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.
من به هر شهری رگی دارم نهان ** بر عروقم بسته اطراف جهان3715
I have a hidden vein in every land: (all) the regions of the world are fastened to my veins.
حق چو خواهد زلزله‌ی شهری مرا ** گوید او من بر جهانم عرق را
When God wills an earthquake in any land, He bids me and I cause the vein to throb.
پس بجنبانم من آن رگ را بقهر ** که بدان رگ متصل گشتست شهر
Then I make to move mightily the vein with which the (particular) land is connected.
چون بگوید بس شود ساکن رگم ** ساکنم وز روی فعل اندر تگم
When He says ‘Enough!’ my vein rests. I am (apparently) at rest, but actually I am in rapid motion”—
هم‌چو مرهم ساکن و بس کارکن ** چون خرد ساکن وزو جنبان سخن
At rest, like the (medicinal) ointment, and very active (efficacious); at rest, like the intellect, while the speech (impelled) by it is moving.
نزد آنکس که نداند عقلش این ** زلزله هست از بخارات زمین3720
In the opinion of him whose intelligence does not perceive this, earthquakes are caused by terrestrial vapours.
موری بر کاغذ می‌رفت نبشتن قلم دید قلم را ستودن گرفت موری دیگر کی چشم تیزتر بود گفت ستایش انگشتان را کن کی آن هنر ازیشان می‌بینم موری دگر کی از هر دو چشم روشن‌تر بود گفت من بازو را ستایم کی انگشتان فرع بازواند الی آخره
An ant, walking on a piece of paper, saw the pen writing and began to praise the pen. Another ant, which was more keen-sighted, said, "Praise the fingers, for I deem this accomplishment to proceed from them." Another ant, more clear-sighted than either, said, "I praise the arm, for the fingers are a branch of the arm," et cetera.
مورکی بر کاغذی دید او قلم ** گفت با مور دگر این راز هم
A little ant saw a pen (writing) on a paper, and told this mystery to another ant,
که عجایب نقشها آن کلک کرد ** هم‌چو ریحان و چو سوسن‌زار و ورد
Saying, “That pen made wonderful pictures like sweet basil and beds of lilies and roses.”
گفت آن مور اصبعست آن پیشه‌ور ** وین قلم در فعل فرعست و اثر
The other ant said, “That artist is the finger, and this pen is actually (no more than) the derivative (instrument) and the sign.”
گفت آن مور سوم کز بازوست ** که اصبع لاغر ز زورش نقش بست
A third ant said, “It is the work of the arm, by whose strength the slender finger depicted it.”
هم‌چنین می‌رفت بالا تا یکی ** مهتر موران فطن بود اندکی3725
In this fashion it (the argument) was carried upward till a chief of the ants, (who) was a little bit sagacious,
گفت کز صورت مبینید این هنر ** که به خواب و مرگ گردد بی‌خبر
Said, “Do not regard this accomplishment as proceeding from the (material) form, which becomes unconscious in sleep and death.
صورت آمد چون لباس و چون عصا ** جز به عقل و جان نجنبد نقشها
Form is like a garment or a staff: (bodily) figures do not move except by means of intellect and spirit.”
بی‌خبر بود او که آن عقل و فاد ** بی ز تقلیب خدا باشد جماد
He (the wise ant) was unaware that without the controlling influence of God that intellect and heart (mind) would be inert.
یک زمان از وی عنایت بر کند ** عقل زیرک ابلهیها می‌کند
If He withdraw His favour from it for a single moment, the acute intellect will commit (many) follies.
چونش گویا یافت ذوالقرنین گفت ** چونک کوه قاف در نطق سفت3730
When Dhu ’l-Qarnayn found it (Mount Qáf) speaking, he said, after Mount Qáf had bored the pearls of speech,
کای سخن‌گوی خبیر رازدان ** از صفات حق بکن با من بیان
“O eloquent one, who art wise and knowest the mystery, expound to me the Attributes of God.”
گفت رو کان وصف از آن هایل‌ترست ** که بیان بر وی تواند برد دست
It answered, “Go, for those qualities are too terrible for (oral) exposition to put its hand on them,
یا قلم را زهره باشد که به سر ** بر نویسد بر صحایف زان خبر
Or for the pen to dare inscribe with its point information concerning them on the pages (of books).”
