لیکش از ناموس و بوش و آب رو ** شرم می‌آمد که وا جوید ازو4450
But on account of (his) glory and pride and magnificence he was ashamed to inquire for him:
رحمتش مشتاق آن مسکین شده ** سلطنت زین لطف مانع آمده
His mercy had begun to yearn after that lowly man, (but) his majesty hindered (him) from (showing) this kindness.
عقل حیران کین عجب او را کشید ** یا کشش زان سو بدینجانب رسید
The intellect is bewildered, wondering whether this one (the Sadr-i Jahán) attracted him (the lover), or whether the attraction came from that quarter (from the lover) to this side.
ترک جلدی کن کزین ناواقفی ** لب ببند الله اعلم بالخفی
Abandon presumption, for thou art ignorant of this. Close thy lips: God best knoweth the secret.
این سخن را بعد ازین مدفون کنم ** آن کشنده می‌کشد من چون کنم
Henceforth I will bury this topic. That Drawer is drawing me (in another direction): what can I do?
کیست آن کت می‌کشد ای معتنی ** آنک می‌نگذاردت کین دم زنی4455
Who is he that is drawing thee, O solicitous one? He who doth not allow thee to utter this word.
صد عزیمت می‌کنی بهر سفر ** می‌کشاند مر ترا جای دگر
Thou makest a hundred resolutions to journey (to a certain spot): He draweth thee to some other place.
زان بگرداند به هر سو آن لگام ** تا خبر یابد ز فارس اسپ خام
He turns the (horse's) bridle in every direction in order that the untrained horse may gain knowledge of the rider.
اسپ زیرکسار زان نیکو پیست ** کو همی‌داند که فارس بر ویست
The clever horse is well-paced because it knows that the rider is (mounted) on it.
او دلت را بر دو صد سودا ببست ** بی‌مرادت کرد پس دل را شکست
He fixed thy heart on a hundred passionate desires, disappointed thee, and then broke thy heart.
چون شکست او بال آن رای نخست ** چون نشد هستی بال‌اشکن درست4460
Inasmuch as He broke the wings of that first intention (of thine), how was not the existence of the Wing-breaker perfectly established (in thy mind)?
چون قضایش حبل تدبیرت سکست ** چون نشد بر تو قضای آن درست
Since His ordainment snapped the cord of thy contrivance, how was not God's ordainment perfectly established (clearly proven) to thee?
فسخ عزایم و نقضها جهت با خبر کردن آدمی را از آنک مالک و قاهر اوست و گاه گاه عزم او را فسخ ناکردن و نافذ داشتن تا طمع او را بر عزم کردن دارد تا باز عزمش را بشکند تا تنبیه بر تنبیه بود
(Showing that) the annulment and destruction of (human) resolutions (is) in order to let man know that He (God) is the Lord and the Almighty; and His occasional non-annulment of his (man's) resolution and His carrying it into effect (is) in order that hope may urge him to form a resolution, so that He again may destroy it, to the end that warning may follow on warning.
عزمها و قصدها در ماجرا ** گاه گاهی راست می‌آید ترا
In the course of events your resolutions and purposes now and then come right (are fulfilled),
تا به طمع آن دلت نیت کند ** بار دیگر نیتت را بشکند
In order that, through hope of that (fulfilment), your heart may form an intention, and that He may once more destroy your intention.
For if He were to keep you wholly unsuccessful, your heart would despair: how would it sow (the seed of) expectation?
ور بکاریدی امل از عوریش ** کی شدی پیدا برو مقهوریش4465
And unless it sowed (the seed of) expectation, how from its barrenness would its subjection (to the Divine will) become apparent to it?
عاشقان از بی‌مرادیهای خویش ** باخبر گشتند از مولای خویش
By their failures (to achieve success) the lovers are made aware of their Lord.
بی‌مرادی شد قلاوز بهشت ** حفت الجنه شنو ای خوش سرشت
Unsuccess is the guide to Paradise: hearken, O man of goodly nature, to (the tradition), “Paradise is encompassed (with pains).”
که مراداتت همه اشکسته‌پاست ** پس کسی باشد که کام او رواست
(Granted) that all that you desire is broken-legged (unsuccessful), then there is One whose pleasure is fulfilled.
پس شدند اشکسته‌اش آن صادقان ** لیک کو خود آن شکست عاشقان
Therefore the sincere (believers) have become broken (abased) before Him; but where indeed is (their abasement in comparison with) the abasement of those who love (Him)?
عاقلان اشکسته‌اش از اضطرار ** عاشقان اشکسته با صد اختیار4470
The intelligent are abased before Him from necessity; the lovers are abased with hundredfold free-will.
عاقلانش بندگان بندی‌اند ** عاشقانش شکری و قندی‌اند
The intelligent are bond-slaves to Him; the lovers are like sugar and candy to Him.
ائتیا کرها مهار عاقلان ** ائتیا طوعا بهار بی‌دلان
“Come against your will” is the toggle for the intelligent; “come willingly” is the spring-time of them that have lost their hearts.
نظرکردن پیغامبر علیه السلام به اسیران و تبسم کردن و گفتن کی عجبت من قوم یجرون الی الجنة بالسلاسل و الاغلال
How the Prophet, on whom be peace, looked at the captives and smiled and said, “I marvel at folk who are dragged to Paradise in chains and shackles.”
دید پیغامبر یکی جوقی اسیر ** که همی‌بردند و ایشان در نفیر
The Prophet saw a troop of captives being taken along, and they were in loud lamentation.
