جای سوز اندر مکان کی در رود ** نور نامحدود را حد کی بود
How should that which burns (transcends) place (spatial relations) enter into space? How should there be a limit for the illimitable light?
لیک تمثیلی و تصویری کنند ** تا که در یابد ضعیفی عشقمند
But they (the mystics) use a comparison and illustration, in order that a loving feeble-minded man may apprehend (the truth).
مثل نبود لیک باشد آن مثال ** تا کند عقل مجمد را گسیل
’Tis not a simile, but ’tis a parable for the purpose of releasing (melting) the frozen intellect.
عقل سر تیزست لیکن پای سست ** زانک دل ویران شدست و تن درست
The intellect is strong in the head but weak in the legs, because it is sick of heart (spiritually decayed) though sound of body (materially flourishing).
عقلشان در نقل دنیا پیچ پیچ ** فکرشان در ترک شهوت هیچ هیچ 120
Their (the unspiritual men's) intellect is deeply involved in the dessert (pleasures) of this world: never, never do they think of abandoning sensuality.
صدرشان در وقت دعوی هم‌چو شرق ** صبرشان در وقت تقوی هم‌چو برق
In the hour of pretension their breasts are (glowing) like the orient sun, (but) in the hour of pious devotion their endurance is (brief) as the lightning.
عالمی اندر هنرها خودنما ** هم‌چو عالم بی‌وفا وقت وفا
A learned man who shows self-conceit in (displaying) his talents is faithless as the world at the time for keeping faith.
وقت خودبینی نگنجد در جهان ** در گلو و معده گم گشته چو نان
At the time when he regards himself (with pride) he is not contained in the world: he has become lost in the gullet and belly, like bread.
این همه اوصافشان نیکو شود ** بد نماند چونک نیکوجو شود
(Yet) all these (evil) qualities of theirs may become good: evil does not remain when it turns to seeking good.
گر منی گنده بود هم‌چون منی ** چون به جان پیوست یابد روشنی 125
If egoism is foul-smelling like semen, (yet) when it attains unto the spirit (spirituality) it gains light.
هر جمادی که کند رو در نبات ** از درخت بخت او روید حیات
Every mineral that sets its face towards (aspires to evolve into) the plant (the vegetative state)—life grows from the tree of its fortune.
هر نباتی کان به جان رو آورد ** خضروار از چشمه‌ی حیوان خورد
Every plant that turns its face towards the (animal) spirit drinks, like Khizr, from the Fountain of Life.
باز جان چون رو سوی جانان نهد ** رخت را در عمر بی‌پایان نهد
Once more, when the (animal) spirit sets its face towards the (Divine) Beloved, it lays down its baggage (and passes) into the life without end.
سال سایل از مرغی کی بر سر ربض شهری نشسته باشد سر او فاضل‌ترست و عزیزتر و شریف‌تر و مکرم‌تر یا دم او و جواب دادن واعظ سایل را به قدر فهم او
How an inquirer asked (a preacher) about a bird that was supposed to have settled on the wall of a city—“Is its head more excellent and estimable and noble and honourable or its tail?”—and how the preacher gave him a reply suited to the measure of his understanding.
واعظی را گفت روزی سایلی ** کای تو منبر را سنی‌تر قایلی
One day an inquirer said to a preacher, “O thou who art the pulpit's most eminent expounder,
یک سالستم بگو ای ذو لباب ** اندرین مجلس سالم را جواب 130
I have a question to ask. Answer my question in this assembly-place, O possessor of the marrow (of wisdom).
بر سر بارو یکی مرغی نشست ** از سر و از دم کدامینش بهست
A bird has settled on the city-wall: which is better—its head or its tail?”
گفت اگر رویش به شهر و دم به ده ** روی او از دم او میدان که به
He replied, “If its face is to the town and its tail to the country, know that its face is better than its tail;
ور سوی شهرست دم رویش به ده ** خاک آن دم باش و از رویش بجه
But if its tail is towards the town and its face to the country, be the dust on that tail and spring away from its face.”
مرغ با پر می‌پرد تا آشیان ** پر مردم همتست ای مردمان
A bird flies to its nest by means of wings: the wings of Man are aspiration, O people.
عاشقی که آلوده شد در خیر و شر ** خیر و شر منگر تو در همت نگر 135
(In the case of) the lover who is soiled with good and evil, do not regard the good and evil; (only) regard the aspiration.
باز اگر باشد سپید و بی‌نظیر ** چونک صیدش موش باشد شد حقیر
If a falcon be white and beyond compare, (yet) it becomes despicable when it hunts a mouse;
ور بود چغدی و میل او به شاه ** او سر بازست منگر در کلاه
And if there be an owl that has desire for the king, it is (noble as) the falcon's head: do not regard the hood.
آدمی بر قد یک طشت خمیر ** بر فزود از آسمان و از اثیر
Man, no bigger than a kneading-trough (scooped in a log), has surpassed (in glory) the heavens and the aether (the empyrean).
