خفته بود آن شیر کز خوابست پاک ** اینت شیر نرمسار سهمناک3795
That lion which is immune from sleep was (apparently) asleep: lo, a complaisant terrible lion!
خفته سازد شیر خود را آنچنان ** که تمامش مرده دانند این سگان
The lion feigns to be asleep so (well) that those curs think he is quite dead;
ورنه در عالم کرا زهره بدی ** که ربودی از ضعیفی تربدی
Else, who in the world would dare to rob a poor man (even) of a grain of turpeth mineral?
کف احمد زان نظر مخدوش گشت ** بحر او از مهر کف پرجوش گشت
The foam (body) of Ahmad was torn (powerfully affected) by that sight (of Gabriel), (but) his sea (spirit) surged up (displayed itself in action) for love of the foam.
مه همه کفست معطی نورپاش ** ماه را گر کف نباشد گو مباش
The moon (the spirit of Ahmad) is entirely a bounteous light-diffusing hand: if the moon have no hand (with which to bestow light), let it have none!
احمد ار بگشاید آن پر جلیل ** تا ابد بیهوش ماند جبرئیل3800
If Ahmad should display that glorious pinion (his spiritual nature), Gabriel would remain dumbfounded unto everlasting.
چون گذشت احمد ز سدره و مرصدش ** وز مقام جبرئیل و از حدش
When Ahmad passed beyond the Lote-tree (on the boundary of Paradise) and his (Gabriel's) place of watch and station and farthest limit,
گفت او را هین بپر اندر پیم ** گفت رو رو من حریف تو نیم
He said to him (Gabriel), “Hark, fly after me.” He (Gabriel) said, “Go, go; I am not thy companion (any farther).”
باز گفت او را بیا ای پرده‌سوز ** من باوج خود نرفتستم هنوز
He answered him, saying, “Come, O destroyer of veils: I have not yet advanced to my zenith.”
گفت بیرون زین حد ای خوش‌فر من ** گر زنم پری بسوزد پر من
He replied, “O my illustrious friend, if I take one flight beyond this limit, my wings will be consumed.”
حیرت اندر حیرت آمد این قصص ** بیهشی خاصگان اندر اخص3805
This tale of the elect losing their senses in (contemplation of) the most elect is (naught but) amazement on amazement.
بیهشیها جمله اینجا بازیست ** چند جان داری که جان پردازیست
Here all (other) unconsciousnesses are (a mere) play. How long will you keep possession of your soul? for it is (a case of) abandoning your soul.
جبرئیلا گر شریفی و عزیز ** تو نه‌ای پروانه و نه شمع نیز
O “Gabriel,” though you are noble and revered, you are not the moth nor the candle either.
شمع چون دعوت کند وقت فروز ** جان پروانه نپرهیزد ز سوز
When the candle calls at the moment of illumination, the soul of the moth does not shrink from burning.
این حدیث منقلب را گور کن ** شیر را برعکس صید گور کن
Bury this topsy-turvy discourse: make the lion contrariously the prey of the onager.
Stop up thy word-sweating water-skin, do not open the bag of thy reckless talk.
آنک بر نگذشت اجزاش از زمین ** پیش او معکوس و قلماشیست این
He whose (intellectual and spiritual) parts have not passed beyond the earth— this is absurd and reckless talk in his view.
لا تخالفهم حبیبی دارهم ** یا غریبا نازلا فی دارهم
Do not resist them, O my beloved; deal gently with them, O stranger lodging in their home.
اعط ما شائوا وراموا وارضهم ** یا ظعینا ساکنا فی‌ارضهم
Give (them) what they wish and desire, and satisfy them, O emigrant dwelling in their land.
تا رسیدن در شه و در ناز خوش ** رازیا با مرغزی می‌ساز خویش
Till (the hour of) coming to the king and to sweet delight, O man of Rayy be on good terms with the man of Merv.
موسیا در پیش فرعون زمن ** نرم باید گفت قولا لینا3815
O “Moses,” in presence of the Pharaoh of the time you must speak softly with mild words.
آب اگر در روغن جوشان کنی ** دیگدان و دیگ را ویران کنی
If you put water into boiling oil, you will destroy (both) the trivet and the kettle.
نرم گو لیکن مگو غیر صواب ** وسوسه مفروش در لین الخطاب
Speak softly, but do not speak aught except the truth: do not offer temptation in your mildness of address.
وقت عصر آمد سخن کوتاه کن ** ای که عصرت عصر را آگاه کن
The time of afternoon is come: cut short the discourse, O thou whose expression (of the hidden truth) makes (the people of) the age acquainted (with reality).
گو تو مر گل‌خواره را که قند به ** نرمی فاسد مکن طینش مده
Do thou tell the clay-eater that sugar is better: do not show injurious softness, do not give him clay.
نطق جان را روضه‌ی جانیستی ** گر ز حرف و صوت مستغنیستی3820
Speech would be a spiritual garden to the soul, if it were independent of letters and sounds.
