ای عجب در عهد ما ظالم کجاست ** کو نه اندر حبس و در زنجیر ماست
Oh, wonderful! Where, in Our epoch, is the oppressor that is not in Our prison and chains?
چونک ما زادیم ظلم آن روز مرد ** پس بعهد ما کی ظلمی پیش برد4635
When We were born, on that day Injustice died: who, then, hath produced (committed) in Our epoch an act of injustice?
چون بر آمد نور ظلمت نیست شد ** ظلم را ظلمت بود اصل و عضد
When the light dawned, the darkness vanished: darkness is the origin and support of injustice.
نک شیاطین کسب و خدمت می‌کنند ** دیگران بسته باصفادند و بند
Look, (some of) the devils are doing work and service; the others are bound in shackles and bonds.
اصل ظلم ظالمان از دیو بود ** دیو در بندست استم چون نمود
The origin of the injustice of the oppressors was from the devil: the devil is in bondage: how did violence appear?
ملک زان دادست ما را کن فکان ** تا ننالد خلق سوی آسمان
(The Divine Will uttered in) ‘Be, and it was’ hath bestowed the kingdom on Us, that the people may not cry out in lament to Heaven;
تا به بالا بر نیاید دودها ** تا نگردد مضطرب چرخ و سها4640
That burning sighs may not soar upward; that the sky and the stars may not be shaken;
تا نلرزد عرش از ناله یتیم ** تا نگردد از ستم جانی سقیم
That the empyrean may not tremble at the orphan's wail; that no (living) soul may be marred by violence.
زان نهادیم از ممالک مذهبی ** تا نیاید بر فلکها یا ربی
We established a law (of justice) throughout the kingdoms (of the earth), to the end that no (cry of) ‘O Lord!’ should go up to the skies.
منگر ای مظلوم سوی آسمان ** کاسمانی شاه داری در زمان
O oppressed one, do not look to Heaven, for thou hast a heavenly king in the temporal world.”
گفت پشه داد من از دست باد ** کو دو دست ظلم بر ما بر گشاد
The gnat said, “My appeal is against the hand (might) of the Wind, for he opened the two hands of oppression against us.
ما ز ظلم او به تنگی اندریم ** با لب بسته ازو خون می‌خوریم4645
Through his oppression we are in sore straits: with closed lips we are drinking blood (suffering torment) from him.”
امرکردن سلیمان علیه السلام پشه‌ی متظلم را به احضار خصم به دیوان حکم
How Solomon, on whom be peace, commanded the plaintiff gnat to bring its adversary to the court of judgement.
پس سلیمان گفت ای زیبادوی ** امر حق باید که از جان بشنوی
Then Solomon said, “O thou with the pretty voice, it behoves thee to hearken with (all thy) soul to the command of God.
حق به من گفتست هان ای دادور ** مشنو از خصمی تو بی خصمی دگر
God hath said to me, ‘Beware, O Judge! Do not hear one litigant without the other litigant.
تانیاید هر دو خصم اندر حضور ** حق نیاید پیش حاکم در ظهور
Until both litigants come into the presence, the truth does not come to light before the judge.
خصم تنها گر بر آرد صد نفیر ** هان و هان بی خصم قول او مگیر
If the (one) litigant alone raise a hundred clamours, beware, beware! Do not accept his word without (hearing) his adversary.’
من نیارم رو ز فرمان تافتن ** خصم خود را رو بیاور سوی من4650
I dare not avert my face from the (Divine) command. Go, bring thy adversary before me.”
گفت قول تست برهان و درست ** خصم من بادست و او در حکم تست
It (the gnat) said, “Thy words are an argument (conclusive) and sound. My adversary is the Wind, and he is in thy jurisdiction.”
بانگ زد آن شه که ای باد صبا ** پشه افغان کرد از ظلمت بیا
The King shouted, “O East-wind, the gnat complains of thy injustice: come!
هین مقابل شو تو و خصم و بگو ** پاسخ خصم و بکن دفع عدو
Hark, come face to face with thy adversary and reply to thy adversary and rebut thy opponent.”
باد چون بشنید آمد تیز تیز ** پشه بگرفت آن زمان راه گریز
When the Wind heard (the summons), he came very rapidly: the gnat at once took to flight.
پس سلیمان گفت ای پشه کجا ** باش تا بر هر دو رانم من قضا4655
Then Solomon said, “O gnat, where (art thou going)? Stop, that I may pass judgement on (you) both.”
گفت ای شه مرگ من از بود اوست ** خود سیاه این روز من از دود اوست
It (the gnat) answered, “O King, my death is from his being: verily, this day of mine is black from his smoke.
او چو آمد من کجا یابم قرار ** کو بر آرد از نهاد من دمار
Since he has come, where shall I find rest? for he wrings the (vital) breath out of my body.”
همچنین جویای درگاه خدا ** چون خدا آمد شود جوینده لا
Even such is the seeker of the Court of God: when God comes, the seeker is naughted.
