شیر مستی کز صفت بیرون بود ** از بسیط مرغزار افزون بود
The furious Lion who is beyond description is too great for (cannot be contained in) the wide expanse of the meadow.
قافیه اندیشم و دل دار من ** گویدم مندیش جز دیدار من
I am thinking of rhymes, and my Sweetheart says to me, “Do not think of aught except vision of Me.
خوش نشین ای قافیه اندیش من ** قافیهی دولت تویی در پیش من
Sit at thy ease, My rhyme-meditating (friend): in My presence thou art rhymed with (attached to) felicity.
حرف چه بود تا تو اندیشی از آن ** حرف چه بود خار دیوار رزان
What are words that thou shouldst think of them? What are words? Thorns in the hedge of the vineyard.
حرف و صوت و گفت را بر هم زنم ** تا که بیاین هر سه با تو دم زنم1730
I will throw word and sound and speech into confusion, that without these three I may converse with thee.
آن دمی کز آدمش کردم نهان ** با تو گویم ای تو اسرار جهان
That word which I kept hidden from Adam I will speak to thee, O (thou who art the) consciousness of the world.
آن دمی را که نگفتم با خلیل ** و آن غمی را که نداند جبرئیل
(I will tell to thee) that word which I did not communicate to Abraham, and that pain (love) which Gabriel does not know.”
آن دمی کز وی مسیحا دم نزد ** حق ز غیرت نیز بیما هم نزد
That word of which the Messiah (Jesus) breathed not a word God, from jealousy, did not utter even without má.
ما چه باشد در لغت اثبات و نفی ** من نه اثباتم منم بیذات و نفی
What is má in language? Positive and negative. I am not positive, I am selfless and negated.
من کسی در ناکسی دریافتم ** پس کسی در ناکسی دربافتم1735
I found (true) individuality in non-individuality: therefore I wove (my) individuality into non-individuality.
جمله شاهان بندهی بندهی خودند ** جمله خلقان مردهی مردهی خودند
All kings are enslaved to their slaves, all people are dead (ready to die) for one who dies for them.
جمله شاهان پست، پست خویش را ** جمله خلقان مست، مست خویش را
All kings are prostrate before one who is prostrate before them, all people are intoxicated with (love for) one who is intoxicated with them.
میشود صیاد، مرغان را شکار ** تا کند ناگاه ایشان را شکار
The fowler becomes a prey to the birds in order that of a sudden he may make them his prey.
بیدلان را دلبران جسته به جان ** جمله معشوقان شکار عاشقان
Heart-ravishers (loved ones) seek with (all their) soul those who have lost their hearts (to them): all loved ones are the prey of (their) lovers.
هر که عاشق دیدیاش معشوق دان ** کو به نسبت هست هم این و هم آن1740
Whomsoever thou didst deem to be a lover, regard (him) as the loved one, for relatively he is both this and that.
تشنگان گر آب جویند از جهان ** آب جوید هم به عالم تشنگان
If they that are thirsty seek water from the world, (yet) water too seeks in the world them that are thirsty.
چون که عاشق اوست تو خاموش باش ** او چو گوشت میکشد تو گوش باش
Inasmuch as He is (thy) lover, do thou be silent: as He is pulling thine ear, be thou (all) ear.
بند کن چون سیل سیلانی کند ** ور نه رسوایی و ویرانی کند
Dam the torrent (of ecstasy) when it runs in flood; else it will work shame and ruin.
من چه غم دارم که ویرانی بود ** زیر ویران گنج سلطانی بود
What care I though ruin be (wrought)? Under the ruin there is a royal treasure.
غرق حق خواهد که باشد غرقتر ** همچو موج بحر جان زیر و زبر1745
He that is drowned in God wishes to be more drowned, (while) his spirit (is tossed) up and down like the waves of the sea,
زیر دریا خوشتر آید یا زبر ** تیر او دل کش تر آید یا سپر
(Asking), “Is the bottom of the sea more delightful, or the top? Is His (the Beloved's) arrow more fascinating, or the shield?”
پاره کردهی وسوسه باشی دلا ** گر طرب را باز دانی از بلا
O heart, thou art torn asunder by evil suggestion if thou recognise any difference between joy and woe.
گر مرادت را مذاق شکر است ** بیمرادی نه مراد دل بر است
Although the object of thy desire has the taste of sugar, is not absence of any object of desire (in thee) the object of the Beloved's desire?
هر ستارهش خونبهای صد هلال ** خون عالم ریختن او را حلال
Every star of His is the blood-price of a hundred new moons: it is lawful for Him to shed the blood of the (whole) world.
ما بها و خونبها را یافتیم ** جانب جان باختن بشتافتیم1750
We gained the price and the blood-price: we hastened to gamble our soul away.
ای حیات عاشقان در مردگی ** دل نیابی جز که در دل بردگی
Oh, the life of lovers consists in death: thou wilt not win the (Beloved's) heart except in losing thine own.
من دلش جسته به صد ناز و دلال ** او بهانه کرده با من از ملال
I sought (to win) His heart with a hundred airs and graces, (but) He made excuses to me (put me off) in disdain.
