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.
گر گشاید دل سر انبان راز ** جان به سوی عرش سازد ترک تاز
If the heart should open the lid of the wallet of (this) mystery, the soul would rush (in rapture) towards the highest heaven.
اضافت کردن آدم آن زلت را به خویشتن که ربنا ظلمناو اضافت کردن ابلیس گناه خود را به خدا که بما أغويتنی
How Adam imputed that fault (which he had committed) to himself, saying, “O Lord, we have done wrong,” and how Iblís imputed his own sin to God, saying, “Because Thou hast seduced me.”
کرد حق و کرد ما هر دو ببین ** کرد ما را هست دان پیداست این1480
Consider both the action of God and our action. Regard our action as existent. This is manifest.
گر نباشد فعل خلق اندر میان ** پس مگو کس را چرا کردی چنان
If the action of created beings be not in the midst (obviously existent), then say not to any one, “Why have you acted thus?
خلق حق افعال ما را موجد است ** فعل ما آثار خلق ایزد است
The creative act of God brings our actions into existence: our actions are the effects of the creative act of God.
ناطقی یا حرف بیند یا غرض ** کی شود یک دم محیط دو عرض
A rational being perceives either the letter (the outer sign) or the (inner) purpose (the spirit): how should he comprehend two accidents at once?
گر به معنی رفت شد غافل ز حرف ** پیش و پس یک دم نبیند هیچ طرف
If he goes (turns his mind) to the spirit, he becomes unheedful of the letter: no eye sees forward and backward at the same moment.
آن زمان که پیش بینی آن زمان ** تو پس خود کی ببینی این بدان1485
At the time when you look in front, how at the same time can you look behind you? Recognise this.
چون محیط حرف و معنی نیست جان ** چون بود جان خالق این هر دوان
Inasmuch as the soul does not comprehend (both) the letter and the spirit, how should the soul be the creator of them both?
حق محیط جمله آمد ای پسر ** وا ندارد کارش از کار دگر
O son, (only) God comprehends all: the (one) action does not hinder Him from the other action.
گفت شیطان که بما أغویتنی ** کرد فعل خود نهان دیو دنی
Satan said Because Thou hast seduced me: the vile Devil concealed his own act.
گفت آدم که ظلمنا نفسنا ** او ز فعل حق نبد غافل چو ما
Adam said We have done wrong unto ourselves: he was not, like us, unheedful of the action of God.
در گنه او از ادب پنهانش کرد ** ز آن گنه بر خود زدن او بر بخورد1490
From respect he concealed it (the action of God) in (regard to) the sin: by casting the sin upon himself he ate fruit (was blessed).
بعد توبه گفتش ای آدم نه من ** آفریدم در تو آن جرم و محن
After his repentance, He (God) said to him, “O Adam, did not I create in thee that sin and (those) tribulations?
نه که تقدیر و قضای من بد آن ** چون به وقت عذر کردی آن نهان
Was it not My foreordainment and destiny? How didst thou conceal that at the time of excusing thyself?”
گفت ترسیدم ادب نگذاشتم ** گفت هم من پاس آنت داشتم
He (Adam) said, “I was afraid, (so) I did not let respect go (did not fail to observe due respect).” He (God) said, “I too have observed it towards thee.”
هر که آرد حرمت او حرمت برد ** هر که آرد قند لوزینه خورد
طیبات از بهر که للطیبین ** یار را خوش کن برنجان و ببین1495
For whom are the good women? For the good men. Make thy friend pleased (with thee); offend (him) and see (what will happen).
یک مثال ای دل پی فرقی بیار ** تا بدانی جبر را از اختیار
O heart, bring (forward) a parable for the sake of (illustrating) a difference, that thou mayst know (what distinguishes) compulsion from freewill.
دست کان لرزان بود از ارتعاش ** و آن که دستی را تو لرزانی ز جاش
(Take the case of) a hand that is shaking from (morbid or involuntary) tremor and (the case of) a person whose hand you cause to shake (by knocking it away) from its place.
هر دو جنبش آفریده‌‌ی حق شناس ** لیک نتوان کرد این با آن قیاس
Know that both (these) movements are created by God, but it is impossible to compare the latter with the former.
ز آن پشیمانی که لرزانیدی‌‌اش ** مرتعش را کی پشیمان دیدی‌‌اش
You are sorry for having caused it (his hand) to shake: when did you see the man afflicted with (a morbid) tremor (to be) sorry?
بحث عقل است این چه عقل آن حیله‌‌گر ** تا ضعیفی ره برد آن جا مگر1500
This is the intellectual quest— (but) what (sort of) intellect is that ingenious one? (The object of its quest is) perchance (by its means) a man of weak understanding may find his way to that place (gain some idea of the truth).
بحث عقلی گر در و مرجان بود ** آن دگر باشد که بحث جان بود
(Yet) the intellectual quest, though it be (fine as) pearls and coral, is other than the spiritual quest.
بحث جان اندر مقامی دیگر است ** باده‌‌ی جان را قوامی دیگر است
The spiritual quest is on another plane: the spiritual wine has another consistency.
آن زمان که بحث عقلی ساز بود ** این عمر با بو الحکم هم راز بود
At the time when the intellectual quest was in keeping (with the circumstances), this ‘Umar was intimate with Bu ’l-Hakam,
چون عمر از عقل آمد سوی جان ** بو الحکم بو جهل شد در حکم آن
(But) when ‘Umar went away from intellect towards spirit, Bu ’l-Hakam became Bú Jahl (the father of ignorance) in the case of that (spiritual quest).
سوی حس و سوی عقل او کامل است ** گر چه خود نسبت به جان او جاهل است1505
He is perfect on the side of sense-perception and understanding, though indeed he is ignorant in regard to the spirit.