گفت کمتر داستانی باز گو ** از عجبهای حق ای حبر نکو
He said, “Relate a lesser tale concerning the wonders of God, O goodly divine.”
گفت اینک دشت سیصدساله راه ** کوههای برف پر کردست شاه3735
It said, “Look, the King (God) hath made a plain full of snow-mountains, for the distance of a three hundred years' journey—
کوه بر که بی‌شمار و بی‌عدد ** می‌رسد در هر زمان برفش مدد
Mountain on mountain, beyond count and number: the snow comes continually to replenish them.
کوه برفی می‌زند بر دیگری ** می‌رساند برف سردی تا ثری
One snow-mountain is being piled on another: the snow brings coldness to the earth.
کوه برفی می‌زند بر کوه برف ** دم به دم ز انبار بی‌حد و شگرف
At every moment snow-mountain is being piled on snow-mountain from the illimitable and vast storehouse.
گر نبودی این چنین وادی شها ** تف دوزخ محو کردی مر مرا
O king, if there were not a valley (of snow) like this, the glowing heat of Hell would annihilate me.”
غافلان را کوههای برف دان ** تا نسوزد پرده‌های عاقلان3740
Know that (in this world) the heedless are (like) snow-mountains, to the end that the veils of the intelligent may not be consumed.
گر نبودی عکس جهل برف‌باف ** سوختی از نار شوق آن کوه قاف
Were it not for the reflexion (effect) of snow-weaving (chilling) ignorance, that Mount Qáf would be consumed by the fire of longing.
آتش از قهر خدا خود ذره‌ایست ** بهر تهدید لیمان دره‌ایست
The Fire (of Hell) in sooth is (only) an atom of God's wrath; it is (only) a whip to threaten the base.
با چنین قهری که زفت و فایق است ** برد لطفش بین که بر وی سابق است
Notwithstanding such a wrath, which is mighty and surpassing all, observe that the coolness of His clemency is prior to it.
سبق بی‌چون و چگونه‌ی معنوی ** سابق و مسبوق دیدی بی‌دوی
(’Tis) a spiritual priority, unqualified and unconditioned. Have you seen the prior and the posterior without duality (have you seen them to be one)?
گر ندیدی آن بود از فهم پست ** که عقول خلق زان کان یک جوست3745
If you have not seen them (as one), that is because of feeble understanding; for the minds of God's creatures are (but) a single grain of that mine.
عیب بر خود نه نه بر آیات دین ** کی رسد بر چرخ دین مرغ گلین
Lay the blame on yourself, not on the evidences of the (true) Religion: how should the bird of clay reach the sky of the (true) Religion?
مرغ را جولانگه عالی هواست ** زانک نشو او ز شهوت وز هواست
The bird's lofty soaring-place is (only) the air, since its origin is from lust and sensuality.
پس تو حیران باش بی‌لا و بلی ** تا ز رحمت پیشت آید محملی
Therefore be dumbfounded without nay or yea, in order that a litter may come from (the Divine) Mercy to carry you.
چون ز فهم این عجایب کودنی ** گر بلی گویی تکلف می‌کنی
Forasmuch as you are too dull to apprehend these wonders (of God), if you say “yea” you will be prevaricating;
ور بگویی نی زند نی گردنت ** قهر بر بندد بدان نی روزنت3750
And if you say “nay,” the “nay” will behead (undo) you: on account of that “nay” (the Divine) Wrath will shut your (spiritual) window.
پس همین حیران و واله باش و بس ** تا درآید نصر حق از پیش و پس
Be, then, only dumbfounded and distraught, nothing else, that God's aid may come in from before and behind.
چونک حیران گشتی و گیج و فنا ** با زبان حال گفتی اهدنا
When you have become dumbfounded and crazed and naughted, you have said with mute eloquence, “Lead us.”
زفت زفتست و چو لرزان می‌شوی ** می‌شود آن زفت نرم و مستوی
It (the wrath of God) is mighty, mighty; but when you begin to tremble, that mighty (wrath) becomes assuaged and equable,