سحر عین است این عجب لطف خفی است ** بر تو نقش گرگ و بر من یوسفی است3755
Is this an enchantment of the eye? (Or) is it a marvellous hidden grace? On thee is the form of the wolf, and on me is the quality (beauty) of Joseph.
عالم ار هجده هزار است و فزون ** هر نظر را نیست این هجده زبون
If the worlds are eighteen thousand and more, these eighteen (thousand) are not subject (accessible) to every eye.
راز بگشا ای علی مرتضی ** ای پس سوء القضاء حسن القضاء
“Reveal the mystery, O ‘Alí, thou who art approved (by God), O thou who art (like) the goodliness of a wide expanse after (the oppressive confinement of) evil fate.
یا تو واگو آن چه عقلت یافته ست ** یا بگویم آن چه بر من تافته ست
Either do thou declare that which thy reason hath found, or I will tell that which hath shone forth on me.
از تو بر من تافت چون داری نهان ** میفشانی نور چون مه بیزبان
From thee it shone forth on me: how shouldst thou hide it? Without tongue thou art scattering light, like the moon.
لیک اگر در گفت آید قرص ماه ** شب روان را زودتر آرد به راه3760
But if the moon's orb come to speech, it more quickly leads the night-travellers into the (right) way.
از غلط ایمن شوند و از ذهول ** بانگ مه غالب شود بر بانگ غول
They become safe from error and heedlessness: the voice of the moon prevails over the voice of the ghoul.
ماه بیگفتن چو باشد رهنما ** چون بگوید شد ضیا اندر ضیا
Inasmuch as the moon (even) without speech is showing the way, when it speaks it becomes light upon light.
چون تو بابی آن مدینهی علم را ** چون شعاعی آفتاب حلم را
Since thou art the gate of the city of Knowledge, since thou art the beams of the sun of Clemency,
باز باش ای باب بر جویای باب ** تا رسد از تو قشور اندر لباب
Be open, O Gate, to him that seeks the gate, so that by means of thee the husks may reach the core.
باز باش ای باب رحمت تا ابد ** بارگاه ما له کفوا أحد3765
Be open unto everlasting, O Gate of Mercy, O Entrance-hall to None is like unto Him.”
هر هوا و ذرهای خود منظری است ** ناگشاده کی گود کانجا دری است
Every air and mote is indeed a place for vision (of God), (but so long as it is) unopened, who says “Yonder is a door”?
تا بنگشاید دری را ديدبان ** در درون هرگیز نجنبك این گمان
Unless the Watcher open a door, this idea never stirs within.
چون گشاه شد دری حیران شود ** مرغ اومید و طمع پُران شود
When a door is opened, he (on whom this idea has dawned) becomes amazed, the bird of hope and desire begins to fly.
غافلی ناگه به ویران گنج یافت ** سوی هر ویران از آن پس میشتافت
A careless man suddenly found the treasure in the ruin: after that, he was hastening to (search in) every ruin.
تا ز درویشی نیابی تو گهر ** کی گهر جویی ز درویشی دگر3770
Till you gain the pearl from one dervish, how should you seek the pearl from another dervish?
Though opinion run with its own feet for (many) years, it will not pass beyond the cleft of its own nostrils.
تا به بینی نایدت از غیب بو ** غیر بینی هیچ میبینی بگو
Until the scent from the Unseen shall come to your nose, say, will you see anything except your nose?
سوال کردن آن کافر از امیر المومنین علی علیه السلام که بر چون منی مظفر شدی شمشیر را از دست چون انداختی // پس بگفت آن نومسلمان ولی ** از سر مستی و لذت با علی
How that infidel asked 'Ali, may God honour his person, saying, "Since thou wert victorious over such a man,as I am, how didst thou drop the sword from thy hand?" // Then that devoted friend, who had been newly converted to Islam, in his enthusiasm and delight said to 'Ali,
که بفرما یا امیر المومنین.** تا بجنبد جان به تن در چون جنین
He said, "Speak, O Prince of the Faithful, that my soul may stir within my body, like the embryo."
هفت اختر هر جنین را مدتی ** میکنند ای جان به نوبت خدمتی
O (dear) soul, the seven planets, (each) in turn, do a (particular) service for a time to every embryo.
چون که وقت آید که جان گیرد جنین ** آفتابش آن زمان گردد معین3775
When the time comes for the embryo to receive the (vital) spirit, at that time the sun becomes its helper.
این جنین در جنبش آید ز آفتاب ** کافتابش جان همیبخشد شتاب
This embryo is brought into movement by the sun, for the sun is quickly endowing it with spirit.
از دگر انجم بجز نقشی نیافت ** این جنین تا آفتابش بر نتافت
From the other stars this embryo received only an impression, until the sun shone upon it.
از کدامین ره تعلق یافت او ** در رحم با آفتاب خوب رو
By which way did it become connected in the womb with the beauteous sun?
از ره پنهان که دور از حس ماست ** آفتاب چرخ را بس راههاست
By the hidden way that is remote from our sense-perception. The sun in heaven hath many ways: