هر چه ذوق طبع باشد چون گذشت ** بر نیارد همچو شوره ریع و کشت
When the enjoyments of the (sensual) nature are past, like brackish soil they raise no produce and crop.
جز پشیمانی نباشد ریع او ** جز خسارت پیش نارد بیع او
The produce thereof is naught but penitence; the sale thereof yields only loss.
آن میسر نبود اندر عاقبت ** نام او باشد معسر عاقبت
That is not “easy” in the end; its (true) name ultimately is “hard.”
تو معسر از میسر باز دان ** عاقبت بنگر جمال این و آن
Distinguish the hard from the easy: consider (what is) the goodliness of this and that in the end.
در یکی گفته که استادی طلب ** عاقبت بینی نیابی در حسب490
In one he said: “Seek a master (teacher): you will not find foresight as to the end among the qualities derived from ancestors.”
عاقبت دیدند هر گون ملتی ** لاجرم گشتند اسیر زلتی
Every sort of religious sect foresaw the end (according to their own surmise): of necessity they fell captive to error.
عاقبت دیدن نباشد دستباف ** ور نه کی بودی ز دینها اختلاف
To foresee the end is not (as simple as) a hand-loom; otherwise, how would there have been difference in religions?
در یکی گفته که استا هم تویی ** ز انکه استا را شناسا هم تویی
In one he said: “You are the master, because you know the master.
مرد باش و سخرهی مردان مشو ** رو سر خود گیر و سر گردان مشو
Be a man and be not subject to men. Go, take your own head (choose your own way), and be not one whose head is turning (bewildered in search of a guide).”
در یکی گفته که این جمله یکی است ** هر که او دو بیند احول مردکی است495
In one he said: “All this (multiplicity) is one: whoever sees two is a squint-eyed manikin.”
در یکی گفته که صد یک چون بود ** این کی اندیشد مگر مجنون بود
In one he said: “How should a hundred be one? He who thinks this is surely mad.”
هر یکی قولی است ضد همدگر ** چون یکی باشد یکی زهر و شکر
The doctrines, every one, are contrary to each other: how should they be one? Are poison and sugar one?
تا ز زهر و از شکر در نگذری ** کی تو از گلزار وحدت بر بری
Until you pass beyond (the difference of) poison and sugar, how will you catch a scent from the garden of Unity?
این نمط وین نوع ده طومار و دو ** بر نوشت آن دین عیسی را عدو
Twelve scrolls of this style and fashion were drawn up in writing by that enemy to the religion of Jesus.
بیان آن که این اختلافات در صورت روش است نه در حقیقت راه
Showing how this difference lies in the form of the doctrine, not in the real nature of the Way.
او ز یک رنگی عیسی بو نداشت ** وز مزاج خم عیسی خو نداشت500
He had no scent (perception) of the unicolority of Jesus, nor had he a disposition from (imbued with) the tincture of the dyeing-vat of Jesus.
جامهی صد رنگ از آن خم صفا ** ساده و یک رنگ گشتی چون صبا
From that pure vat a garment of a hundred colours would become as simple and one-coloured as the zephyr.
نیست یک رنگی کز او خیزد ملال ** بل مثال ماهی و آب زلال
(This) is not the unicolority from which weariness ensues; nay, it is (a case) like (that of) fishes and clear water:
گر چه در خشکی هزاران رنگهاست ** ماهیان را با یبوست جنگهاست
Although there are thousands of colours on dry land, (yet) fishes are at war with dryness.
کیست ماهی چیست دریا در مثل ** تا بدان ماند ملک عز و جل
Who is the fish and what is the sea in (my) simile, that the King Almighty and Glorious should resemble them?
صد هزاران بحر و ماهی در وجود ** سجده آرد پیش آن اکرام و جود505
In (the world of) existence myriads of seas and fishes prostrate themselves in adoration before that Munificence and Bounty.
چند باران عطا باران شده ** تا بدان آن بحر در افشان شده
How many a rain of largesse hath rained, so that the sea was made thereby to scatter pearls!
چند خورشید کرم افروخته ** تا که ابر و بحر جود آموخته
How many a sun of generosity hath shone, so that cloud and sea learned to be bountiful!
پرتو دانش زده بر آب و طین ** تا شده دانه پذیرندهی زمین
The sunbeams of Wisdom struck on soil and clay, so that the earth became receptive of the seed.
خاک امین و هر چه در وی کاشتی ** بیخیانت جنس آن برداشتی
The soil is faithful to its trust, and whatever you have sown in it, you carry away the (equivalent in) kind thereof without fraud (on the part of the soil).
این امانت ز آن امانت یافته ست ** کافتاب عدل بر وی تافته ست510
It has derived this faithfulness from that (Divine) faithfulness, inasmuch as the sun of Justice has shone upon it.
تا نشان حق نیارد نو بهار ** خاک سرها را نکرده آشکار
Until springtide brings the token of God, the soil does not reveal its secrets.
