وزر او و صد وزیر و صد هزار ** نیست گرداند خدا از یک شرار
God by a single spark (of His mercy) maketh naught his (the vizier's) burden (of sin) and (the burden) of a hundred viziers and a hundred thousand.
عین آن تخییل را حکمت کند ** عین آن زهر آب را شربت کند545
He maketh the essence of that (false) imagination to be wisdom; He maketh the essence of that poisoned water to be a (wholesome) drink.
آن گمان انگیز را سازد یقین ** مهرها رویاند از اسباب کین
That which raises doubt He turneth into certainty; He maketh loving kindnesses grow from the causes of hatred.
پرورد در آتش ابراهیم را ** ایمنی روح سازد بیم را
He cherisheth Abraham in the fire; He turneth fear into security of spirit.
از سبب سوزیش من سوداییام ** در خیالاتش چو سوفسطاییام
By His burning (destroying) of secondary causes I am distraught; in (my) fancies of Him I am like a sophist (sceptic or agnostic).
مکر دیگر انگیختن وزیر در اضلال قوم
How the vizier started another plan to mislead the (Christian) folk.
مکر دیگر آن وزیر از خود ببست ** وعظ را بگذاشت و در خلوت نشست
The vizier formed in his mind another plan: he abandoned preaching and sat alone in seclusion.
در مریدان در فکند از شوق سوز ** بود در خلوت چهل پنجاه روز550
He inspired ardour in his disciples from (their) longing (to see him); he remained in seclusion forty or fifty days.
خلق دیوانه شدند از شوق او ** از فراق حال و قال و ذوق او
The people became mad from longing for him and on account of being separated from his (spiritual) feeling and discourse and intuition.
لابه و زاری همیکردند و او ** از ریاضت گشته در خلوت دو تو
They were making supplication and lament, while he in solitude was bent double by austerities.
گفته ایشان نیست ما را بیتو نور ** بیعصا کش چون بود احوال کور
They said, “Without thee we have no light: how (what) is the state of a blind man without a leader?
از سر اکرام و از بهر خدا ** بیش از این ما را مدار از خود جدا
By way of showing favour (to us) and for God's sake, do not keep us parted from thee any longer.
ما چو طفلانیم و ما را دایه تو ** بر سر ما گستران آن سایه تو555
We are as children and thou art our nurse: do thou spread over us that shadow (of thy protection).”
گفت جانم از محبان دور نیست ** لیک بیرون آمدن دستور نیست
He said, “My soul is not far from them that love (me), but there is no permission to come forth.”
آن امیران در شفاعت آمدند ** و آن مریدان در شناعت آمدند
Those amírs came for intercession, and the disciples came in reproach,
کاین چه بد بختی است ما را ای کریم ** از دل و دین مانده ما بیتو یتیم
Saying, “O noble sir, what a misfortune is this for us! Without thee we are left orphaned (deprived) of our hearts and our religion.
تو بهانه میکنی و ما ز درد ** میزنیم از سوز دل دمهای سرد
Thou art making a pretence while we in grief are heaving cold (fruitless) sighs from the burning heat of our hearts.
ما به گفتار خوشت خو کردهایم ** ما ز شیر حکمت تو خوردهایم560
We have become accustomed to thy sweet discourse, we have drunk of the milk of thy wisdom.
الله الله این جفا با ما مکن ** خیر کن امروز را فردا مکن
Allah! Allah! do not thou (O vizier) treat us with such cruelty: show kindness to-day, do not (put off till) to-morrow.
میدهد دل مر ترا کاین بیدلان ** بیتو گردند آخر از بیحاصلان
Does thy heart give to thee (consent) that these who have lost their hearts (to thee) should at last, being without thee, become (numbered) amongst them that have nothing left?
جمله در خشکی چو ماهی میتپند ** آب را بگشا ز جو بر دار بند
They all are writhing like fishes on dry land: let loose the water, remove the dam from the stream.
ای که چون تو در زمانه نیست کس ** الله الله خلق را فریاد رس
O thou like whom there is none in the world, for God's sake, for God's sake, come to the aid of thy people!”
دفع گفتن وزیر مریدان را
How the vizier refused the request of the disciples.
گفت هان ای سخرگان گفتوگو ** وعظ و گفتار زبان و گوش جو565
He said: “Beware, O ye enslaved by words and talk, ye who seek admonition and discourse (conveyed) by the tongue and (through the) ear.
پنبه اندر گوش حس دون کنید ** بند حس از چشم خود بیرون کنید
Put cotton-wool in the ear of the low (physical) sense, take off the bandage of (that) sense from your eyes!
پنبهی آن گوش سر گوش سر است ** تا نگردد این کر آن باطن کر است
The ear of the head is the cotton-wool of the ear of the conscience: until the former becomes deaf, that inward (ear) is deaf.
بیحس و بیگوش و بیفکرت شوید ** تا خطاب ارجعی را بشنوید
Become without sense and without ear and without thought, that ye may hear the call (of God to the soul), ‘Return!’”