گاو اگر خسپد وگر چیزی خورد ** بهر عید و ذبح او می‌پرورد
Whether the buffalo sleep or whether it eat something, he nurtures (fattens) it for the Feast and the slaughter.
گاو موسی دان مرا جان داده‌ای ** جزو جزوم حشر هر آزاده‌ای
Deem me to be (as) the cow of Moses that gave life (to the murdered man): each limb of me is the (means of) raising from the dead every one that is (spiritually) free.
گاو موسی بود قربان گشته‌ای ** کمترین جزوش حیات کشته‌ای
The cow of Moses was one offered in sacrifice: her smallest limb brought a murdered man to life.
برجهید آن کشته ز آسیبش ز جا ** در خطاب اضربوه بعضها
At its touch the murdered man sprang up from his place—at the words spoken (by God), Strike him with part of her.
یا کرامی اذبحوا هذا البقر ** ان اردتم حشر ارواح النظر3900
O my noble (friends), slaughter this cow (the fleshly soul), if ye desire to raise to life the spirits (possessed) of insight.
از جمادی مردم و نامی شدم ** وز نما مردم به حیوان برزدم
I died to the inorganic state and became endowed with growth, and (then) I died to (vegetable) growth and attained to the animal.
مردم از حیوانی و آدم شدم ** پس چه ترسم کی ز مردن کم شدم
I died from animality and became Adam (man): why, then, should I fear? When have I become less by dying?
حمله‌ی دیگر بمیرم از بشر ** تا بر آرم از ملایک پر و سر
At the next remove I shall die to man, that I may soar and lift up my head amongst the angels;
وز ملک هم بایدم جستن ز جو ** کل شیء هالک الا وجهه
And I must escape even from (the state of) the angel:everything is perishing except His Face.
بار دیگر از ملک قربان شوم ** آنچ اندر وهم ناید آن شوم3905
Once more I shall be sacrificed and die to the angel: I shall become that which enters not into the imagination.
پس عدم گردم عدم چون ارغنون ** گویدم که انا الیه راجعون
Then I shall become non-existence: non-existence saith to me, (in tones loud) as an organ, Verily, unto Him shall we return.
مرگ دان آنک اتفاق امتست ** کاب حیوانی نهان در ظلمتست
Know death to be (the thing signified by) what the (Mohammedan) community are agreed upon, namely, that the Water of Life is hidden in the (Land of) Darkness.
همچو نیلوفر برو زین طرف جو ** همچو مستسقی حریص و مرگ‌جو
Grow from this river-bank, like the water-lily, greedy and craving for death as the sufferer from dropsy.
مرگ او آبست و او جویای آب ** می‌خورد والله اعلم بالصواب
The water is death to him, and (yet) he is seeking the water and drinking it— and God best knoweth the right course.
ای فسرده عاشق ننگین نمد ** کو ز بیم جان ز جانان می‌رمد3910
Oh, the cold lover, clad in the felt (garment) of shame, who from fear of (losing) his life is fleeing from the Beloved!
سوی تیغ عشقش ای ننگ زنان ** صد هزاران جان نگر دستک‌زنان
O thou disgrace (even) to women, behold hundreds of thousands of souls clapping their hands (and rushing) towards the sword of His love!
جوی دیدی کوزه اندر جوی ریز ** آب را از جوی کی باشد گریز
Thou hast seen the river: spill thy jug in the river: how should the water take flight from the river?
آب کوزه چون در آب جو شود ** محو گردد در وی و جو او شود
When the water in the jug goes into the river-water, it disappears in it, and it becomes the river.
وصف او فانی شد و ذاتش بقا ** زین سپس نه کم شود نه بدلقا
His (the lover's) attributes have passed away, and his essence remains: after this, he does not dwindle or become ill-favoured.
خویش را بر نخل او آویختم ** عذر آن را که ازو بگریختم3915
I have hanged myself on His palm-tree in excuse for having fled from Him.”
رسیدن آن عاشق به معشوق خویش چون دست از جان خود بشست
How that lover reached his Beloved when he washed his hands of (gave up) his life.
همچو گویی سجده کن بر رو و سر ** جانب آن صدر شد با چشم تر
Prostrating himself on face and head, like a ball, he went with wet eyes towards the Sadr (Prince).
جمله خلقان منتظر سر در هوا ** کش بسوزد یا برآویزد ورا
All the people were waiting, their heads in the air, (to see) whether he would burn or hang him.
این زمان این احمق یک لخت را ** آن نماید که زمان بدبخت را
“Now” (they said) “he will show to this simpleton that which Time (Fortune) shows to the unfortunate.
همچو پروانه شرر را نور دید ** احمقانه در فتاد از جان برید
Like the moth, he (the lover) deemed the (fiery) sparks to be the light: foolishly he fell in and was cut off from (deprived of) life.”
لیک شمع عشق چون آن شمع نیست ** روشن اندر روشن اندر روشنیست3920
But the candle of Love is not like that (external) candle: it is radiance in radiance in radiance.
او به عکس شمعهای آتشیست ** می‌نماید آتش و جمله خوشیست
It is the reverse of the fiery candles: it seems to be fire, while (in reality) it is all sweetness.
