The young elephants are on your road: to hunt them down is what your hearts desire exceedingly.
بس ضعیف‌اند و لطیف و بس سمین ** لیک مادر هست طالب در کمین
They are very weak and tender and very fat, but their mother is searching (after them and) lying in wait.
از پی فرزند صد فرسنگ راه ** او بگردد در حنین و آه آه
She will roam a hundred leagues' distance in quest of her children, moaning and making lament.
آتش و دود آید از خرطوم او ** الحذر زان کودک مرحوم او
Fire and smoke issue from her trunk: beware of (hurting) those pitied (cherished) children of hers!”
اولیا اطفال حق‌اند ای پسر ** غایبی و حاضری بس با خبر
O son, the saints are God's children: (both) in (their) absence and presence (He is) well aware (of what befalls them).
غایبی مندیش از نقصانشان ** کو کشد کین از برای جانشان80
Do not deem absence (from Him) to be the result of imperfection on their part, for He takes vengeance for the sake of their spirits (which are one with Him).
گفت اطفال من‌اند این اولیا ** در غریبی فرد از کار و کیا
He said, “These saints are My children in exile, sundered from (My) dominion and glory;
از برای امتحان خوار و یتیم ** لیک اندر سر منم یار و ندیم
(They are) despised and orphaned for the sake of probation, but secretly I am their friend and intimate.
پشت‌دار جمله عصمتهای من ** گوییا هستند خود اجزای من
All of them are supported by My protections: you may say they are in sooth parts of Me.
هان و هان این دلق‌پوشان من‌اند ** صد هزار اندر هزار و یک تن‌اند
Take heed! Take heed! These are My dervishes; they are a hundred thousand thousand and (yet) they are one body.”
ورنه کی کردی به یک چوبی هنر ** موسیی فرعون را زیر و زبر85
Else, how should a Moses have overthrown Pharaoh by means of one goodly rod?
ورنه کی کردی به یک نفرین بد ** نوح شرق و غرب را غرقاب خود
Else, how should Noah have submerged East and West in his Flood by means of one evil curse?
بر نکندی یک دعای لوط راد ** جمله شهرستانشان را بی مراد
One prayer of the generous Lot would not have rased (to the ground) all their (his people's) city (and left them) in despair.
گشت شهرستان چون فردوسشان ** دجله‌ی آب سیه رو بین نشان
Their city, resembling Paradise, became a lake of black water: go, behold the sign!
سوی شامست این نشان و این خبر ** در ره قدسش ببینی در گذر
This sign and this information (admonition) lies in the direction of Syria: you will see it as you pass on the way to Jerusalem.
صد هزاران ز انبیای حق‌پرست ** خود بهر قرنی سیاستها بدست90
Hundreds of thousands of prophets who worshipped God— truly there have been chastisements (inflicted by them) in every generation.
گر بگویم وین بیان افزون شود ** خود جگر چه بود که کهها خون شود
If I should tell on and if this narration should increase (in length), not only (men's) hearts but the (very) mountains would bleed.
خون شود کهها و باز آن بفسرد ** تو نبینی خون شدن کوری و رد
The mountains bleed and again become solid, (but) you do not see them bleed: you are blind and reprobate.
طرفه کوری دوربین تیزچشم ** لیک از اشتر نبیند غیر پشم
A marvellous blind man, (who is) far-sighted and keen-eyed, but sees naught of the camel except the hair!
مو بمو بیند ز صرفه حرص انس ** رقص بی مقصود دارد همچو خرس
Man, from the parsimony of greed, inspects hair by hair: like a bear, he keeps dancing to no purpose.
رقص آنجا کن که خود را بشکنی ** پنبه را از ریش شهوت بر کنی95
Dance (only) where you break (mortify) yourself and (when you) tear away the cotton from the sore of lust.
رقص و جولان بر سر میدان کنند ** رقص اندر خون خود مردان کنند
(Holy) men dance and wheel on the (spiritual) battle-field: they dance in their own blood.
چون رهند از دست خود دستی زنند ** چون جهند از نقص خود رقصی کنند
When they are freed from the hand (dominion) of self, they clap a hand; when they escape from their own imperfection, they make a dance.
مطربانشان از درون دف می‌زنند ** بحرها در شورشان کف می‌زنند
From within them musicians strike the tambourine; at their ecstasy the seas burst into foam.
تو نبینی لیک بهر گوششان ** برگها بر شاخها هم کف‌زنان
You see it not, but for their ears the leaves too on the boughs are clapping hands.
تو نبینی برگها را کف زدن ** گوش دل باید نه این گوش بدن100
You do not see the clapping of the leaves: one must have the spiritual ear, not this ear of the body.
