Look on this ship of (God's) creatures (and see how it is) sunk in Love: you would say that Love's throat has become a dragon (to swallow it)—
اژدهایی ناپدید دلربا ** عقل هم‌چون کوه را او کهربا
An invisible heart-ravishing dragon: it is a magnet to draw (towards itself) the reason that is (firm) like a mountain.
عقل هر عطار کاگه شد ازو ** طبله‌ها را ریخت اندر آب جو 625
Every druggist whose reason became acquainted with Him (Love) dropped the trays (containing drugs and perfumes) into the water of the river.
رو کزین جو برنیایی تا ابد ** لم یکن حقا له کفوا احد
Go, for you will not emerge from this river (of Love) unto everlasting: in truth there is none to be compared with Him.
ای مزور چشم بگشای و ببین ** چند گویی می‌ندانم آن و این
O false pretender, open your eye and see! How long will you say, “I know not that or this”?
از وبای زرق و محرومی بر آ ** در جهان حی و قیومی در آ
Ascend from the plague of hypocrisy and deprivation: enter the world of Life and Self-subsistence,
تا نمی‌بینم همی‌بینم شود ** وین ندانمهات می‌دانم بود
So that “I see not” may become “I see” and these “I know not's” of yours may be (turned into) “I know.”
بگذر از مستی و مستی‌بخش باش ** زین تلون نقل کن در استواش 630
Pass beyond intoxication and be one who bestows intoxication (on others): move away from this mutability into His permanence.
چند نازی تو بدین مستی بس است ** بر سر هر کوی چندان مست هست
How long will you take pride in this intoxication? ’Tis enough: there are so many intoxicated (like you) at the top of every street.
گر دو عالم پر شود سرمست یار ** جمله یک باشند و آن یک نیست خوار
If the two worlds were filled with those whom the Friend has intoxicated, they all would be one (spirit), and that one is not despicable.
این ز بسیاری نیابد خواریی ** خوار کی بود تن‌پرستی ناریی
This (spirit) is nowise rendered despicable by (the appearance of) multitude. Who is despicable? A body-server (sensualist) of fiery nature.
گر جهان پر شد ز نور آفتاب ** کی بود خوار آن تف خوش‌التهاب
Though the world is filled with the sun's light, how should that splendour of beauteous flame be despicable?
لیک با این جمله بالاتر خرام ** چونک ارض الله واسع بود و رام 635
But, notwithstanding all this, mount higher, since God's earth is spacious and delightful.
گرچه این مستی چو باز اشهبست ** برتر از وی در زمین قدس هست
Although this intoxication is (excellent) like the white falcon, (yet) in the earth of (Divine) Transcendence there is (something) superior to it.
رو سرافیلی شو اندر امتیاز ** در دمنده‌ی روح و مست و مست‌ساز
Go, become an Isráfíl (Seraphiel) in (your) distinction (pre-eminence)— (become) an inspirer of spirituality and intoxicated and an intoxicator (of others).
مست را چون دل مزاح اندیشه شد ** این ندانم و آن ندانم پیشه شد
Since the intoxicated man's heart is occupied with thoughts of merriment, it has become his practice (to say repeatedly) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that.”
این ندانم وان ندانم بهر چیست ** تا بگویی آنک می‌دانیم کیست
What is the purpose of (saying) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that”? (It is) in order that you may say who He is whom we know.
نفی بهر ثبت باشد در سخن ** نفی بگذار و ز ثبت آغاز کن 640
In discourse negation is (employed) for the purpose of affirmation: cease from negating and begin to affirm.
نیست این و نیست آن هین واگذار ** آنک آن هستست آن را پیش آر
Come, leave off (saying) “this is not” and “that is not”: bring forward that One who is Real Being.
نفی بگذار و همان هستی پرست ** این در آموز ای پدر زان ترک مست
Leave negation and worship only that Real Being: learn this, O father, from (the story of) the drunken Turk.
