ای که چون تو در زمانه نیست کس ** الله الله خلق را فریاد رس‌‌

O thou like whom there is none in the world, for God's sake, for God's sake, come to the aid of thy people!”

دفع گفتن وزیر مریدان را

How the vizier refused the request of the disciples.

گفت هان ای سخرگان گفت‌‌وگو ** وعظ و گفتار زبان و گوش جو 565

He said: “Beware, O ye enslaved by words and talk, ye who seek admonition and discourse (conveyed) by the tongue and (through the) ear.

پنبه اندر گوش حس دون کنید ** بند حس از چشم خود بیرون کنید

Put cotton-wool in the ear of the low (physical) sense, take off the bandage of (that) sense from your eyes!

پنبه‌‌ی آن گوش سر گوش سر است ** تا نگردد این کر آن باطن کر است‌‌

The ear of the head is the cotton-wool of the ear of the conscience: until the former becomes deaf, that inward (ear) is deaf.

بی‌‌حس و بی‌‌گوش و بی‌‌فکرت شوید ** تا خطاب ارجعی را بشنوید

Become without sense and without ear and without thought, that ye may hear the call (of God to the soul), ‘Return!’”

تا به گفت‌‌وگوی بیداری دری ** تو ز گفت خواب بویی کی بری‌‌

So long as thou art (engaged) in the conversation of wakefulness, how wilt thou catch any scent of the conversation of sleep?

سیر بیرونی است قول و فعل ما ** سیر باطن هست بالای سما 570

Our speech and action is the exterior journey: the interior journey is above the sky.

حس خشکی دید کز خشکی بزاد ** عیسی جان پای بر دریا نهاد

The (physical) sense saw (only) dryness, because it was born of dryness (earth): the Jesus of the spirit set foot on the sea.

سیر جسم خشک بر خشکی فتاد ** سیر جان پا در دل دریا نهاد

The journey of the dry body befell on dry land, (but) the journey of the spirit set foot (took place) in the heart of the sea.

چون که عمر اندر ره خشکی گذشت ** گاه کوه و گاه صحرا گاه دشت‌‌

Since thy life has passed in travelling on land, now mountain, now river, now desert,

آب حیوان از کجا خواهی تو یافت ** موج دریا را کجا خواهی شکافت‌‌

Whence wilt thou gain the Water of Life? Where wilt thou cleave the waves of the Sea?

موج خاکی وهم و فهم و فکر ماست ** موج آبی محو و سکر است و فناست‌‌ 575

The waves of earth are our imagination and understanding and thought; the waves of water are (mystical) self-effacement and intoxication and death (faná).

تا در این سکری از آن سکری تو دور ** تا از این مستی از آن جامی تو دور

Whilst thou art in this (sensual) intoxication, thou art far from that (mystical) intoxication; whilst thou art drunken with this, thou art blind to that cup.

گفت‌‌وگوی ظاهر آمد چون غبار ** مدتی خاموش خو کن هوش دار

Outward speech and talk is as dust: do thou for a time make a habit of silence. Take heed!

مکرر کردن مریدان که خلوت را بشکن

How the disciples repeated their request that he should interrupt his seclusion.

جمله گفتند ای حکیم رخنه جو ** این فریب و این جفا با ما مگو

They all said: “O sage who seekest a crevice (means of evasion), say not to us this (word of) guile and harshness.

چار پا را قدر طاقت بار نه ** بر ضعیفان قدر قوت کار نه‌‌

Lay on the beast a burden in proportion to its endurance, lay on the weak a task in proportion to their strength.

دانه‌‌ی هر مرغ اندازه‌‌ی وی است ** طعمه‌‌ی هر مرغ انجیری کی است‌‌ 580

The bait for every bird is according to its (the bird's) measure (capacity): how should a fig be the food (lure) for every bird?

طفل را گر نان دهی بر جای شیر ** طفل مسکین را از آن نان مرده گیر

If you give a babe bread instead of milk, take it (for granted) that the poor babe will die of the bread;

چون که دندانها بر آرد بعد از آن ** هم بخود گردد دلش جویای نان‌‌

(Yet) afterwards, when it grows teeth, that babe will of its own accord its heart will crave bread.

مرغ پر نارسته چون پران شود ** لقمه‌‌ی هر گربه‌‌ی دران شود

When an unfledged bird begins to fly, it becomes a mouthful for any rapacious cat;

چون بر آرد پر بپرد او به خود ** بی‌‌تکلف بی‌‌صفیر نیک و بد

(But) when it grows wings, it will fly of itself without trouble and without whistling (prompting), good or bad.

دیو را نطق تو خامش می‌‌کند ** گوش ما را گفت تو هش می‌‌کند 585

Thy speech makes the Devil silent, thy words make our ears (full of) intelligence.

گوش ما هوش است چون گویا تویی ** خشک ما بحر است چون دریا تویی‌‌

Our ears are (full of) intelligence when thou art speaking; our dry land is a river when thou art the ocean.

با تو ما را خاک بهتر از فلک ** ای سماک از تو منور تا سمک‌‌

With thee, earth is better to us than heaven, O thou by whom (the world from) Arcturus to the Fish is illumined!