هیچ کرمنا شنید این آسمان ** که شنید این آدمی پر غمان
Did this heaven ever hear (the words) We have honoured which this sorrowful Man heard (from God)?
بر زمین و چرخ عرضه کرد کس ** خوبی و عقل و عبارات و هوس 140
Did any one offer to earth and sky (his) beauty and reason and eloquence and fond affection?
جلوه کردی هیچ تو بر آسمان ** خوبی روی و اصابت در گمان
Didst thou ever display to heaven thy beauty of countenance and thy sureness of judgement in (matters of) opinion?
پیش صورتهای حمام ای ولد ** عرضه کردی هیچ سیم‌اندام خود
Didst thou ever, O son, offer thy silvery limbs to the pictured forms in the bath-house?
(No); thou leavest those houri-like figures and displayest thyself to a half-blind old woman.
در عجوزه چیست که ایشان را نبود ** که ترا زان نقشها با خود ربود
What is there in the old woman that was not in them, so that she rapt thee away from those figures (and attracted thee) to herself?
تو نگویی من بگویم در بیان ** عقل و حس و درک و تدبیرست و جان 145
(If) thou wilt not say (what it is), I will tell (thee) plainly: ’tis reason and sense and perception and consideration and soul.
در عجوزه جان آمیزش‌کنیست ** صورت گرمابه‌ها را روح نیست
In the old woman there is a soul that mingles (with the body): the pictured forms in the hot-baths have no (rational) spirit.
صورت گرمابه گر جنبش کند ** در زمان او از عجوزه بر کند
If the pictured form in the hot-bath should move, it would at once separate thee from the old woman.
جان چه باشد با خبر از خیر و شر ** شاد با احسان و گریان از ضرر
What is soul? (Soul is) conscious of good and evil, rejoicing on account of kindness, weeping on account of injury.
چون سر و ماهیت جان مخبرست ** هر که او آگاه‌تر با جان‌ترست
Since consciousness is the inmost nature and essence of the soul, the more aware one is the more spiritual is he.
روح را تاثیر آگاهی بود ** هر که را این بیش اللهی بود 150
Awareness is the effect of the spirit: any one who has this in excess is a man of God.
چون خبرها هست بیرون زین نهاد ** باشد این جانها در آن میدان جماد
Since there are consciousnesses beyond this (bodily) nature, in that (spiritual) arena these (sensual) souls are (like) inanimate matter.
جان اول مظهر درگاه شد ** جان جان خود مظهر الله شد
The first soul is the theatre of the (Divine) court; the Soul of the soul is verily the theatre of God (Himself).
آن ملایک جمله عقل و جان بدند ** جان نو آمد که جسم آن بدند
The angels were entirely reason and spirit (till) there came a new Spirit of which they were the body.
از سعادت چون بر آن جان بر زدند ** هم‌چو تن آن روح را خادم شدند
When, by happy fortune, they attached themselves to that Spirit, they became subservient to that Spirit, as the body (is subservient to the spirit dwelling in it).
آن بلیس از جان از آن سر برده بود ** یک نشد با جان که عضو مرده بود 155
Hence Iblís (Satan) had turned his head away from the Spirit: he did not become one with it because he was a dead limb.
چون نبودش آن فدای آن نشد ** دست بشکسته مطیع جان نشد
Since he had it not, he did not become devoted to it: the broken hand does not obey the spirit (which rules the body).
جان نشد ناقص گر آن عضوش شکست ** کان بدست اوست تواند کرد هست
(But) the Spirit is not impaired though its limb is broken, for that (limb) is in its power, and it can bring it to life.
سر دیگر هست کو گوش دگر ** طوطیی کو مستعد آن شکر
There is another mystery (to be told), (but) where is another ear? Where is a parrot capable of (eating) that sugar?
طوطیان خاص را قندیست ژرف ** طوطیان عام از آن خور بسته طرف
For the elect parrots there is a profound (occult) candy: to that food the eyes of the vulgar parrots are closed.
کی چشد درویش صورت زان زکات ** معنیست آن نه فعولن فاعلات 160
How should one who has (only) the appearance of a dervish taste of that purity? It is spiritual reality, not (mere) fa‘úlun fá‘ilát (amphibrachs and cretics).
از خر عیسی دریغش نیست قند ** لیک خر آمد به خلقت که پسند
Candy is not withheld from the ass of Jesus by him (Jesus), but the ass is naturally pleased with straw.
قند خر را گر طرب انگیختی ** پیش خر قنطار شکر ریختی
If candy had roused delight in the ass, he would have poured hundredweights of sugar in front of the ass.
معنی نختم علی افواههم ** این شناس اینست ره‌رو را مهم
Know that this is the (inner) meaning of We seal their mouths: this (knowledge) is important for the traveller on the Way,
تا ز راه خاتم پیغامبران ** بوک بر خیزد ز لب ختم گران
That perchance, by (his following) the Way of the Seal of the prophets, the heavy seal may be lifted from his lips.
ختمهایی که انبیا بگذاشتند ** آن بدین احمدی برداشتند 165
The seals which the (former) prophets left were removed by the religion of Ahmad (Mohammed).