And that it had become a ring surrounding the (whole) world. He was amazed at that immense creation (work of God).
گرد عالم حلقه گشته او محیط ** ماند حیران اندر آن خلق بسیط
He said, “Thou art the mountain (indeed): what are the others? for beside thy magnitude they are (but) playthings.”
گفت تو کوهی دگرها چیستند ** که به پیش عظم تو بازیستند
It replied, “Those (other) mountains are my veins: they are not like unto me in beauty and glory.
گفت رگهای من‌اند آن کوهها ** مثل من نبوند در حسن و بها
I have a hidden vein in every land: (all) the regions of the world are fastened to my veins.3715
من به هر شهری رگی دارم نهان ** بر عروقم بسته اطراف جهان
When God wills an earthquake in any land, He bids me and I cause the vein to throb.
حق چو خواهد زلزله‌ی شهری مرا ** گوید او من بر جهانم عرق را
Then I make to move mightily the vein with which the (particular) land is connected.
پس بجنبانم من آن رگ را بقهر ** که بدان رگ متصل گشتست شهر
When He says ‘Enough!’ my vein rests. I am (apparently) at rest, but actually I am in rapid motion”—
چون بگوید بس شود ساکن رگم ** ساکنم وز روی فعل اندر تگم
At rest, like the (medicinal) ointment, and very active (efficacious); at rest, like the intellect, while the speech (impelled) by it is moving.
هم‌چو مرهم ساکن و بس کارکن ** چون خرد ساکن وزو جنبان سخن
In the opinion of him whose intelligence does not perceive this, earthquakes are caused by terrestrial vapours.3720
نزد آنکس که نداند عقلش این ** زلزله هست از بخارات زمین
An ant, walking on a piece of paper, saw the pen writing and began to praise the pen. Another ant, which was more keen-sighted, said, "Praise the fingers, for I deem this accomplishment to proceed from them." Another ant, more clear-sighted than either, said, "I praise the arm, for the fingers are a branch of the arm," et cetera.
موری بر کاغذ می‌رفت نبشتن قلم دید قلم را ستودن گرفت موری دیگر کی چشم تیزتر بود گفت ستایش انگشتان را کن کی آن هنر ازیشان می‌بینم موری دگر کی از هر دو چشم روشن‌تر بود گفت من بازو را ستایم کی انگشتان فرع بازواند الی آخره
A little ant saw a pen (writing) on a paper, and told this mystery to another ant,
مورکی بر کاغذی دید او قلم ** گفت با مور دگر این راز هم
Saying, “That pen made wonderful pictures like sweet basil and beds of lilies and roses.”
که عجایب نقشها آن کلک کرد ** هم‌چو ریحان و چو سوسن‌زار و ورد
The other ant said, “That artist is the finger, and this pen is actually (no more than) the derivative (instrument) and the sign.”
گفت آن مور اصبعست آن پیشه‌ور ** وین قلم در فعل فرعست و اثر
A third ant said, “It is the work of the arm, by whose strength the slender finger depicted it.”
گفت آن مور سوم کز بازوست ** که اصبع لاغر ز زورش نقش بست
In this fashion it (the argument) was carried upward till a chief of the ants, (who) was a little bit sagacious,3725
هم‌چنین می‌رفت بالا تا یکی ** مهتر موران فطن بود اندکی
Said, “Do not regard this accomplishment as proceeding from the (material) form, which becomes unconscious in sleep and death.
گفت کز صورت مبینید این هنر ** که به خواب و مرگ گردد بی‌خبر
Form is like a garment or a staff: (bodily) figures do not move except by means of intellect and spirit.”
صورت آمد چون لباس و چون عصا ** جز به عقل و جان نجنبد نقشها
He (the wise ant) was unaware that without the controlling influence of God that intellect and heart (mind) would be inert.
بی‌خبر بود او که آن عقل و فاد ** بی ز تقلیب خدا باشد جماد
If He withdraw His favour from it for a single moment, the acute intellect will commit (many) follies.
یک زمان از وی عنایت بر کند ** عقل زیرک ابلهیها می‌کند
When Dhu ’l-Qarnayn found it (Mount Qáf) speaking, he said, after Mount Qáf had bored the pearls of speech,3730
چونش گویا یافت ذوالقرنین گفت ** چونک کوه قاف در نطق سفت
“O eloquent one, who art wise and knowest the mystery, expound to me the Attributes of God.”
کای سخن‌گوی خبیر رازدان ** از صفات حق بکن با من بیان
It answered, “Go, for those qualities are too terrible for (oral) exposition to put its hand on them,
گفت رو کان وصف از آن هایل‌ترست ** که بیان بر وی تواند برد دست
Or for the pen to dare inscribe with its point information concerning them on the pages (of books).”
یا قلم را زهره باشد که به سر ** بر نویسد بر صحایف زان خبر
He said, “Relate a lesser tale concerning the wonders of God, O goodly divine.”
گفت کمتر داستانی باز گو ** از عجبهای حق ای حبر نکو
It said, “Look, the King (God) hath made a plain full of snow-mountains, for the distance of a three hundred years' journey—3735
گفت اینک دشت سیصدساله راه ** کوههای برف پر کردست شاه
Mountain on mountain, beyond count and number: the snow comes continually to replenish them.
کوه بر که بی‌شمار و بی‌عدد ** می‌رسد در هر زمان برفش مدد