ای تقاضاگر درون همچون جنین ** چون تقاضا می‌کنی اتمام این1490
O Thou that makest demands within (me), like the embryo— since Thou art making a demand, make easy
سهل گردان ره نما توفیق ده ** یا تقاضا را بهل بر ما منه
The fulfilment of this (task), show the way, give aidance, or (else) relinquish the demand and do not lay (the burden) upon me!
چون ز مفلس زر تقاضا می‌کنی ** زر ببخشش در سر ای شاه غنی
Since Thou art demanding gold from an insolvent, give him gold in secret, O rich King!
بی تو نظم و قافیه شام و سحر ** زهره کی دارد که آید در نظر
Without Thee, how should poesy and rhyme dare to come into sight at eve or morn?
نظم و تجنیس و قوافی ای علیم ** بنده‌ی امر توند از ترس و بیم
Poesy and homonymy and rhymes, O Knowing One, are the slaves of Thy Command from fear and dread,
چون مسبح کرده‌ای هر چیز را ** ذات بی تمییز و با تمییز را1495
Inasmuch as Thou hast made everything a glorifier (of Thee) —the undiscerning entity and the discerning (alike).
هر یکی تسبیح بر نوعی دگر ** گوید و از حال آن این بی‌خبر
Each glorifies (Thee) in a different fashion, and that one is unaware of the state of this one.
آدمی منکر ز تسبیح جماد ** و آن جماد اندر عبادت اوستاد
Man disbelieves in the glorification uttered by inanimate things, but those inanimate things are masters in (performing) worship.
بلک هفتاد و دو ملت هر یکی ** بی‌خبر از یکدگر واندر شکی
Nay, the two-and-seventy sects, every one, are unaware of (the real state of) each other and in a (great) doubt.
چون دو ناطق را ز حال همدگر ** نیست آگه چون بود دیوار و در
Since two speakers have no knowledge of each other's state, how will (it) be (with) wall and door?
چون من از تسبیح ناطق غافلم ** چون بداند سبحه‌ی صامت دلم1500
Since I am heedless of the glorification uttered by one who speaks, how should my heart know the glorification performed by that which is mute?
هست سنی را یکی تسبیح خاص ** هست جبری را ضد آن در مناص
The Sunní is unaware of the Jabrí's (mode of) glorification; the Jabrí is unaffected by the Sunní's (mode of) glorification.
سنی از تسبیح جبری بی‌خبر ** جبری از تسبیح سنی بی اثر
The Sunní has a particular (mode of) glorification; the Jabrí has the opposite thereof in (taking) refuge (with God).
این همی‌گوید که آن ضالست و گم ** بی‌خبر از حال او وز امر قم
This one (the Jabrí) says, “He (the Sunní) is astray and lost,” (being) unaware of his (real) state and of the (Divine) command, “Arise (and preach)!”
و آن همی گوید که این را چه خبر ** جنگشان افکند یزدان از قدر
And that one (the Sunní) says, “What awareness has this one (the Jabrí)?” God, by fore-ordainment, hath cast them into strife.
گوهر هر یک هویدا می‌کند ** جنس از ناجنس پیدا می‌کند1505
He maketh manifest the real nature of each, He displays the congener by (contrast with) the uncongenial.
قهر را از لطف داند هر کسی ** خواه دانا خواه نادان یا خسی
Every one knows (can distinguish) mercy from vengeance, whether he be wise or ignorant or vile,
لیک لطفی قهر در پنهان شده ** یا که قهری در دل لطف آمده
But a mercy that has become hidden in vengeance, or a vengeance that has sunk into the heart of mercy,
کم کسی داند مگر ربانیی ** کش بود در دل محک جانیی
No one knows except the divine (deified) man in whose heart is a spiritual touchstone.
باقیان زین دو گمانی می‌برند ** سوی لانه‌ی خود به یک پر می‌پرند
The rest hold (only) an opinion of these two (qualities): they fly to their nest with a single wing.
بیان آنک علم را دو پرست و گمان را یک پرست ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست مثال ظن و یقین در علم
Explaining that Knowledge has two wings, and Opinion (only) one: “Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight”; and a comparison illustrating opinion and certainty in knowledge.
علم را دو پر گمان را یک پرست ** ناقص آمد ظن به پرواز ابترست1510
Knowledge has two wings, Opinion one wing: Opinion is defective and curtailed in flight.
مرغ یک‌پر زود افتد سرنگون ** باز بر پرد دو گامی یا فزون
The one-winged bird soon falls headlong; then again it flies up some two paces or (a little) more.
افت خیزان می‌رود مرغ گمان ** با یکی پر بر امید آشیان
The bird, Opinion, falling and rising, goes on with one wing in hope of (reaching) the nest.
چون ز ظن وا رست علمش رو نمود ** شد دو پر آن مرغ یک‌پر پر گشود
(But) when he has been delivered from Opinion, Knowledge shows its face to him: that one-winged bird becomes two-winged and spreads his wings.
بعد از آن یمشی سویا مستقیم ** نه علی وجهه مکبا او سقیم
After that, he walks erect and straight, not falling flat on his face or ailing.
