نفحه آمد مر شما را دید و رفت ** هر که را که خواست جان بخشید و رفت
The (Divine) breathing came, beheld you, and departed: it gave life to whom it would, and departed.
نفحه‌‌ی دیگر رسید آگاه باش ** تا از این هم وانمانی خواجه‌‌تاش
Another breathing has arrived. Be thou heedful, that thou mayst not miss this one too, O comrade.
جان ناری یافت از وی انطفا ** مرده پوشید از بقای او قبا1955
The soul of fire gained therefrom extinction; from its everlastingness the dead (soul) put on the mantle (of eternal life).
تازگی و جنبش طوبی است این ** همچو جنبشهای حیوان نیست این
This is the freshness and movement of the Túbá-tree, this is not like the movements of animals.
گر در افتد در زمین و آسمان ** زهره‌‌هاشان آب گردد در زمان
If it fall on earth and heaven, their galls will turn to water at once (they will be consumed with terror).
خود ز بیم این دم بی‌‌منتها ** باز خوان فأبين أن یحملنها
Truly, from fear of this infinite breath (they were filled with dismay): recite (the words of the Qur’án) but they refused to bear it (the trust offered to them).
ور نه خود أشفقن منها چون بدی ** گرنه از بیمش دل که خون شدی
Else, how should (the words) they shrank from it have been (in the Qur’án), unless from fear of it the heart of the mountain had become blood?
دوش دیگر لون این می‌‌داد دست ** لقمه‌‌ی چندی در آمد ره ببست1960
Yesternight this (breath) presented itself (to me) in a different guise (but) some morsels (of food) came in and barred the way.
بهر لقمه گشته لقمانی گرو ** وقت لقمان است ای لقمه برو
For a morsel's sake a Luqmán has become (held in custody as) a pledge: ’tis the time for Luqmán: begone, O morsel!
از هوای لقمه‌‌ی این خار خار ** از کف لقمان همی‌‌جویید خار
These pricks (of the flesh) for desire of a morsel! Seek ye always (to draw forth) the thorn from the sole of Luqmán.
در کف او خار و سایه‌‌ش نیز نیست ** لیکتان از حرص آن تمییز نیست
In his sole there is (really) no thorn or even the shadow of it, but because of concupiscence ye have not that discernment.
خار دان آن را که خرما دیده‌‌ای ** ز آن که بس نان کور و بس نادیده‌‌ای
Know that the thorn is that which thou, because thou art very greedy and very blind, hast deemed to be a date.
جان لقمان که گلستان خداست ** پای جانش خسته‌‌ی خاری چراست1965
Inasmuch as Luqmán's spirit is the rose-garden of God, why is the foot of his spirit wounded by a thorn?
اشتر آمد این وجود خار خوار ** مصطفی زادی بر این اشتر سوار
This thorn-eating existence is (like) a camel, and upon this camel one born of Mustafá (Mohammed) is mounted.
اشترا تنگ گلی بر پشت تست ** کز نسیمش در تو صد گلزار رست
O camel, on thy back is a bale of roses, from the perfume of which a hundred rosaries grew within thee.
میل تو سوی مغیلان است و ریگ ** تا چه گل چینی ز خار مرده‌‌ریگ
Thy inclination is towards thorn-bushes and sand: I wonder what roses thou wilt gather from worthless thorns.
ای بگشته زین طلب از کو به کو ** چند گویی کین گلستان کو و کو
O thou who in this search hast roamed from one quarter to another, how long wilt thou say, “Where, where is this rose-garden?”
پیش از آن کین خار پا بیرون کنی ** چشم تاریک است جولان چون کنی1970
Until thou extract this thorn in thy foot, thine eye is dark (blind): how wilt thou go about?
آدمی کاو می‌‌نگنجد در جهان ** در سر خاری همی‌‌گردد نهان
Man, who is not contained in the world, becomes hidden in the point of a thorn!
مصطفی آمد که سازد هم دمی ** کلمینی یا حمیراء کلمی
Mustafá (Mohammed) came (into the world) to make harmony: (he would say) “Speak to me, O Humayrá, speak!”
ای حمیراء آتش اندر نه تو نعل ** تا ز نعل تو شود این کوه لعل
O Humayrá, put the horse-shoe in the fire, that by means of thy horse-shoe this mountain may become (glowing with love, like) rubies.
