اولش علمست آنگاهی عمل ** تا دهد بر بعد مهلت یا اجل 1055
Its beginning is knowledge; then (follows) action, that it may yield fruit after a time or after death.
استعینوا فی‌الحرف یا ذا النهی ** من کریم صالح من اهلها
Seek help in (acquiring) crafts, O possessor of intelligence, from a generous and righteous craftsman.
اطلب الدر اخی وسط الصدف ** واطلب الفن من ارباب الحرف
Seek the pearl in the oyster-shell, my brother, and seek technical skill from the craftsmen.
ان رایتم ناصحین انصفوا ** بادروا التعلیم لا تستنکفوا
If ye see sincere (spiritual) advisers, deal fairly (with them) and be eager to learn: do not show disdain.
در دباغی گر خلق پوشید مرد ** خواجگی خواجه را آن کم نکرد
If the man (engaged) in tanning wore a threadbare garment, that did not diminish the master's mastery (of his trade);
وقت دم آهنگر ار پوشید دلق ** احتشام او نشد کم پیش خلق 1060
If the ironsmith wore a patched frock when blowing the bellows, his reputation was not impaired in the eyes of the people.
پس لباس کبر بیرون کن ز تن ** ملبس ذل پوش در آموختن
Therefore strip the raiment of pride from thy body: in learning, put on the garment of humility.
علم آموزی طریقش قولی است ** حرفت آموزی طریقش فعلی است
If thou wouldst learn (theoretical) knowledge, the way of (acquiring) it is oral; if thou wouldst learn a craft, the way of (acquiring) it is practical (by practice).
فقر خواهی آن به صحبت قایمست ** نه زبانت کار می‌آید نه دست
If thou desire (spiritual) poverty, that depends on companionship (with a Shaykh): neither thy tongue nor thy hand avails.
دانش آن را ستاند جان ز جان ** نه ز راه دفتر و نه از زبان
Soul receives from soul the knowledge thereof, not by way of book nor from tongue.
در دل سالک اگر هست آن رموز ** رمزدانی نیست سالک را هنوز 1065
If those mysteries (of spiritual poverty) are in the traveller's heart, knowledge of the mystery is not yet possessed by the traveller.
تا دلش را شرح آن سازد ضیا ** پس الم نشرح بفرماید خدا
(Let him wait) until the expansion (illumination) of his heart shall make it (full of) the Light: then God saith, “Did not We expand …?
که درون سینه شرحت داده‌ایم ** شرح اندر سینه‌ات بنهاده‌ایم
For We have given thee the expansion (illumination) within thy breast, We have put the expansion into thy breast.”
تو هنوز از خارج آن را طالبی ** محلبی از دیگران چون حالبی
Thou art still seeking it from outside; thou art a source of milk: how art thou a milker of others?
چشمه‌ی شیرست در تو بی‌کنار ** تو چرا می‌شیر جویی از تغار
There is an illimitable fountain of milk within thee: why art thou seeking milk from the pail?
منفذی داری به بحر ای آبگیر ** ننگ دار از آب جستن از غدیر 1070
O lake, thou hast a channel to the Sea: be ashamed to seek water from the pool;
که الم نشرح نه شرحت هست باز ** چون شدی تو شرح‌جو و کدیه‌ساز
For did not We expand…? Again, hast not thou the expansion? How art thou become a seeker of the expansion and a mendicant?
در نگر در شرح دل در اندرون ** تا نیاید طعنه‌ی لا تبصرون
Contemplate the expansion of the heart within (thee), lest there come the reproach, Do not ye see?
تفسیر و هو معکم
Commentary on “And He is with you.”
یک سپد پر نان ترا بی‌فرق سر ** تو همی خواهی لب نان در به در
There is a basket full of loaves on the crown of thy head, and thou art begging a crust of bread from door to door.
در سر خود پیچ هل خیره‌سری ** رو در دل زن چرا بر هر دری
Attend to thine own head, abandon giddy-headedness; go, knock at the door of thy heart: why art thou (knocking) at every door?
تا بزانویی میان آب‌جو ** غافل از خود زین و آن تو آب جو 1075
Whilst thou art up to the knee in the river-water, thou art heedless of thyself and art seeking water from this one and that one.
پیش آب و پس هم آب با مدد ** چشمها را پیش سد و خلف سد
Water in front; and behind, too, an unfailing supply of water; (but) before thine eyes is a barrier and behind them a barrier.
اسپ زیر ران و فارس اسپ‌جو ** چیست این گفت اسپ لیکن اسپ کو
The horse is under the (rider's) thigh, and the rider is seeking the horse. (When asked), “What is this?” he says, “A horse, but where is the horse?”
هی نه اسپست این به زیر تو پدید ** گفت آری لیک خود اسپی که دید
“Eh, is not this a horse under thee, plain to see?” “Yes,” says he, “but who ever saw a horse?”
مست آب و پیش روی اوست آن ** اندر آب و بی‌خبر ز آب روان
He (such a one) is mad with thirst for the water, and it (the water) is before his face: he is in the water and unconscious of the running water.
چون گهر در بحر گوید بحر کو ** وآن خیال چون صدف دیوار او 1080
Like the pearl in the sea, he says, “Where is the sea?” and that shell-like phantasy is his wall.