با دو پر بر می‌پرد چون جبرئیل ** بی گمان و بی مگر بی قال و قیل1515
He flies aloft with two wings, like Gabriel, without opinion and without peradventure and without disputation.
گر همه عالم بگویندش توی ** بر ره یزدان و دین مستوی
If all the world should say to him, “You are on the Way of God and (are following) the right religion,”
او نگردد گرم‌تر از گفتشان ** جان طاق او نگردد جفتشان
He will not be made hotter by their words: his lonely soul will not mate with them;
ور همه گویند او را گم‌رهی ** کوه پنداری و تو برگ کهی
And if they all should say to him, “You are astray: you think (you are) a mountain, and (in reality) you are a blade of straw,”
او نیفتد در گمان از طعنشان ** او نگردد دردمند از ظعنشان
He will not fall into opinion (doubt) because of their taunts, he will not be grieved by their departure (estrangement from him).
بلک گر دریا و کوه آید بگفت ** گویدش با گم‌رهی گشتی تو جفت1520
Nay, if seas and mountains should come to speech and should say to him, “You are wedded to perdition,”
هیچ یک ذره نیفتد در خیال ** یا به طعن طاعنان رنجورحال
Not the least jot will he fall into phantasy or sickness on account of the taunts of the scoffers.
مثال رنجور شدن آدمی بوهم تعظیم خلق و رغبت مشتریان بوی و حکایت معلم
Parable of a man's being made (spiritually) ill by vain conceit of the veneration in which he is held by the people and of the supplication addressed to him by those seeking his favour; and the (following) story of the Teacher.
کودکان مکتبی از اوستاد ** رنج دیدند از ملال و اجتهاد
The boys in a certain school suffered at the hands of their master from weariness and toil.
مشورت کردند در تعویق کار ** تا معلم در فتد در اضطرار
They consulted about (the means of) stopping (his) work, so that the teacher should be reduced to the necessity (of letting them go),
چون نمی‌آید ورا رنجوریی ** که بگیرد چند روز او دوریی
(Saying), “Since no illness befalls him, which would cause him to take absence for several days,
تا رهیم از حبس و تنگی و ز کار ** هست او چون سنگ خارا بر قرار1525
So that we might escape from (this) imprisonment and confinement and work, (what can we do?). He is fixed (here), like a solid rock.”
آن یکی زیرکتر این تدبیر کرد ** که بگوید اوستا چونی تو زرد
One, the cleverest (of them all), planned that he should say, “Master, how are you (so) pale?
خیر باشد رنگ تو بر جای نیست ** این اثر یا از هوا یا از تبیست
May it be well (with you)! Your colour is changed: this is the effect either of (bad) air or of a fever.”
اندکی اندر خیال افتد ازین ** تو برادر هم مدد کن این‌چنین
(He continued), “At this he (the master) will begin to fancy a little (that he is ill): do you too, brother, help (me) in like manner.
چون درآیی از در مکتب بگو ** خیر باشد اوستا احوال تو
When you come in through the door of the school, say (to him), ‘Master, is your state (of health) good?’
آن خیالش اندکی افزون شود ** کز خیالی عاقلی مجنون شود1530
(Then) that fancy of his will increase a little, for by a fancy a sensible man is driven mad.
آن سوم و آن چارم و پنجم چنین ** در پی ما غم نمایند و حنین
After us let the third (boy) and the fourth and the fifth show sympathy and sorrow likewise,
تا چو سی کودک تواتر این خبر ** متفق گویند یابد مستقر
So that, when with one consent thirty boys successively tell this story, it may find lodgement (in his mind).”
هر یکی گفتش که شاباش ای ذکی ** باد بختت بر عنایت متکی
Each (of the boys) said to him (the ringleader), “Bravo, O sagacious one! May your fortune rest on the favour (of God)!”
متفق گشتند در عهد وثیق ** که نگرداند سخن را یک رفیق
They agreed, in firm covenant, that no fellow should alter the words;
بعد از آن سوگند داد او جمله را ** تا که غمازی نگوید ماجرا1535
And afterwards he administered an oath to them all, lest any tell-tale should reveal the plot.
رای آن کودک بچربید از همه ** عقل او در پیش می‌رفت از رمه
The counsel of that boy prevailed over all (the others), his intellect was going in front of the (whole) flock.
آن تفاوت هست در عقل بشر ** که میان شاهدان اندر صور
There is the same difference in human intellect as (there is) amongst loved ones in (their outward) forms.
زین قبل فرمود احمد در مقال ** در زبان پنهان بود حسن رجال
From this point of view, Ahmad (Mohammed) said in talk, “The excellence of men is hidden in the tongue.”
عقول خلق متفاوتست در اصل فطرت و نزد معتزله متساویست تفاوت عقول از تحصیل علم است
People's intellects differ in their original nature, (though) according to the Mu‘tazilites they are (originally) equal and the difference in intellects arises from the acquisition of knowledge.
اختلاف عقلها در اصل بود ** بر وفاق سنیان باید شنود
You must hear (and believe) in accordance with the Sunnís (that) the difference in (people's) intellects was original,