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1
1049-1098

  • ور بگویی با یکی دو الوداع ** کل سر جاوز الاثنین شاع‌‌
  • And if you tell (only) one or two (a few people), farewell (to your secret): every secret that goes beyond the twain (who share it) is published abroad.

  • گر دو سه پرنده را بندی به هم ** بر زمین مانند محبوس از الم‌‌ 1050
  • If you tie two or three birds together, they will remain on the ground, imprisoned by grief;

  • مشورت دارند سرپوشیده خوب ** در کنایت با غلط افکن مشوب‌‌
  • (But in truth) they hold a consultation well-disguised and mingled, in its (apparent) significance, with that which casts error (into the mind of any one who observes them).

  • مشورت کردی پیمبر بسته سر ** گفته ایشانش جواب و بی‌‌خبر
  • (Similarly) the Prophet used to take counsel, (speaking) cryptically, and they (his companions) would answer him and (would be) without knowledge (of his real meaning).

  • در مثالی بسته گفتی رای را ** تا نداند خصم از سر پای را
  • He would speak his opinion in a covert parable, in order that the adversary might not know foot from head.

  • او جواب خویش بگرفتی از او ** وز سؤالش می‌‌نبردی غیر بو
  • He (the Prophet) would receive his answer from him (the adversary), while the other would not catch the smell (drift) of his question.

  • قصه‌‌ی مکر خرگوش‌‌
  • The story of the hare's stratagem.

  • ساعتی تاخیر کرد اندر شدن ** بعد از آن شد پیش شیر پنجه زن‌‌ 1055
  • He delayed awhile in going, then he went before the lion who rends (his prey) with claws.

  • ز آن سبب کاندر شدن او ماند دیر ** خاک را می‌‌کند و می‌‌غرید شیر
  • Because he tarried late in going, the lion was tearing up the earth and roaring.

  • گفت من گفتم که عهد آن خسان ** خام باشد خام و سست و نارسان‌‌
  • “I said,” cried the lion, “that the promise of those vile ones would be vain—vain and frail and unfulfilled.

  • دمدمه‌‌ی ایشان مرا از خر فگند ** چند بفریبد مرا این دهر چند
  • Their palaver has duped me: how long will this Time deceive me, how long?”

  • سخت درماند امیر سست ریش ** چون نه پس بیند نه پیش از احمقیش‌‌
  • The prince that hath no strength in his beard is left sorely in the lurch when by reason of his folly he looks neither backwards nor forwards.

  • راه هموار است و زیرش دامها ** قحط معنی در میان نامها 1060
  • The road is smooth, and under it are pitfalls: amidst the names there is a dearth of meaning.

  • لفظها و نامها چون دامهاست ** لفظ شیرین ریگ آب عمر ماست‌‌
  • Words and names are like pitfalls: the sweet (flattering) word is the sand for (the sand that sucks up) the water of our life.

  • آن یکی ریگی که جوشد آب ازو ** سخت کمیاب است رو آن را بجو
  • The one sand whence water gushes is seldom to be found: go, seek it.

  • منبع حکمت شود حکمت طلب ** فارغ آید او ز تحصیل و سبب‌‌
  • He that searches after wisdom becomes a fountain of wisdom; he becomes independent of acquisition and (ways and) means.

  • لوح حافظ لوح محفوظی شود ** عقل او از روح محظوظی شود
  • The guarding tablet becomes a Guarded Tablet; his understanding becomes enriched by the Spirit.

  • چون معلم بود عقلش ز ابتدا ** بعد از این شد عقل شاگردی و را 1065
  • When his understanding has been his teacher at the beginning, after this the understanding becomes his pupil.

  • عقل چون جبریل گوید احمدا ** گر یکی گامی نهم سوزد مرا
  • The understanding says, like Gabriel, “O Ahmad (Mohammed), if I take one (more) step, it will burn me;

  • تو مرا بگذار زین پس پیش ران ** حد من این بود ای سلطان جان‌‌
  • Do thou leave me, henceforth advance (alone): this is my limit, O sultan of the soul!”

  • هر که ماند از کاهلی بی‌‌شکر و صبر ** او همین داند که گیرد پای جبر
  • Whoever, through heedlessness, remains without thanksgiving and patience (selfcontrol), knows (no resource) but this, that he should follow in the heels of necessity (jabr).

  • هر که جبر آورد خود رنجور کرد ** تا همان رنجوری‌‌اش در گور کرد
  • Any one who pleads necessity (as an excuse) feigns himself to be ill, with the result that the (feigned) illness brings him to the grave.

  • گفت پیغمبر که رنجوری به لاغ ** رنج آرد تا بمیرد چون چراغ‌‌ 1070
  • The Prophet said, “Illness (assumed) in jest brings (real) disease, so that he (the jester) dies like a lamp.”

  • جبر چه بود بستن اشکسته را ** یا بپیوستن رگی بگسسته را
  • What is (the meaning of) jabr? To bind up a broken (limb) or tie a severed vein.

  • چون در این ره پای خود نشکسته‌‌ای ** بر که می‌‌خندی چه پا را بسته‌‌ای‌‌
  • Inasmuch as you have not broken your foot in this path, whom are you mocking? Why have you bandaged your foot?

  • و آن که پایش در ره کوشش شکست ** در رسید او را براق و بر نشست‌‌
  • But as for him who broke his foot in the path of exertion, Buráq came up to him, and he mounted (and rode).

