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).
عورتی را زهره کردن مسخ بود ** خاک و گل گشتن نه مسخ است ای عنود
To make a woman Zuhra was metamorphosis: is it not metamorphosis to become earth and clay, O contumacious one?
روح میبردت سوی چرخ برین ** سوی آب و گل شدی در اسفلین
Your spirit was bearing you towards the highest sphere (of heaven): you went towards the water and the clay amongst the lowest (of the low).
خویشتن را مسخ کردی زین سفول ** ز آن وجودی که بد آن رشک عقول
By this fall you metamorphosed yourself from that (state of) existence which was the envy of the (spiritual) intelligences.
پس ببین کین مسخ کردن چون بود ** پیش آن مسخ این به غایت دون بود
Consider, then, how is (what is the character of) this metamorphosis: compared with that metamorphosis (of the woman) this (which you have suffered) is exceedingly vile.
اسب همت سوی اختر تاختی ** آدم مسجود را نشناختی540
You urged the steed of ambition towards the stars: you did not acknowledge Adam who was worshipped (by the angels).
آخر آدم زادهای ای ناخلف ** چند پنداری تو پستی را شرف
After all, you are a son of Adam. O degenerate! how long will you regard lowness as nobility?
چند گویی من بگیرم عالمی ** این جهان را پر کنم از خود همی
How long will you say, “I will conquer a whole world, I will make this world full of myself”?
گر جهان پر برف گردد سربهسر ** تاب خور بگدازدش با یک نظر
If the world should be filled with snow from end to end, the glow of the sun would melt it with a single look.
وزر او و صد وزیر و صد هزار ** نیست گرداند خدا از یک شرار
God by a single spark (of His mercy) maketh naught his (the vizier's) burden (of sin) and (the burden) of a hundred viziers and a hundred thousand.
عین آن تخییل را حکمت کند ** عین آن زهر آب را شربت کند545
He maketh the essence of that (false) imagination to be wisdom; He maketh the essence of that poisoned water to be a (wholesome) drink.
آن گمان انگیز را سازد یقین ** مهرها رویاند از اسباب کین
That which raises doubt He turneth into certainty; He maketh loving kindnesses grow from the causes of hatred.
پرورد در آتش ابراهیم را ** ایمنی روح سازد بیم را
He cherisheth Abraham in the fire; He turneth fear into security of spirit.
از سبب سوزیش من سوداییام ** در خیالاتش چو سوفسطاییام
By His burning (destroying) of secondary causes I am distraught; in (my) fancies of Him I am like a sophist (sceptic or agnostic).
مکر دیگر انگیختن وزیر در اضلال قوم
How the vizier started another plan to mislead the (Christian) folk.
مکر دیگر آن وزیر از خود ببست ** وعظ را بگذاشت و در خلوت نشست
The vizier formed in his mind another plan: he abandoned preaching and sat alone in seclusion.
در مریدان در فکند از شوق سوز ** بود در خلوت چهل پنجاه روز550
He inspired ardour in his disciples from (their) longing (to see him); he remained in seclusion forty or fifty days.
خلق دیوانه شدند از شوق او ** از فراق حال و قال و ذوق او
The people became mad from longing for him and on account of being separated from his (spiritual) feeling and discourse and intuition.