همچو ز آتش ذرهای در بیشهها ** اندر آن ذره شود بیشه فنا 3395
As (when) a mote of fire (falls) amidst forests, the (whole) forest passes away in that mote;
چون خیالی در دل شه یا سپاه ** کرد اندر جنگ خصمان را تباه
(Or) as (when) a phantasy (appears) in the heart of a king or his army, (a phantasy which) destroyed his enemies in war.
یک ستاره در محمد رخ نمود ** تا فنا شد گوهر گبر و جهود
A star (of Divine illumination) appeared in Mohammed, so that the substance of (the beliefs of) Magian and Jew passed away.
آنک ایمان یافت رفت اندر امان ** کفرهای باقیان شد دو گمان
He that received the Faith entered into security; the infidelities of the rest became (a matter on which there were) two opinions.
کفر صرف اولین باری نماند ** یا مسلمانی و یا بیمی نشاند
At any rate, their first pure (entire) unbelief did not remain (with them): it (the star of Mohammed) planted (in them) either (formal acceptance of) Islam or a (great) dread (of it).
این به حیله آب و روغن کردنیست ** این مثلها کفو ذرهی نور نیست 3400
This (description of the Faith of Báyazíd) is a (mere) makeshift varnishing: these similes are not equivalent to the mote of (Divine light).
ذره نبود جز حقیری منجسم ** ذره نبود شارق لا ینقسم
A mote is only a paltry bodily thing: a mote is not the indivisible Sun.
گفتن ذره مرادی دان خفی ** محرم دریا نهای این دم کفی
Know that (my) calling it (the Sun) a mote has a purpose hidden (from thee, for) thou art not familiar with the Sea: at present thou art (but) the foam.
آفتاب نیر ایمان شیخ ** گر نماید رخ ز شرق جان شیخ
If the luminous sun of the Shaykh's Faith should display itself from the Orient of the Shaykh's spirit,
جمله پستی گنج گیرد تا ثری ** جمله بالا خلد گیرد اخضری
All below, down to the moist clay (beneath the earth's crust), would gain (abundant) treasure, and all above would gain a verdant Paradise.
او یکی جان دارد از نور منیر ** او یکی تن دارد از خاک حقیر 3405
He hath a spirit of resplendent light, he hath a body of despicable earth.
ای عجب اینست او یا آن بگو ** که بماندم اندرین مشکل عمو
Oh, I wonder whether he is this or that. Tell (me), uncle, for I am left (helpless) in this difficulty.
گر وی اینست ای برادر چیست آن ** پر شده از نور او هفت آسمان
O brother, if he is this, (then) what is that?—for the Seven Heavens are filled with its light—
ور وی آنست این بدن ای دوست چیست ** ای عجب زین دو کدامین است و کیست
And if he is that (spirit), (then) what is this body, my friend? Oh, I wonder which of these twain he is and who?
حکایت آن زن کی گفت شوهر را کی گوشت را گربه خورد شوهر گربه را به ترازو بر کشید گربه نیم من برآمد گفت ای زن گوشت نیم من بود و افزون اگر این گوشتست گربه کو و اگر این گربه است گوشت کو
Story of the woman who told her husband that the cat had eaten the meat, (whereupon) the husband put the cat in the balance (in order to weigh her). (Finding that) her weight amounted to half a “mann”, he said, “O wife, the meat weighed half a ‘mann’ and more. If this is the meat, where is the cat? Or if this is the cat, where is the meat?”
بود مردی کدخدا او را زنی ** سخت طناز و پلید و رهزنی
There was a man, a householder, who had a very sneering, dirty, and rapacious wife.
هرچه آوردی تلف کردیش زن ** مرد مضطر بود اندر تن زدن 3410
Whatever (food) he brought (home), his wife would consume it, and the man was forced to keep silence.
بهر مهمان گوشت آورد آن معیل ** سوی خانه با دو صد جهد طویل
(One day) that family man brought home, for a guest, (some) meat (which he had procured) with infinite pains.
زن بخوردش با کباب و با شراب ** مرد آمد گفت دفع ناصواب
His wife ate it up with kabáb and wine: (when) the man came in, she put him off with useless words.
مرد گفتش گوشت کو مهمان رسید ** پیش مهمان لوت میباید کشید
The man said to her, “Where is the meat? The guest has arrived: one must set nice food before a guest.”
گفت زن این گربه خورد آن گوشت را ** گوشت دیگر خر اگر باشد هلا
“This cat has eaten the meat,” she replied: “hey, go and buy some more meat if you can!”
گفت ای ایبک ترازو را بیار ** گربه را من بر کشم اندر عیار 3415
He said (to the servant), “O Aybak, fetch the balance: I will weigh the cat.
بر کشیدش بود گربه نیم من ** پس بگفت آن مرد کای محتال زن
He weighed her. The cat was half a mann. Then the man said, “O deceitful wife,
گوشت نیم من بود و افزون یک ستیر ** هست گربه نیممن هم ای ستیر
The meat was half a mann and one sitír over; the cat is just half a mann, my lady.
این اگر گربهست پس آن گوشت کو ** ور بود این گوشت گربه کو بجو
If this is the cat, then where is the meat? Or, if this is the meat, where is the cat? Search (for her)!”
بایزید ار این بود آن روح چیست ** ور وی آن روحست این تصویر کیست
If Báyazíd is this (body), what is that spirit? And if he is that spirit, who is this (bodily) image?