غیر تو هر چه خوش است و ناخوش است ** آدمی سوز است و عین آتش است‌‌

Excepting Thee (alone), whatsoever is sweet or unsweet is man-destroying and the essence of fire.

هر که را آتش پناه و پشت شد ** هم مجوسی گشت و هم زردشت شد

Any one to whom fire is a refuge and support becomes both a Magian and a Zoroaster.

کل شی‌‌ء ما خلا الله باطل ** إن فضل الله غیم هاطل‌‌

Everything except Allah is vain: verily the grace of Allah is a cloud pouring abundantly and continually.

باز گشتن به حکایت امیر المؤمنین علی کرم الله وجهه و مسامحت کردن او با خونی خویش‌‌

Returning to the story of ‘Alí—may God honour his person!— and how generously he behaved to his murderer.

باز رو سوی علی و خونی‌‌اش ** و آن کرم با خونی و افزونی‌‌اش‌‌

Go back to ‘Alí and his murderer, and the kindness he showed to the murderer, and his superiority (moral and spiritual excellence).

گفت دشمن را همی بینم به چشم ** روز و شب بر وی ندارم هیچ خشم 3925

He said, “Day and night I see the enemy with my eyes, (but) I have no anger against him,

ز آنکه مرگم همچو من خوش آمده ست ** مرگ من در بعث چنگ اندر زده ست‌‌

Because death has become sweet as manna to me: my death has laid fast hold of resurrection.”

مرگ بی‌‌مرگی بود ما را حلال ** برگ بی‌‌برگی بود ما را نوال‌‌

The death of deathlessness is lawful to us, the provision of unprovidedness is a bounty to us.

ظاهرش مرگ و به باطن زندگی ** ظاهرش ابتر نهان پایندگی‌‌

’Tis death outwardly but life inwardly: apparently ’tis a cutting-off (decease), in secret (in reality) ’tis permanence (life without end).

در رحم زادن جنین را رفتن است ** در جهان او را ز نو بشکفتن است‌‌

To the embryo in the womb birth is a going (to another state of existence): in the world it (the embryo) blossoms anew.

چون مرا سوی اجل عشق و هواست ** نهی لا تلقوا بأيدیکم مراست‌‌ 3930

“Since I have intense love and longing for death, the prohibition do not cast yourselves (into destruction) is (meant) for me,

ز آنکه نهی از دانه‌‌ی شیرین بود ** تلخ را خود نهی حاجت کی شود

Because (only) the sweet berry is prohibited; (for) how should it become necessary to prohibit the sour one?

دانه‌‌ای که تلخ باشد مغز و پوست ** تلخی و مکروهی‌‌اش خود نهی اوست‌‌

The berry that has a sour kernel and rind—its very sourness and disagreeableness are (serve as) a prohibition of it.

دانه‌‌ی مردن مرا شیرین شده ست ** بل هم احیاء پی من آمده ست‌‌

To me the berry of dying has become sweet: (the text) nay, they are living has come (from God) on my account.

اقتلونی یا ثقاتی لائما ** إن فی قتلی حیاتی دایما

Slay me, my trusty friends, slay me, vile as I am: verily, in my being slain is my life for evermore.

إن فی موتی حیاتی یا فتی ** کم أفارق موطنی حتی متی‌‌ 3935

Verily, in my death is my life, O youth—how long shall I be parted from my home? Until when?

فرقتی لو لم تکن فی ذا السکون ** لم یقل إنا إليه راجعون‌‌

If there were not in my staying (in this world) my separation (from God), He would not have said, ‘Verily, we are returning to Him.’”

راجع آن باشد که باز آید به شهر ** سوی وحدت آید از تفریق دهر

The returning one is he that comes back to his (native) city, and (fleeing) from the separation (plurality) of Time approaches the Unity.

افتادن رکابدار هر باری پیش علی کرم الله وجهه که ای امیر المؤمنین از بهر خدا مرا بکش و از این قضا برهان‌‌

How the stirrup-holder of ‘Alí, may God honour his person, came (to him), saying, “For God's sake, kill me and deliver me from this doom.”

باز آمد کای علی زودم بکش ** تا نبینم آن دم و وقت ترش‌‌

“He came back, saying, ‘O‘ Alí, kill me quickly, that I may not see that bitter moment and hour.

من حلالت می‌‌کنم خونم بریز ** تا نبیند چشم من آن رستخیز

Shed my blood, I make it lawful to thee, so that my eye may not behold that resurrection’.

گفتم ار هر ذره‌‌ای خونی شود ** خنجر اندر کف به قصد تو رود 3940

I said, ‘If every atom should become a murderer and, dagger in hand, go to attack thee,

یک سر مو از تو نتواند برید ** چون قلم بر تو چنان خطی کشید

None (of them) could cut from thee the tip of a single hair, since the Pen has written against thee such a line (of doom).

لیک بی‌‌غم شو شفیع تو منم ** خواجه‌‌ی روحم نه مملوک تنم‌‌

But do not grieve: I am intercessor for thee: I am the spirit's master, I am not the body's slave.

پیش من این تن ندارد قیمتی ** بی‌‌تن خویشم فتی ابن الفتی‌‌

This body hath no value in my sight: without my body I am the noble (in spirit), the son of the noble.

خنجر و شمشیر شد ریحان من ** مرگ من شد بزم و نرگسدان من‌‌

Dagger and sword have become my sweet basil: my death has become my banquet and narcissus-pot.’”

آن که او تن را بدین سان پی کند ** حرص میری و خلافت کی کند 3945

He that hamstrings (mortifies) his body in this fashion, how should he covet the Princedom and the Caliphate?