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 بود1090
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 نیست1095
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.
چون قلم از باد بد دفتر ز آب ** هر چه بنویسی فنا گردد شتاب
When the pen is of wind and the scroll of water, whatever you write perishes speedily;
نقش آب است ار وفا جویی از آن ** باز گردی دستهای خود گزان1100
It is written on water: if you seek constancy from it, you will return biting your hands (in disappointment).
باد در مردم هوا و آرزوست ** چون هوا بگذاشتی پیغام هوست
The wind in men is vanity and desire; when you have abandoned vanity, (then) is (the time for) the message from Him (God).
خوش بود پیغامهای کردگار ** کاو ز سر تا پای باشد پایدار
Sweet are the messages of the Maker, for it (that message) from head to foot (from first to last) is enduring.
خطبهی شاهان بگردد و آن کیا ** جز کیا و خطبههای انبیا
The khutbas for kings change (and pass), and their empire; (all will pass) except the empire and khutbas (insignia) of the prophets,
ز آن که بوش پادشاهان از هواست ** بار نامهی انبیا از کبریاست
Because the pomp of kings is from (earthly) vanity, (while) the glorious privilege of the prophets is from (Divine) Majesty.
از درمها نام شاهان بر کنند ** نام احمد تا ابد بر میزنند1105
The names of kings are removed from the dirhems, (but) the name of Ahmad (Mohammed) is stamped on them for ever.
نام احمد نام جمله انبیاست ** چون که صد آمد نود هم پیش ماست
The name of Ahmad is the name of all the prophets: when the hundred comes (is counted), ninety is with us as well.
هم در بیان مکر خرگوش
Further setting forth the stratagem of the hare.
در شدن خرگوش بس تاخیر کرد ** مکر را با خویشتن تقریر کرد
The hare made much delay in going; he rehearsed to himself the tricks (which he was about to play).
در ره آمد بعد تاخیر دراز ** تا به گوش شیر گوید یک دو راز
After long delay he came on (took) the road, that he might say one or two secrets into the ear of the lion.
تا چه عالمهاست در سودای عقل ** تا چه با پهناست این دریای عقل
Think what words are in the core (inmost consciousness) of Reason.
صورت ما اندر این بحر عذاب ** میدود چون کاسهها بر روی آب1110
In this sweet ocean our forms are moving fast, like cups on the surface of water:
تا نشد پر بر سر دریا چو طشت ** چون که پر شد طشت در وی غرق گشت
Until they become full, (they float) like bowls on the top of the sea, (but) when the bowl is filled it sinks therein.
عقل پنهان است و ظاهر عالمی ** صورت ما موج یا از وی نمی
Reason is hidden, and (only) a world (of phenomena) is visible: our forms are the waves or a spray of it (of that hidden ocean).
هر چه صورت می وسیلت سازدش ** ز آن وسیلت بحر دور اندازدش
Whatsoever (thing) the form makes (uses as) a means of approach to It (to Reason), by that (same) means the ocean (of Reason) casts it (the form) far away.
تا نبیند دل دهندهی راز را ** تا نبیند تیر دور انداز را
So long as the heart does not see the Giver of (its) conscience, so long as the arrow does not see the far-shooting Archer,
اسب خود را یاوه داند وز ستیز ** میدواند اسب خود در راه تیز1115
He (who is thus blind) thinks his horse is lost, though (all the while) he is obstinately speeding his horse on the road.
اسب خود را یاوه داند آن جواد ** و اسب خود او را کشان کرده چو باد
That fine fellow thinks his horse is lost, while the horse in truth is sweeping him onward like the wind.
در فغان و جستجو آن خیرهسر ** هر طرف پرسان و جویان دربدر
In lamentation and inquiry that scatterbrain (runs) from door to door in every direction, asking and searching:
کان که دزدید اسب ما را کو و کیست ** این که زیر ران تست ای خواجه چیست
“Where and who is he that stole my horse?” What is this (animal) under thy thigh, O master?
آری این اسب است لیک این اسب کو ** با خود آ ای شهسوار اسب جو
“Yes, this is the horse, but where is this horse?” O dexterous rider in search of thy horse, come to thyself!
جان ز پیدایی و نزدیکی است گم ** چون شکم پر آب و لب خشکی چو خم1120
The Spirit is lost (to view) because of its being so manifest and near: how, having thy belly full of water, art thou dry-lipped like a jar?
کی ببینی سرخ و سبز و فور را ** تا نبینی پیش از این سه نور را
How wilt thou see red and green and russet, unless before (seeing) these three (colours) thou see the light?
لیک چون در رنگ گم شد هوش تو ** شد ز نور آن رنگها رو پوش تو
But since thy mind was lost (absorbed) in (perception of) the colour, those colours became to thee a veil from (debarred thee from contemplating) the light.
چون که شب آن رنگها مستور بود ** پس بدیدی دید رنگ از نور بود
Inasmuch as at night those colours were hidden, thou sawest that thy vision of the colour was (derived) from the light.
نیست دید رنگ بینور برون ** همچنین رنگ خیال اندرون
There is no vision of colour without the external light: even so it is with the colour of inward phantasy.
این برون از آفتاب و از سها ** و اندرون از عکس انوار علی1125
This outward (light) is (derived) from the sun and from Suhá, while the inward (light) is from the reflexion of the beams of (Divine) Glory.
نور نور چشم خود نور دل است ** نور چشم از نور دلها حاصل است
The light which gives light to the eye is in truth the light of the heart: the light of the eye is produced by the light of hearts.
باز نور نور دل نور خداست ** کاو ز نور عقل و حس پاک و جداست
Again, the light which gives light to the heart is the Light of God, which is pure and separate from the light of intellect and sense.
شب نبد نوری ندیدی رنگها ** پس به ضد نور پیدا شد ترا
At night there was no light and thou didst not see the colours; then it (the light) was made manifest by the opposite of light (by darkness).
دیدن نور است آن گه دید رنگ ** وین به ضد نور دانی بیدرنگ
(First) comes the seeing of light, then the seeing of colour; and this thou knowest immediately by the opposite of light (darkness).
رنج و غم را حق پی آن آفرید ** تا بدین ضد خوش دلی آید پدید1130
God created pain and sorrow for the purpose that happiness might be made manifest by means of this opposite.
پس نهانیها به ضد پیدا شود ** چون که حق را نیست ضد پنهان بود
Hidden things, then, are manifested by means of their opposite; since God hath no opposite, He is hidden;
که نظر بر نور بود آن گه به رنگ ** ضد به ضد پیدا بود چون روم و زنگ
For the sight fell (first) on the light, then on the colour: opposite is made manifest by opposite, like Greeks and Ethiopians.
پس به ضد نور دانستی تو نور ** ضد ضد را مینماید در صدور
Therefore thou knewest light by its opposite: opposite reveals opposite in (the process of) coming forth.
نور حق را نیست ضدی در وجود ** تا به ضد او را توان پیدا نمود
The Light of God hath no opposite in (all) existence, that by means of that opposite it should be possible to make Him manifest:
لاجرم أبصارنا لا تدرکه ** و هو یدرک بین تو از موسی و که1135
Necessarily (therefore) our eyes do not perceive Him, though He perceives (us): see this (fact) from (the case of) Moses and the mountain (Sinai).
صورت از معنی چو شیر از بیشه دان ** یا چو آواز و سخن ز اندیشه دان
Know that form springs from spirit (reality) as the lion from the jungle, or as voice and speech from thought.
این سخن و آواز از اندیشه خاست ** تو ندانی بحر اندیشه کجاست
This speech and voice arose from thought; thou knowest not where is the sea of thought,