حرف آموزد ولی سر قدیم ** او نداند طوطی است او نی ندیم 1440
He learns the words, but the eternal mystery he cannot know, for he is a parrot, not a boon-companion.
هم صفیر مرغ آموزند خلق ** کین سخن کار دهان افتاد و حلق
Likewise, people learn the note of birds, for this speech (of birds) is an affair of the mouth and throat;
لیک از معنی مرغان بی‌خبر ** جز سلیمان قرانی خوش‌نظر
But (all are) ignorant of the birds' meaning, except an august Solomon of goodly insight.
حرف درویشان بسی آموختند ** منبر و محفل بدان افروختند
Many learned the language of (true) dervishes and gave lustre therewith to the pulpit and assembly-place.
یا به جز آن حرفشان روزی نبود ** یا در آخر رحمت آمد ره نمود
Either nothing was bestowed upon them except those (formal) expressions, or at last (the Divine) mercy came and revealed the (right) way.
صاحب‌دلی دید سگ حامله در شکم آن سگ‌بچگان بانگ می‌کردند در تعجب ماند کی حکمت بانگ سگ پاسبانیست بانگ در اندرون شکم مادر پاسبانی نیست و نیز بانگ جهت یاری خواستن و شیر خواستن باشد و غیره و آنجا هیچ این فایده‌ها نیست چون به خویش آمد با حضرت مناجات کرد و ما یعلم تاویله الا الله جواب آمد کی آن صورت حال قومیست از حجاب بیرون نیامده و چشم دل باز ناشده دعوی بصیرت کنند و مقالات گویند از آن نی ایشان را قوتی و یاریی رسد و نه مستمعان را هدایتی و رشدی
A mystic saw a bitch big with young, in whose womb the young were barking. He remained in amazement, saying, “The reason of a dog's barking is to keep watch (against strangers): to bark in the mother's womb is not (for the purpose of) keeping watch; and, again, barking may be a call for help, or its cause may be a desire for milk, etc.; and there is no such purpose in this case.” When he came to himself, he made supplication to God—and none knoweth the interpretation thereof except Allah. Answer came: “It represents the state of a party who pretend to (spiritual) insight and utter (mystical) sayings without having come forth from the veil (of materiality) and before the eyes of their hearts have been opened. Thence neither to themselves do strength and support accrue, nor to their hearers any guidance and right direction.”
آن یکی می‌دید خواب اندر چله ** در رهی ماده سگی بد حامله 1445
During a chila (forty days' religious seclusion), a certain man dreamed that he saw a bitch big with young on a road.
ناگهان آواز سگ‌بچگان شنید ** سگ‌بچه اندر شکم بد ناپدید
Suddenly he heard the cry of puppies: the puppies were in the womb, invisible.
بس عجب آمد ورا آن بانگها ** سگ‌بچه اندر شکم چون زد ندا
The yelps astonished him exceedingly: (he wondered) how the puppies called out in the womb.
سگ‌بچه اندر شکم ناله کنان ** هیچ‌کس دیدست این اندر جهان
Puppies howling in the womb—“has any one,” (he thought), “ever seen this in the world?”
چون بجست از واقعه آمد به خویش ** حیرت او دم به دم می‌گشت بیش
When he sprang up from his dream and came to himself, his perplexity was increasing at every moment.
در چله کس نی که گردد عقده حل ** جز که درگاه خدا عز و جل 1450
During the chila there was none by whom the knot should be untied except the Presence of God Almighty and Glorious.
گفت یا رب زین شکال و گفت و گو ** در چله وا مانده‌ام از ذکر تو
He said, “O Lord, on account of this difficulty and debate I am deprived of recollection (dhikr) of Thee during the chila.
پر من بگشای تا پران شوم ** در حدیقه‌ی ذکر و سیبستان شوم
Loose my wings, that I may soar and enter the garden of recollection and the apple-orchard (of gnosis).”
آمدش آواز هاتف در زمان ** که آن مثالی دان ز لاف جاهلان
At once (in reply) there came to him a mysterious voice, saying, “Know that it is an emblem of the idle talk of the ignorant,
کز حجاب و پرده بیرون نامده ** چشم بسته بیهده گویان شده
Who, without having come forth from the veil and curtain, (being) blindfold have begun to speak in vain.”
بانگ سگ اندر شکم باشد زیان ** نه شکارانگیز و نه شب پاسبان 1455
The yelp of the dog in the womb is (useless) loss: (in such a case) he is neither a starter of hunted animals nor a keeper of watch by night.
گرگ نادیده که منع او بود ** دزد نادیده که دفع او شود
He has not seen the wolf, so as to prevent him; he has not seen the robber, so as to repel him.
از حریصی وز هوای سروری ** در نظر کند و بلافیدن جری
He (a man of this sort), because of covetousness and desire for eminence, is dull as regards (spiritual) vision and bold in prating.
از هوای مشتری و گرم‌دار ** بی بصیرت پا نهاده در فشار
From desire for the purchaser and warm admirer, (being) devoid of insight, he begins to talk nonsense.
ماه نادیده نشانها می‌دهد ** روستایی را بدان کژ می‌نهد
Without having seen the Moon, he gives indications: thereby he perverts (misleads) the (ignorant) countryman.
از برای مشتری در وصف ماه ** صد نشان نادیده گوید بهر جاه 1460
On account of the purchaser he gives a hundred indications describing the Moon which he has never seen, for the sake of (gaining) power.
مشتری کو سود دارد خود یکیست ** لیک ایشان را درو ریب و شکیست
There is in truth one Purchaser who is profitable, but concerning Him they (these impostors) have a (great) suspicion and doubt.
از هوای مشتری بی‌شکوه ** مشتری را باد دادند این گروه
In their desire for the inglorious purchaser, these people have thrown the (real) Purchaser to the winds.
مشتری ماست الله اشتری ** از غم هر مشتری هین برتر آ
He is our Purchaser—God hath purchased: hark, rise above anxiety for any (other) purchaser.
مشتریی جو که جویان توست ** عالم آغاز و پایان توست
Seek the Purchaser who is seeking thee, One who knows thy beginning and end.