صفت آن مسجد کی عاشق‌کش بود و آن عاشق مرگ‌جوی لا ابالی کی درو مهمان شد
Description of the lover-killing mosque and of the death-seeking reckless lover who became a guest there.
یک حکایت گوش کن ای نیک‌پی ** مسجدی بد بر کنار شهر ری
Lend ear to a story, O well-conducted man! There was a mosque on the outskirts of the city of Rayy.
هیچ کس در وی نخفتی شب ز بیم ** که نه فرزندش شدی آن شب یتیم
No one ever slept the night there but on the same night (he died) from terror (and) his children became orphans.
بس که اندر وی غریب عور رفت ** صبحدم چون اختران در گور رفت
Many the naked (destitute) stranger that went into it (at nightfall) and went at dawn, like the stars, into the grave.
خویشتن را نیک ازین آگاه کن ** صبح آمد خواب را کوتاه کن3925
Make thyself very attentive to this (tale)! The dawn is come, cut short thy slumber!
هر کسی گفتی که پریانند تند ** اندرو مهمان کشان با تیغ کند
Every one used to say that in it there were fierce Jinnís who killed the guests with blunt swords.
آن دگر گفتی که سحرست و طلسم ** کین رصد باشد عدو جان و خصم
Another would say, “It is the magic and talisman, for this enchantment is the foe and enemy of life.”
آن دگر گفتی که بر نه نقش فاش ** بر درش کای میهمان اینجا مباش
Another would say, “Put an inscription (notice) conspicuously on its door—‘O guest, do not stay here.
شب مخسپ اینجا اگر جان بایدت ** ورنه مرگ اینجا کمین بگشایدت
Do not sleep the night here, if you want to live; otherwise, death will unmask an ambush for you in this place.’”
وان یکی گفتی که شب قفلی نهید ** غافلی کاید شما کم ره دهید3930
And another would say, “Bolt (the door) at night, (and when) a heedless person comes, do not admit him.”
مهمان آمدن در آن مسجد
How the guest came into the mosque.
تا یکی مهمان در آمد وقت شب ** کو شنیده بود آن صیت عجب
(So it continued) till a guest arrived at nightfall who had heard that marvellous rumour.
از برای آزمون می‌آزمود ** زانک بس مردانه و جان سیر بود
He was testing (it) in order to put (it) to the proof, for he was very valiant and surfeited with life.
گفت کم گیرم سر و اشکمبه‌ای ** رفته گیر از گنج جان یک حبه‌ای
He said (to himself), “I take little account of a (sheep's) head and belly: suppose that one grain is gone from the spirit's treasure, (what does it matter?)
صورت تن گو برو من کیستم ** نقش کم ناید چو من باقیستم
Let the bodily form go: who am I (in reality)? Is not the (bodily) figure of small account when I am enduring for ever?
چون نفخت بودم از لطف خدا ** نفخ حق باشم ز نای تن جدا3935
Since by the grace of God the (Divine) spirit was breathed into me, I am the breath of God (which is) kept apart from the windpipe of the body,
تا نیفتد بانگ نفخش این طرف ** تا رهد آن گوهر از تنگین صدف
To the end that the sound of His breathing should not fall in this direction, and that that (spiritual) pearl should escape from the narrow (bodily) shell.
چون تمنوا موت گفت ای صادقین ** صادقم جان را برافشانم برین
Since God said, ‘Desire death, O ye that are sincere,’ I am sincere: I will lavish my soul upon this (I will sacrifice my life for this object).”
ملامت کردن اهل مسجد مهمان عاشق را از شب خفتن در آنجا و تهدید کردن مرورا
How the people of the mosque blamed the lover-guest for (his intention of) sleeping the night there and threatened him.
قوم گفتندش که هین اینجا مخسپ ** تا نکوبد جانستانت همچو کسپ
The people said to him, “Beware! Do not sleep here, lest the Taker of the soul pound thee like the dregs of sesame-grain,
که غریبی و نمی‌دانی ز حال ** کاندرین جا هر که خفت آمد زوال
For thou art a stranger and ignorant of the fact that any one who sleeps in this place perishes.
اتفاقی نیست این ما بارها ** دیده‌ایم و جمله اصحاب نهی3940
This is not an (accidental) occurrence: we and all those possessed of intelligence have ofttimes witnessed this.
هر که آن مسجد شبی مسکن شدش ** نیم‌شب مرگ هلاهل آمدش
To whomsoever that mosque gave lodging for a single night, poisonous death came to him at midnight.
از یکی ما تابه صد این دیده‌ایم ** نه به تقلید از کسی بشنیده‌ایم
We have seen this not (only) once but a hundred times: we have not heard it at second-hand from any one.
گفت الدین نصیحه آن رسول ** آن نصیحت در لغت ضد غلول
The Prophet said, ‘The (Mohammedan) religion is (consists in) sincerity (nasíhat)’: that nasíhat etymologically is the opposite of ghulúl (unfaithfulness).
این نصیحت راستی در دوستی ** در غلولی خاین و سگ‌پوستی
This nasíhat is ‘to be true in friendship’: in an act of ghulúl you are treacherous and currish.
بی خیانت این نصیحت از وداد ** می‌نماییمت مگرد از عقل و داد3945
We are showing this sincerity towards thee, without treachery, from (motives of) love: do not turn away from reason and justice!”