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چونک جعفر رفت سوی قلعهای ** قلعه پیش کام خشکش جرعهای
- When Ja‘far advanced against a certain fortress, the fortress (seemed) to his dry palate (to be no more than) a single gulp.
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یک سواره تاخت تا قلعه بکر ** تا در قلعه ببستند از حذر 3030
- Riding alone, he charged up to the fortress, so that they (the garrison) locked the fortress-gate in dread.
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زهره نه کس را که پیش آید به جنگ ** اهل کشتی را چه زهره با نهنگ
- No one dared to meet him in battle: what stomach have the ship's crew (to contend) with a leviathan?
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روی آورد آن ملک سوی وزیر ** که چه چارهست اندرین وقت ای مشیر
- The king turned to his vizier, saying, “What is to be done in this crisis, Counsellor?”
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گفت آنک ترک گویی کبر و فن ** پیش او آیی به شمشیر و کفن
- He replied, “(The only remedy is) that you should bid farewell to pride and cunning, and come to him with sword and shroud.”
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گفت آخر نه یکی مردیست فرد ** گفت منگر خوار در فردی مرد
- “Why,” said the king, “is not he a single man (and) alone?” He (the vizier) replied, “Do not look with contempt on the man's loneliness.
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چشم بگشا قلعه را بنگر نکو ** همچو سیمابست لرزان پیش او 3035
- Open your eye: look well at the fortress: it is trembling before him like quicksilver.
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شسته در زین آنچنان محکمپیست ** گوییا شرقی و غربی با ویست
- He sits (alone) on the saddle, (but) his nerve is just as unshaken as if an (army of the) East and West were accompanying him.
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چند کس همچون فدایی تاختند ** خویشتن را پیش او انداختند
- Several men rushed forward, like Fidá’ís (desperate assassins), and flung themselves into combat with him.
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هر یکی را او بگرزی میفکند ** سر نگوسار اندر اقدام سمند
- He felled each of them with a blow of his mace (so that they were hurled) headlong at the feet of his steed.
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داده بودش صنع حق جمعیتی ** که همیزد یک تنه بر امتی
- God's (creative) action had bestowed on him such a collectedness that he was attacking a (whole) people single-handed.
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چشم من چون دید روی آن قباد ** کثرت اعداد از چشمم فتاد 3040
- When mine eye beheld the face of that (spiritual) emperor, (all) plurality vanished from my sight.”
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اختران بسیار و خورشید ار یکیست ** پیش او بنیاد ایشان مندکیست
- The stars are many; though the sun is one, (yet) on his appearance their foundation is demolished.
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گر هزاران موش پیش آرند سر ** گربه را نه ترس باشد نه حذر
- If a thousand mice put forth their heads, the cat feels no fear or apprehension of danger.
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کی به پیش آیند موشان ای فلان ** نیست جمعیت درون جانشان
- How should mice advance (to the attack), O such-and-such? They have no collectedness in their souls.
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هست جمعیت به صورتها فشار ** جمع معنی خواه هین از کردگار
- The collectedness (that consists) in outward forms is a vain thing: hark, beg from the Creator collectedness of spirit.
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نیست جمعیت ز بسیاری جسم ** جسم را بر باد قایم دان چو اسم 3045
- Collectedness is not the result of bodily multitude: know that body, like name, is built on (empty) air.
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در دل موش ار بدی جمعیتی ** جمع گشتی چند موش از حمیتی
- If there were any collectedness in the heart of the mouse, a number of mice would be collected (united) by a feeling of indignation,
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بر زدندی چون فدایی حملهای ** خویش را بر گربهی بیمهلهای
- And, rushing up like assassins, they would throw themselves on a cat without (giving her) any respite.
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آن یکی چشمش بکندی از ضراب ** وان دگر گوشش دریدی هم به ناب
- One would tear out her eyes in conflict (with her), while another would rip her ears with its teeth,
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وان دگر سوراخ کردی پهلوش ** از جماعت گم شدی بیرون شوش
- And another make a hole in her side: there would be no way of escape for her from the united party.
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لیک جمعیت ندارد جان موش ** بجهد از جانش به بانگ گربه هوش 3050
- But the soul of the mouse has no collectedness: at the miaul of a cat (all) its wits fly out of its soul.
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خشک گردد موش زان گربهی عیار ** گر بود اعداد موشان صد هزار
- The mouse is paralysed by the wily cat, (even) if the numbers of the mice amount to a hundred thousand.
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از رمهی انبه چه غم قصاب را ** انبهی هش چه بندد خواب را
- What cares the butcher for the numerous flock (of sheep)? How can abundance of consciousness prevent (the approach of) slumber?
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مالک الملک است جمعیت دهد ** شیر را تا بر گلهی گوران جهد
- He (God) is the Lord of the kingdom: He gives collectedness to the lion, so that he springs on the herd of onagers.
