But those flames are (too) gentle for the iron, for it is (eagerly) drawing to (itself) the heat of that (fiery) dragon.
لیک آهن را لطیف آن شعلههاست ** کاو جذوب تابش آن اژدهاست
That iron is the dervish who bears hardship (self-mortification): under the hammer and the fire he is red and happy.830
هست آن آهن فقیر سخت کش ** زیر پتک و آتش است او سرخ و خوش
He is the chamberlain of the fire (and) in immediate touch (with it): he goes into the heart of the fire without (any) link (between the fire and him).
حاجب آتش بود بیواسطه ** در دل آتش رود بیرابطه
Without some screen, water and water's children get no cooking or conversation from the fire.
بیحجاب آب و فرزندان آب ** پختگی ز آتش نیابند و خطاب
The medium is a pot or a pan—as (the medium) for the foot in walking (is) a sock (shoe)—
واسطه دیگی بود یا تابهای ** همچو پا را در روش پا تابهای
Or a space between, so that the air becomes burning hot and brings (the fire) to the water.
یا مکانی در میان تا آن هوا ** میشود سوزان و میآرد بما
The dervish, then, is he that has no intermediary: the flames have (direct) connexion with his being.835
پس فقیر آن است کاو بیواسطه ست ** شعلهها را با وجودش رابطه ست
Therefore he is the heart of the world, because by means of this heart the body attains to (its proper) art (function).
پس دل عالم وی است ایرا که تن ** میرسد از واسطهی این دل به فن
(If) the heart be not there, how can the body talk and speak? (If) the heart seek not, how can the body seek and search?
دل نباشد، تن چه داند گفتوگو ** دل نجوید، تن چه داند جستجو
Therefore the theatre of the (Divine) rays is that iron; therefore the theatre of God is the heart, not the body.
پس نظرگاه شعاع آن آهن است ** پس نظرگاه خدا دل نی تن است
Again, these partial (individual) hearts are as the body in relation to the heart of the man of heart (the perfect saint), which is the original source.
باز این دلهای جزوی چون تن است ** با دل صاحب دلی کاو معدن است
This argument wants much illustration and exposition, but I fear lest the opinion of the vulgar should stumble (and fall into error),840
بس مثال و شرح خواهد این کلام ** لیک ترسم تا نلغزد وهم عام
(And) lest my goodness should be turned (by them) to badness;—even this that I have spoken was (from) naught but selflessness.
تا نگردد نیکویی ما بدی ** اینکه گفتم هم نبد جز بیخودی
The crooked shoe is better for the crooked foot; the beggar's power reaches only as far as the door.
پای کج را کفش کج بهتر بود ** مر گدا را دستگه بر در بود
How the King made trial of the two slaves whom he had recently purchased.
امتحان پادشاه به آن دو غلام که نو خریده بود
A King bought two slaves cheap, and conversed with one of the twain.
پادشاهی دو غلام ارزان خرید ** با یکی ز آن دو سخن گفت و شنید
He found him quick-witted and answering sweetly: what issues from the sugar-lip? Sugar-water.
یافتش زیرک دل و شیرین جواب ** از لب شکر چه زاید شکر آب
Man is concealed underneath his tongue: this tongue is the curtain over the gate of the soul.845
آدمی مخفی است در زیر زبان ** این زبان پرده است بر درگاه جان
When a gust of wind has rolled up the curtain, the secret of the interior of the house is disclosed to us,
چون که بادی پرده را در هم کشید ** سر صحن خانه شد بر ما پدید
(And we see) whether in that house there are pearls or (grains of) wheat, a treasure of gold or whether all is snakes and scorpions;
کاندر آن خانه گهر یا گندم است ** گنج زر یا جمله مار و کژدم است
Or whether a treasure is there and a serpent beside it, since a treasure of gold is not without some one to keep watch.
یا در او گنج است و ماری بر کران ** ز انکه نبود گنج زر بیپاسبان
Without premeditation he (that slave) would speak in such wise as others after five hundred premeditations.
بیتامل او سخن گفتی چنان ** کز پس پانصد تامل دیگران
You would have said that in his inward part there was a sea, and that the whole sea was pearls of eloquence,850
گفتی اندر باطنش دریاستی ** جمله دریا گوهر گویاستی
(And that) the light that shone from every pearl became a criterion for distinguishing between truth and falsehood.
نور هر گوهر کز او تابان شدی ** حق و باطل را از او فرقان شدی
(So) would the light of the Criterion (Universal Reason), (if it shone into our hearts), distinguish for us truth and falsehood and separate them mote by mote;
نور فرقان فرق کردی بهر ما ** ذره ذره حق و باطل را جدا
The light of the (Divine) Pearl would become the light of our eyes: both the question and the answer would be (would come) from us.
نور گوهر نور چشم ما شدی ** هم سؤال و هم جواب از ما بدی