لا تخافوا هست نزل خایفان ** هست در خور از برای خایف آن
Fear ye not is the hospitality offered to those who fear: that is proper (entertainment) for one who is afraid.
هر که ترسد مر و را ایمن کنند ** مر دل ترسنده را ساکن کنند1430
When any one is afraid, they make him (feel) secure; they soothe (his) fearful heart.
آن که خوفش نیست چون گویی مترس ** درس چه دهی نیست او محتاج درس
How should you say “Fear not” to one who has no fear? Why give lessons (to him)? He needs no lessons.
آن دل از جا رفته را دل شاد کرد ** خاطر ویرانش را آباد کرد
He (‘Umar) made that disturbed mind (be) of good cheer and made his desolate heart (be) flourishing (happy).
بعد از آن گفتش سخنهای دقیق ** وز صفات پاک حق نعم الرفیق
Afterwards he addressed to him subtle discourses and (spoke) of the holy attributes of God—how good a Friend is He!—
وز نوازشهای حق ابدال را ** تا بداند او مقام و حال را
And of the loving kindnesses of God to the Abdál (saints), in order that he (the ambassador) might know (the meaning of) maqám (permanent station) and hál (passing state).
حال چون جلوه ست ز آن زیبا عروس ** وین مقام آن خلوت آمد با عروس1435
The hál is like the unveiling of that beauteous bride, while the maqám is the (king's) being alone with the bride.
جلوه بیند شاه و غیر شاه نیز ** وقت خلوت نیست جز شاه عزیز
The unveiling is witnessed by the king and by others as well, (but) at the time of being alone (with the bride) there is no one except the mighty king.
جلوه کرده خاص و عامان را عروس ** خلوت اندر شاه باشد با عروس
The bride unveils before nobles and commons (alike); in the bridal chamber the king is (alone) with the bride.
هست بسیار اهل حال از صوفیان ** نادر است اهل مقام اندر میان
There is many a one of the Súfís who enjoys hál, (but) he that has attained to maqám is rare amongst them.
از منازلهای جانش یاد داد ** وز سفرهای روانش یاد داد
He (‘Umar) reminded him of the stages traversed by the soul, and he reminded him of the journeys of the spirit,
وز زمانی کز زمان خالی بده ست ** وز مقام قدس که اجلالی بده ست1440
And of the Time which has (ever) been void of time, and of the Station of Holiness which has (ever) been majestical,
وز هوایی کاندر او سیمرغ روح ** پیش از این دیده ست پرواز و فتوح
And of the atmosphere wherein the Símurgh of the spirit, before this (material life), has flown and experienced (the bounty of Divine) grace,
هر یکی پروازش از آفاق بیش ** وز امید و نهمت مشتاق بیش
Every single flight thereof (being) greater than the horizons (of this world) and greater than the hope and greed of the longing lover.
چون عمر اغیار رو را یار یافت ** جان او را طالب اسرار یافت
When ‘Umar found the stranger in appearance a friend (in reality), he found (that) his soul (was) seeking (to learn) the (Divine) mysteries.
شیخ کامل بود و طالب مشتهی ** مرد چابک بود و مرکب درگهی
The Shaykh (‘Umar) was adept and the disciple (the ambassador) eager: the man (rider) was quick (dexterous) and the beast belonged to the royal court (was nobly bred and docile).
دید آن مرشد که او ارشاد داشت ** تخم پاک اندر زمین پاک کاشت1445
That spiritual guide (‘Umar) perceived that he (the ambassador) possessed (the capacity for receiving) guidance: he sowed the good seed in the good soil.
سؤال کردن رسول روم از عمر
How the ambassador of Rúm questioned the Commander of the Faithful, may God be well-pleased with him.
مرد گفتش کای امیر المؤمنین ** جان ز بالا چون در آمد در زمین
The man said to him, “O Commander of the Faithful, how did the spirit come to the earth from above?
مرغ بیاندازه چون شد در قفص ** گفت حق بر جان فسون خواند و قصص
How did the infinite bird go into the cage?” He replied, “God recited spells and incantations over the spirit.
بر عدمها کان ندارد چشم و گوش ** چون فسون خواند همیآید به جوش
When He recites spells over the non-existences which have no eye or ear, they begin to stir.
از فسون او عدمها زود زود ** خوش معلق میزند سوی وجود
Because of His spells the non-existences at that very moment are dancing joyously into existence.
باز بر موجود افسونی چو خواند ** زو دو اسبه در عدم موجود راند1450
When, again, He recited a spell over the existent, at His word the existent marched (back) post-haste into non-existence.
گفت در گوش گل و خندانش کرد ** گفت با سنگ و عقیق کانش کرد
He spake into the ear of the rose and made it laughing (blooming); He spake to the stone and made it a cornelian of the mine.
گفت با جسم آیتی تا جان شد او ** گفت با خورشید تا رخشان شد او
He spake to the body a sign (message), so that it became spirit; He spake to the sun, so that it became radiant.
باز در گوشش دمد نکتهی مخوف ** در رخ خورشید افتد صد کسوف
Again He breathes into its ear a fearful saying, and upon the face of the sun fall a hundred eclipses.