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صد هزاران گور دهشاخ و دلیر ** چون عدم باشند پیش صول شیر
- A hundred thousand savage and courageous onagers are as naught before the onset of the lion.
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مالک الملک است بدهد ملک حسن ** یوسفی را تا بود چون ماء مزن 3055
- He is the Lord of the kingdom: He gives to a Joseph the kingdom of Beauty, so that he is (lovely) as the water of white clouds.
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در رخی بنهد شعاع اختری ** که شود شاهی غلام دختری
- He bestows upon one face the radiance of a star, so that a king becomes the slave of a girl.
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بنهد اندر روی دیگر نور خود ** که ببیند نیمشب هر نیک و بد
- He bestows upon another face His own Light, so that at midnight it sees everything good and evil.
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یوسف و موسی ز حق بردند نور ** در رخ و رخسار و در ذات الصدور
- Joseph and Moses fetched light from God into their cheeks and countenances and into their inmost bosoms.
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روی موسی بارقی انگیخته ** پیش رو او توبره آویخته
- The face of Moses shot forth a flashing beam: he hung a veil in front of his face.
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نور رویش آنچنان بردی بصر ** که زمرد از دو دیدهی مار کر 3060
- The splendour of his face would have dazzled (men's) eyes as the emerald (blinds) the eyes of the deaf adder.
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او ز حق در خواسته تا توبره ** گردد آن نور قوی را ساتره
- He besought God that the veil might become a covering for that powerful Light.
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توبره گفت از گلیمت ساز هین ** کان لباس عارفی آمد امین
- He (God) said, “Hark, make a veil of thy felt raiment, for the garment of gnosis can be trusted (to keep it safe),
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کان کسا از نور صبری یافتست ** نور جان در تار و پودش تافتست
- Because that robe has become inured to the Light: the Light of the Spirit shines through its warp and woof.
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جز چنین خرقه نخواهد شد صوان ** نور ما را بر نتابد غیر آن
- Nothing will be a (safe) repository (for it) except a mantle like this: nothing else can endure Our Light.
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کوه قاف ار پیش آید بهرسد ** همچو کوه طور نورش بر درد 3065
- If Mt Qáf should come forward as a barrier (to it), the Light would rend it asunder like Mt Sinai.”
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از کمال قدرت ابدان رجال ** یافت اندر نور بیچون احتمال
- Through the (Divine) omnipotence the bodies of (holy) men have gained ability to support the unconditioned Light.
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آنچ طورش بر نتابد ذرهای ** قدرتش جا سازد از قارورهای
- His (God's) power makes a glass vessel the dwelling-place of that (Light) of which Sinai cannot bear (even) a mote.
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گشت مشکات و زجاجی جای نور ** که همیدرد ز نور آن قاف و طور
- A lamp-niche and a lamp-glass have become the dwelling-place of the Light by which Mt Qáf and Mt Sinai are torn to pieces.
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جسمشان مشکات دان دلشان زجاج ** تافته بر عرش و افلاک این سراج
- Know that their (the holy men's) bodies are the lamp-niche and their hearts the glass: this lamp illumines the empyrean and the heavens.
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نورشان حیران این نور آمده ** چون ستاره زین ضحی فانی شده 3070
- Their (the heavens') light is dazzled by this Light and vanishes like the stars in this radiance of morning.
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زین حکایت کرد آن ختم رسل ** از ملیک لا یزال و لم یزل
- Hence the Seal of the prophets has related (the saying) of the everlasting and eternal Lord—
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که نگنجیدم در افلاک و خلا ** در عقول و در نفوس با علا
- “I am not contained in the heavens or in the void or in the exalted intelligences and souls;
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در دل مومن بگنجیدم چو ضیف ** بی ز چون و بی چگونه بی ز کیف
- (But) I am contained, as a guest, in the true believer's heart, without qualification or definition or description,
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در دل مومن بگنجیدم چو ضیف ** بی ز چون و بی چگونه بی ز کیف
- To the end that by the mediation of that heart (all) above and below may win from Me sovereignties and fortune.
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بیچنین آیینه از خوبی من ** برنتابد نه زمین و نه زمن 3075
- Without such a mirror neither Earth nor Time could bear the vision of My beauty.
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بر دو کون اسپ ترحم تاختیم ** پس عریض آیینهای بر ساختیم
- I caused the steed of (My) mercy to gallop over the two worlds: I fashioned a very spacious mirror.
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هر دمی زین آینه پنجاه عرس ** بشنو آیینه ولی شرحش مپرس
- From this mirror (appear) at every moment fifty (spiritual) wedding-feasts: hearken to the mirror, but do not ask (Me) to describe it.”
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حاصل این کزلبس خویشش پرده ساخت ** که نفوذ آن قمر را میشناخت
- The gist (of the discourse) is this, that he (Moses) made a veil of his raiment, since he knew the penetrativeness of (the light of) that Moon.