همچو آن کر که همیپنداشته ست ** کو نکویی کرد و آن بر عکس جست
As (in the case of) the deaf man, who fancied that he did a kindness, but it had the opposite result.
او نشسته خوش که خدمت کردهام ** حق همسایه به جا آوردهام
He sits down well-pleased, saying, “I have paid my respects, I have performed what was due to my neighbour”;
بهر خود او آتشی افروخته ست ** در دل رنجور و خود را سوخته ست
(But) he has (only) kindled a fire (of resentment) against himself in the invalid's heart and burned himself.
فاتقوا النار التی أوقدتم ** إنکم فی المعصیة ازددتم
Beware, then, of the fire that ye have kindled: verily ye have increased in sin.
گفت پیغمبر به یک صاحب ریا ** صل إنک لم تصل یا فتی3390
The Prophet said to a hypocrite, “Pray, for indeed thou hast not prayed (aright), my man.”
از برای چارهی این خوفها ** آمد اندر هر نمازی اهدنا
As a means of preventing these dangers, “Guide us” comes in every (ritual) prayer,
کاین نمازم را میامیز ای خدا ** با نماز ضالین و اهل ریا
That is to say, “O God, do not mingle my prayer with the prayer of the erring and the hypocrites.”
از قیاسی که بکرد آن کر گزین ** صحبت ده ساله باطل شد بدین
By the analogical reasoning which the deaf man adopted a ten years' friendship was made vain.
خاصه ای خواجه قیاس حس دون ** اندر آن وحیی که هست از حد فزون
Especially, O master, (you must avoid) the analogy drawn by the low senses in regard to the Revelation which is illimitable.
گوش حس تو به حرف ار در خور است ** دان که گوش غیب گیر تو کر است3395
If your sensuous ear is fit for (understanding) the letter (of the Revelation), know that your ear that receives the occult (meaning) is deaf.
اول کسی که در مقابلهی نص قیاس آورد ابلیس بود
The first to bring analogical reasoning to bear against the Revealed Text was Iblís.
اول آن کس کاین قیاسکها نمود ** پیش انوار خدا ابلیس بود
The first person who produced these paltry analogies in the presence of the Lights of God was Iblís.
گفت نار از خاک بیشک بهتر است ** من ز نار و او ز خاک اکدر است
He said, “Beyond doubt fire is superior to earth: I am of fire, and he (Adam) is of dingy earth.
پس قیاس فرع بر اصلش کنیم ** او ز ظلمت ما ز نور روشنیم
Let us, then, judge by comparing the secondary with its principal: he is of darkness, I of radiant light.”
گفت حق نی بل که لا انساب شد ** زهد و تقوی فضل را محراب شد
God said, “Nay, but on the contrary there shall be no relationships : asceticism and piety shall be the (sole) avenue to pre-eminence.”
این نه میراث جهان فانی است ** که به انسابش بیابی جانی است3400
This is not the heritage of the fleeting world, so that thou shouldst gain it by ties of relationship: ’tis a spiritual (heritage).
بلکه این میراثهای انبیاست ** وارث این جانهای اتقیاست
Nay, these things are the heritage of the prophets; the inheritors of these are the spirits of the devout.
پور آن بو جهل شد مومن عیان ** پور آن نوح نبی از گمرهان
The son of Bú Jahl became a true believer for all to see; the son of the prophet Noah became one of those who lost the way.
زادهی خاکی منور شد چو ماه ** زادهی آتش تویی رو رو سیاه
“The child of earth (Adam) became illumined like the moon; thou art the child of fire: get thee gone with thy face black (in disgrace)!”
این قیاسات و تحری روز ابر ** یا به شب مر قبله را کرده ست حبر
The wise man has made (use of) such reasonings and investigation on a cloudy day or at night for the sake of (finding) the qibla;
لیک با خورشید و کعبه پیش رو ** این قیاس و این تحری را مجو3405
But with the sun and with the Ka‘ba before your face, do not seek to reason and investigate in this manner.
کعبه نادیده مکن رو زو متاب ** از قیاس الله أعلم بالصواب
Do not pretend that you cannot see the Ka‘ba, do not avert your face from it because you have reasoned (that it is not to be seen). God knows best what is right.
چون صفیری بشنوی از مرغ حق ** ظاهرش را یاد گیری چون سبق
When you hear a pipe from the Bird of God, you commit its outward (meaning) to memory, like a lesson,
وانگهی از خود قیاساتی کنی ** مر خیال محض را ذاتی کنی
And then from yourself (out of your own head) you make some analogies: you make (what is) mere fancy into a (thing of) substance (reality).
اصطلاحاتی است مر ابدال را ** که نباشد ز آن خبر اقوال را
The Abdál have certain mystical expressions of which the doctrines (of external religion) are ignorant.
منطق الطیری به صوت آموختی ** صد قیاس و صد هوس افروختی3410
You have learned the birds' language by the sound (alone), you have kindled (invented) a hundred analogies and a hundred caprices.
