تا بدیدم روی عزرائیل را ** باز آوردی فن و تسویل را
So that I beheld the face of Azrael; (now) again you have brought cunning and plausible suggestion (to bear on me).
گرچه من ننگ خرانم یا خرم ** جانورم جان دارم این را کی خرم 2625
Though I am a disgrace to the asses or an ass (myself), (yet) I am possessed of life, I have a vital spirit: how should I purchase (accept and believe) this (palaver)?
آنچ من دیدم ز هول بی‌امان ** طفل دیدی پیر گشتی در زمان
If a child had seen the pitiless horror that I saw, it would instantly have become old.
بی‌دل و جان از نهیب آن شکوه ** سرنگون خود را در افکندم ز کوه
Deprived of heart and soul by dread of that awful object, I threw myself headlong from the mountain.
بسته شد پایم در آن دم از نهیب ** چون بدیدم آن عذاب بی‌حجاب
My legs were tied (paralysed) by terror as soon as I perceived that (cruel) torment without (any) barrier (between it and me).
عهد کردم با خدا کای ذوالمنن ** برگشا زین بستگی تو پای من
I made a promise to God, crying, ‘O gracious One, do Thou loose my legs from this bondage,
تا ننوشم وسوسه‌ی کس بعد ازین ** عهد کردم نذر کردم ای معین 2630
So that henceforth I may not listen to any one's temptation: I promise, I vow (that I will not listen), O Helper!’
حق گشاده کرد آن دم پای من ** زان دعا و زاری و ایمای من
Thereupon God loosed my legs because of my prayer and humble entreaty and indication (of abasement);
ورنه اندر من رسیدی شیر نر ** چون بدی در زیر پنجه‌ی شیر خر
Else the fierce lion would have overtaken me: how would an ass have fared in the grip of a lion?
باز بفرستادت آن شیر عرین ** سوی من از مکر ای بس القرین
Now the lion of the jungle has sent you to me again for the purpose of deceit, O evil companion that you are!”
حق ذات پاک الله الصمد ** که بود به مار بد از یار بد
(I swear) by the truth of the Holy Person of Allah, the Lord, that a malign snake is better than a malign friend.
مار بد جانی ستاند از سلیم ** یار بد آرد سوی نار مقیم 2635
The malign snake takes a soul (life) from the man it has bitten; the malign friend leads him into the everlasting Fire.
از قرین بی‌قول و گفت و گوی او ** خو بدزدد دل نهان از خوی او
Thy heart secretly steals its disposition from the disposition of thy companion, without speech and talk on his part.
چونک او افکند بر تو سایه را ** دزدد آن بی‌مایه از تو مایه را
When he casts his shadow over thee, that unprincipled one steals away thy principles from thee.
عقل تو گر اژدهایی گشت مست ** یار بد او را زمرد دان که هست
(Even) if thy reason has become (as strong as) a furious dragon, know that the evil companion is an emerald to it.
Through him the eye of thy reason starts out (of the socket): his (vicious) thrusts deliver thee into the hands of pestilence.
جواب گفتن روبه خر را
The answer of the fox to the ass.
گفت روبه صاف ما را درد نیست ** لیک تخییلات وهمی خورد نیست 2640
The fox said, “There are no dregs in my pure liquor, but the illusions of imagination are not small.
این همه وهم توست ای ساده‌دل ** ورنه بر تو نه غشی دارم نه غل
All this is your imagination, O simpleton, for I bear no malice and rancour against you.
از خیال زشت خود منگر به من ** بر محبان از چه داری س ظن
Do not regard me from (the standpoint of) your evil fancy: wherefore do you cherish ill thoughts against your lovers?
ظن نیکو بر بر اخوان صفا ** گرچه آید ظاهرا زیشان جفا
Think well of the sincere, even though unkindness come from them in appearance.
این خیال و وهم بد چون شد پدید ** صد هزاران یار را از هم برید
When this evil fancy and imagination is manifested, it severs a hundred thousand friends from one another.
مشفقی گر کرد جور و امتحان ** عقل باید که نباشد بدگمان 2645
If an affectionate (friend) has behaved unjustly and made a trial (of one's loyalty), understanding is needed to prevent one from thinking ill (of him).
خصاه من بدرگ نبودم زشت‌اسم ** آنک دیدی بد نبد بود آن طلسم
In particular, I, who have a bad name, was not evil-natured (in regard to you): what you saw was nothing evil, it was (only) a magic spell;
ور بدی بد آن سگالش قدرا ** عفو فرمایند یاران زان خطا
And if, hypothetically, that purpose (of mine) had been evil, (still) friends pardon such a fault.”
عالم وهم و خیال طمع و بیم ** هست ره‌رو را یکی سدی عظیم
The world of imagination and the phantom of hope and fear is a great obstacle to the traveller (on the mystic Way).
نقشهای این خیال نقش‌بند ** چون خلیلی را که که بد شد گزند
The pictures (illusions) of this picture-making phantasy were harmful (even) to one like Khalíl (Abraham), who was (firm as) a mountain.
