چون نه‌ای رنجور سر را بر مبند ** اختیارت هست بر سبلت مخند
Since you are not ill, don't bandage your head: you have freewill, don't laugh at your moustache.
جهد کن کز جام حق یابی نوی ** بی‌خود و بی‌اختیار آنگه شوی 3105
Endeavour to gain freshness (spiritual grace) from God's cup (of love): then you will become selfless and volitionless.
آنگه آن می را بود کل اختیار ** تو شوی معذور مطلق مست‌وار
Then all volition will belong to that Wine, and you will be absolutely excusable, like a drunken man.
هرچه گویی گفته‌ی می باشد آن ** هر چه روبی رفته‌ی می باشد آن
Whatsoever you beat will (then) be beaten by the Wine; whatsoever you sweep away will (then) be swept away by the Wine.
کی کند آن مست جز عدل و صواب ** که ز جام حق کشیدست او شراب
The drunken man who has quaffed wine from God's cup— how should he do aught but justice and right?
جادوان فرعون را گفتند بیست ** مست را پروای دست و پای نیست
The magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘Stop! He that is drunken hath no care for his hands and feet.
دست و پای ما می آن واحدست ** دست ظاهر سایه است و کاسدست 3110
The wine of the One (God) is our (real) hands and feet; the apparent hand is (but) a shadow and worthless.’
معنی ما شاء الله کان یعنی خواست خواست او و رضا رضای او جویید از خشم دیگران و رد دیگران دلتنگ مباشید آن کان اگر چه لفظ ماضیست لیکن در فعل خدا ماضی و مستقبل نباشد کی لیس عند الله صباح و لا مساء
The meaning of ‘whatever God willed came to be,’ i.e. ‘the will is His will and pleasure. Seek His pleasure, be not distressed by the anger of others and the disapproval of others.’ Although the word ‘kána’ (came to be) denotes the past, yet there is no past or future in the action of God, for with God there is neither morn nor eve.
قول بنده ایش شاء الله کان ** بهر آن نبود که تنبل کن در آن
The saying of (God's) servant, ‘whatever God wills comes to pass’ does not signify ‘be lazy (inactive) in that (matter)’;
بلک تحریضست بر اخلاص و جد ** که در آن خدمت فزون شو مستعد
Nay, it is an incitement to entire self-devotion and exertion, meaning, ‘Make yourself exceedingly ready to perform that service.’
گر بگویند آنچ می‌خواهی تو راد ** کار کار تست برحسب مراد
If you are told, O sage, that what you wish (will come to pass, and that) you have full power to act according to your desire,
آنگهان تنبل کنی جایز بود ** کانچ خواهی و آنچ گویی آن شود
Then, if you are neglectful (in serving God), ’tis permissible; for what you wish and say will come to pass.
چون بگویند ایش شاء الله کان ** حکم حکم اوست مطلق جاودان 3115
When (on the contrary) you are told that whatever God wills shall come to pass, and that to Him belongs the authority absolute and everlasting,
پس چرا صد مرده اندر ورد او ** بر نگردی بندگانه گرد او
Why, then, should not you move round Him like a slave, with the will of a hundred men to perform the devotions due to Him?
گر بگویند آنچ می‌خواهد وزیر ** خواست آن اوست اندر دار و گیر
If you are told that what the vizier wishes (is law and that) his will is paramount in the exercise of authority,
گرد او گردان شوی صد مرده زود ** تا بریزد بر سرت احسان و جود
Will you at once move round (pay court to) him with the zeal of a hundred men, that he may pour kindness and munificence on your head,
یا گریزی از وزیر و قصر او ** این نباشد جست و جوی نصر او
Or will you flee from the vizier and his palace? This (flight) is not the way to seek his help.
بازگونه زین سخن کاهل شدی ** منعکس ادراک و خاطر آمدی 3120
You, inversely, have been made remiss by this saying: you have been turned upside down in your apprehension and thought.
امر امر آن فلان خواجه‌ست هین ** چیست یعنی با جز او کمتر نشین
(Suppose you are told that) the command (supreme power) is vested in such and such a lord. Hark, what does this mean? It means, ‘Do not sit (consort) with any one except him.
گرد خواجه گرد چون امر آن اوست ** کو کشد دشمن رهاند جان دوست
Move round (pay constant homage to) the lord, since the (power to) command belongs to him; for he slays his enemy and saves the life of his friend.
هرچه او خواهد همان یابی یقین ** یاوه کم رو خدمت او برگزین
Whatsoever he wills, that same thing you will certainly obtain: do not go astray, prefer his service (to all else).’
نی چو حاکم اوست گرد او مگرد ** تا شوی نامه سیاه و روی زود
(It does) not (mean), ‘Since he is possessed of (supreme) authority, do not move round him (do not frequent his court), so that you may fall into his black books and be disgraced.’
حق بود تاویل که آن گرمت کند ** پر امید و چست و با شرمت کند 3125
The interpretation that makes you ardent and hopeful and active and reverent is the true one;
ور کند سستت حقیقت این بدان ** هست تبدیل و نه تاویلست آن
And if it make you slack (in service), know the real truth to be this, that it is an alteration (of the right sense of the saying), not an interpretation.
این برای گرم کردن آمدست ** تا بگیرد ناامیدان را دو دست
This (saying) has come (down) in order to make (men) ardent (in serving God), that He may take the hands of those who have lost hope (and deliver them).