گفتم آخر غرق تست این عقل و جان ** گفت رو رو بر من این افسون مخوان
I said, “After all, this mind and soul (of mine) are drowned in Thee.” “Begone,” said He, “begone! Do not chant these spells over Me (do not seek thus to beguile Me).
من ندانم آن چه اندیشیدهای ** ای دو دیده دوست را چون دیدهای
Do not I know what thought thou hast conceived? O thou who hast seen double, how hast thou regarded the Beloved?
ای گران جان خوار دیده ستی و را ** ز آن که بس ارزان خریده ستی و را1755
O gross-spirited one, thou hast held Him in light esteem, because thou hast bought Him very cheaply.
هر که او ارزان خرد ارزان دهد ** گوهری طفلی به قرصی نان دهد
He that buys cheaply gives cheaply: a child will give a pearl for a loaf of bread.”
غرق عشقیام که غرق است اندر این ** عشقهای اولین و آخرین
I am drowned in a love (so deep) that therein are drowned the first loves and the last.
مجملش گفتم نکردم ز آن بیان ** ور نه هم افهام سوزد هم زبان
I have told it summarily, I have not explained it (at length), otherwise both (my power of) causng (thee) to understand and (my) tongue (itself) would be consumed.
من چو لب گویم لب دریا بود ** من چو لا گویم مراد الا بود
When I speak of “lip,” ’tis the lip (shore) of the Sea; when I say “not,” the intended meaning is “except.”
من ز شیرینی نشستم رو ترش ** من ز بسیاری گفتارم خمش1760
By reason of (inward) sweetness I sit with sour face: from fullness of speech I am silent,
تا که شیرینی ما از دو جهان ** در حجاب رو ترش باشد نهان
That in the mask of sour-facedness my sweetness may be kept hidden from the two worlds.
تا که در هر گوش ناید این سخن ** یک همیگویم ز صد سر لدن
In order that this subject may not come to every ear, I am telling (only) one out of a hundred esoteric mysteries.
تفسیر قول حکیم: به هرچ از راه وامانی چه کفر آن حرف و چه ایمان به هرچ از دوست دور افتی چه زشت آن نقش و چه زیبا در معنی قوله علیه السلام إن سعدا لغیو ر و أنا أغیر من سعد و الله أغیر منی و من غیرته حرم الفواحش ما ظهر منها و ما بطن
Commentary on the saying of the Hakím (Saná’í): “Any thing that causes thee to be left behind on the Way, what matter whether it be infidelity or faith? Any form that causes thee to fall far from the Beloved, what matter whether it be ugly or beautiful?”—and (a discourse) on the meaning of the words of the Prophet, on whom be peace: “Verily, Sa‘d is jealous, and I am more jealous than Sa‘d, and Allah is more jealous than I; and because of His jealousy He hath forbidden foul actions both outward and inward.
جمله عالم ز آن غیور آمد که حق ** برد در غیرت بر این عالم سبق
The whole world became jealous because God is superior to all the world in jealousy.
او چو جان است و جهان چون کالبد ** کالبد از جان پذیرد نیک و بد
He is like the spirit, and the world is like the body: the body receives from the spirit (both) good and evil.
هر که محراب نمازش گشت عین ** سوی ایمان رفتنش میدان تو شین1765
Any one whose prayer-niche is turned to the (mystical) revelation, do thou regard his going (back) to (the traditional) faith as shameful.
هر که شد مر شاه را او جامهدار ** هست خسران بهر شاهش اتجار
Any one who has become Master of the robes to the King, it is loss for him to traffic on the King's behalf.
هر که با سلطان شود او همنشین ** بر درش بودن بود حیف و غبین
Any one who becomes the intimate friend of the Sultan, it is an injury and swindle (for him) to sit at his door.
دستبوسش چون رسید از پادشاه ** گر گزیند بوس پا باشد گناه
When (the privilege of) kissing the (King's) hand has been bestowed on him by the King, it is a sin if he prefers to kiss the (King's) foot.
گر چه سر بر پا نهادن خدمت است ** پیش آن خدمت خطا و زلت است
Although to lay the head on the (King's) foot is an act of obeisance, (yet) compared with the former act of obeisance it is a fault and backsliding.
شاه را غیرت بود بر هر که او ** بو گزیند بعد از آن که دید رو1770
The King is jealous of any one who, after having seen the face, prefers the (mere) scent.
غیرت حق بر مثل گندم بود ** کاه خرمن غیرت مردم بود
To speak in parables, God's jealousy is the wheat, (while) men's jealousy is the straw in the stack.
اصل غیرتها بدانید از اله ** آن خلقان فرع حق بیاشتباه
Know that the root of (all) jealousies is in God: those of mankind are an offshoot from God, without resemblance (being implied).
شرح این بگذارم و گیرم گله ** از جفای آن نگار ده دله
I will leave the explanation of this and will begin to complain of the cruelty of that fickle Beauty.
نالم ایرا نالهها خوش آیدش ** از دو عالم ناله و غم بایدش
I wail because wailings are pleasant to Him: He wants from the two worlds wailing and grief.
چون ننالم تلخ از دستان او ** چون نیم در حلقهی مستان او1775
How should I not wail bitterly on account of His deceit, since I am not in the circle of those intoxicated with Him?