بی‌‌تو ما را بر فلک تاریکی است ** با تو ای ماه این فلک باری کی است‌‌

Without thee, darkness is over heaven for us, (but) compared with thee, O Moon, who is this heaven at all?

صورت رفعت بود افلاک را ** معنی رفعت روان پاک را

The heavens have the form of sublimity, (but) the essence of sublimity belongs to the pure spirit.

صورت رفعت برای جسمهاست ** جسمها در پیش معنی اسمهاست‌‌ 590

The form of sublimity is for bodies; beside the essence (reality) bodies are (mere) names.”

جواب گفتن وزیر که خلوت را نمی‌‌شکنم

The refusal of the vizier to interrupt his seclusion.

گفت حجتهای خود کوته کنید ** پند را در جان و در دل ره کنید

He said: “Cut short your arguments, let my advice make its way into your souls and hearts.

گر امینم متهم نبود امین ** گر بگویم آسمان را من زمین‌‌

If I am trustworthy, the trustworthy is not doubted, even though I should call heaven earth.

گر کمالم با کمال انکار چیست ** ور نیم این زحمت و آزار چیست‌‌

If I am (endowed with) perfection, why (this) disbelief in my perfection? and if I am not (perfect), why this molestation and annoyance?

من نخواهم شد از این خلوت برون ** ز آن که مشغولم به احوال درون‌‌

I will not go forth from this seclusion, because I am occupied with inward experiences.”

اعتراض مریدان در خلوت وزیر

How the disciples raised objections against the vizier's secluding himself.

جمله گفتند ای وزیر انکار نیست ** گفت ما چون گفتن اغیار نیست‌‌ 595

They all said: “O vizier, it is not disbelief: our words are not as the words of strangers.

اشک دیده‌‌ست از فراق تو دوان ** آه آه است از میان جان روان‌‌

The tears of our eyes are running because of our separation from thee; sigh after sigh is going (up) from the midst of our souls.

طفل با دایه نه استیزد و لیک ** گرید او گر چه نه بد داند نه نیک‌‌

A babe does not contend with its nurse, but it weeps, although it knows neither evil nor good.

ما چون چنگیم و تو زخمه می‌‌زنی ** زاری از ما نی تو زاری می‌‌کنی‌‌

We are as the harp and thou art striking (it with) the plectrum (playing on it): the lamentation is not from us, it is thou that art making lamentation.

ما چو ناییم و نوا در ما ز تست ** ما چو کوهیم و صدا در ما ز تست‌‌

We are as the flute, and the music in us is from thee; we are as the mountain, and the echo in us is from thee.

ما چو شطرنجیم اندر برد و مات ** برد و مات ما ز تست ای خوش صفات‌‌ 600

We are as pieces of chess (engaged) in victory and defeat: our victory and defeat is from thee, O thou whose qualities are comely!

ما که باشیم ای تو ما را جان جان ** تا که ما باشیم با تو در میان‌‌

Who are we, O thou soul of our souls, that we should remain in being beside thee?

ما عدمهاییم و هستیهای ما ** تو وجود مطلقی فانی نما

We and our existences are (really) non-existences: thou art the absolute Being which manifests the perishable (causes phenomena to appear).

ما همه شیران ولی شیر علم ** حمله‌‌شان از باد باشد دم‌‌به‌‌دم‌‌

We all are lions, but lions on a banner: because of the wind they are rushing onward from moment to moment.

حمله شان پیدا و ناپیداست باد ** آن که ناپیداست هرگز کم مباد

Their onward rush is visible, and the wind is unseen: may that which is unseen never fail!

باد ما و بود ما از داد تست ** هستی ما جمله از ایجاد تست‌‌ 605

Our wind (that whereby we are moved) and our being are of thy gift; our whole existence is from thy bringing (us) into being.

لذت هستی نمودی نیست را ** عاشق خود کرده بودی نیست را

Thou didst show the delightfulness of Being unto not-being, (after) thou hadst caused not-being to fall in love with thee.

لذت انعام خود را وامگیر ** نقل و باده و جام خود را وامگیر

Take not away the delightfulness of thy bounty; take not away thy dessert and wine and wine-cup!

ور بگیری کیت جستجو کند ** نقش با نقاش چون نیرو کند

And if thou take it away, who will make inquiry of thee? How should the picture strive with the painter?

منگر اندر ما، مکن در ما نظر ** اندر اکرام و سخای خود نگر

Do not look on us, do not fix thy gaze on us: look on thine own kindness and generosity.

ما نبودیم و تقاضامان نبود ** لطف تو ناگفته‌‌ی ما می‌‌شنود 610

We were not, and there was no demand on our part, (yet) thy grace was hearkening to our unspoken prayer (and calling us into existence).”

نقش باشد پیش نقاش و قلم ** عاجز و بسته چو کودک در شکم‌‌

Before the painter and the brush the picture is helpless and bound like a child in the womb.

پیش قدرت خلق جمله بارگه ** عاجزان چون پیش سوزن کارگه‌‌

Before Omnipotence all the people of the (Divine) court of audience (the world) are as helpless as the (embroiderer's) fabric before the needle.

گاه نقشش دیو و گه آدم کند ** گاه نقشش شادی و گه غم کند

Now He makes the picture thereon (one of) the Devil, now (of) Adam; now He makes the picture thereon (one of) joy, now (one of) grief.