آن جوادی که جمادی را بداد ** این خبرها وین امانت وین سداد
The Bounteous One who gave to an inanimate thing these informations and this faithfulness and this righteousness,
مر جمادی را کند فضلش خبیر ** عاقلان را کرده قهر او ضریر
His grace makes an inanimate thing informed, (while) His wrath makes blind the men of understanding.
جان و دل را طاقت آن جوش نیست ** با که گویم در جهان یک گوش نیست
Soul and heart cannot endure that ferment: to whom shall I speak? There is not in the world a single ear (capable of apprehension).
هر کجا گوشی بد از وی چشم گشت ** هر کجا سنگی بد از وی یشم گشت515
Wherever there was an ear, through Him it became an eye; wherever there was a stone, through Him it became a jasper.
کیمیا ساز است چه بود کیمیا ** معجزه بخش است چه بود سیمیا
He is an alchemist—what is alchemy (compared with His action)? He is a giver of miracles (to prophets)—what is magic (compared with these miracles)?
این ثنا گفتن ز من ترک ثناست ** کین دلیل هستی و هستی خطاست
This uttering of praise (to Him) is (really) the omission of praise on my part, for this (praise) is a proof of (my) being, and being is a sin.
پیش هست او بباید نیست بود ** چیست هستی پیش او کور و کبود
It behoves (us) to be not-being in the presence of His Being: in His presence what is (our) being? Blind and blue.
گر نبودی کور از او بگداختی ** گرمی خورشید را بشناختی
Were it not blind it would have been melted (consumed) by Him: it would have known the heat of (the Divine) sun;
ور نبودی او کبود از تعزیت ** کی فسردی همچو یخ این ناحیت520
And were it not blue from mourning, how would this region (of phenomenal existence) have (remained) frozen like ice?
بیان خسارت وزیر در این مکر
Setting forth how the vizier incurred perdition (by engaging) in this plot.
همچو شه نادان و غافل بد وزیر ** پنجه میزد با قدیم ناگزیر
The vizier was ignorant and heedless, like the (Jewish) king: he was wrestling with the eternal and inevitable,
با چنان قادر خدایی کز عدم ** صد چو عالم هست گرداند به دم
With a God so mighty that in a moment He causes a hundred worlds like ours to come into existence from non-existence:
صد چو عالم در نظر پیدا کند ** چون که چشمت را به خود بینا کند
A hundred worlds like ours He displays to the sight, when He makes your eye seeing by (the light of) Himself.
گر جهان پیشت بزرگ و بیبنی است ** پیش قدرت ذره ای میدان که نیست
If the world appears to you vast and bottomless, know that to Omnipotence it is not (so much as) an atom.
این جهان خود حبس جانهای شماست ** هین روید آن سو که صحرای شماست525
This world, indeed, is the prison of your souls: oh, go in yonder direction, for there lies your open country.
این جهان محدود آن خود بی حد است ** نقش و صورت پیش ٱن معنی سد است
This world is finite, and truly that (other) is infinite: image and form are a barrier to that Reality.
صد هزاران نیزهی فرعون را ** در شکست از موسیی با یک عصا
The myriads of Pharaoh's lances were shattered by (the hand of) Moses (armed) with a single staff.
صد هزاران طب جالینوس بود ** پیش عیسی و دمش افسوس بود
Myriads were the therapeutic arts of Galen: before Jesus and his (life-giving) breath they were a laughing-stock.
صد هزاران دفتر اشعار بود ** پیش حرف امیی آن عار بود
Myriads were the books of (pre-Islamic) poems: at the word of an illiterate (prophet) they were (put to) shame.
با چنین غالب خداوندی کسی ** چون نمیرد گر نباشد او خسی530
(Confronted) with such an all-conquering Lord, how should any one not die (to self), unless he be a vile wretch?
بس دل چون کوه را انگیخت او ** مرغ زیرک با دو پا آویخت او
Many a mind (strong and firm) as a mountain did He uproot; the cunning bird He hung up by its two feet.
فهم و خاطر تیز کردن نیست راه ** جز شکسته مینگیرد فضل شاه
To sharpen the intelligence and wits is not the (right) way: none but the broken (in spirit) wins the favour of the King.
ای بسا گنج آگنان کنج کاو ** کان خیال اندیش را شد ریش گاو
Oh, many the amassers of treasure, digging holes (in search of treasure), who became an ox's beard (dupe) to that vain schemer (the vizier)!
گاو که بود تا تو ریش او شوی ** خاک چه بود تا حشیش او شوی
Who is the ox that you should become his beard? What is earth that you should become its stubble?
چون زنی از کار بد شد روی زرد ** مسخ کرد او را خدا و زهره کرد535
When a woman became pale-faced (ashamed) of (her) wickedness, God metamorphosed her and made her Zuhra (the planet Venus).