What care I though ruin be (wrought)? Under the ruin there is a royal treasure.
من چه غم دارم که ویرانی بود ** زیر ویران گنج سلطانی بود
He that is drowned in God wishes to be more drowned, (while) his spirit (is tossed) up and down like the waves of the sea,1745
غرق حق خواهد که باشد غرقتر ** همچو موج بحر جان زیر و زبر
(Asking), “Is the bottom of the sea more delightful, or the top? Is His (the Beloved's) arrow more fascinating, or the shield?”
زیر دریا خوشتر آید یا زبر ** تیر او دل کش تر آید یا سپر
O heart, thou art torn asunder by evil suggestion if thou recognise any difference between joy and woe.
پاره کردهی وسوسه باشی دلا ** گر طرب را باز دانی از بلا
Although the object of thy desire has the taste of sugar, is not absence of any object of desire (in thee) the object of the Beloved's desire?
گر مرادت را مذاق شکر است ** بیمرادی نه مراد دل بر است
Every star of His is the blood-price of a hundred new moons: it is lawful for Him to shed the blood of the (whole) world.
هر ستارهش خونبهای صد هلال ** خون عالم ریختن او را حلال
We gained the price and the blood-price: we hastened to gamble our soul away.1750
ما بها و خونبها را یافتیم ** جانب جان باختن بشتافتیم
Oh, the life of lovers consists in death: thou wilt not win the (Beloved's) heart except in losing thine own.
ای حیات عاشقان در مردگی ** دل نیابی جز که در دل بردگی
I sought (to win) His heart with a hundred airs and graces, (but) He made excuses to me (put me off) in disdain.
من دلش جسته به صد ناز و دلال ** او بهانه کرده با من از ملال
I said, “After all, this mind and soul (of mine) are drowned in Thee.” “Begone,” said He, “begone! Do not chant these spells over Me (do not seek thus to beguile Me).
گفتم آخر غرق تست این عقل و جان ** گفت رو رو بر من این افسون مخوان
Do not I know what thought thou hast conceived? O thou who hast seen double, how hast thou regarded the Beloved?
من ندانم آن چه اندیشیدهای ** ای دو دیده دوست را چون دیدهای
O gross-spirited one, thou hast held Him in light esteem, because thou hast bought Him very cheaply.1755
ای گران جان خوار دیده ستی و را ** ز آن که بس ارزان خریده ستی و را
He that buys cheaply gives cheaply: a child will give a pearl for a loaf of bread.”
هر که او ارزان خرد ارزان دهد ** گوهری طفلی به قرصی نان دهد
I am drowned in a love (so deep) that therein are drowned the first loves and the last.
غرق عشقیام که غرق است اندر این ** عشقهای اولین و آخرین
I have told it summarily, I have not explained it (at length), otherwise both (my power of) causng (thee) to understand and (my) tongue (itself) would be consumed.
مجملش گفتم نکردم ز آن بیان ** ور نه هم افهام سوزد هم زبان
When I speak of “lip,” ’tis the lip (shore) of the Sea; when I say “not,” the intended meaning is “except.”
من چو لب گویم لب دریا بود ** من چو لا گویم مراد الا بود
By reason of (inward) sweetness I sit with sour face: from fullness of speech I am silent,1760
من ز شیرینی نشستم رو ترش ** من ز بسیاری گفتارم خمش
That in the mask of sour-facedness my sweetness may be kept hidden from the two worlds.
تا که شیرینی ما از دو جهان ** در حجاب رو ترش باشد نهان
In order that this subject may not come to every ear, I am telling (only) one out of a hundred esoteric mysteries.
تا که در هر گوش ناید این سخن ** یک همیگویم ز صد سر لدن
Commentary on the saying of the Hakím (Saná’í): “Any thing that causes thee to be left behind on the Way, what matter whether it be infidelity or faith? Any form that causes thee to fall far from the Beloved, what matter whether it be ugly or beautiful?”—and (a discourse) on the meaning of the words of the Prophet, on whom be peace: “Verily, Sa‘d is jealous, and I am more jealous than Sa‘d, and Allah is more jealous than I; and because of His jealousy He hath forbidden foul actions both outward and inward.
تفسیر قول حکیم: به هرچ از راه وامانی چه کفر آن حرف و چه ایمان به هرچ از دوست دور افتی چه زشت آن نقش و چه زیبا در معنی قوله علیه السلام إن سعدا لغیو ر و أنا أغیر من سعد و الله أغیر منی و من غیرته حرم الفواحش ما ظهر منها و ما بطن
The whole world became jealous because God is superior to all the world in jealousy.
جمله عالم ز آن غیور آمد که حق ** برد در غیرت بر این عالم سبق
He is like the spirit, and the world is like the body: the body receives from the spirit (both) good and evil.
او چو جان است و جهان چون کالبد ** کالبد از جان پذیرد نیک و بد
Any one whose prayer-niche is turned to the (mystical) revelation, do thou regard his going (back) to (the traditional) faith as shameful.1765
هر که محراب نمازش گشت عین ** سوی ایمان رفتنش میدان تو شین
Any one who has become Master of the robes to the King, it is loss for him to traffic on the King's behalf.
هر که شد مر شاه را او جامهدار ** هست خسران بهر شاهش اتجار
Any one who becomes the intimate friend of the Sultan, it is an injury and swindle (for him) to sit at his door.
هر که با سلطان شود او همنشین ** بر درش بودن بود حیف و غبین
When (the privilege of) kissing the (King's) hand has been bestowed on him by the King, it is a sin if he prefers to kiss the (King's) foot.
دستبوسش چون رسید از پادشاه ** گر گزیند بوس پا باشد گناه