این سر خر در میان قندزار ** ای بسا کس را که بنهادست خار
Oh, there is many a one in whom this donkey's head amidst the sugar plantation has fixed a thorn!
ظن ببرد از دور کان آنست و بس ** چون قج مغلوب وا می‌رفت پس
He, (seeing it) from afar, supposed that it (the sugar-plantation) is just that (donkey's head), nothing more; (so) he was retiring, like a ram vanquished in fight.
صورت حرف آن سر خر دان یقین ** در رز معنی و فردوس برین
Know for sure that the (literal) form (of speech) is (like) that donkey's head in the vineyard and highest Paradise of the spiritual reality.
ای ضیاء الحق حسام الدین در آر ** این سر خر را در آن بطیخ‌زار
O Ziyá’u ’l-Haqq Husámu’ddín, bring this donkey's head into that melon-field,
تا سر خر چون بمرد از مسلخه ** نشو دیگر بخشدش آن مطبخه3825
In order that, when the donkey's head has died to (has passed beyond) the skinning-place, that kitchen may bestow on it another growth (a spiritual regeneration).
هین ز ما صورت‌گری و جان ز تو ** نه غلط هم این خود و هم آن ز تو
Hark, the shaping (of the poem) is from me, and the spirit (of it) from thee; nay, (I spoke) in error: truly both this and that are from thee.
بر فلک محمودی ای خورشید فاش ** بر زمین هم تا ابد محمود باش
Thou art glorified in Heaven, O conspicuous Sun: be thou also glorified on earth unto everlasting,
تا زمینی با سمایی بلند ** یک‌دل و یک‌قبله و یک‌خو شوند
That the inhabitant of the earth may become one in heart and one in aim and one in nature with the sublime celestial.
تفرقه برخیزد و شرک و دوی ** وحدتست اندر وجود معنوی
(Then) separation and polytheism and duality will disappear: in real existence there is (only) unity.
چون شناسد جان من جان ترا ** یاد آرند اتحاد ماجری3830
When my spirit (fully) recognises thy spirit, they (both) remember their being one in the past,
موسی و هارون شوند اندر زمین ** مختلط خوش هم‌چو شیر و انگبین
And on the earth become (as) Moses and Aaron, sweetly mingled like milk and honey.
چون شناسد اندک و منکر شود ** منکری‌اش پرده‌ی ساتر شود
When it (my spirit) recognises (thy spirit) a little and (then) denies (it), its denial becomes a veil covering (the truth).
پس شناسایی بگردانید رو ** خشم کرد آن مه ز ناشکری او
Many a one who recognised (part of the truth) averted his face: that Moon was angered by his ingratitude.
زین سبب جان نبی را جان بد ** ناشناسا گشت و پشت پای زد
Hence the evil spirit became unable to recognise the spirit of the Prophet and turned on its heel.
این همه خواندی فرو خوان لم یکن ** تا بدانی لج این گبر کهن3835
You have read all this: read (the Súra beginning with the words) Lam yakun, that you may know the obstinacy of that old infidel.
پیش از آنک نقش احمد فر نمود ** نعت او هر گبر را تعویذ بود
Ere the (bodily) form of Ahmad (Mohammed) displayed its glory, the description of him (in the Pentateuch and the Gospel) was a phylactery for every infidel.
کین چنین کس هست تا آید پدید ** از خیال روش دلشان می‌طپید
“There is some one like this” (they said): “(let us wait) till he shall appear”; and their hearts were throbbing at the imagination of (seeing) his face.
سجده می‌کردند کای رب بشر ** در عیان آریش هر چه زودتر
They were prostrating themselves (in prayer), crying, “O Lord of mankind, wilt Thou bring him before our eyes as quickly as may be?”
تا به نام احمد از یستفتحون ** یاغیانشان می‌شدندی سرنگون
(This they did) in order that, by asking (God) to grant them victory in the name of Ahmad, their enemies might be overthrown.
هر کجا حرب مهولی آمدی ** غوثشان کراری احمد بدی3840
Whenever a formidable war arose, Ahmad's pertinacity in onset was always their succour;
هر کجا بیماری مزمن بدی ** یاد اوشان داروی شافی شدی
Wherever there was a chronic sickness, mention (invocation) of him (Ahmad) was always their healing medicine.
نقش او می‌گشت اندر راهشان ** در دل و در گوش و در افواهشان
In (all) their way his form was coming into their hearts and into their ears and into their mouths.
نقش او را کی بیابد هر شعال ** بلک فرع نقش او یعنی خیال
How should every jackal perceive his (real) form? Nay, (they perceived only) the derivative of his form, that is to say, the imaginal idea (of it).
نقش او بر روی دیوار ار فتد ** از دل دیوار خون دل چکد
If his (real) form should fall on the face of a wall, heart's blood would trickle from the heart of the wall;