این حمیراء لفظ تانیث است و جان ** نام تانیث‌‌اش نهند این تازیان
This “Humayrá” is a feminine word, and the Arabs call the (word for) “spirit” feminine;
لیک از تانیث جان را باک نیست ** روح را با مرد و زن اشراک نیست1975
But there is no fear (harm) to the Spirit from being feminine: the Spirit has no association (nothing in common) with man and woman.
از مونث وز مذکر برتر است ** این نه آن جان است کز خشک و تر است
It is higher than feminine and masculine: this is not that spirit which is composed of dryness and moisture.
این نه آن جان است کافزاید ز نان ** یا گهی باشد چنین گاهی چنان
This is not that spirit which is increased by (eating) bread, or which is sometimes like this and sometimes like that.
خوش کننده ست و خوش و عین خوشی ** بی‌‌خوشی نبود خوشی ای مرتشی
It is a doer of (what is) sweet, and (it is) sweet, and the essence of sweetness. Without (inward) sweetness there is no sweetness, O taker of bribes!
چون تو شیرین از شکر باشی بود ** کان شکر گاهی ز تو غایب شود
When thou art (made) sweet by sugar, it may be that at some time that sugar will vanish from thee;
چون شکر گردی ز تاثیر وفا ** پس شکر کی از شکر باشد جدا1980
(But) when thou becomest sugar from the effect produced by faithfulness, then how should sugar be parted from sugar?
عاشق از خود چون غذا یابد رحیق ** عقل آن جا گم شود گم ای رفیق
When the lover (of God) is fed from (within) himself with pure wine, there reason becomes lost, lost, O comrade.
عقل جزوی عشق را منکر بود ** گر چه بنماید که صاحب سر بود
Partial (discursive) reason is a denier of Love, though it may give out that it is a confidant.
زیرک و داناست اما نیست نیست ** تا فرشته لا نشد اهریمنی است
It is clever and knowing, but it is not naught (devoid of self-existence): until the angel has become naught, he is an Ahriman (Devil).
او به قول و فعل یار ما بود ** چون به حکم حال آیی لا بود
It (partial reason) is our friend in word and deed, (but) when you come to the case of inward feeling (ecstasy), it is naught (of no account).
لا بود چون او نشد از هست نیست ** چون که طوعا لا نشد کرها بسی است1985
It is naught because it did not (pass away) from existence and become nonexistent: since it did not become naught willingly, (it must become naught nevertheless, for) there is many a one (who became naught, i.e. died) unwillingly.
جان کمال است و ندای او کمال ** مصطفی گویان ارحنا یا بلال
The Spirit is perfection and its call is perfection: Mustafá (Mohammed) used to say, “Refresh us, O Bilál!
ای بلال افراز بانگ سلسلت ** ز آن دمی کاندر دمیدم در دلت
O Bilál, lift up thy mellifluous voice (drawn) from that breath which I breathed into thy heart,
ز آن دمی کادم از آن مدهوش گشت ** هوش اهل آسمان بی‌‌هوش گشت
From that breath by which Adam was dumbfounded and the wits of the people of Heaven were made witless.”
مصطفی بی‌‌خویش شد ز آن خوب صوت ** شد نمازش از شب تعریس فوت
Mustafá became beside himself at that beautiful voice: his prayer escaped him (was left unperformed) on the night of the ta‘rís.
سر از آن خواب مبارک بر نداشت ** تا نماز صبحدم آمد به چاشت1990
He did not raise his head from that blessed sleep until the (time of the) dawn prayer had advanced to (the time of) forenoon.
در شب تعریس پیش آن عروس ** یافت جان پاک ایشان دستبوس
On the night of the ta‘rís his holy spirit gained (the privilege of) kissing hands in the presence of the Bride.
عشق و جان هر دو نهانند و ستیر ** گر عروسش خوانده‌‌ام عیبی مگیر
Love and the Spirit are, both of them, hidden and veiled: if I have called Him (God) the Bride, do not find fault.
از ملولی یار خامش کردمی ** گر همو مهلت بدادی یک دمی
I would have been silent from (fear of) the Beloved's displeasure, if He had granted me a respite for one moment,