هم‌چنان کن زاهد اندر سال قحط ** بود او خندان و گریان جمله رهط
Even as (for example) that ascetic was laughing in a year of drought, while all (his) folk were weeping.
پس بگفتندش چه جای خنده است ** قحط بیخ مومنان بر کنده است
So they said to him, “What is the occasion for laughter, (when) the drought has uprooted (destroyed) the true believers?
رحمت از ما چشم خود بر دوختست ** ز آفتاب تیز صحرا سوختست
The (Divine) mercy hath closed its eyes to us: the plain is burnt by the fierce sun.
کشت و باغ و رز سیه استاده است ** در زمین نم نیست نه بالا نه پست3245
Crops and vineyards and vines are standing black: there is no moisture in the earth, neither up nor down.
خل می‌میرند زین قحط و عذاب ** ده ده و صد صد چو ماهی دور از آب
The people are dying from this drought and torment by tens and hundreds like fish far from the water.
بر مسلمانان نمی‌آری تو رحم ** مومنان خویشند و یک تن شحم و لحم
Thou art taking no pity on the Moslems; (yet) the true believers are kinsmen and one body (of) fat and flesh.
رنج یک جزوی ز تن رنج همه‌ست ** گر دم صلحست یا خود ملحمه‌ست
The pain of one part of the body is the pain of all (its parts), whether it be the hour of peace or war.”
گفت در چشم شما قحطست این ** پیش چشمم چون بهشتست این زمین
He (the ascetic) replied, “In your eyes this is a drought, (but) to my eye this earth is like Paradise.
من همی‌بینم بهر دشت و مکان ** خوشه‌ها انبه رسیده تا میان3250
I am beholding in every desert and everywhere ears of corn in abundance, reaching up to the waist;
خوشه‌ها در موج از باد صبا ** پر بیابان سبزتر از گندنا
(I see) the wilderness full of ears of corn (tossed) in waves by the east-wind, (so that it is) greener than the leek.
ز آزمون من دست بر وی می‌زنم ** دست و چشم خویش را چون بر کنم
By way of trial I am putting my hand thereon: how should I remove my hand and eye?
یار فرعون تنید ای قوم دون ** زان نماید مر شما را نیل خون
Ye are friends of Pharaoh, (who is) the body, O base people: hence the Nile seems to you to be blood.
یار موسی خرد گردید زود ** تا نماند خون بینید آب رود
Quickly become friends of Moses, (who is) the intellect, in order that the blood may remain not and ye may behold the river-water.
با پدر از تو جفایی می‌رود ** آن پدر در چشم تو سگ می‌شود3255
(If) an injustice is proceeding from (is being done by) thee towards thy father, that father will become (as) a (biting) cur in thine eyes.
آن پدر سگ نیست تاثیر جفاست ** که چنان حرمت نظر را سگ نماست
That father is not a cur: ’tis the effect of (thy) injustice that such mercy appears to thy sight (as) a cur.
گرگ می‌دیدند یوسف را به چشم ** چونک اخوان را حسودی بود و خشم
Since the brethren (of Joseph) had envy and anger, they were regarding Joseph as the wolf.
با پدر چون صلح کردی خشم رفت ** آن سگی شد گشت بابا یار تفت
When thou hast made peace with thy father, anger is gone; that currishness departs, and thy father at once becomes thy friend.
بیان آنک مجموع عالم صورت عقل کلست چون با عقل کل بکژروی جفا کردی صورت عالم ترا غم فزاید اغلب احوال چنانک دل با پدر بد کردی صورت پدر غم فزاید ترا و نتوانی رویش را دیدن اگر چه پیش از آن نور دیده بوده باشد و راحت جان
Explaining that the whole world is the form of Universal Reason, (and that) when by trespassing you act unjustly towards Universal Reason, in most cases the aspect of the world increases your vexation, just as when you show ill-feeling to your father the aspect of your father increases your vexation and you cannot (bear to) look on his face, though before that he will have been the light of your eye and the comfort of your soul.
کل عالم صورت عقل کلست ** کوست بابای هر آنک اهل قل است
The whole world is the form of Universal Reason, which is the father of whosoever is a follower of the (Divine) Word.
چون کسی با عقل کل کفران فزود ** صورت کل پیش او هم سگ نمود3260
When any one shows excessive ingratitude to Universal Reason, the form of the universe appears to him (as) a cur accordingly.
صلح کن با این پدر عاقی بهل ** تا که فرش زر نماید آب و گل
Make peace with this Father, abandon disobedience, that the water and clay (the world) may appear (to thee as) a carpet of gold.
پس قیامت نقد حال تو بود ** پیش تو چرخ و زمین مبدل شود
Then the Resurrection will become thy present state (immediate experience): heaven and earth will be transfigured before thee.
من که صلحم دایما با این پدر ** این جهان چون جنتستم در نظر
Since I am ever at peace with this Father, this world is like Paradise in my sight.
هر زمان نو صورتی و نو جمال ** تا ز نو دیدن فرو میرد ملال
At every moment (appears) a new form and a new beauty, so that from seeing the new (visions) ennui dies away.
من همی‌بینم جهان را پر نعیم ** آبها از چشمه‌ها جوشان مقیم3265
I see the world to be full of bounty—the waters constantly gushing from the springs.
بانگ آبش می‌رسد در گوش من ** مست می‌گردد ضمیر و هوش من
The noise of their water is coming into mine ear: my inner consciousness and intelligence are being intoxicated.
شاخه‌ها رقصان شده چون تایبان ** برگها کف‌زن مثال مطربان
(I see) the boughs dancing like penitents, the leaves clapping their hands like minstrels.