گفت هذا ربی ابراهیم راد ** چونک اندر عالم وهم اوفتاد 2650
The noble Abraham said, “This is my Lord,” when he fell into the world (fell under the sway) of imagination.
ذکر کوکب را چنین تاویل گفت ** آن کسی که گوهر تاویل سفت
That person who bored the pearl of interpretation, interpreted the mention of the star thus—
عالم وهم و خیال چشم‌بند ** آنچنان که را ز جای خویش کند
(That) the world of imagination and blinding phantasy uprooted such a mountain (of wisdom) from its foundation,
تا که هذا ربی آمد قال او ** خربط و خر را چه باشد حال او
So that the words, “This is my Lord,” were uttered by him: what, (then), must be the case with a goose or an ass?
غرق گشته عقلهای چون جبال ** در بحار وهم و گرداب خیال
Understandings (strong) as mountains have been submerged in the seas of imagination and the whirlpools of phantasy.
کوهها را هست زین طوفان فضوح ** کو امانی جز که در کشتی نوح 2655
Mountains are put to shame by this Flood: where is any safety (to be found) but in the Ship (Ark) of Noah?
زین خیال ره‌زن راه یقین ** گشت هفتاد و دو ملت اهل دین
By this phantasy, which infests the road of Faith like a brigand, the followers of the (true) Religion have become (split into) two and seventy sects.
مرد ایقان رست از وهم و خیال ** موی ابرو را نمی‌گوید هلال
The man of sure faith is delivered from imagination and phantasy: he does not call a hair of the eyebrow the new moon,
وآنک نور عمرش نبود سند ** موی ابروی کژی راهش زند
While he that has not the (spiritual) light of ‘Umar as his support is waylaid (deceived) by a crooked hair of the eyebrow.
صد هزاران کشتی با هول و سهم ** تخته تخته گشته در دریای وهم
A hundred thousand awful and terrible ships have been shattered to pieces in the sea of imagination.
کمترین فرعون چست فیلسوف ** ماه او در برج وهمی در خسوف 2660
The least (of them is) the energetic and ingenious Pharaoh: his moon was eclipsed in the mansion of imagination.
کس نداند روسپی‌زن کیست آن ** وانک داند نیستش بر خود گمان
Nobody knows who is the cuckold, and he that knows has no doubt concerning himself.
چون ترا وهم تو دارد خیره‌سر ** از چه گردی گرد وهم آن دگر
Since thine own imagination keeps thee giddy-headed, wherefore shouldst thou revolve round the imagination of another?
عاجزم من از منی خویشتن ** چه نشستی پر منی تو پیش من
I am helpless against my own egoism: why hast thou, full of egoism, sat down beside me?
بی‌من و مایی همی‌جویم به جان ** تا شوم من گوی آن خوش صولجان
I am seeking with (all) my soul one who is free from egoism, that I may become the ball of that goodly bat.
هر که بی‌من شد همه من‌ها خود اوست ** دوست جمله شد چو خود را نیست دوست 2665
In sooth any one who has become without ego is all egos: when he is not loved by himself he becomes loved by (them) all.
آینه بی‌نقش شد یابد بها ** زانک شد حاکی جمله نقشها
(When) a mirror becomes devoid of images, it gains splendour because (then) it is the reporter (reflector) of all images.
حکایت شیخ محمد سررزی غزنوی قدس الله سره
Story of Shaykh Mohammed Sar-razí of Ghazna, may God sanctify his spirit!
زاهدی در غزنی از دانش مزی ** بد محمد نام و کفیت سررزی
In Ghazna there was an ascetic, abounding in knowledge (of divinity): his name was Mohammed and his title Sar-razí.
بود افطارش سر رز هر شبی ** هفت سال او دایم اندر مطلبی
Every night he would break his fast with vine-tendrils (sar-i raz): during seven years he was continually (engaged) in one quest.
بس عجایب دید از شاه وجود ** لیک مقصودش جمال شاه بود
He experienced many marvellous things from the King of existence, but his object was (to behold) the beauty of the King.
بر سر که رفت آن از خویش سیر ** گفت بنما یا فتادم من به زیر 2670
That man who was surfeited with himself went to the top of a mountain and said, “Appear, or I will fall (throw myself) to the bottom.”
گفت نامد مهلت آن مکرمت ** ور فرو افتی نمیری نکشمت
He (God) said, “The time for that favour is not (yet) come, and if thou fall down, thou wilt not die: I will not kill thee.”
او فرو افکند خود را از وداد ** در میان عمق آبی اوفتاد
He, from love (of God), threw himself down: he fell into the depths of a (piece of) water.
چون نمرد از نکس آن جان‌سیر مرد ** از فراق مرگ بر خود نوحه کرد
When he (found that he) was not dead, on account of the shock (of disappointment) that man who was sick of life made lament over himself for having been parted from death;