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.
من جهان را چون رحم دیدم کنون ** چون در این آتش بدیدم این سکون
Now I deem the (earthly) world to be like the womb, since in this fire I have seen such rest:
اندر این آتش بدیدم عالمی ** ذره ذره اندر او عیسی دمی
In this fire I have seen a world wherein every atom possesses the (life-giving) breath of Jesus.
نک جهان نیست شکل هست ذات ** و آن جهان هست شکل بیثبات795
Lo, (it is) a world apparently non-existent (but) essentially existent, while that (other) world is apparently existent (but) has no permanence.
اندر آ مادر به حق مادری ** بین که این آذر ندارد آذری
Come in, mother, (I beseech thee) by the right of motherhood: see this fire, how it hath no fieriness.
اندر آ مادر که اقبال آمده ست ** اندر آ مادر مده دولت ز دست
Come in, mother, for felicity is come; come in, mother, do not let fortune slip from thy hand.
قدرت آن سگ بدیدی اندر آ ** تا ببینی قدرت و لطف خدا
Thou hast seen the power of that (Jewish) cur: come in, that thou mayst see the power and the grace of God.
من ز رحمت میکشانم پای تو ** کز طرب خود نیستم پروای تو
’Tis (only) out of pity that I am drawing thy feet (hither), for indeed such is my rapture that I have no care for thee.
اندر آ و دیگران را هم بخوان ** کاندر آتش شاه بنهاده ست خوان800
Come in and call the others also, for the King has spread a (festal) table within the fire.
اندر آیید ای مسلمانان همه ** غیر عذب دین عذاب است آن همه
O true believers, come in, all of you: except the sweetness (‘adhbí) of (the true) religion all is torment (‘adháb).
اندر آیید ای همه پروانهوار ** اندر این بهره که دارد صد بهار
Oh, come in, all of you, like moths; (come) into this fortune which hath a hundred springtimes.”
بانگ میزد در میان آن گروه ** پر همیشد جان خلقان از شکوه
(Thus) he was crying amidst that multitude: the souls of the people were filled with awe.
خلق خود را بعد از آن بیخویشتن ** میفگندند اندر آتش مرد و زن
After that, the folk, men and women (alike), cast themselves unwittingly into the fire—
بیموکل بیکشش از عشق دوست ** ز آن که شیرین کردن هر تلخ از اوست805
Without custodian, without being dragged, for love of the Friend, because from Him is the sweetening of every bitterness—
تا چنان شد کان عوانان خلق را ** منع میکردند کاتش در میا
Until it came to pass that the (king's) myrmidons were holding back the people, saying, “Do not enter the fire!”
آن یهودی شد سیه رو و خجل ** شد پشیمان زین سبب بیمار دل
The Jew became black-faced (covered with shame) and dismayed; he became sorry and sick at heart,
کاندر ایمان خلق عاشقتر شدند ** در فنای جسم صادقتر شدند
Because the people grew more loving (ardent) in their Faith and more firm in mortification (faná) of the body.
مکر شیطان هم در او پیچید شکر ** دیو هم خود را سیه رو دید شکر
Thanks (be to God), the Devil's plot caught him in its toils; thanks (be to God), the Devil saw himself disgraced.
آن چه میمالید در روی کسان ** جمع شد در چهرهی آن ناکس آن810
That which he was rubbing (the shame he was inflicting) on the faces of those persons (the Christians) was all accumulated on the visage of that vile wretch.
آن که میدرید جامهی خلق چست ** شد دریده آن او ایشان درست
He who was busy rending the garment (honour and integrity) of the people—his own (garment) was rent, (while) they were unhurt.
کج ماندن دهان آن مرد که نام محمد را علیه السلام به تسخر خواند
How the mouth remained awry of a man who pronounced the name of Mohammed, on whom be peace, derisively.
آن دهان کژ کرد و از تسخر بخواند ** مر محمد را دهانش کژ بماند
He made his mouth wry and called (the name of) Mohammed in derision: his mouth remained awry.
باز آمد کای محمد عفو کن ** ای ترا الطاف و علم من لدن
He came back, saying, “Pardon me, O Mohammed, O thou to whom belong the (Divine) favours and knowledge (derived) immediately from God.
من ترا افسوس میکردم ز جهل ** من بدم افسوس را منسوب و اهل
In my folly I was ridiculing thee, (but) I myself was related to ridicule and deserving it.”
چون خدا خواهد که پردهی کس درد ** میلش اندر طعنهی پاکان برد815
When God wishes to rend the veil of any one (expose him to shame), He turns his inclination towards reviling holy men.
چون خدا خواهد که پوشد عیب کس ** کم زند در عیب معیوبان نفس
And if God wishes to hide the blame of any one, he (that person) does not breathe a word of blame against the blameworthy.
چون خدا خواهد کهمان یاری کند ** میل ما را جانب زاری کند
When God wishes to help us, He turns our inclination towards humble lament.
ای خنک چشمی که آن گریان اوست ** وی همایون دل که آن بریان اوست
Oh, happy the eye that is weeping for His sake! Oh, fortunate the heart that is seared for His sake!
آخر هر گریه آخر خندهای است ** مرد آخر بین مبارک بندهای است
The end of every weeping is laughter at last; the man who foresees the end is a blessed servant (of God).
هر کجا آب روان سبزه بود ** هر کجا اشک روان رحمت شود820
Wherever is flowing water, there is greenery: wherever are running tears, (the Divine) mercy is shown.
باش چون دولاب نالان چشم تر ** تا ز صحن جانت بر روید خضر
Be moaning and moist-eyed like the water-wheel, that green herbs may spring up from the courtyard of your soul.
اشک خواهی رحم کن بر اشک بار ** رحم خواهی بر ضعیفان رحم آر
If you desire tears, have mercy on one who sheds tears; if you desire mercy, show mercy to the weak.
عتاب کردن آتش را آن پادشاه جهود
How the fire reproached the Jewish king.
رو به آتش کرد شه کای تند خو ** آن جهان سوز طبیعی خوت کو
The king turned his face to the fire, saying, “O fierce-tempered one, where is thy world-consuming natural disposition?
چون نمیسوزی چه شد خاصیتت ** یا ز بخت ما دگر شد نیتت
How art thou not burning? What has become of thy specific property? Or has thy intention changed because of our fortune?
مینبخشایی تو بر آتش پرست ** آن که نپرستد ترا او چون برست825
Thou hast no pity (even) on the fire-worshipper: how (then) has he been saved who does not worship thee?
هرگز ای آتش تو صابر نیستی ** چون نسوزی چیست قادر نیستی
Never, O fire, art thou patient: how burnest thou not? What is it? Hast thou not the power?
چشم بند است این عجب یا هوش بند ** چون نسوزاند چنین شعلهی بلند
Is this a spell, I wonder, that binds the eye or the mind? How does such a lofty flame not burn?