God by a single spark (of His mercy) maketh naught his (the vizier's) burden (of sin) and (the burden) of a hundred viziers and a hundred thousand.
وزر او و صد وزیر و صد هزار ** نیست گرداند خدا از یک شرار
He maketh the essence of that (false) imagination to be wisdom; He maketh the essence of that poisoned water to be a (wholesome) drink.545
عین آن تخییل را حکمت کند ** عین آن زهر آب را شربت کند
That which raises doubt He turneth into certainty; He maketh loving kindnesses grow from the causes of hatred.
آن گمان انگیز را سازد یقین ** مهرها رویاند از اسباب کین
He cherisheth Abraham in the fire; He turneth fear into security of spirit.
پرورد در آتش ابراهیم را ** ایمنی روح سازد بیم را
By His burning (destroying) of secondary causes I am distraught; in (my) fancies of Him I am like a sophist (sceptic or agnostic).
از سبب سوزیش من سوداییام ** در خیالاتش چو سوفسطاییام
How the vizier started another plan to mislead the (Christian) folk.
مکر دیگر انگیختن وزیر در اضلال قوم
The vizier formed in his mind another plan: he abandoned preaching and sat alone in seclusion.
مکر دیگر آن وزیر از خود ببست ** وعظ را بگذاشت و در خلوت نشست
He inspired ardour in his disciples from (their) longing (to see him); he remained in seclusion forty or fifty days.550
در مریدان در فکند از شوق سوز ** بود در خلوت چهل پنجاه روز
The people became mad from longing for him and on account of being separated from his (spiritual) feeling and discourse and intuition.
خلق دیوانه شدند از شوق او ** از فراق حال و قال و ذوق او
They were making supplication and lament, while he in solitude was bent double by austerities.
لابه و زاری همیکردند و او ** از ریاضت گشته در خلوت دو تو
They said, “Without thee we have no light: how (what) is the state of a blind man without a leader?
گفته ایشان نیست ما را بیتو نور ** بیعصا کش چون بود احوال کور
By way of showing favour (to us) and for God's sake, do not keep us parted from thee any longer.
از سر اکرام و از بهر خدا ** بیش از این ما را مدار از خود جدا
We are as children and thou art our nurse: do thou spread over us that shadow (of thy protection).”555
ما چو طفلانیم و ما را دایه تو ** بر سر ما گستران آن سایه تو
He said, “My soul is not far from them that love (me), but there is no permission to come forth.”
گفت جانم از محبان دور نیست ** لیک بیرون آمدن دستور نیست
Those amírs came for intercession, and the disciples came in reproach,
آن امیران در شفاعت آمدند ** و آن مریدان در شناعت آمدند
Saying, “O noble sir, what a misfortune is this for us! Without thee we are left orphaned (deprived) of our hearts and our religion.
کاین چه بد بختی است ما را ای کریم ** از دل و دین مانده ما بیتو یتیم
Thou art making a pretence while we in grief are heaving cold (fruitless) sighs from the burning heat of our hearts.
تو بهانه میکنی و ما ز درد ** میزنیم از سوز دل دمهای سرد
We have become accustomed to thy sweet discourse, we have drunk of the milk of thy wisdom.560
ما به گفتار خوشت خو کردهایم ** ما ز شیر حکمت تو خوردهایم
Allah! Allah! do not thou (O vizier) treat us with such cruelty: show kindness to-day, do not (put off till) to-morrow.
الله الله این جفا با ما مکن ** خیر کن امروز را فردا مکن
Does thy heart give to thee (consent) that these who have lost their hearts (to thee) should at last, being without thee, become (numbered) amongst them that have nothing left?
میدهد دل مر ترا کاین بیدلان ** بیتو گردند آخر از بیحاصلان
They all are writhing like fishes on dry land: let loose the water, remove the dam from the stream.
جمله در خشکی چو ماهی میتپند ** آب را بگشا ز جو بر دار بند
O thou like whom there is none in the world, for God's sake, for God's sake, come to the aid of thy people!”
ای که چون تو در زمانه نیست کس ** الله الله خلق را فریاد رس
How the vizier refused the request of the disciples.
دفع گفتن وزیر مریدان را
He said: “Beware, O ye enslaved by words and talk, ye who seek admonition and discourse (conveyed) by the tongue and (through the) ear.565
گفت هان ای سخرگان گفتوگو ** وعظ و گفتار زبان و گوش جو
Put cotton-wool in the ear of the low (physical) sense, take off the bandage of (that) sense from your eyes!
پنبه اندر گوش حس دون کنید ** بند حس از چشم خود بیرون کنید
The ear of the head is the cotton-wool of the ear of the conscience: until the former becomes deaf, that inward (ear) is deaf.
پنبهی آن گوش سر گوش سر است ** تا نگردد این کر آن باطن کر است
Become without sense and without ear and without thought, that ye may hear the call (of God to the soul), ‘Return!’”
بیحس و بیگوش و بیفکرت شوید ** تا خطاب ارجعی را بشنوید