با تو بی لب این زمان من نو بنو ** رازهای کهنه گویم می‌شنو
Now, without lip, I tell thee the old mysteries anew: hearken!
زانک آن لبها ازین دم می‌رمد ** بر لب جوی نهان بر می‌دمد4685
(I tell thee silently) because those (bodily) lips are fleeing from (are unable to apprehend) this Breath (Word); it is breathed forth on the lip (bank) of the hidden River.
گوش بی‌گوشی درین دم بر گشا ** بهر راز یفعل الله ما یشا
At this moment open the ear of earlessness for the sake of (hearing) the mystery of God doeth what He willeth.”
چون صلای وصل بشنیدن گرفت ** اندک اندک مرده جنبیدن گرفت
When he began to hear the call to union, little by little, the dead man began to stir.
نه کم از خاکست کز عشوه‌ی صبا ** سبز پوشد سر بر آرد از فنا
He (the lover of God) is not less than the earth which at the zephyr’s blandishments puts on (a garment of) green and lifts up it head from death;
کم ز آب نطفه نبود کز خطاب ** یوسفان زایند رخ چون آفتاب
He is not less than the seminal water from which at the (Divine) bidding there are born Josephs with faces like the sun;
کم ز بادی نیست شد از امر کن ** در رحم طاوس و مرغ خوش‌سخن4690
He is not less than a wind (from which) at the command “Be!” peacocks and sweet-voiced birds came to being in the (bird’s) womb
کم ز کوه سنگ نبود کز ولاد ** ناقه‌ای کان ناقه ناقه زاد زاد
He is not less than the mountain of rock which by parturition brought forth the she-camel that brought forth a she-camel
زین همه بگذر نه آن مایه‌ی عدم ** عالمی زاد و بزاید دم بدم
Leave all this behind. Did not the substance of non-existence bring forth, and will it not bring forth continually, a (whole) Universe?
بر جهید و بر طپید و شاد شاد ** یک دو چرخی زد سجود اندر فتاد
He (the man of Bukhárá) sprang up and quivered and whirled once or twice (in dance) joyously, joyously; (then) fell to worship.
با خویش آمدن عاشق بیهوش و روی آوردن به ثنا و شکر معشوق
How the senseless lover came to himself and turned his face in praise and thanksgiving to the Beloved.
گفت ای عنقای حق جان را مطاف ** شکر که باز آمدی زان کوه قاف
He said, “O ‘Anqá of God, (thou who art) the place of the spirit’s circling flight, (I give) thanks that thou hast come back from yonder mountain of Qáf.
ای سرافیل قیامتگاه عشق ** ای تو عشق عشق و ای دلخواه عشق4695
O Siráfíl (Seraphiel) of Love’s resurrection place O Love of love and O Heart’s-desire of love,
اولین خلعت که خواهی دادنم ** گوش خواهم که نهی بر روزنم
I desire, as the first gift of honour thou wilt give me, that thou lay thine ear on my window.
گرچه می‌دانی بصفوت حال من ** بنده‌پرور گوش کن اقوال من
Albeit through (thy) purity thou knowest my feelings, lend ear to my words, O cherisher of thy slave.
صد هزاران بار ای صدر فرید ** ز آرزوی گوش تو هوشم پرید
Hundreds of thousands of times, O unique Prince, did my wits fly away in longing for thy ear—
آن سمیعی تو وان اصغای تو ** و آن تبسمهای جان‌افزای تو
That hearing of thine and that listening of thine, and those life-quickening smiles of thine;
آن بنوشیدن کم و بیش مرا ** عشوه‌ی جان بداندیش مرا4700
That hearkening unto my lesser and greater (matters), (and unto) the beguilements of my evil-thinking (suspicious) soul.
قلبهای من که آن معلوم تست ** بس پذیرفتی تو چون نقد درست
Then my false coins, which are well-known to thee, thou didst accept as (though they were) genuine money;
بهر گستاخی شوخ غره‌ای ** حلمها در پیش حلمت ذره‌ای
For the sake of the boldness (importunity) of one (who was) impudent and deluded, O thou beside whose clemency (all) clemencies are (but) a mote!
اولا بشنو که چون ماندم ز شست ** اول و آخر ز پیش من بجست
Firstly, hear that when I abandoned (thy) net the first and the last {this world and the next) shot away (disappeared) from before me;
ثانیا بشنو تو ای صدر ودود ** که بسی جستم ترا ثانی نبود
Secondly, hear, O loving Prince, that I sought long, (but) there was no second to thee;
ثالثا تا از تو بیرون رفته‌ام ** گوییا ثالث ثلاثه گفته‌ام4705
Thirdly, since I have gone away from thee, ‘tis as though I have said, ‘the third of three’;
رابعا چون سوخت ما را مزرعه ** می ندانم خامسه از رابعه
Fourthly, forasmuch as my cornfield is burnt-up, I do not know the fifth (finger) from the fourth.
هر کجا یابی تو خون بر خاکها ** پی بری باشد یقین از چشم ما
Wherever thou findest blood on the sods, (if) thou investigate, it will certainly (prove to) be (blood) from mine eye.
