هر که او بنهاد ناخوش سنتی ** سوی او نفرین رود هر ساعتی
Whosoever establishes an evil way (practice), towards him goes malediction every hour.
نیکوان رفتند و سنتها بماند ** وز لئیمان ظلم و لعنتها بماند
The righteous departed and their ways remained, and from the vile there remained (nothing but) injustice and execrations.
تا قیامت هر که جنس آن بدان ** در وجود آید بود رویش بدان745
Until the Resurrection, the face of every congener of those wicked men who comes into existence is turned towards that one (who belongs to his own kind).
رگ رگ است این آب شیرین و آب شور ** در خلایق میرود تا نفخ صور
Vein by vein is this sweet water and bitter water, flowing in (God's) creatures until the blast of the trumpet (at the Resurrection).
نیکوان را هست میراث از خوشآب ** آن چه میراث است أورثنا الکتاب
To the righteous is the inheritance of the sweet water. What is that inheritance? We have caused (those of Our servants whom We have chosen) to inherit the Book.
شد نیاز طالبان ار بنگری ** شعلهها از گوهر پیغمبری
If you will consider, the supplications of the seekers (of God) are rays (proceeding) from the substance of prophethood.
شعلهها با گوهران گردان بود ** شعله آن جانب رود هم کان بود
The rays are circling with the substances (whence they spring): the ray goes (ultimately) in the direction where that (substance) is.
نور روزن گرد خانه میدود ** ز آنکه خور برجی به برجی میرود750
The window-gleam runs round the house, because the sun goes from sign to sign of the zodiac.
هر که را با اختری پیوستگی است ** مر و را با اختر خود هم تگی است
Any one who has affinity with a star (planet) has a concurrence (of qualities) with his star.
طالعش گر زهره باشد در طرب ** میل کلی دارد و عشق و طلب
If his ascendant star be Venus, his whole inclination and love and desire is for joy;
ور بود مریخی خونریز خو ** جنگ و بهتان و خصومت جوید او
And if he be one born under Mars, one whose nature is to shed blood, he seeks war and malignity and enmity.
اخترانند از ورای اختران ** که احتراق و نحس نبود اندر آن
Beyond the (material) stars are stars in which is no conflagration or sinister aspect,
سایران در آسمانهای دگر ** غیر این هفت آسمان معتبر755
(Stars) moving in other heavens, not these seven heavens (which are) held in high regard,
راسخان در تاب انوار خدا ** نی بهم پیوسته نی از هم جدا
(Stars) immanent in the radiance of the light of God, neither joined to each other nor separate from each other.
هر که باشد طالع او ز آن نجوم ** نفس او کفار سوزد در رجوم
When any one's ascendant (fortune) is from those stars, his soul burns the infidels in driving (them) off.
خشم مریخی نباشد خشم او ** منقلب رو غالب و مغلوب خو
His anger is not (like) the anger of the man born under Mars—going upside down, and of such nature that it is (now) dominant and (now) dominated.
نور غالب ایمن از نقص و غسق ** در میان اصبعین نور حق
The dominant light (of the saints) is secure from defect and dimness between the two fingers of the Light of God.
حق فشاند آن نور را بر جانها ** مقبلان برداشته دامانها760
God hath scattered that light over (all) spirits, (but only) the fortunate have held up their skirts (to receive it);
و آن نثار نور را وایافته ** روی از غیر خدا بر تافته
And he (that is fortunate), having gained that strown largesse of light, has turned his face away from all except God.
هر که را دامان عشقی نابده ** ز آن نثار نور بیبهره شده
Whosoever has lacked (such) a skirt of love is left without share in that strown largesse of light.
جزوها را رویها سوی کل است ** بلبلان را عشق با روی گل است
The faces of particulars are set towards the universal: nightingales are in love with the face of the rose.
گاو را رنگ از برون و مرد را ** از درون جو رنگ سرخ و زرد را
The ox has his colour outside, but in the case of a man seek the red and yellow hues within.
رنگهای نیک از خم صفاست ** رنگ زشتان از سیاهآبهی جفاست765
The good colours are from the vat of purity; the colour of the wicked is from the black water of iniquity.
صبغة الله نام آن رنگ لطیف ** لعنة الله بوی این رنگ کثیف
The baptism of God is the name of that subtle colour; the curse of God is the smell of this gross colour.
آن چه از دریا به دریا میرود ** از همانجا کامد آن جا میرود
That which is of the sea is going to the sea: it is going to the same place whence it came—
از سر که سیلهای تیز رو ** وز تن ما جان عشق آمیز رو
From the mountain-top the swift-rushing torrents, and from our body the soul whose motion is mingled with love.
آتش کردن پادشاه جهود و بت نهادن پهلوی آتش که هر که این بت را سجود کند از آتش برست
How the Jewish king made a fire and placed an idol beside it, saying, “Whoever bows down to this idol shall escape the fire.”
