روزی آن سلطان تقوی می‌گذشت ** با مریدان جانب صحرا و دشت
One day that sultan of piety was passing with his disciples (on the way) towards the open country and the plain.
بوی خوش آمد مر او را ناگهان ** در سواد ری ز سوی خارقان
Suddenly there came to him, in the district of Rayy, a sweet scent from the direction of Kháraqán.
هم بدانجا ناله‌ی مشتاق کرد ** بوی را از باد استنشاق کرد1805
On the spot he uttered the lamentable cry of one who is yearning, and sniffed the scent from the breeze.
بوی خوش را عاشقانه می‌کشید ** جان او از باد باده می‌چشید
He was inhaling the sweet scent lovingly: his soul was tasting wine from the breeze.
کوزه‌ای کو از یخابه پر بود ** چون عرق بر ظاهرش پیدا شود
When “sweat” appears on the outside of a pot that is full of icy water,
آن ز سردی هوا آبی شدست ** از درون کوزه نم بیرون نجست
It has been turned into water by the coldness of the air: the moisture has not escaped from the inside of the pot.
باد بوی‌آور مر او را آب گشت ** آب هم او را شراب ناب گشت
The scent-bearing breeze became water for him; for him too the water became pure wine.
چون درو آثار مستی شد پدید ** یک مرید او را از آن دم بر رسید1810
When the marks of intoxication appeared in him, a disciple questioned him concerning that breath (Divine afflatus);
پس بپرسیدش که این احوال خوش ** که برونست از حجاب پنج و شش
Then he asked him, “(What are) these sweet ecstasies which are beyond the pale of the five (senses) and the six (directions)?
گاه سرخ و گاه زرد و گه سپید ** می‌شود رویت چه حالست و نوید
Thy face is becoming now red and now yellow and now white: what is the (good) hap and the glad tidings?
می‌کشی بوی و به ظاهر نیست گل ** بی‌شک از غیبست و از گلزار کل
Thou art inhaling scent, and no flowers are visible: doubtless it is from the Unseen and from the garden of the Universal.
ای تو کام جان هر خودکامه‌ای ** هر دم از غیبت پیام و نامه‌ای
O thou who art the desire of every one who (wilfully) follows his own desire (for God), thou to whom there is (coming) at every moment a message and letter from the Unseen,
هر دمی یعقوب‌وار از یوسفی ** می‌رسد اندر مشام تو شفا1815
Thou to whose (spiritual) organ of smell there is coming at every moment, as to Jacob, balm from a Joseph,
قطره‌ای بر ریز بر ما زان سبو ** شمه‌ای زان گلستان با ما بگو
Spill upon us one drop from that pitcher, give us one word that smells of that garden.
خو نداریم ای جمال مهتری ** که لب ما خشک و تو تنها خوری
We are not accustomed, O (thou who art the) beauty of (spiritual) majesty, that thou shouldst drink alone while our lips are dry.
ای فلک‌پیمای چست چست‌خیز ** زانچ خوردی جرعه‌ای بر ما بریز
O nimble, nimbly-rising traverser of Heaven, spill upon us one draught of that which thou hast drunk.
میر مجلس نیست در دوران دگر ** جز تو ای شه در حریفان در نگر
There is no other Master of the Revels in the world except thee: O king, look (with favour) on the boon-companions!
کی توان نوشید این می زیردست ** می یقین مر مرد را رسواگرست1820
How is it possible to quaff this wine underhand (in secret)? Certainly wine is the exposer of man.
بوی را پوشیده و مکنون کند ** چشم مست خویشتن را چون کند
He may disguise and conceal the scent, (but) how will he hide his intoxicated eye?
خود نه آن بویست این که اندر جهان ** صد هزاران پرده‌اش دارد نهان
In sooth this is not a scent that thousands of veils will keep hidden in the world.
پر شد از تیزی او صحرا و دشت ** دشت چه کز نه فلک هم در گذشت
The desert and plain are filled with its pungency. What (of the) plain? for it hath passed even beyond the nine spheres (of Heaven).
این سر خم را به کهگل در مگیر ** کین برهنه نیست خود پوشش‌پذیر
Do not daub the head of the jar with mortar, for indeed this naked one does not admit of covering.
(The disciple asked), “What is his name?” He replied, “His name is Bu ’l- Hasan,” and described his features—his eyebrows and chin;
قد او و رنگ او و شکل او ** یک به یک واگفت از گیسو و رو
He described his height and his complexion and his figure and spoke in detail of his locks of hair and his face.
حلیه‌های روح او را هم نمود ** از صفات و از طریقه و جا و بود
He also declared his spiritual features—his qualities and the way (he should follow in his religion) and his (spiritual) rank and estate.
حلیه‌ی تن هم‌چو تن عاریتیست ** دل بر آن کم نه که آن یک ساعتیست1840
The bodily features, like the body (itself), are borrowed (transient): set not your heart on them, for they are lasting (only) one hour.
حلیه‌ی روح طبیعی هم فناست ** حلیه‌ی آن جان طلب کان بر سماست
The features of the natural (animal) spirit also are perishable: seek the features of that spirit which is above the sky.
جسم او هم‌چون چراغی بر زمین ** نور او بالای سقف هفتمین
Its body is on the earth, like a lamp, (but) its light is above the Seventh Roof (of heaven).
آن شعاع آفتاب اندر وثاق ** قرص او اندر چهارم چارطاق
Those rays of the sun are in the house, (but) their orb is in the Fourth Dome (of heaven).
نقش گل در زیربینی بهر لاغ ** بوی گل بر سقف و ایوان دماغ
The form of the rose is (placed) beneath the nose for idle pleasure's sake, (but) the scent of the rose is on the roof and palace of the brain.
مرد خفته در عدن دیده فرق ** عکس آن بر جسم افتاده عرق1845
A man asleep sees terror (dreams of something which terrifies him) at Aden: the reflexion thereof appears as sweat on his body.
پیرهن در مصر رهن یک حریص ** پر شده کنعان ز بوی آن قمیص
The shirt (of Joseph) was in Egypt in the keeping of one exceedingly careful (of it): (the land of) Canaan was filled with the (sweet) scent of that shirt.
بر نبشتند آن زمان تاریخ را ** از کباب آراستند آن سیخ را
Thereupon they wrote down the (predicted) date: they adorned the spit with the meat for roasting.
چون رسید آن وقت و آن تاریخ راست ** زاده شد آن شاه و نرد ملک باخت
When the right time and date arrived, that (spiritual) king was born and played the dice of empire.
از پس آن سالها آمد پدید ** بوالحسن بعد وفات بایزید
After those years (had passed), Bu ’l-Hasan appeared (in the world) after the death of Báyazíd.
جمله‌ی خوهای او ز امساک وجود ** آن‌چنان آمد که آن شه گفته بود1850
All his dispositions, (whether in the way) of withholding tenaciously or bestowing liberally, proved to be such as that (spiritual) king (Báyazíd) had foretold.
لوح محفوظ است او را پیشوا ** از چه محفوظست محفوظ از خطا
His (Báyazíd's) guide is “the guarded tablet.” From what is it guarded? It is guarded from error.
نه نجومست و نه رملست و نه خواب ** وحی حق والله اعلم بالصواب
The inspiration of God is not (like) astrology or geomancy or dreams—and God best knoweth what is right.