چون نتانی شد در آتش چون خلیل ** گشت حمامت رسول آبت دلیل
Since you cannot go into the fire, like Khalíl (Abraham), the hot bath has become your Apostle, and the water your guide.
سیری از حقست لیک اهل طبع ** کی رسد بی‌واسطه‌ی نان در شبع
Satiety is from God, but how should the unclean attain unto satiety without the mediation of bread?
لطف از حقست لیکن اهل تن ** درنیابد لطف بی‌پرده‌ی چمن
Beauty is from God, but the corporealist does not feel (the charm of) beauty without the veil (medium) of the garden.
چون نماند واسطه‌ی تن بی‌حجاب ** هم‌چو موسی نور مه یابد ز جیب
When the bodily medium is removed, (then) he (who is disembodied) perceives without (any) screen, like Moses, the light of the Moon (shining) from (his own) bosom.
این هنرها آب را هم شاهدست ** که اندرونش پر ز لطف ایزدست 235
These virtues possessed by the water bear witness likewise that its interior is filled with the grace of God.
گواهی فعل و قول بیرونی بر ضمیر و نور اندرونی
The testimony of external acts and words to the hidden mind and the inner light.
فعل و قول آمد گواهان ضمیر ** زین دو بر باطن تو استدلال گیر
Act and word are witnesses to the hidden mind: from these twain infer the inward state.
چون ندارد سیر سرت در درون ** بنگر اندر بول رنجور از برون
When your thought does not penetrate within, inspect the patient's urine from without.
فعل و قول آن بول رنجوران بود ** که طبیب جسم را برهان بود
Act and word are (as) the urine of the sick, which is clear evidence for the physician of the body.
وآن طبیب روح در جانش رود ** وز ره جان اندر ایمانش رود
But the spiritual physician enters into his (patient's) soul and by the spiritual way penetrates into his (inmost) belief.
حاجتش ناید به فعل و قول خوب ** احذروهم هم جواسیس القلوب 240
He hath no need of fine acts and words: “beware of them (the spiritual physicians), they are spies on (men's) hearts.”
این گواه فعل و قول از وی بجو ** کو به دریا نیست واصل هم‌چو جو
Demand this testimony of acts and words from him (only) who is not united with the Sea like a river.
در بیان آنک نور خود از اندرون شخص منور بی‌آنک فعلی و قولی بیان کند گواهی دهد بر نور وی در بیان آنک آن‌نور خود را از اندرون سر عارف ظاهر کند بر خلقان بی‌فعل عارف و بی‌قول عارف افزون از آنک به قول و فعل او ظاهر شود چنانک آفتاب بلند شود بانگ خروس و اعلام مذن و علامات دیگر حاجت نیاید
Explaining that the light itself from within the illumined person bears witness to his light, without any act or word declaring it.
لیک نور سالکی کز حد گذشت ** نور او پر شد بیابانها و دشت
But the (inner) light of the traveller (mystic) who has passed beyond the pale (of selfhood)—the deserts and plains are filled with his radiance.
شاهدی‌اش فارغ آمد از شهود ** وز تکلفها و جانبازی و جود
(The fact of) his being a witness (to God) is independent of witnesses and works of supererogation and of self-devotion and self-sacrifice.
نور آن گوهر چو بیرون تافتست ** زین تسلسها فراغت یافتست
Since the light of that (spiritual) substance has shone forth, he has gained independence of these hypocrisies.
پس مجو از وی گواه فعل و گفت ** که ازو هر دو جهان چون گل شکفت 245
Therefore do not demand of him the testimony of act and speech, for through him both the worlds have blossomed like a rose.
این گواهی چیست اظهار نهان ** خواه قول و خواه فعل و غیر آن
What is this testimony? The making manifest of that which is hidden, whether (by) word or act or something else;
که عرض اظهار سر جوهرست ** وصف باقی وین عرض بر معبرست
For its object is to make manifest the inward nature of the spiritual substance: the attributes (of that substance) are permanent, though these accidents (such as acts and words) are fleeting.
این نشان زر نماند بر محک ** زر بماند نیک نام و بی ز شک
The mark of the gold on the touchstone does not remain, (but) the gold (itself) remains—of good renown and undoubted.
این صلات و این جهاد و این صیام ** هم نماند جان بماند نیک‌نام
Similarly, (all) this ritual prayer and holy war and fasting does not remain, but the spirit remains in good renown (for ever).
جان چنین افعال و اقوالی نمود ** بر محک امر جوهر را بسود 250
The spirit produced certain acts and words of this kind (as proofs): it rubbed its substance on the touchstone of the (Divine) command,
As though to say, “My belief is perfect: here is the witness!” (Yes), but there is doubt as regards the witnesses.
تزکیه باید گواهان را بدان ** تزکیش صدقی که موقوفی بدان
Know that the probity of the witnesses must be established: the means of establishing it is a (great) sincerity: thou art dependent on that.
حفظ لفظ اندر گواه قولیست ** حفظ عهد اندر گواه فعلیست
In the case of the word-witness, ’tis keeping thy word (that is the test); in the case of the act-witness, ’tis keeping thy covenant (to perform these acts).
The word-witness is rejected if it speaks falsely, and the act-witness is rejected if it does not run straight.