تا به گوش ابر آن گویا چه خواند ** کاو چو مشک از دیدهی خود اشک راند
Consider what that Speaker chanted into the ear of the cloud, so that it poured tears from its eye, like a waterskin.
تا به گوش خاک حق چه خوانده است ** کاو مراقب گشت و خامش مانده است1455
Consider what God has chanted into the ear of the earth, so that it became regardful and has (ever since) remained silent.”
در تردد هر که او آشفته است ** حق به گوش او معما گفته است
Whosoever in perplexity is sorely troubled, God has spoken the riddle into his ear,
تا کند محبوسش اندر دو گمان ** آن کنم کاو گفت یا خود ضد آن
That He may imprison him in two (doubtful) thoughts, (namely), “Shall I do that? He said that (bade me do that) or the contrary thereof?”
هم ز حق ترجیح یابد یک طرف ** ز آن دو یک را بر گزیند ز آن کنف
From (the decree of) God also, one side obtains the preponderance, and from that (Divine) quarter he chooses one of the two (alternatives).
گر نخواهی در تردد هوش جان ** کم فشار این پنبه اندر گوش جان
If thou wouldst not have the mind of thy spirit in (a state of) perplexity, do not stuff this cotton-wool into thy spiritual ear,
تا کنی فهم آن معماهاش را ** تا کنی ادراک رمز و فاش را1460
So that thou mayst understand those riddles of His, so that thou mayst apprehend (both) the secret sign and the open.
پس محل وحی گردد گوش جان ** وحی چه بود گفتنی از حس نهان
Then the spiritual ear becomes the place where wahy (inspiration) descends. What is wahy? A speech hidden from sense-perception.
گوش جان و چشم جان جز این حس است ** گوش عقل و گوش ظن زین مفلس است
The spiritual ear and eye are other than this sense-perception, the ear of (discursive) reason and the ear of opinion are destitute of this (inspiration).
لفظ جبرم عشق را بیصبر کرد ** و آن که عاشق نیست حبس جبر کرد
The word “compulsion” (jabr) made me impatient (uncontrollable) for love's sake, while it confined in (the prison of) compulsion him who is not a lover.
این معیت با حق است و جبر نیست ** این تجلی مه است این ابر نیست
This is union with God, and it is not compulsion: this is the shining forth of the moon, this is not a cloud.
ور بود این جبر جبر عامه نیست ** جبر آن امارهی خودکامه نیست1465
And if this be compulsion, it is not the compulsion of (suffered by) the vulgar: it is not the compulsion of (exerted by) the evil-commanding self-willed (soul).
جبر را ایشان شناسند ای پسر ** که خدا بگشادشان در دل بصر
O son, (only) they know (the real meaning of) compulsion in whose hearts God has opened the sight (of the spiritual eye).
غیب و آینده بر ایشان گشت فاش ** ذکر ماضی پیش ایشان گشت لاش
To them the unseen and the future became manifest; to them recollection of the past became naught.
اختیار و جبر ایشان دیگر است ** قطرهها اندر صدفها گوهر است
Their freewill and compulsion is different (from that of ordinary men): in oyster-shells drops (of rain) are pearls.
هست بیرون قطرهی خرد و بزرگ ** در صدف آن در خرد است و سترگ
Outside (of the shell) it is a drop of water, small or great, (but) within the shell it is a small or big pearl.
طبع ناف آهو است آن قوم را ** از برون خون و درونشان مشکها1470
Those persons have the nature of the muskdeer's gland: externally they are (as) blood, while within them is the fragrance of musk.
تو مگو کاین مایه بیرون خون بود ** چون رود در ناف مشکی چون شود
Do not say, “This substance externally is blood: how should it become a musky perfume when it goes into the gland?”
تو مگو کاین مس برون بد محتقر ** در دل اکسیر چون گیرد گهر
Do not say, “This copper externally was despicable: how should it assume nobility in the heart (midst) of the elixir?”
اختیار و جبر در تو بد خیال ** چون در ایشان رفت شد نور جلال
In thee (the matter of) freewill and compulsion was a (mere) fancy, (but) when it went into them it became the light of (Divine) Majesty.
نان چو در سفره ست باشد آن جماد ** در تن مردم شود او روح شاد
When bread is (wrapped) in the tablecloth it is the inanimate thing (so-called), (but) in the human body it becomes the glad spirit (of life).
در دل سفره نگردد مستحیل ** مستحیلش جان کند از سلسبیل1475
It does not become transmuted in the heart of (within) the table-cloth: the (animal) soul transmutes it with (the water of) Salsabíl.
قوت جان است این ای راست خوان ** تا چه باشد قوت آن جان جان
O thou who readest aright, such is the power of the soul: what, then, must be the power of that Soul of soul?
گوشت پارهی آدمی با عقل و جان ** میشکافد کوه را با بحر و کان
The piece of flesh which is Man, endowed witrh intelligence and soul, cleaves the mountain by means of sea (water-channel) and mine.
زور جان کوه کن شق حجر ** زور جان جان در انشق القمر
The strength of the mountain-riving soul is (shown in) the splitting of rocks; the strength of the Soul of soul in the moon was split asunder.