معنی قرآن ز قرآن پرس و بس ** وز کسی که آتش زدست اندر هوس
Ask the meaning of the Qur’án from the Qur’án alone, and from that one who has set fire to (and extinguished) his idle fancy,
پیش قرآن گشت قربانی و پست ** تا که عین روح او قرآن شدست
And has become a sacrifice to the Qur’án and is (laid) low (in self-abasement), so that the Qur’án has become the essence of his spirit.
روغنی کو شد فدای گل به کل ** خواه روغن بوی کن خواهی تو گل 3130
The oil that has wholly devoted itself to the rose—smell either the oil or the rose as you please.
و هم‌چنین قد جف القلم یعنی جف القلم و کتب لا یستوی الطاعة والمعصیة لا یستوی الامانة و السرقة جف القلم ان لا یستوی الشکر و الکفران جف القلم ان الله لا یضیع اجر المحسنین
And similarly (the Tradition), ‘the Pen has dried’ means that the Pen has dried after writing (the words), ‘Obedience and disobedience (to God) are not on the same level, honesty and stealing are not on the same level.’ The Pen has dried (after writing) that thanksgiving and ingratitude are not on the same level. The Pen has dried (after writing) that God does not let the reward of the righteous be lost.
هم‌چنین تاویل قد جف القلم ** بهر تحریضست بر شغل اهم
Likewise the (true) interpretation of ‘the Pen has dried’ (is that) it (this Tradition) is for the purpose of inciting to the most important work (of all).
پس قلم بنوشت که هر کار را ** لایق آن هست تاثیر و جزا
Therefore the Pen wrote that every action has the effect and consequence appropriate to it.
کژ روی جف القلم کژ آیدت ** راستی آری سعادت زایدت
The Pen has dried (after writing) that if you do wrong (in this world) you will suffer wrong (in the next), and that if you act rightly (here) the result will be your felicity (there).
(If) you behave unjustly, you are damned: the Pen has dried (on that). If you show justice, you eat the fruit (of blessedness): the Pen has dried (on that).
چون بدزدد دست شد جف القلم ** خورد باده مست شد جف القلم 3135
When he (any one) steals, his hand goes: the Pen has dried (on that). (When) he drinks wine, he becomes intoxicated: the Pen has dried (on that).
تو روا داری روا باشد که حق ** هم‌چو معزول آید از حکم سبق
Do you deem it allowable, can it be allowable, that on account of the (eternally) prior decree God should come, like a person dismissed from office,
که ز دست من برون رفتست کار ** پیش من چندین میا چندین مزار
Saying, ‘The affair has gone out of My hands: do not approach Me so often, do not entreat (Me) so much’?
بلک معنی آن بود جف القلم ** نیست یکسان پیش من عدل و ستم
Nay, the meaning is: ‘the Pen has dried (on this that) justice and injustice are not equal in My sight.
فرق بنهادم میان خیر و شر ** فرق بنهادم ز بد هم از بتر
I have laid down a distinction between good and evil; I have also laid down a distinction between the bad and the worse.’
ذره‌ای گر در تو افزونی ادب ** باشد از یارت بداند فضل رب 3140
If there be in you a single mote of self-discipline in excess of (that of) your companion, the grace of God will know,
قدر آن ذره ترا افزون دهد ** ذره چون کوهی قدم بیرون نهد
And will bestow on you that mote's amount of superiority: the mote will step forth as (big as) a mountain (to meet you).
پادشاهی که به پیش تخت او ** فرق نبود از امین و ظلم‌جو
A king before whose throne there is no distinction between the faithful (friend) and the seeker of iniquity—
آنک می‌لرزد ز بیم رد او ** وانک طعنه می‌زند در جد او
Between him who trembles in fear of his (the king's) disapproval and him who intrigues against his fortune (empire)—
فرق نبود هر دو یک باشد برش ** شاه نبود خاک تیره بر سرش
(So that) there is no difference, but both of them are one to him: he is not a king, may dark earth be on his head!
ذره‌ای گر جهد تو افزون بود ** در ترازوی خدا موزون بود 3145
If your (devotional) labour exceed (that of another) by a single mote, it (that mote) will be weighed in God's balance.
پیش این شاهان هماره جان کنی ** بی‌خبر ایشان ز غدر و روشنی
You continually work yourself to death in the service of these (worldly) kings, (yet) they are ignorant of (the difference between) treachery and honesty.
گفت غمازی که بد گوید ترا ** ضایع آرد خدمتت را سالها
The words of a tale-bearer who speaks ill of you will cause your service (rendered) during (many) years to be wasted;
پیش شاهی که سمیعست و بصیر ** گفت غمازان نباشد جای‌گیر
(But) the words of tale-bearers do not take their abode in the presence of the King who is hearing and seeing.
جمله غمازان ازو آیس شوند ** سوی ما آیند و افزایند پند
All the tale-bearers are reduced to despair by Him: they come to us and increase (our) bondage.
بس جفا گویند شه را پیش ما ** که برو جف القلم کم کن وفا 3150
They speak much abuse of the King before us, saying, ‘Go! The Pen has dried (after writing your destiny). (Therefore) do not keep faith (with Him).’
معنی جف القلم کی آن بود ** که جفاها با وفا یکسان بود
How should the meaning of ‘the Pen has dried’ be (this), that acts of perfidy and acts of faithfulness are alike?
بل جفا را هم جفا جف القلم ** وآن وفا را هم وفا جف القلم
Nay, perfidy (in return) for acts of perfidy: the Pen has dried (on that); and faithfulness (in return) for those acts of faithfulness: the Pen has dried (on that).
عفو باشد لیک کو فر امید ** که بود بنده ز تقوی روسپید
(True), there may be pardon (for the sinner), but where (for him) is the glorious hope that through piety the servant of God may be (spiritually) illumined?