That venerable dervish, Báyazíd, came to his disciples, saying, “Lo, I am God.”
با مریدان آن فقیر محتشم ** بایزید آمد که نک یزدان منم
That master of the (mystic) sciences said plainly in drunken fashion, “Hark, there is no god but I, so worship me.”
گفت مستانه عیان آن ذوفنون ** لا اله الا انا ها فاعبدون
When that ecstasy had passed, they said to him at dawn, “Thou saidest such and such, and this is impiety.”
چون گذشت آن حال گفتندش صباح ** تو چنین گفتی و این نبود صلاح
He said, “This time, if I make a scandal, come on at once and dash knives into me.2105
گفت این بار ار کنم من مشغله ** کاردها بر من زنید آن دم هله
God transcends the body, and I am with the body: ye must kill me when I say a thing like this.”
حق منزه از تن و من با تنم ** چون چنین گویم بباید کشتنم
When that (spiritual) freeman gave the injunction, each disciple made ready a knife.
چون وصیت کرد آن آزادمرد ** هر مریدی کاردی آماده کرد
Again he (Báyazíd) became intoxicated by that potent flagon: those injunctions vanished from his mind.
مست گشت او باز از آن سغراق زفت ** آن وصیتهاش از خاطر برفت
The Dessert came: his reason became distraught. The Dawn came: his candle became helpless.
نقل آمد عقل او آواره شد ** صبح آمد شمع او بیچاره شد
Reason is like the prefect: when the sultan arrives, the helpless prefect creeps into a corner.2110
عقل چون شحنه‌ست چون سلطان رسید ** شحنه‌ی بیچاره در کنجی خزید
Reason is the shadow of God: God is the sun: what power hath the shadow to resist His sun?
عقل سایه‌ی حق بود حق آفتاب ** سایه را با آفتاب او چه تاب
When a genie prevails over (gains possession of) a man, the attributes of humanity disappear from the man.
چون پری غالب شود بر آدمی ** گم شود از مرد وصف مردمی
Whatsoever he says, that genie will (really) have said it: the one who belongs to this side will have spoken from (the control of) the one who belongs to yonder side.
هر چه گوید آن پری گفته بود ** زین سری زان آن سری گفته بود
Since a genie hath this influence and rule, how (much more powerful) indeed must be the Creator of that genie!
چون پری را این دم و قانون بود ** کردگار آن پری خود چون بود
His (the possessed man's) “he” (personality) is gone: he has in sooth become the genie: the Turk, without (receiving) Divine inspiration, has become a speaker of Arabic.2115
اوی او رفته پری خود او شده ** ترک بی‌الهام تازی‌گو شده
When he comes to himself, he does not know a word (of Arabic). Inasmuch as a genie hath this essence and quality,
چون به خود آید نداند یک لغت ** چون پری را هست این ذات و صفت
Then how, pray, should the Lord of genie and man have inferiority to the genie?
پس خداوند پری و آدمی ** از پری کی باشدش آخر کمی
If a pot-valiant fellow has drunk the blood of a fierce lion, you will say that the wine did it, not he;
شیرگیر ار خون نره شیر خورد ** تو بگویی او نکرد آن باده کرد
And if he fashion words of old (pure) gold, you will say that the wine has spoken those words.
ور سخن پردازد از زر کهن ** تو بگویی باده گفتست آن سخن
A wine hath this (power to excite) disturbance and commotion: hath not the Light of God that virtue and potency2120
باده‌ای را می‌بود این شر و شور ** نور حق را نیست آن فرهنگ و زور
To make you entirely empty of self, (so that) you should be laid low and He should make the Word lofty (within you)?
که ترا از تو به کل خالی کند ** تو شوی پست او سخن عالی کند
Though the Qur’án is (dictated) from the lips of the Prophet —if any one says God did not speak it, he is an infidel.
گر چه قرآن از لب پیغامبرست ** هر که گوید حق نگفت او کافرست
When the humá of selflessness took wing (and soared), Báyazíd began (to repeat) those words.
چون همای بی‌خودی پرواز کرد ** آن سخن را بایزید آغاز کرد
The flood of bewilderment swept away his reason: he spoke more strongly than he had spoken at first,
عقل را سیل تحیر در ربود ** زان قوی‌تر گفت که اول گفته بود
(Saying), “Within my mantle there is naught but God: how long wilt thou seek on the earth and in heaven?”2125
نیست اندر جبه‌ام الا خدا ** چند جویی بر زمین و بر سما
All the disciples became frenzied and dashed their knives at his holy body.
آن مریدان جمله دیوانه شدند ** کاردها در جسم پاکش می‌زدند