When the dog has become knowing (‘álim), he marches briskly; when the dog has become a knower of God (‘árif), he becomes (as) the Men of the Cave.
سگ چو عالم گشت شد چالاک زحف ** سگ چو عارف گشت شد ز اصحاب کهف
The dog has come to know who is the Master of the hunt. O God, what is that knowing light?2365
سگ شناسا شد که میر صید کیست ** ای خدا آن نور اشناسنده چیست
(If) the blind man knows it not, ’tis not from (his) having no eye (to see); nay, ’tis because he is drunken with ignorance.
کور نشناسد نه از بیچشمی است ** بلکه این ز آن است کز جهل است مست
Truly, the blind man is not more eyeless than the earth; and this earth, by the grace of God, has become a seer of (God's) enemies.
نیست خود بیچشم تر کور از زمین ** این زمین از فضل حق شد خصم بین
It saw the Light of Moses and showed kindness to Moses; (but) Qárún it engulfed, (for) it knew Qárún.
نور موسی دید و موسی را نواخت ** خسف قارون کرد و قارون را شناخت
It quaked for the destruction of every false pretender: it understood (the words that came) from God, “O earth, swallow (thy water)!”
رجف کرد اندر هلاک هر دعی ** فهم کرد از حق که یا أرض ابلعی
Earth and water and air and sparking fire are unacquainted with us, but acquainted with God.2370
خاک و آب و باد و نار با شرر ** بیخبر با ما و با حق با خبر
Contrariwise, we are aware of (things) other than God, (but) unaware (heedless) of God and of so many warners (prophets).
ما بعکس آن ز غیر حق خبیر ** بیخبر از حق و از چندین نذیر
As a necessary consequence, they (the elements) all shrank from (accepting) it (the trust offered to them): (the edge of) their impulse to partake of life was blunted.
لاجرم أشفقن منها جملهشان ** کند شد ز آمیز حیوان حملهشان
They said, “We all are averse to this life, (namely), that one should be living in relation to created beings and dead in relation to God.”
گفته بیزاریم جمله زین حیات ** کاو بود با خلق حی با حق موات
When he (any one) remains away from created beings, he is orphaned (single): for intimacy with God, the heart must be free (from relations with aught besides).
چون بماند از خلق گردد او یتیم ** انس حق را قلب میباید سلیم
When a thief steals some article of property from a blind man, the blind man is blindly lamenting.2375
چون ز کوری دزد دزدد کالهای ** میکند آن کور عمیا نالهای
Until the thief say to him, “’Tis I that stole from thee, for I am an artful thief,”
تا نگوید دزد او را کان منم ** کز تو دزدیدم که دزد پر فنم
How should the blind man know his thief, since he hath not the eye's light and that radiance (of vision)?
کی شناسد کور دزد خویش را ** چون ندارد نور چشم و آن ضیا
When he (the thief) speaks (and confesses), at once take tight hold of him, that he may tell the marks (descriptive) of the (stolen) goods.
چون بگوید هم بگیر او را تو سخت ** تا بگوید او علامتهای رخت
The Greater Jihád (Holy War), then, consists in squeezing the thief, in order that he may tell what he has stolen and what he has carried off.
پس جهاد اکبر آمد عصر دزد ** تا بگوید که چه دزدیده است مزد
First, he has stolen your eye-salve; when you take it (from him), you will regain (your) insight.2380
اولا دزدید کحل دیدهات ** چون ستانی باز یابی تبصرت
The goods of wisdom, which have been lost by (your) heart, are certainly to be found with the man of heart (the saint).
کالهی حکمت که گم کردهی دل است ** پیش اهل دل یقین آن حاصل است
The blind of heart, notwithstanding (his possession of) life and hearing and sight, is never knowing the devilish thief by the traces (which he leaves).
کوردل با جان و با سمع و بصر ** مینداند دزد شیطان را ز اثر
Seek (that knowledge) from the man of heart; do not seek it from the inanimate, for (all other) people are inanimate beside (in comparison with) him.
ز اهل دل جو از جماد آن را مجو ** که جماد آمد خلایق پیش او
The seeker of counsel approached him (the saint who was feigning madness), saying, “O father who hast become (as) a child, tell (me) a secret.”
مشورت جوینده آمد نزد او ** کای اب کودک شده رازی بگو
He answered, “Begone from this door-ring, for this door is not open. Turn back: to-day is not the day for secrets.2385
گفت رو زین حلقه کاین در باز نیست ** باز گرد امروز روز راز نیست
If the spatial had (any) access to the non-spatial, I should be (seated) on the bench, (giving instruction) like the Shaykhs (spiritual directors).”
گر مکان را ره بدی در لامکان ** همچو شیخان بودمی من بر دکان
How the Police Inspector summoned the man who had fallen dead-drunk (on the ground) to (go to) prison.
خواندن محتسب مست خراب افتاده را به زندان
The Inspector came at midnight to a certain place: he saw a drunken man lying at the bottom of a wall.
محتسب در نیم شب جایی رسید ** در بن دیوار مستی خفته دید
He cried, “Hey, you are drunk: tell (me), what have you been drinking?” Said the man, “I have drunk of this which is in the jar.”
گفت هی مستی چه خورده ستی بگو ** گفت از این خوردم که هست اندر سبو