این قصاص نقد حیلت‌سازیست ** پیش زخم آن قصاص این بازیست3665
This immediate retaliation (which is exacted in the present world) is (only) a makeshift: in comparison with the blow of that (future) retaliation this is a (mere) play.
زین لعب خواندست دنیا را خدا ** کین جزا لعبست پیش آن جزا
God hath called the present world a play because this penalty is a play in comparison with that penalty.
این جزا تسکین جنگ و فتنه‌ایست ** آن چو اخصا است و این چون ختنه‌ایست
This penalty is a means of allaying war and civil strife: that one is like a castration, while this one resembles a circumcision.
بیان آنک خلق دوزخ گرسنگانند و نالانند به حق کی روزیهای ما را فربه گردان و زود زاد به ما رسان کی ما را صبر نماند
Explaining that the people of Hell are hungry and make lamentable entreaty to God, saying, "Cause our portions to be fat and let the provender reach us quickly, for we can endure no more."
این سخن پایان ندارد موسیا ** هین رها کن آن خران را در گیا
This discourse hath no end. (God said), “Hark, O Moses, let those asses go to the grass,
تا همه زان خوش علف فربه شوند ** هین که گرگانند ما را خشم‌مند
That they may all be fattened by that goodly fodder. Hark, (let them in), for We have wrathful wolves.
ناله‌ی گرگان خود را موقنیم ** این خران را طعمه‌ی ایشان کنیم3670
We surely know the plaintive cry of Our wolves: We make these asses a means of livelihood for them.
این خران را کیمیای خوش دمی ** از لب تو خواست کردن آدمی
The gracious alchemy breathed from thy lips wished to make these asses human.
تو بسی کردی به دعوت لطف و جود ** آن خران را طالع و روزی نبود
Much kindness and favour didst thou show in calling them (to God), (but) ’twas not the fortune and provision allotted to those asses.
پس فرو پوشان لحاف نعمتی ** تا بردشان زود خواب غفلتی
Therefore let the quilt of bounty cover them, that the slumber of forgetfulness may overtake them speedily,
تا چو بجهند از چنین خواب این رده ** شمع مرده باشد و ساقی شده
So that, when this troop (of asses) shall start up from suchlike slumber, the candle will have been extinguished and the cup-bearer will have gone.
داشت طغیانشان ترا در حیرتی ** پس بنوشند از جزا هم حسرتی3675
Their rebellious disobedience kept thee in a (great) perplexity: therefore they shall suffer in retribution a (great) sorrow,
تا که عدل ما قدم بیرون نهد ** در جزا هر زشت را درخور دهد
To the end that Our justice may step forth and bestow in retribution what is appropriate to every evil-doer;
که آن شهی که می‌ندیدندیش فاش ** بود با ایشان نهان اندر معاش
For the King, whom they were not seeing openly, was (always) with them secretly in their lives.”
چون خرد با تست مشرف بر تنت ** گر چه زو قاصر بود این دیدنت
Inasmuch as the intellect is with thee, overseeing thy body, and though this perception of thine is unable to apprehend it,
نیست قاصر دیدن او ای فلان ** از سکون و جنبشت در امتحان
(Yet) its perception, O such and such, is not unable to apprehend thy motion and rest when it tries,
چه عجب گر خالق آن عقل نیز ** با تو باشد چون نه‌ای تو مستجیز3680
What wonder if the Creator of that intellect too is with thee? How art thou not conceding (the truth of that)?
از خرد غافل شود بر بد تند ** بعد آن عقلش ملامت می‌کند
He (some one) pays no heed to his intellect and embarks on evil; afterwards his intellect rebukes him.
تو شدی غافل ز عقلت عقل نی ** کز حضورستش ملامت کردنی
You forgot your intellect, your intellect did not (forget you), since that act of rebuke is the result of its presence (attention).
گر نبودی حاضر و غافل بدی ** در ملامت کی ترا سیلی زدی
If it had not been present (attentive) and had been heedless, how should it have slapped you in rebuke?
ور ازو غافل نبودی نفس تو ** کی چنان کردی جنون و تفس تو
And if your carnal soul had not been inattentive to it, how should your madness and heat have acted thus?
پس تو و عقلت چو اصطرلاب بود ** زین بدانی قرب خورشید وجود3685
Hence you and your intellect are like the astrolabe: by this means you may know the nearness of the Sun of existence.
قرب بی‌چونست عقلت را به تو ** نیست چپ و راست و پس یا پیش رو
Your intellect is indescribably near to you: it is neither to the left nor to the right nor behind nor in front.
قرب بی‌چون چون نباشد شاه را ** که نیابد بحث عقل آن راه را
How (then) should not the King be indescribably near? for intellectual search cannot find the way (to Him).
نیست آن جنبش که در اصبع تراست ** پیش اصبع یا پسش یا چپ و راست
The motion that you have in your finger is not in front of your finger or behind it or to the left or to the right.
وقت خواب و مرگ از وی می‌رود ** وقت بیداری قرینش می‌شود
At the time of sleep and death it (the motion) goes from it (the finger); at the time of waking it rejoins it.
از چه ره می‌آید اندر اصبعت ** که اصبعت بی او ندارد منفعت3690
By what way doth it come into your finger, (that motion) without which your finger hath no use?
نور چشم و مردمک در دیده‌ات ** از چه ره آمد به غیر شش جهت
The light of the eye and pupil, by what other way than the six directions doth it come into your eye?