گفتن آن کو حجابش می‌شود ** ابر تاب آفتابش می‌شود
His saying “Where?” becomes for him a screen: it becomes for him a cloud over the radiance of the sun.
بند چشم اوست هم چشم بدش ** عین رفع سد او گشته سدش
His bad (sensual) eye is a bandage on his (inward) eye: his very (awareness of) removing the barrier has become a barrier for him.
بند گوش او شده هم هوش او ** هوش با حق دار ای مدهوش او
His (self-)consciousness has become the plug of his (inward) ear: keep thy consciousness (directed) towards God (alone), O thou who art bewildered in Him.
در تفسیر قول مصطفی علیه‌السلام من جعل الهموم هما واحدا کفاه الله سائر همومه و من تفرقت به الهموم لا یبالی الله فی ای واد اهلکه
Commentary on the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, “Whosoever shall make his cares one care, God will relieve him of all his cares; and whosoever is distracted by his cares, God will not care in what valley He destroys him.”
هوش را توزیع کردی بر جهات ** می‌نیرزد تره‌ای آن ترهات
Thou hast distributed thy consciousness in (all) directions: those vanities are not worth a cress.
آب هش را می‌کشد هر بیخ خار ** آب هوشت چون رسد سوی ثمار 1085
Every thorn-root draws the water of thy consciousness (towards itself): how should the water of thy consciousness reach the fruit?
هین بزن آن شاخ بد را خو کنش ** آب ده این شاخ خوش را نو کنش
Hark, smite that evil bough, lop it off: water this goodly bough, refresh it.
هر دو سبزند این زمان آخر نگر ** کین شود باطل از آن روید ثمر
Both are green at this (present) time, (but) look to the end (and see) that this one will come to naught, (while) fruit will grow from that one.
آب باغ این را حلال آن را حرام ** فرق را آخر ببینی والسلام
To this one the water in the orchard is lawful, to that one (it is) unlawful. In the end thou wilt see the difference, and (so) farewell.
عدل چه بود آب ده اشجار را ** ظلم چه بود آب دادن خار را
What is justice? Giving water to trees. What is injustice? To give water to thorns.
عدل وضع نعمتی در موضعش ** نه بهر بیخی که باشد آبکش 1090
Justice is (consists in) bestowing a bounty in its proper place, not on every root that will absorb water.
ظلم چه بود وضع در ناموضعی ** که نباشد جز بلا را منبعی
What is injustice? To bestow (it) in an improper place that can only be a source of calamity.
نعمت حق را به جان و عقل ده ** نه به طبع پر زحیر پر گره
Bestow the bounty of God on the spirit and reason, not on the (carnal) nature full of disease and complications.
بار کن بیگار غم را بر تنت ** بر دل و جان کم نه آن جان کندنت
Load the conflict of (worldly) cares upon thy body: do not lay thy anxiety upon the heart and spirit.
بر سر عیسی نهاده تنگ بار ** خر سکیزه می‌زند در مرغزار
The pack is laid upon the head of Jesus, (while) the ass is frisking in the meadow.
سرمه را در گوش کردن شرط نیست ** کار دل را جستن از تن شرط نیست 1095
’Tis not right to put collyrium in the ear: ’tis not right to demand from the body the work of the heart (spirit).
گر دلی رو ناز کن خواری مکش ** ور تنی شکر منوش و زهر چش
If thou art a (devotee of the) heart, go, scorn (the world), do not suffer contumely (from it); and if thou art a (devotee of the) body, do not eat sugar but taste poison.
زهر تن را نافعست و قند بد ** تن همان بهتر که باشد بی‌مدد
Poison is beneficial to the body, and sugar noxious: ’tis better that the body should be deprived of supplies.
هیزم دوزخ تنست و کم کنش ** ور بروید هیزمی رو بر کنش
The body is fuel for Hell, do thou weaken it; and if it produce a (new) growth of fuel, go, destroy it.
ورنه حمال حطب باشی حطب ** در دو عالم هم‌چو جفت بولهب
Else, O (thou who art) firewood, thou wilt be a carrier of firewood in both worlds, like the wife of Bú Lahab.
از حطب بشناس شاخ سدره را ** گرچه هر دو سبز باشند ای فتی 1100
Know (discriminate) the bough of the Sidra from the firewood, though both are green, O youth.
اصل آن شاخست هفتم آسمان ** اصل این شاخست از نار و دخان
The origin of that bough is the Seventh Heaven, the origin of this bough is from fire and smoke.
هست مانندا به صورت پیش حس ** که غلط‌بینست چشم و کیش حس
To sense-perception they are similar in appearance, for the eye and habit of sense-perception is seeing falsely;
هست آن پیدا به پیش چشم دل ** جهد کن سوی دل آ جهد المقل
(But) that (difference) is manifest to the eye of the heart (spirit): exert thyself, advance towards the heart (spirit) with the exertion of one whose means are small.
ور نداری پا بجنبان خویش را ** تا ببینی هر کم و هر بیش را
And if thou hast no foot (means), (yet) bestir thyself that thou mayst behold every less and more.
در معنی این بیت «گر راه روی راه برت بگشایند ور نیست شوی بهستیت بگرایند»
On the meaning of this verse: “If thou fare on the Way, the Way will be revealed to thee; and if thou become nonexistent, (real) existence will be conferred on thee.”