همچو آن رنجور دلها از تو خست ** کر به پندار اصابت گشته مست
The hearts (of the saints) are wounded by you, as the invalid (was hurt by the deaf man), (while) the deaf man became intoxicated (overjoyed) with the vain notion of success.
کاتب آن وحی ز آن آواز مرغ ** برده ظنی کاو بود همباز مرغ
The writer of the Revelation, from (hearing) the Bird's voice, supposed that he was the Bird's equal:
مرغ پری زد مر او را کور کرد ** نک فرو بردش به قعر مرگ و درد
The Bird flapped a wing and blinded him: lo, it plunged him in the abyss of death and bale.
هین به عکسی یا به ظنی هم شما ** در میفتید از مقامات سما
“Beware! do not ye also, (beguiled) by a reflexion or an opinion, fall from the dignities of Heaven!
گر چه هاروتید و ماروت و فزون ** از همه بر بام نحن الصافون3415
Although ye are Hárút and Márút and superior to all (the angels) on the terrace of We are they that stand in ranks,
بر بدیهای بدان رحمت کنید ** بر منی و خویش بینی کم تنید
(Yet) take mercy on the wickednesses of the wicked: execrate egoism and the self-conceited (egoist).
هین مبادا غیرت آید از کمین ** سر نگون افتید در قعر زمین
Beware, lest (the Divine) jealousy come from ambush and ye fall headlong to the bottom of the earth.”
هر دو گفتند ای خدا فرمان تراست ** بیامان تو امانی خود کجاست
They both said, “O God, Thine is the command: without Thy security (protection) where indeed is any security?”
این همیگفتند و دلشان میطپید ** بد کجا آید ز ما نعم العبید
They were saying this, but their hearts were throbbing (with desire)—“How should evil come from us? Good servants (of God) are we!”
خار خار دو فرشته هم نهشت ** تا که تخم خویش بینی را نکشت3420
The prick of desire in the two angels did not leave (them) until it sowed the seed of self-conceit.
پس همیگفتند کای ارکانیان ** بیخبر از پاکی روحانیان
Then they were saying, “O ye that are composed of the (four) elements (and are) unacquainted with the purity of the spiritual beings,
ما بر این گردون تتقها میتنیم ** بر زمین آییم و شادروان زنیم
We will draw curtains (of light) over this (terrestrial) sky, we will come to earth and set up the canopy,
عدل توزیم و عبادت آوریم ** باز هر شب سوی گردون بر پریم
We will deal justice and perform worship and every night we will fly up again to Heaven,
تا شویم اعجوبهی دور زمان ** تا نهیم اندر زمین امن و امان
That we may become the wonder of the world, that we may establish safety and security on the earth.”
آن قیاس حال گردون بر زمین ** راست ناید فرق دارد در کمین3425
The analogy between the state of Heaven and (that of) the earth is inexact: it has a concealed difference.
در بیان آن که حال خود و مستی خود پنهان باید داشت از جاهلان
Explaining that one must keep one's own (spiritual) state and (mystical) intoxication hidden from the ignorant.
بشنو الفاظ حکیم پردهای ** سر همانجا نه که باده خوردهای
Hearken to the words of the Sage (Hakím) who lived in seclusion, “Lay thy head in the same place where thou hast drunk the wine.”
چون که از میخانه مستی ضال شد ** تسخر و بازیچهی اطفال شد
When the drunken man has gone astray from a tavern, he becomes the children's laughing-stock and plaything.
میفتد او سو به سو بر هر رهی ** در گل و میخنددش هر ابلهی
Whatever way he goes, he is falling in the mud, (now) on this side and (now) on that side, and every fool is laughing at him.
او چنین و کودکان اندر پیاش ** بیخبر از مستی و ذوق میاش
He (goes on) like this, while the children at his heels are without knowledge of his intoxication and the taste of his wine.
خلق اطفالاند جز مست خدا ** نیست بالغ جز رهیده از هوا3430
All mankind are children except him that is intoxicated with God; none is grownup except him that is freed from sensual desire.
گفت دنیا لعب و لهو است و شما ** کودکید و راست فرماید خدا
He (God) said, “This world is a play and pastime, and ye are children”; and God speaks truth.
از لعب بیرون نرفتی کودکی ** بیذکات روح کی باشد ذکی
If you have not gone forth from (taken leave of) play, you are a child: without purity of spirit how should he (any one) be fully intelligent?
چون جماع طفل دان این شهوتی ** که همیرانند اینجا ای فتی
Know, O youth, that the lust in which men are indulging here (in this world) is like the sexual intercourse of children.
آن جماع طفل چه بود بازیی ** با جماع رستمی و غازیی
What is the child's sexual intercourse? An idle play, compared with the sexual intercourse of a Rustam and a brave champion of Islam.
جنگ خلقان همچو جنگ کودکان ** جمله بیمعنی و بیمغز و مهان3435
The wars of mankind are like children's fights—all meaningless, pithless, and contemptible.