عالم خلقست با سوی و جهات ** بی‌جهت دان عالم امر و صفات
The world of creation is endued with (diverse) quarters and directions, (but) know that the world of the (Divine) Command and Attributes is without (beyond) direction.
بی‌جهت دان عالم امر ای صنم ** بی‌جهت‌تر باشد آمر لاجرم
Know, O beloved, that the world of the Command is without direction: of necessity the Commander is (even) more without direction.
بی‌جهت بد عقل و علام البیان ** عقل‌تر از عقل و جان‌تر هم ز جان
The intellect was (ever) without direction, and the Knower of the exposition is more intelligent than intellect and more spiritual even than spirit.
بی‌تعلق نیست مخلوقی بدو ** آن تعلق هست بی‌چون ای عمو3695
No created being is unconnected with Him: that connexion, O uncle, is indescribable,
زانک فصل و وصل نبود در روان ** غیر فصل و وصل نندیشد گمان
Because in the spirit there is no separating and uniting, while (our) thought cannot think except of separating and uniting.
غیر فصل و وصل پی بر از دلیل ** لیک پی بردن بننشاند غلیل
Pursue that which is without separation and union by (aid of) a spiritual guide; but the pursuit will not allay your thirst.
پی پیاپی می‌بر ار دوری ز اصل ** تا رگ مردیت آرد سوی وصل
(Yet) pursue incessantly, if you are far from the Source, that the vein of (true) manhood (in you) may bring you to the attainment (of your desire).
این تعلق را خرد چون ره برد ** بسته‌ی فصلست و وصلست این خرد
How should the intellect find the way to this connexion? This intellect is in bondage to separation and union.
زین وصیت کرد ما را مصطفی ** بحث کم جویید در ذات خدا3700
Hence Mustafá (Mohammed) enjoined us, saying, “Do not seek to investigate the Essence of God.”
آنک در ذاتش تفکر کردنیست ** در حقیقت آن نظر در ذات نیست
(As regards) that One whose Essence is an object of thought, in reality the (thinker's) speculation is not concerning the Essence.
هست آن پندار او زیرا به راه ** صد هزاران پرده آمد تا اله
It is (only) his (false) opinion, because on the way to God there are a hundred thousand veils.
هر یکی در پرده‌ای موصول خوست ** وهم او آنست که آن خود عین هوست
Every one is naturally attached to some veil and judges that it is in sooth the identity (‘ayn) of Him.
پس پیمبر دفع کرد این وهم از او ** تا نباشد در غلط سوداپز او
Therefore the Prophet banished this (false) judgement from him (the thinker), lest he should be conceiving in error a vain imagination.
وانکه اندر وهم او ترک ادب ** بی‌ادب را سرنگونی داد رب3705
And (as for) him in whose judgement (conception of God) there is irreverence, the Lord hath doomed the irreverent to fall headlong.
سرنگونی آن بود کو سوی زیر ** می‌رود پندارد او کو هست چیر
To fall headlong is that he goes downward and thinks that he is superior,
زانک حد مست باشد این چنین ** کو نداند آسمان را از زمین
Because such is the case of the drunken man who does not know heaven from earth.
در عجبهااش به فکر اندر روید ** از عظیمی وز مهابت گم شوید
Go ye and think upon His wonders, become lost (to yourselves) from the majesty and awe (of Him).
چون ز صنعش ریش و سبلت گم کند ** حد خود داند ز صانع تن زند
When he (who beholds the wonders of God) loses beard and moustache (abandons pride and egoism) from (contemplating) His work, he will know his (proper) station and will be silent concerning the Worker (Maker).
جز که لا احصی نگوید او ز جان ** کز شمار و حد برونست آن بیان3710
He will only say from his soul, “I cannot (praise Thee duly),” because the declaration thereof is beyond reckoning and bound.
رفتن ذوالقرنین به کوه قاف و درخواست کردن کی ای کوه قاف از عظمت صفت حق ما را بگو و گفتن کوه قاف کی صفت عظمت او در گفت نیاید کی پیش آنها ادراکها فدا شود و لابه کردن ذوالقرنین کی از صنایعش کی در خاطر داری و بر تو گفتن آن آسان‌تر بود بگوی
How Dhu ’l-Qarnayn went to Mount Qáf and made petition, saying, "O Mount Qáf, tell me of the majesty of the Attributes of God"; and how Mount Qáf said that the description of His majesty is ineffable, since (all) perceptions vanish before it; and how Dhu ’l-Qarnayn made humble supplication, saying, "Tell of His works that thou hast in mind and of which it is more easy for thee to speak."
رفت ذوالقرنین سوی کوه قاف ** دید او را کز زمرد بود صاف
Dhu ’l-Qarnayn went towards Mount Qáf: he saw that it was (made) of pure emerald,
گرد عالم حلقه گشته او محیط ** ماند حیران اندر آن خلق بسیط
And that it had become a ring surrounding the (whole) world. He was amazed at that immense creation (work of God).
گفت تو کوهی دگرها چیستند ** که به پیش عظم تو بازیستند
He said, “Thou art the mountain (indeed): what are the others? for beside thy magnitude they are (but) playthings.”
گفت رگهای من‌اند آن کوهها ** مثل من نبوند در حسن و بها
It replied, “Those (other) mountains are my veins: they are not like unto me in beauty and glory.