گرچه آن وصلت بقا اندر بقاست ** لیک ز اول آن بقا اندر فناست
Although that union (with God) is immortality on immortality, yet at first that immortality (baqá) consists in dying to self (faná).
سایه‌هایی که بود جویای نور ** نیست گردد چون کند نورش ظهور4660
The reflexions that are seeking the Light are naughted when His Light appears.
عقل کی ماند چو باشد سرده او ** کل شیء هالک الا وجهه
How should the reason remain when He bids it go?Everything is perishing except His Face.
هالک آید پیش وجهش هست و نیست ** هستی اندر نیستی خود طرفه‌ایست
Before His Face the existent and the non-existent perish: existence in nonexistence is in sooth a marvellous thing!
اندرین محضر خردها شد ز دست ** چون قلم اینجا رسیده شد شکست
In this place of presence (all) minds are lost beyond control; when the pen reaches this point, it breaks.
نواختن معشوق عاشق بیهوش را تا به هوش باز آید
How the Beloved caressed the senseless lover, that he might return to his senses.
می‌کشید از بیهشی‌اش در بیان ** اندک اندک از کرم صدر جهان
The Sadr-i Jahán, from kindness, was drawing him little by little from senselessness into (the capacity for) clear expression.
بانگ زد در گوش او شه کای گدا ** زر نثار آوردمت دامن گشا4665
The Prince cried into his ear, “O beggar, I bring gold to scatter o’er thee; spread out thy skirt.
جان تو کاندر فراقم می‌طپید ** چونک زنهارش رسیدم چون رمید
Thy spirit, which was quivering (with distress) in separation. from me—since I have come to protect it, how has it fled?
ای بدیده در فراقم گرم و سرد ** با خود آ از بی‌خودی و باز گرد
O thou who hast suffered heat and cold in separation from me, come to thyself from selflessness and return!”
مرغ خانه اشتری را بی خرد ** رسم مهمانش به خانه می‌برد
The domestic fowl, in the manner of a host, foolishly brings a camel to her house.
چون به خانه مرغ اشتر پا نهاد ** خانه ویران گشت و سقف اندر فتاد
When the camel set foot in the hen’s house, the house was destroyed and the roof fell in.
خانه‌ی مرغست هوش و عقل ما ** هوش صالح طالب ناقه‌ی خدا4670
The hen’s house is our (weak) intelligence and understanding the good intelligence is a seeker of God’s she-camel
ناقه چون سر کرد در آب و گلش ** نه گل آنجا ماند نه جان و دلش
When the she-camel put her head into its water and clay, neither its clay remained there (in existence) nor its soul and heart.
کرد فضل عشق انسان را فضول ** زین فزون‌جویی ظلومست و جهول
Pre-eminence in love made Man overweening: because of this desire for excess he is very unjust and very ignorant.
جاهلست و اندرین مشکل شکار ** می‌کشد خرگوش شیری در کنار
He is ignorant, and in this difficult chase the hare is clasping a lion in his arms.
کی کنار اندر کشیدی شیر را ** گر بدانستی و دیدی شیر را
How would he clasp the lion in his arms, if he knew and saw the lion?
ظالمست او بر خود و بر جان خود ** ظلم بین کز عدلها گو می‌برد4675
He is unjust to himself and to his own soul: behold an injustice that bears away the ball (the palm) from (all) justices!
جهل او مر علمها را اوستاد ** ظلم او مر عدلها را شد رشاد
His ignorance is the teacher to (all) knowledges, his injustice has become the right way for (all) justices.
دست او بگرفت کین رفته دمش ** آنگهی آید که من دم بخشمش
He (the Sadr-i Jahán) took his (the lover’s) hand, saying, “This man whose breath has departed will (only) then come (to life) when I give him (spiritual) breath.
چون به من زنده شود این مرده‌تن ** جان من باشد که رو آرد به من
When this man whose body is dead shall become living through Me (then) it will be My spirit that turns its face towards me.
من کنم او را ازین جان محتشم ** جان که من بخشم ببیند بخششم
By means of this spirit I make him possessed of high estate: (only) the spirit that I give sees (experiences) My bounty.
جان نامحرم نبیند روی دوست ** جز همان جان کاصل او از کوی اوست4680
The unfamiliar (unprivileged) spirit does not see the face of the Beloved: (none sees it) except that spirit whose origin is from His dwelling-place.
در دمم قصاب‌وار این دوست را ** تا هلد آن مغز نغزش پوست را
Butcher-like, I breathe upon this dear friend, in order that his goodly inward part may leave the skin.”
گفت ای جان رمیده از بلا ** وصل ما را در گشادیم الصلا
He said, “O spirit that hast fled from tribulation, We have opened the door to union with Us; welcome!
ای خود ما بی‌خودی و مستی‌ات ** ای ز هست ما هماره هستی‌ات
O thou whose selflessness and intoxication is (caused by) Our Self, O thou whose being is incessantly (derived) from Our Being,