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
To me the berry of dying has become sweet: (the text) nay, they are living has come (from God) on my account.
دانهی مردن مرا شیرین شده ست ** بل هم احیاء پی من آمده ست
Slay me, my trusty friends, slay me, vile as I am: verily, in my being slain is my life for evermore.
اقتلونی یا ثقاتی لائما ** إن فی قتلی حیاتی دایما
Verily, in my death is my life, O youth—how long shall I be parted from my home? Until when?3935
إن فی موتی حیاتی یا فتی ** کم أفارق موطنی حتی متی
If there were not in my staying (in this world) my separation (from God), He would not have said, ‘Verily, we are returning to Him.’”
فرقتی لو لم تکن فی ذا السکون ** لم یقل إنا إليه راجعون
The returning one is he that comes back to his (native) city, and (fleeing) from the separation (plurality) of Time approaches the Unity.
راجع آن باشد که باز آید به شهر ** سوی وحدت آید از تفریق دهر
How the stirrup-holder of ‘Alí, may God honour his person, came (to him), saying, “For God's sake, kill me and deliver me from this doom.”
افتادن رکابدار هر باری پیش علی کرم الله وجهه که ای امیر المؤمنین از بهر خدا مرا بکش و از این قضا برهان
“He came back, saying, ‘O‘ Alí, kill me quickly, that I may not see that bitter moment and hour.
باز آمد کای علی زودم بکش ** تا نبینم آن دم و وقت ترش
Shed my blood, I make it lawful to thee, so that my eye may not behold that resurrection’.
من حلالت میکنم خونم بریز ** تا نبیند چشم من آن رستخیز
I said, ‘If every atom should become a murderer and, dagger in hand, go to attack thee,3940
گفتم ار هر ذرهای خونی شود ** خنجر اندر کف به قصد تو رود
None (of them) could cut from thee the tip of a single hair, since the Pen has written against thee such a line (of doom).
یک سر مو از تو نتواند برید ** چون قلم بر تو چنان خطی کشید
But do not grieve: I am intercessor for thee: I am the spirit's master, I am not the body's slave.
لیک بیغم شو شفیع تو منم ** خواجهی روحم نه مملوک تنم
This body hath no value in my sight: without my body I am the noble (in spirit), the son of the noble.
پیش من این تن ندارد قیمتی ** بیتن خویشم فتی ابن الفتی
Dagger and sword have become my sweet basil: my death has become my banquet and narcissus-pot.’”
خنجر و شمشیر شد ریحان من ** مرگ من شد بزم و نرگسدان من
He that hamstrings (mortifies) his body in this fashion, how should he covet the Princedom and the Caliphate?3945
آن که او تن را بدین سان پی کند ** حرص میری و خلافت کی کند
Outwardly he strives after power and authority, (but only) that he may show to princes the (right) way and judgement;
ز آن به ظاهر کوشد اندر جاه و حکم ** تا امیران را نماید راه و حکم
That he may give another spirit to the Princedom; that he may give fruit to the palm tree of the Caliphate.
تا امیری را دهد جانی دگر ** تا دهد نخل خلافت را ثمر
Explaining that the motive of the Prophet, on whom be peace, in seeking to conquer Mecca and other (places) than Mecca was not love of worldly dominion, inasmuch as he has said “This world is a carcase,” but that on the contrary it was by the command (of God).
بیان آن که فتح طلبیدن پیغامبر علیه السلام مکه را و غیر مکه را بجهت دوستی ملک دنیا نبود چون فرموده است که الدنیا جیفه بلکه به امر بود
Likewise the Prophet's struggle to conquer Mecca—how can he be suspected of (being inspired by) love of this world?
جهد پیغمبر به فتح مکه هم ** کی بود در حب دنیا متهم