  • حامل دین بود او محمول شد ** قابل فرمان بد او مقبول شد
  • He was a bearer of the (true) religion, and he became one who is borne; he was an accepter of the (Divine) command, and he became accepted.

  • تا کنون فرمان پذیرفتی ز شاه ** بعد از این فرمان رساند بر سپاه‌‌ 1075
  • Until now, he was receiving commands from the King; henceforth he delivers the (King's) commands to the people.

  • تا کنون اختر اثر کردی در او ** بعد از این باشد امیر اختر او
  • Until now, the stars were influencing him; henceforth he is the ruler of the stars.

  • گر ترا اشکال آید در نظر ** پس تو شک داری در انشق القمر
  • If (on this account) perplexity arise in thy sight (mind), then thou wilt have doubts concerning The moon was cloven asunder.

  • تازه کن ایمان نه از گفت زبان ** ای هوا را تازه کرده در نهان‌‌
  • Refresh thy faith, (but) not with talk of the tongue, O thou who hast secretly refreshed thy (evil) desire.

  • تا هوا تازه ست ایمان تازه نیست ** کاین هوا جز قفل آن دروازه نیست‌‌
  • So long as desire is fresh, faith is not fresh, for ’tis this desire that locks (against thee) that gate.

  • کرده‌‌ای تاویل حرف بکر را ** خویش را تاویل کن نی ذکر را 1080
  • Thou hast interpreted (and altered the meaning of) the virgin (uncorrupted) Word: interpret (alter) thyself, not the (Divine) Book.

  • بر هوا تاویل قرآن می‌‌کنی ** پست و کژ شد از تو معنی سنی‌‌
  • Thou interpretest the Qur’án according to thy desire: by thee the sublime meaning is degraded and perverted.

  • زیافت تاویل رکیک مگس‌‌
  • The baseness of the foul interpretation given by the fly.

  • آن مگس بر برگ کاه و بول خر ** همچو کشتی‌‌بان همی‌‌افراشت سر
  • The fly was lifting up his head, like a pilot, on a blade of straw and (a pool of) ass's urine.

  • گفت من دریا و کشتی خوانده‌‌ام ** مدتی در فکر آن می‌‌مانده‌‌ام‌‌
  • “I have called (them) sea and ship,” said he; “I have been pondering over that (interpretation) for a long while.

  • اینک این دریا و این کشتی و من ** مرد کشتیبان و اهل و رایزن‌‌
  • Look! here is this sea and this ship, and I am the pilot and skilled (in navigation) and judicious.”

  • بر سر دریا همی‌‌راند او عمد ** می‌‌نمودش آن قدر بیرون ز حد 1085
  • He was propelling the raft on the “sea”: that (small) quantity appeared to him illimitable.

  • بود بی‌‌حد آن چمین نسبت بدو ** آن نظر که بیند آن را راست کو
  • That urine was boundless in relation to him: where was the vision that should see it truly?

  • عالمش چندان بود کش بینش است ** چشم چندین بحر هم چندینش است‌‌
  • His world extends (just) as far as his sight reaches; his eye is so big, his “sea” is big in the same proportion.

  • صاحب تاویل باطل چون مگس ** وهم او بول خر و تصویر خس‌‌
  • So with the false interpreter (of the Qur’án): like the fly, his imagination is (foul as) ass's urine and his conception (worthless as) a straw.

  • گر مگس تاویل بگذارد به رای ** آن مگس را بخت گرداند همای‌‌
  • If the fly leave off interpreting by (following his own) opinion, Fortune will turn that fly into a humáy.

  • آن مگس نبود کش این عبرت بود ** روح او نی در خور صورت بود 1090
  • One who possesses this (Divine) indication (of the true meaning) is not a fly: his spirit is not analogous to his (outward) form.

  • تولیدن شیر از دیر آمدن خرگوش‌‌
  • How the lion roared wrathfully because the hare was late in coming.

  • همچو آن خرگوش کاو بر شیر زد ** روح او کی بود اندر خورد قد
  • As (for example) the hare who struck against the lion: how was his spirit analogous to his stature?

  • شیر می‌‌گفت از سر تیزی و خشم ** کز ره گوشم عدو بر بست چشم‌‌
  • The lion from fury and rage was saying, “By means of my ear the enemy has bound up my eye.

  • مکرهای جبریانم بسته کرد ** تیغ چوبینشان تنم را خسته کرد
  • The tricks of the necessitarians have bound me (in captivity); their wooden sword has wounded my body.

  • زین سپس من نشنوم آن دمدمه ** بانگ دیوان است و غولان آن همه‌‌
  • After this I will not hearken to their palaver: all that is (only meant to deceive, like) the cry of demons and ghouls.

  • بردران ای دل تو ایشان را مه‌‌ایست ** پوستشان بر کن کشان جز پوست نیست‌‌ 1095
  • O my heart, tear them to pieces, do not lag; rend their skins, for they have naught but skin.”

  • پوست چه بود گفتهای رنگ رنگ ** چون زره بر آب کش نبود درنگ‌‌
  • What is skin? Specious words, like ripples on water which have no continuance.

  • این سخن چون پوست و معنی مغز دان ** این سخن چون نقش و معنی همچو جان‌‌
  • Know that these words are as the skin (rind), and the meaning is (as) the kernel; these words are as the form, and the meaning is like the spirit.

  • پوست باشد مغز بد را عیب پوش ** مغز نیکو را ز غیرت غیب پوش‌‌
  • The skin hides the defect of the bad kernel; it (also) hides jealously the secrets of the good kernel.