his sight reaches; his eye is so big, his “sea” is big in the same proportion.
صاحب تاویل باطل چون مگس ** وهم او بول خر و تصویر خس
So with the false interpreter (of the Qur’án): like the fly, his imagination is (foul as) ass's urine and his conception (worthless as) a straw.
گر مگس تاویل بگذارد به رای ** آن مگس را بخت گرداند همای
If the fly leave off interpreting by (following his own) opinion, Fortune will turn that fly into a humáy.