گفت من رعدست و این بانگ و حنین ** ز ابر خواهد تا ببارد بر زمین
My words are (as) the thunder, and this noise and moaning demands of the cloud that it should rain upon the earth.
من میان گفت و گریه می‌تنم ** یا بگریم یا بگویم چون کنم
Between words and tears I continue (in doubt) whether I should weep or speak: hew shall I do?
گر بگویم فوت می‌گردد بکا ** ور نگویم چون کنم شکر و ثنا4710
If I speak, the weeping will be lost; and if I weep, how shall I render thanks and praise?
می‌فتد از دیده خون دل شها ** بین چه افتادست از دیده مرا
Heart’s blood is falling from mine eye, O King: see what has befallen me from mine eye!”
این بگفت و گریه در شد آن نحیف ** که برو بگریست هم دون هم شریف
The emaciated man said this and began to weep (so violently) that both base and noble wept for him.
از دلش چندان بر آمد های هوی ** حلقه کرد اهل بخارا گرد اوی
So many ecstatic cries came up from his heart (that) the people of Bukhárá made a ring around him.
خیره گویان خیره گریان خیره‌خند ** مرد و زن خرد و کلان حیران شدند
(He was) speaking crazily, weeping crazily, laughing crazily: men and women, small and great were bewildered.
شهر هم هم‌رنگ او شد اشک ریز ** مرد و زن درهم شده چون رستخیز4715
The (whole) city, too, shed tears in conformity with him: men and women were gathered together as (at) the Resurrection.
آسمان می‌گفت آن دم با زمین ** گر قیامت را ندیدستی ببین
At that moment the heaven was saying to the earth, “If thou hast never seen the Resurrection, behold it (now)!”
عقل حیران که چه عشق است و چه حال ** تا فراق او عجب‌تر یا وصال
The intellect (was) bewildered, saying, "What is love and what is ecstasy? (I know not) whether separation from Him or union with Him is the more marvellous."
چرخ بر خوانده قیامت‌نامه را ** تا مجره بر دریده جامه را
The sky read the letter (announcement) of Resurrection (and was so distraught that) it rent its garment up to the Milky Way.
با دو عالم عشق را بیگانگی ** اندرو هفتاد و دو دیوانگی
Love bath estrangement with (is a stranger to) the two worlds: in it are two-and-seventy madnesses.
سخت پنهانست و پیدا حیرتش ** جان سلطانان جان در حسرتش4720
It is exceedingly hidden, and (only) its bewilderment is manifest the soul of the spiritual sultans is pining for it
غیر هفتاد و دو ملت کیش او ** تخت شاهان تخته‌بندی پیش او
Its religion is other than (that of) the two-and-seventy sects: beside it the throne of Kings is (but) a splint-bandage.
مطرب عشق این زند وقت سماع ** بندگی بند و خداوندی صداع
At the time of the samá’ Love’s minstrel strikes up this (strain): “Servitude is chains and lordship headache.”
پس چه باشد عشق دریای عدم ** در شکسته عقل را آنجا قدم
Then what is Love? The Sea of Not-being: there the foot of the intellect is shattered.
بندگی و سلطنت معلوم شد ** زین دو پرده عاشقی مکتوم شد
Servitude and sovereignty are known: loverhood is concealed by these two veils.
کاشکی هستی زبانی داشتی ** تا ز هستان پرده‌ها برداشتی4725
Would that Being had a tongue; that it might remove the veils from existent beings!
هر چه گویی ای دم هستی از آن ** پرده‌ی دیگر برو بستی بدان
O breath of (phenomenal) existence, whatsoever words thou mayest utter, know that thereby thou hast bound another veil upon it (the mystery).
آفت ادراک آن قالست و حال ** خون بخون شستن محالست و محال
That utterance and (that) state (of existence) are the bane of (spiritual) perception: to wash away blood with blood is absurd, absurd.
من چو با سوداییانش محرمم ** روز و شب اندر قفص در می‌دمم
Since I am familiar with His frenzied ones, day and night I am breathing forth (the secrets of Love) in the cage (of phenomenal existence).
سخت مست و بی‌خود و آشفته‌ای ** دوش ای جان بر چه پهلو خفته‌ای
Thou art mightily drunken and senseless and distraught: yesternight on which side hast thou slept, O (my) soul?
هان و هان هش دار بر ناری دمی ** اولا بر جه طلب کن محرمی4730
Beware, beware! Take heed lest thou utter a breath! First spring up and seek a trusted friend.
عاشق و مستی و بگشاده زبان ** الله الله اشتری بر ناودان
Thou art a lover and intoxicated, and thy tongue (is) loosed! —God! God! thou art (like) the camel on the water-spout!
چون ز راز و ناز او گوید زبان ** یا جمیل الستر خواند آسمان
When the tongue tells of His mystery and coquetry, Heaven chants (the prayer), “O Thou that art goodly in covering!”
ستر چه در پشم و پنبه آذرست ** تا همی‌پوشیش او پیداترست
What covering (can there be)? The fire is in the wool cotton whilst thou art covering it up, it is (all the) more manifest.