استدعاء امیر ترک مخمور مطرب را بوقت صبوح و تفسیر این حدیث کی ان لله تعالی شرابا اعده لاولیائه اذا شربوا سکروا و اذا سکروا طابوا الی آخر الحدیث می در خم اسرار بدان می‌جوشد تا هر که مجردست از آن می نوشد قال الله تعالی ان الابرار یشربون این می که تو می‌خوری حرامست ما می نخوریم جز حلالی «جهد کن تا ز نیست هست شوی وز شراب خدای مست شوی»
How a drunken Turkish Amír summoned a minstrel at the hour of the morning-drink; and a commentary on the Tradition, “Verily, God most High hath a wine that He prepared for His friends: when they drink it they become intoxicated, and when they become intoxicated they are purified,” to the end of the Tradition. “The wine is bubbling in the jars of the mysteries in order that any one who is denuded (of self-existence) may drink of that wine.” God most High hath said, “Lo, the righteous shall drink.” “This wine that thou drinkest is forbidden; we drink none but a lawful wine.” “Endeavour through non-existence (of self) to become (really) existent and to be intoxicated with God's wine.”
اعجمی ترکی سحر آگاه شد ** وز خمار خمر مطرب‌خواه شد
A barbarian Turk came to his senses at dawn and, (suffering) from crop-sickness caused by wine, desired the minstrel (to divert him).
مطرب جان مونس مستان بود ** نقل و قوت و قوت مست آن بود
The spiritual minstrel is the bosom-friend of those intoxicated (with God): he is the dessert and food and strength of the drunken.
مطرب ایشان را سوی مستی کشید ** باز مستی از دم مطرب چشید 645
The minstrel led them on to intoxication; then again, he (the intoxicated one) quaffed intoxication from the song of the minstrel.
آن شراب حق بدان مطرب برد ** وین شراب تن ازین مطرب چرد
That one (the mystic) fetches God's wine (to drink) because of that (spiritual) minstrel, while this one (the sensualist) imbibes the bodily wine from this (sensual) minstrel.
هر دو گر یک نام دارد در سخن ** لیک شتان این حسن تا آن حسن
Though both (minstrels) have one name in discourse, yet there is a vast difference between this Hasan and that Hasan.
اشتباهی هست لفظی در بیان ** لیک خود کو آسمان تا ریسمان
There is a verbal resemblance in enunciation, but what (real) relation has heaven (ásmán) to a rope (rísmán)?
اشتراک لفظ دایم ره‌زنست ** اشتراک گبر و مؤمن در تنست
The participation of a word (in several meanings) is always obstructive (to the understanding): the participation of the infidel with the true believer is in the body (alone).
جسمها چون کوزه‌های بسته‌سر ** تا که در هر کوزه چه بود آن نگر 650
Bodies are like pots with the lids on: look and see what is in each pot.
کوزه‌ی آن تن پر از آب حیات ** کوزه‌ی این تن پر از زهر ممات
The pot of that body is filled with the Water of Life; the pot of this body is filled with the poison of death.
گر به مظروفش نظر داری شهی ** ور به ظرفش بنگری تو گم‌رهی
If you keep your eye fixed on its contents, you are a (spiritual) king; but if you regard its vessel, you are misguided.
لفظ را ماننده‌ی این جسم دان ** معنیش را در درون مانند جان
Know that words resemble this body and that their inward meaning resembles the soul.
دیده‌ی تن دایما تن‌بین بود ** دیده‌ی جان جان پر فن بین بود
The bodily eye is always seeing the body; the spiritual eye sees the artful (elusive) soul.
پس ز نقش لفظهای مثنوی ** صورتی ضالست و هادی معنوی 655
Therefore the man of appearance is misled by the form of the expressions used in the Mathnawí, while they guide the man of reality (to the Truth).
در نبی فرمود کین قرآن ز دل ** هادی بعضی و بعضی را مضل
He (God) hath said in the Qur’án, “This Qur’án with all its heart leads some aright and others astray.”
الله الله چونک عارف گفت می ** پیش عارف کی بود معدوم شی
God, God! When the gnostic speaks of “wine,” how in the gnostic's eyes should the (materially) non-existent be a (material) thing?
فهم تو چون باده‌ی شیطان بود ** کی ترا وهم می رحمان بود
Since your understanding is (only of) the Devil's wine, how should you have any conception of the wine of the Merciful (God)?
این دو انبازند مطرب با شراب ** این بدان و آن بدین آرد شتاب
These twain—the minstrel and the wine—are partners: this one quickly leads to that, and that one to this.
پر خماران از دم مطرب چرند ** مطربانشان سوی میخانه برند 660
They that are full of crop-sickness feed on the song of the minstrel: the minstrels bring them to the tavern.
آن سر میدان و این پایان اوست ** دل شده چون گوی در چوگان اوست
That one (the minstrel) is the beginning of the (lover's) course, and this (tavern) is the end thereof: the witless (lover) is like a ball in (the sway of) his polo-bat.