If Thou art upbraiding Thy slaves, that is suitable to Thee, O Thou whose every wish is fulfilled.
گر تو طعنه میزنی بر بندگان ** مر ترا آن میرسد ای کامران
And if Thou utter abuse of the moon and sun, and if Thou say that the (straight) stature of the cypress is (bent) double,
ور تو ماه و مهر را گویی جفا ** ور تو قد سرو را گویی دوتا
And if Thou call the sky and the empyrean contemptible, and if Thou say that the mine and the sea are poor—3910
ور تو چرخ و عرش را خوانی حقیر ** ور تو کان و بحر را گویی فقیر
That is proper in reference to Thy perfection: Thine is the power of perfecting (all) mortalities,
آن به نسبت با کمال تو رواست ** ملک اکمال فناها مر تراست
For Thou art holy (and free) from danger and from non-existence: Thou art He that brings the non-existent ones into being and endows (them with existence).
که تو پاکی از خطر و ز نیستی ** نیستان را موجد و معنیستی
He that made to grow can burn (destroy), because when He has torn, He can sew (mend).
آن که رویانید داند سوختن ** ز آن که چون بدرید داند دوختن
Every autumn He burns (withers) the garden; (then) He makes to grow again the rose that dyes (the garden),
میبسوزد هر خزان مر باغ را ** باز رویاند گل صباغ را
Saying, “O thou who wert withered, come forth, be fresh, once more be fair and of fair renown!”3915
کای بسوزیده برون آ تازه شو ** بار دیگر خوب و خوب آوازه شو
The eye of the narcissus became blind: He restored it; the throat of the reed was cut: He himself fostered it again (and revived it).
چشم نرگس کور شد بازش بساخت ** حلق نی ببرید و بازش خود نواخت
Since we are made (by God) and are not makers, we are not (entitled to be anything) but humble and content.
ما چو مصنوعیم و صانع نیستیم ** جز زبون و جز که قانع نیستیم
We all are of the flesh and busy with fleshliness: if Thou call us not (to Thyself), we all are Ahrimans (Devils).
ما همه نفسی و نفسی میزنیم ** گر نخوانی ما همه اهرمنیم
(If) we have been delivered from Ahriman, (it is only) because Thou hast redeemed our souls from blindness.
ز آن ز اهرمن رهیدستیم ما ** که خریدی جان ما را از عمی
Thou art the Guide of every one that hath life: what is the blind man without staff and guide?3920
تو عصا کش هر که را که زندگی است ** بیعصا و بیعصا کش کور چیست
Excepting Thee (alone), whatsoever is sweet or unsweet is man-destroying and the essence of fire.
غیر تو هر چه خوش است و ناخوش است ** آدمی سوز است و عین آتش است
Any one to whom fire is a refuge and support becomes both a Magian and a Zoroaster.
هر که را آتش پناه و پشت شد ** هم مجوسی گشت و هم زردشت شد
Everything except Allah is vain: verily the grace of Allah is a cloud pouring abundantly and continually.
کل شیء ما خلا الله باطل ** إن فضل الله غیم هاطل
Returning to the story of ‘Alí—may God honour his person!— and how generously he behaved to his murderer.
باز گشتن به حکایت امیر المؤمنین علی کرم الله وجهه و مسامحت کردن او با خونی خویش
Go back to ‘Alí and his murderer, and the kindness he showed to the murderer, and his superiority (moral and spiritual excellence).
باز رو سوی علی و خونیاش ** و آن کرم با خونی و افزونیاش
He said, “Day and night I see the enemy with my eyes, (but) I have no anger against him,3925
گفت دشمن را همی بینم به چشم ** روز و شب بر وی ندارم هیچ خشم
Because death has become sweet as manna to me: my death has laid fast hold of resurrection.”
ز آنکه مرگم همچو من خوش آمده ست ** مرگ من در بعث چنگ اندر زده ست
The death of deathlessness is lawful to us, the provision of unprovidedness is a bounty to us.
مرگ بیمرگی بود ما را حلال ** برگ بیبرگی بود ما را نوال
’Tis death outwardly but life inwardly: apparently ’tis a cutting-off (decease), in secret (in reality) ’tis permanence (life without end).
ظاهرش مرگ و به باطن زندگی ** ظاهرش ابتر نهان پایندگی
To the embryo in the womb birth is a going (to another state of existence): in the world it (the embryo) blossoms anew.
در رحم زادن جنین را رفتن است ** در جهان او را ز نو بشکفتن است
“Since I have intense love and longing for death, the prohibition do not cast yourselves (into destruction) is (meant) for me,3930
چون مرا سوی اجل عشق و هواست ** نهی لا تلقوا بأيدیکم مراست
Because (only) the sweet berry is prohibited; (for) how should it become necessary to prohibit the sour one?
ز آنکه نهی از دانهی شیرین بود ** تلخ را خود نهی حاجت کی شود
The berry that has a sour kernel and rind—its very sourness and disagreeableness are (serve as) a prohibition of it.
دانهای که تلخ باشد مغز و پوست ** تلخی و مکروهیاش خود نهی اوست