آن جهود سگ ببین چه رای کرد ** پهلوی آتش بتی بر پای کرد
Now see what a plan this currish Jew contrived! He set up an idol beside the fire,
کان که این بت را سجود آرد برست ** ور نیارد در دل آتش نشست770
Saying, “He that bows down to this idol is saved, and if he bow not, he shall sit in the heart of the fire.”
چون سزای این بت نفس او نداد ** از بت نفسش بتی دیگر بزاد
Inasmuch as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self, from the idol of his self the other idol was born.
مادر بتها بت نفس شماست ** ز آن که آن بت مار و این بت اژدهاست
The idol of your self is the mother of (all) idols, because that (material) idol is (only) a snake, while this (spiritual) idol is a dragon.
آهن و سنگ است نفس و بت شرار ** آن شرار از آب میگیرد قرار
The self is (as) iron and stone (whence fire is produced), while the (material) idol is (as) the sparks: those sparks are quieted (quenched) by water.
سنگ و آهن ز آب کی ساکنشود ** آدمی با این دو کی ایمن شود
(But) how should the stone and iron be allayed by water? How should a man, having these twain, be secure?
بت سیاهآبهست در کوزه نهان ** نفس مر آب سیه را چشمه دان775
The idol is the black water hidden in the jug; know that the self is the fountain.
آن بت منحوت چون سیل سیاه ** نفس بتگر چشمهای بر آب راه
That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain (jetting muddy water) on the Water-way (the Way that leads to the Water of Life).
صد سبو را بشکند یک پاره سنگ ** و آب چشمه میزهاند بیدرنگ
A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers, but the fountain-water is making jets incessantly.
بت شکستن سهل باشد نیک سهل ** سهل دیدن نفس را جهل است جهل
’Tis easy to break an idol, very easy; to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.
صورت نفس ار بجویی ای پسر ** قصهی دوزخ بخوان با هفت در
O son, if you seek (to know) the form of the self, read the story of Hell with its seven gates.
هر نفس مکری و در هر مکر ز آن ** غرقه صد فرعون با فرعونیان780
Every moment (there proceeds from the self) an act of deceit, and in every one of those deceits a hundred Pharaohs are drowned together with their followers.
در خدای موسی و موسی گریز ** آب ایمان را ز فرعونی مریز
Flee to the God of Moses and to Moses, do not from Pharaoh's quality (rebellious insolence) spill the water of the Faith.
دست را اندر احد و احمد بزن ** ای برادر واره از بو جهل تن
Lay your hand on (cleave to) the One (God) and Ahmad (Mohammed)! O brother, escape from the Bú Jahl of the body!
به سخن آمدن طفل در میان آتش و تحریض کردن خلق را در افتادن به آتش
How a child began to speak amidst the fire and urged the people to throw themselves into the fire.
یک زنی با طفل آورد آن جهود ** پیش آن بت و آتش اندر شعله بود
That Jew brought to that idol a woman with her child, and the fire was blazing.
طفل از او بستد در آتش در فکند ** زن بترسید و دل از ایمان بکند
He took the child from her and cast it into the fire: the woman was affrighted and withdrew her heart from (abandoned) her faith.
خواست تا او سجده آرد پیش بت ** بانگ زد آن طفل إنی لم أمت785
She was about to bow down before the idol (when) the child cried, “Verily, I am not dead.
اندر آ ای مادر اینجا من خوشم ** گر چه در صورت میان آتشم
Come in, O mother: I am happy here, although in appearance I am amidst the fire.
چشم بند است آتش از بهر حجاب ** رحمت است این سر بر آورده ز جیب
The fire is a spell that binds the eye for the sake of screening (the truth); this is (in reality) a Divine mercy which has raised its head from the collar (has been manifested from the Unseen).
اندر آ مادر ببین برهان حق ** تا ببینی عشرت خاصان حق
Come in, mother, and see the evidence of God, that thou mayst behold the delight of God's elect.
اندر آ و آب بین آتش مثال ** از جهانی کاتش است آبش مثال
Come in, and see water that has the semblance of fire; (come away) from a world which is (really) fire and (only) has the semblance of water.
اندر آ اسرار ابراهیم بین ** کاو در آتش یافت سرو و یاسمین790
Come in, and see the mysteries of Abraham, who in the fire found cypress and jessamine.
مرگ میدیدم گه زادن ز تو ** سخت خوفم بود افتادن ز تو
I was seeing death at the time of birth from thee: sore was my dread of falling from thee;
چون بزادم رستم از زندان تنگ ** در جهان خوش هوای خوب رنگ
(But) when I was born, I escaped from the narrow prison (of the womb) into a world of pleasant air and beautiful colour.