برق آیینه‌ست لامع از نمد ** گر نماید آینه تا چون بود
The gleam of the mirror is flashing through the (cover of) felt cloth: think how it will be if the mirror (itself) be displayed!
از هزاران می‌نگویم من یکی ** ز آنک آکندست هر گوش از شکی
I am not telling one (mystery) out of thousands, because every ear is filled with a doubt.
پیش وهم این گفت مژده دادنست ** عقل گوید مژده چه نقد منست3270
To Opinion this saying (of mine) is (only) a joyful announcement (concerning the future), (but) Reason says, ‘What (occasion for) announcement? It is my cash in hand (actual and present experience).’”
قصه‌ی فرزندان عزیر علیه‌السلام کی از پدر احوال پدر می‌پرسیدند می‌گفت آری دیدمش می‌آید بعضی شناختندش بیهوش شدند بعضی نشناختند می‌گفتند خود مژده‌ای داد این بیهوش شدن چیست
Story of the sons of ‘Uzayr, on whom be peace, who were making inquiries about their father from (one who really was) their father. "Yes," he replied, "I have seen him: he is coming." Some (of them) recognised him and became unconscious, (while) others did not recognise him and said, "He has only announced (our father's coming): what is this unconsciousness?"
هم‌چو پوران عزیز اندر گذر ** آمده پرسان ز احوال پدر
(The case is) like (that of) the sons of ‘Uzayr who came into the thoroughfare, asking news of their father.
گشته ایشان پیر و باباشان جوان ** پس پدرشان پیش آمد ناگهان
They had grown old, while their father had been made young. Then suddenly their father met them.
پس بپرسیدند ازو کای ره‌گذر ** از عزیر ما عجب داری خبر
So they inquired of him, saying, “O wayfarer, we wonder if thou hast news of our ‘Uzayr;
که کسی‌مان گفت که امروز آن سند ** بعد نومیدی ز بیرون می‌رسد
For some one told us that to-day that man of (great) authority would arrive from abroad after we had given up hope (of seeing him).”
گفت آری بعد من خواهد رسید ** آن یکی خوش شد چو این مژده شنید3275
“Yes,” he replied, “he will arrive after me.” That one (the son of ‘Uzayr) rejoiced when he heard the good tidings,
بانگ می‌زد کای مبشر باش شاد ** وان دگر بشناخت بیهوش اوفتاد
Crying, “Joy to thee, O bringer of the good news!” But the other (son) recognised (him) and fell (to the ground) unconscious,
که چه جای مژده است ای خیره‌سر ** که در افتادیم در کان شکر
Saying, “What occasion is there for good tidings, O scatterbrain, when we have fallen into the mine (the very midst) of sugar?”
وهم را مژده‌ست و پیش عقل نقد ** ز انک چشم وهم شد محجوب فقد
To Opinion it is (merely) good tidings, whereas in the sight of Reason it is ready cash (actuality), because the eye of Opinion is veiled by missing (the object sought).
کافران را درد و مومن را بشیر ** لیک نقد حال در چشم بصیر
It is pain to the infidels and glad news to the faithful, but in the eye of the seer it is immediate experience.
زانک عاشق در دم نقدست مست ** لاجرم از کفر و ایمان برترست3280
Inasmuch as the lover is intoxicated at the moment of immediacy, he is necessarily superior to infidelity and faith.
کفر و ایمان هر دو خود دربان اوست ** کوست مغز و کفر و دین او را دو پوست
Indeed, both infidelity and faith are his door-keeper (who secures him from intrusion); for he is the kernel, while infidelity and religion are his two rinds.
کفر قشر خشک رو بر تافته ** باز ایمان قشر لذت یافته
Infidelity is the dry peel that has averted its face (from the kernel); faith, again, is the peel (inner integument) that has gained a delicious flavour.
قشرهای خشک را جا آتش است ** قشر پیوسته به مغز جان خوش است
The place for the dry peels is the fire, (but) the peel attached to the spiritual kernel is sweet.
مغز خود از مرتبه‌ی خوش برترست ** برترست از خوش که لذت گسترست
The kernel itself is above the grade of “sweet”: it is above “sweet” because it is the dispenser of deliciousness.
این سخن پایان ندارد باز گرد ** تا برآرد موسیم از بحر گرد3285
This discourse hath no end: turn back, that my Moses may cleave the sea asunder.
درخور عقل عوام این گفته شد ** از سخن باقی آن بنهفته شد
This (preceding part) of the discourse hath been spoken suitably to the intelligence of the vulgar; the remainder thereof hath been concealed.
زر عقلت ریزه است ای متهم ** بر قراضه مهر سکه چون نهم
The gold, (which is) thy intelligence, is in fragments, O suspected one: how should I set the stamp of the die upon clippings?
عقل تو قسمت شده بر صد مهم ** بر هزاران آرزو و طم و رم
Thy intelligence is distributed over a hundred important affairs, over thousands of desires and great matters and small.
جمع باید کرد اجزا را به عشق ** تا شوی خوش چون سمرقند و دمشق
Thou must unite the (scattered) parts by means of love, to the end that thou mayst become sweet as Samarcand and Damascus.
جو جوی چون جمع گردی ز اشتباه ** پس توان زد بر تو سکه‌ی پادشاه3290
When thou becomest united, grain by grain, from (after thy dispersion in) perplexity, then it is possible to stamp upon thee the King's die;
ور ز مثقالی شوی افزون تو خام ** از تو سازد شه یکی زرینه جام
And if thou, foolish man, become greater than a mithqál (dinar), the King will make of thee a cup of gold.