The earth, when the (Divine) command came, drew Qárún (Korah) with his gold and throne into its lowest depth.
خاک قارون را چو فرمان در رسید ** با زر و تختش به قعر خود کشید
The water and clay, when it fed on the breath of Jesus, spread wings and pinions, became a bird, and flew.865
آب و گل چون از دم عیسی چرید ** بال و پر بگشاد مرغی شد پرید
Your glorification (of God) is an exhalation from the water and clay (of your body): it became a bird of Paradise through the breathing (into it) of your heart's sincerity.
هست تسبیحت بخار آب و گل ** مرغ جنت شد ز نفخ صدق دل
Mount Mount Sinai, from (seeing) the radiance of Moses, began to dance, became a perfect Súfí, and was freed from blemish.
کوه طور از نور موسی شد به رقص ** صوفی کامل شد و رست او ز نقص
What wonder if the mountain became a venerable Súfí? The body of Moses also was (formed) from a piece of clay.
چه عجب گر کوه صوفی شد عزیز ** جسم موسی از کلوخی بود نیز
How the Jewish king scoffed and denied and would not accept the counsel of his intimates.
طنز و انکار کردن پادشاه جهود و قبول نکردن نصیحت خاصان خویش
The king of the Jews beheld these marvellous things, (but) he had naught (to say) except mockery and denial.
این عجایب دید آن شاه جهود ** جز که طنز و جز که انکارش نبود
His counsellors said, “Do not let (this injustice) go beyond bounds, do not drive the steed of obstinacy so far.”870
ناصحان گفتند از حد مگذران ** مرکب استیزه را چندین مران
He handcuffed the counsellors and confined them, he committed one injustice after another.
ناصحان را دست بست و بند کرد ** ظلم را پیوند در پیوند کرد
When the matter reached this pass, a shout came—“Hold thy foot (stop), O cur! For Our vengeance is come.”
بانگ آمد کار چون اینجا رسید ** پای دار ای سگ که قهر ما رسید
After that, the fire blazed up forty ells high, became a ring, and consumed those Jews.
بعد از آن آتش چهل گز بر فروخت ** حلقه گشت و آن جهودان را بسوخت
From fire was their origin in the beginning: they went (back) to their origin in the end.
اصل ایشان بود آتش ابتدا ** سوی اصل خویش رفتند انتها
That company were born of fire: the way of particulars is towards the universal.875
هم ز آتش زاده بودند آن فریق ** جزوها را سوی کل باشد طریق
They were only a fire to consume the true believers: their fire consumed itself like rubbish.
آتشی بودند مومن سوز و بس ** سوخت خود را آتش ایشان چو خس
He whose mother is Háwiya (Hell-fire)—Háwiya shall become his cell (abode).
آن که بوده ست امه الهاویه ** هاویه آمد مر او را زاویه
The mother of the child is (always) seeking it: the fundamentals pursue the derivatives.
مادر فرزند جویان وی است ** اصلها مر فرعها را در پی است
If water is imprisoned in a tank, the wind sucks it up, for it (the wind) belongs to the original (source):
آب اندر حوض اگر زندانی است ** باد نشفش میکند کار کانی است
It sets it free, it wafts it away to its source, little by little, so that you do not see its wafting;880
میرهاند میبرد تا معدنش ** اندک اندک تا نبینی بردنش
And our souls likewise this breath (of ours) steals away, little by little, from the prison of the world.
وین نفس جانهای ما را همچنان ** اندک اندک دزدد از حبس جهان
The perfumes of our (good) words ascend even unto Him, ascending from us whither God knoweth.
Our breaths soar up with the choice (words), as a gift from us, to the abode of everlastingness;
ترتقی أنفاسنا بالمنتقی ** متحفا منا إلی دار البقا
Then comes to us the recompense of our speech, a double (recompense) thereof, as a mercy from (God) the Glorious;
ثم تاتینا مکافات المقال ** ضعف ذاک رحمة من ذی الجلال
Then He causes us to repair to (makes us utter) good words like those (already uttered), that His servant may obtain (something more) of what he has obtained.885
ثم یلجینا الی امثالها ** کی ینال العبد مما نالها
Thus do they (our good words) ascend while it (the Divine mercy) descends continually: mayst thou never cease to keep up that (ascent and descent)!
هکذا تعرج و تنزل دایما ** ذا فلا زلت علیه قائما
Let us speak Persian: the meaning is that this attraction (by which God draws the soul towards Himself) comes from the same quarter whence came that savour (spiritual delight experienced in and after prayer).
پارسی گوییم یعنی این کشش ** ز آن طرف آید که آمد آن چشش
The eyes of every set of people remain (turned) in the direction where one day they satisfied a (longing for) delight.
چشم هر قومی به سویی مانده است ** کان طرف یک روز ذوقی رانده است