قول و فعل بی‌تناقض بایدت ** تا قبول اندر زمان بیش آیدت 255
Thou must have words and acts that are not self-contradictory, in order that thou mayst meet with immediate acceptance.
سعیکم شتی تناقض اندرید ** روز می‌دوزید شب بر می‌درید
Your efforts are diverse, ye are in contradiction: ye are sewing by day and tearing up (what ye have sewn) by night.
پس گواهی با تناقض کی شنود ** یا مگر حلمی کند از لطف خود
Who, then, will hearken to testimony that contradicts itself, unless indeed He (the Judge) graciously show a (great) forbearance?
فعل و قول اظهار سرست و ضمیر ** هر دو پیدا می‌کند سر ستیر
Act and word are (for) the manifestation of the inward thought and hidden mind: both are divulging the veiled secret.
چون گواهت تزکیه شد شد قبول ** ورنه محبوس است اندر مول مول
When thy witness has been proved honest, it is accepted; otherwise, it is kept in detention as a prisoner.
تا تو بستیزی ستیزند ای حرون ** فانتظرهم انهم منتظرون 260
O recalcitrant one, so long as thou contendest (with the holy saints) they will contend (with thee). Lie in wait for them, then! Verily, they are lying in wait (for thee).
عرضه کردن مصطفی علیه‌السلام شهادت را بر مهمان خویش
How Mustafá, on whom be peace, offered the Testimony (profession of the Faith) to his guest.
این سخن پایان ندارد مصطفی ** عرضه کرد ایمان و پذرفت آن فتی
This discourse hath no end. Mustafá offered the Faith, and the youth accepted
آن شهادت را که فرخ بوده است ** بندهای بسته را بگشوده است
That Testimony which hath ever been blessed and hath ever loosed the fastbound chains.
گشت مؤمن گفت او را مصطفی ** که امشبان هم باش تو مهمان ما
He became a true believer. Mustafá said to him, “Be my guest to-night also.”
گفت والله تا ابد ضیف توم ** هر کجا باشم بهر جا که روم
“By God,” said he, “I am thy guest unto everlasting. Wheresoever I be, to whatsoever place I go,
زنده کرده و معتق و دربان تو ** این جهان و آن جهان بر خوان تو 265
I am made living by thee and liberated by thee, and am thy doorkeeper (eating) at thy table in this world and in the next.
هر که بگزیند جزین بگزیده خوان ** عاقبت درد گلویش ز استخوان
Whosoever chooses any but this choice table, in the end his gullet will be torn by the bone (of perdition).
هر که سوی خوان غیر تو رود ** دیو با او دان که هم‌کاسه بود
Whosoever goes to the table of any but thee, know that the Devil shares his cup.
هر که از همسایگی تو رود ** دیو بی‌شکی که همسایه‌ش شود
Whosoever departs from thy neighbourhood, without any doubt the Devil will become his neighbour;
ور رود بی‌تو سفر او دوردست ** دیو بد همراه و هم‌سفره‌ی ویست
And if without thee he go on a far journey, the wicked Devil is his fellow-traveller and table-companion;
ور نشیند بر سر اسپ شریف ** حاسد ماهست دیو او را ردیف 270
And if he mount a noble horse, (since) he is envious of the Moon, the Devil sits behind him;
ور بچه گیرد ازو شهناز او ** دیو در نسلش بود انباز او
And if his Shahnáz be got with child by him, the Devil is his partner in begetting it.”
در نبی شارکهم گفتست حق ** هم در اموال و در اولاد ای شفق
O thou that glowest (with faith), God hath said in the Qur’án, “Share with them in their wealth and children.”
گفت پیغامبر ز غیب این را جلی ** در مقالات نوادر با علی
The Prophet, (who drew inspiration) from the Unseen, explained this (matter) clearly in his marvellous discourses with ‘Alí.
یا رسول‌الله رسالت را تمام ** تو نمودی هم‌چو شمس بی‌غمام
“O Prophet of Allah, thou hast displayed (the truth of) thy prophetic mission completely, like the cloudless sun.
این که تو کردی دو صد مادر نکرد ** عیسی از افسونش با عازر نکرد 275
Two hundred mothers never did (to their children) this which thou hast done (to me); Jesus by his (life-giving) spells never did (so much as this) to ‘Ázar (Lazarus).
از تو جانم از اجل نک جان ببرد ** عازر ار شد زنده زان دم باز مرد
Lo, through thee, my soul hath been delivered from death: if ‘Ázar was revived by that breath (of Jesus), yet he died again.”
گشت مهمان رسول آن شب عرب ** شیر یک بز نیمه خورد و بست لب
The Arab became the Prophet's guest that night: he drank half the milk of a single goat and (then) closed his lips.
کرد الحاحش بخور شیر و رقاق ** گفت گشتم سیر والله بی‌نفاق
He (the Prophet) urged him to drink the milk and eat the scones. “By God,” said he, “in all sincerity I have eaten my fill.
این تکلف نیست نی ناموس و فن ** سیرتر گشتم از آنک دوش من
This is not hypocrisy or affectation and artifice: I have become fuller than I was yesternight.”
در عجب ماندند جمله اهل بیت ** پر شد این قندیل زین یک قطره زیت 280
All the people of the (Prophet's) house were left in astonishment (to think that) this lamp had been filled by this one drop of oil,