دیدشان در بند آن آگاه شیر ** می نظر کردند در وی زیر زیر
That wary Lion saw them in chains: (he saw them) looking askance at him,
تا همی خایید هر یک از غضب ** بر رسول صدق دندانها و لب4475
So that each (of them) was gnashing his teeth and chewing his lips in anger against the veracious Prophet;
زهره نه با آن غضب که دم زنند ** زانک در زنجیر قهر ده‌منند
(But) notwithstanding that anger, they dare not utter a word, because they are in the ten-maund chain of violence.
می‌کشاندشان موکل سوی شهر ** می‌برد از کافرستانشان به قهر
Their custodian is marching them along to the city: he is taking them by force from the land of the infidels.
نه فدایی می‌ستاند نه زری ** نه شفاعت می‌رسد از سروری
(They say to each other), “He (the Prophet) will not accept any ransom or any gold: no intercession is coming from any prince.
رحمت عالم همی‌گویند و او ** عالمی را می‌برد حلق و گلو
He is called a mercy to the world, and he is cutting the throats and gullets of a (whole) world (of people).”
با هزار انکار می‌رفتند راه ** زیر لب طعنه‌زنان بر کار شاه4480
With a thousand (feelings of) disbelief they marched along, railing under their breath at the actions of the (spiritual) king,
چاره‌ها کردیم و اینجا چاره نیست ** خود دل این مرد کم از خاره نیست
(Saying), “We remedied (our former troubles), but in this case there is no remedy: truly this man's heart is not inferior (in hardness) to a rock.
ما هزاران مرد شیر الپ ارسلان ** با دو سه عریان سست نیم‌جان
We, thousands of men brave as lions, (fighting) with two or three feeble and half-dead naked fellows,
این چنین درمانده‌ایم از کژرویست ** یا ز اخترهاست یا خود جادویست
Are left helpless like this: is it on account of (our) wrong-doing or (unlucky) stars, or is it sorcery?
بخت ما را بر درید آن بخت او ** تخت ما شد سرنگون از تخت او
His fortune tore up our fortune; our throne was overturned by his throne.
کار او از جادوی گر گشت زفت ** جادوی کردیم ما هم چون نرفت4485
If his cause became mighty (was made to prevail) by sorcery, we too practised sorcery: how did not it succeed?
تفسیر این آیت کی ان تستفتحوا فقد جائکم الفتح ایه‌ای طاعنان می‌گفتید کی از ما و محمد علیه السلام آنک حق است فتح و نصرتش ده و این بدان می‌گفتید تا گمان آید کی شما طالب حق‌اید بی غرض اکنون محمد را نصرت دادیم تا صاحب حق را ببینید
[Commentary on the verse (of the Qur’án), “If ye ask for a decision, the decision has indeed come to you. O railers, ye were saying, ‘Give the decision and victory to us or to Mohammed, whichever is in the right’; and ye were saying this in order that it might be supposed that ye were seeking the right disinterestedly. Now We have given the victory to Mohammed, to the end that ye may see the champion of the right.”]
از بتان و از خدا در خواستیم ** که بکن ما را اگر ناراستیم
We besought the idols and God, saying, ‘Destroy us if we are untrue.
آنک حق و راستست از ما و او ** نصرتش ده نصرت او را بجو
Whichever is right and true, between us and him, give the victory to that one and desire him to be victorious.’
این دعا بسیار کردیم و صلات ** پیش لات و پیش عزی و منات
Ofttimes we made this invocation and (bowed down in) prayer before Lát and ‘Uzzá and Manát,
که اگر حقست او پیداش کن ** ور نباشد حق زبون ماش کن
Saying, ‘If he is in the right, make him manifest; if he is not in the right, make him subject to us.’
چونک وا دیدیم او منصور بود ** ما همه ظلمت بدیم او نور بود4490
When we recognised (what had come to pass), he was the one to whom victory was given: we all were darkness, he was the light.
این جواب ماست کانچ خواستید ** گشت پیدا که شما ناراستید
This is our answer (from God)—‘(Concerning) that which ye desired (to know), it has become evident that ye are the untrue.’”
باز این اندیشه را از فکر خویش ** کور می‌کردند و دفع از ذکر خویش
Then, again, they were blindfolding (hiding) this thought from their reflective faculty and banishing it from their memory,
کین تفکرمان هم از ادبار رست ** که صواب او شود در دل درست
Saying, “This thought too has arisen from our ill-luck, (namely, the thought) that his being in the right should be perfectly established (proven beyond doubt) in our minds.
خود چه شد گر غالب آمد چند بار ** هر کسی را غالب آرد روزگار
What, indeed, does it matter if he has prevailed (against us) several times? Time (Fortune) brings every one to predominance (now and then).
ما هم از ایام بخت‌آور شدیم ** بارها بر وی مظفر آمدیم4495
We also were made successful by the Days (Fortune), and at times became victorious over him.”
باز گفتندی که گرچه او شکست ** چون شکست ما نبود آن زشت و پست
(But) again they were saying (to themselves), “Although he was defeated, it was not disgraceful and vile like our defeat,”
زانک بخت نیک او را در شکست ** داد صد شادی پنهان زیردست
Because in (the hour of) defeat (his) good fortune gave him underhand a hundred secret joys;
کو باشکسته نمی‌مانست هیچ ** که نه غم بودش در آن نه پیچ پیچ
For he did not at all resemble one defeated, as he felt no sorrow or distress thereat,
چون نشان مومنان مغلوبیست ** لیک در اشکست ممن خوبیست
Since to be vanquished is the mark of the true believers; yet in the true believer's defeat there is goodness.