(He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).
صد هزاران نام و او یک آدمی ** صاحب هر وصفش از وصفی عمی
Whoever seeks the (mere) name, if he is entrusted (with a confidential mission) he is hopeless and in distraction, even as thou art.
هر که جوید نام اگر صاحب ثقه است ** همچو تو نومید و اندر تفرقه است
Why dost thou stick to the name ‘tree,’ so that thou art left bitterly disappointed and ill-fortuned?
تو چه بر چفسی بر این نام درخت ** تا بمانی تلخ کام و شور بخت
Pass on from the name and look at the attributes, in order that the attributes may show thee the way to the essence.”
در گذر از نام و بنگر در صفات ** تا صفاتت ره نماید سوی ذات
The disagreement of mankind is caused by names: peace ensues when they advance to the reality (denoted by the name).3680
اختلاف خلق از نام اوفتاد ** چون به معنی رفت آرام اوفتاد
How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name.
منازعت چهار کس جهت انگور که هر یکی به نام دیگر فهم کرده بود آن را
A certain man gave a dirhem to four persons: one of them (a Persian) said, “I will spend this on angúr.”
چار کس را داد مردی یک درم ** آن یکی گفت این به انگوری دهم
The second one was an Arab: he said, “No, I want ‘inab, not angúr, O rascal!”
آن یکی دیگر عرب بد گفت لا ** من عنب خواهم نه انگور ای دغا
The third was a Turk; and he said, “This (money) is mine: I don't want ‘inab, I want uzum.”
آن یکی ترکی بدو گفت ای گزم ** من نمیخواهم عنب خواهم ازم
The fourth, a Greek, said, “Stop this talk: I want istáfíl.”
آن یکی رومی بگفت این قیل را ** ترک کن خواهیم استافیل را
These people began fighting in contention with one another, because they were unaware of the hidden meaning of the names.3685
در تنازع آن نفر جنگی شدند ** که ز سر نامها غافل بدند
In their folly they smote each other with their fists: they were full of ignorance and empty of knowledge.
مشت بر هم میزدند از ابلهی ** پر بدند از جهل و از دانش تهی
If a master of the esoteric had been there, a revered and many-languaged man, he would have pacified them;
صاحب سری عزیزی صد زبان ** گر بدی آن جا بدادی صلحشان
And then he would have said, “With this one dirhem I will give all of you what ye wish.
پس بگفتی او که من زین یک درم ** آرزوی جملهتان را میخرم
When without deceit ye surrender your hearts (to me), this dirhem will do all this for you.
چون که بسپارید دل را بیدغل ** این درمتان میکند چندین عمل
Your one dirhem will become four—the result desired: four enemies will become one through unanimity.3690
یک درمتان میشود چار المراد ** چار دشمن میشود یک ز اتحاد
What each one of you says produces strife and separation; what I say brings you agreement.
گفت هر یک تان دهد جنگ و فراق ** گفت من آرد شما را اتفاق
Therefore be ye mute, keep silence, that I may be your tongue in speech and talk.”
پس شما خاموش باشید أنصتوا ** تا زبان تان من شوم در گفتوگو
(Even) if your words appear uniform (seem to express an agreement), in effect they are the source of contention and anger.
گر سخنتان مینماید یک نمط ** در اثر مایهی نزاع است و سخط
If you have made vinegar hot by means of fire, (still) when you drink it, it will undoubtedly increase the coldness (of your constitution),3695
سرکه را گر گرم کردی ز آتش آن ** چون خوری سردی فزاید بیگمان
Because that (artificially produced) heat of it is exotic: its fundamental nature is coldness and tartness.
ز انکه آن گرمی او دهلیزی است ** طبع اصلش سردی است و تیزی است
And (on the other hand), though grape-syrup be frozen, my son, it will add heat to the liver when you drink it.
ور بود یخ بسته دوشاب ای پسر ** چون خوری گرمی فزاید در جگر
Hence the Shaykh's hypocrisy is better than our sincerity, for the former arises from (spiritual) insight, while the latter arises from (spiritual) blindness.
پس ریای شیخ به ز اخلاص ماست ** کز بصیرت باشد آن وین از عماست
From the Shaykh's discourse comes union (concord); the words of the corporealists (materialists) bring separation (discord).
از حدیث شیخ جمعیت رسد ** تفرقه آرد دم اهل حسد
As (for example) Solomon, who sped (on his prophetic mission) from God, and who knew the language of all birds—3700
چون سلیمان کز سوی حضرت بتاخت ** کاو زبان جمله مرغان را شناخت