گوش سر بر بند از هزل و دروغ ** تا ببینی شهر جان با فروغ
Close the ear of the head to jesting and lying, that you may see the resplendent city of the soul.
سر کشد گوش محمد در سخن ** کش بگوید در نبی حق هو اذن
The ear of Mohammed draws out the hidden meaning in the words (of the religious hypocrites), for God saith of him in the Qur’án, “He is an ear.”
سر به سر گوشست و چشم است این نبی ** تازه زو ما مرضعست او ما صبی
This Prophet is entirely ear and eye; we are refreshed by him: he is (as) the suckler and we (as) the (infant) boy.
این سخن پایان ندارد باز ران ** سوی اهل پیل و بر آغاز ران
This discourse hath no end. Go back to those who had to do with the elephant, and start at the beginning.
بقیه‌ی قصه‌ی متعرضان پیل‌بچگان
The remainder of the Story of those who molested the young elephants.
هر دهان را پیل بویی می‌کند ** گرد معده‌ی هر بشر بر می‌تند105
“The elephant takes a sniff at every mouth and keeps poking round the belly of every man,
تا کجا یابد کباب پور خویش ** تا نماید انتقام و زور خویش
To see where she will find the roasted flesh of her young, so that she may manifest her vengeance and strength.”
گوشتهای بندگان حق خوری ** غیبت ایشان کنی کیفر بری
You eat the flesh of God's servants: you backbite them, you will suffer retribution.
هان که بویای دهانتان خالقست ** کی برد جان غیر آن کو صادقست
Beware, for he that smells your mouths is the Creator: how shall any one save his life except him that is true (to God)?
وای آن افسوسیی کش بوی‌گیر ** باشد اندر گور منکر یا نکیر
Woe to the scoffer whose smell shall be tested in the grave by Munkar or Nakír!
نه دهان دزدیدن امکان زان مهان ** نه دهان خوش کردن از دارودهان110
There is no possibility of withdrawing the mouth from those mighty ones, nor of sweetening the mouth with medicinal ointments.
آب و روغن نیست مر روپوش را ** راه حیلت نیست عقل و هوش را
(In the grave) there is no water and oil to cover the face, there is no way of evasion (open) to intelligence and sagacity.
چند کوبد زخمهای گرزشان ** بر سر هر ژاژخا و مرزشان
How many a time will the blows of their maces beat upon the head and rump of every vain gabbler!
گرز عزرائیل را بنگر اثر ** گر نبینی چوب و آهن در صور
Look at the effect of the mace of ‘Azrá’íl, (even) if you do not see the wood and iron in (their material) forms.
هم بصورت می‌نماید گه گهی ** زان همان رنجور باشد آگهی
Sometimes too they appear in (material) form: the patient (himself) is aware thereof.
گوید آن رنجور ای یاران من ** چیست این شمشیر بر ساران من115
The patient says, “O my friends, what is this sword over my head?”
ما نمی‌بینیم باشد این خیال ** چه خیالست این که این هست ارتحال
(They reply), “We do not see it; this must be fancy.” What fancy is this? (Nay), for it is (the hour of) departure (to the other world).
چه خیالست این که این چرخ نگون ** از نهیب این خیالی شد کنون
What fancy is this, from terror of which this inverted sphere (the sky) has now become (as insubstantial as) a phantom?
گرزها و تیغها محسوس شد ** پیش بیمار و سرش منکوس شد
To the sick man the maces and swords became perceptible (visible), and his head dropped down.
او همی‌بیند که آن از بهر اوست ** چشم دشمن بسته زان و چشم دوست
He sees that that (vision) is for his sake: the eye of foe and friend (alike) is barred from it.
حرص دنیا رفت و چشمش تیز شد ** چشم او روشن گه خون‌ریز شد120
Worldly greed vanished, his eye became keen: his eye became illumined at the moment of bloodshed (death).
مرغ بی‌هنگام شد آن چشم او ** از نتیجه‌ی کبر او و خشم او
That eye of his, from the result of his pride and his anger, became (like) the cock that crows unseasonably.
سر بریدن واجب آید مرغ را ** کو بغیر وقت جنباند درا
It is necessary to cut off the head of the bird that rings the bell (crows) at the wrong time.
هر زمان نزعیست جزو جانت را ** بنگر اندر نزع جان ایمانت را
At every moment thy particular spirit is struggling with death: in thy spirit's death-struggle look to thy faith!
عمر تو مانند همیان زرست ** روز و شب مانند دینار اشمرست
Thy life is like a purse of gold: day and night are like him who counts the gold coins (the money-changer).