If you put water into boiling oil, you will destroy (both) the trivet and the kettle.
آب اگر در روغن جوشان کنی ** دیگدان و دیگ را ویران کنی
Speak softly, but do not speak aught except the truth: do not offer temptation in your mildness of address.
نرم گو لیکن مگو غیر صواب ** وسوسه مفروش در لین الخطاب
The time of afternoon is come: cut short the discourse, O thou whose expression (of the hidden truth) makes (the people of) the age acquainted (with reality).
وقت عصر آمد سخن کوتاه کن ** ای که عصرت عصر را آگاه کن
Do thou tell the clay-eater that sugar is better: do not show injurious softness, do not give him clay.
گو تو مر گل‌خواره را که قند به ** نرمی فاسد مکن طینش مده
Speech would be a spiritual garden to the soul, if it were independent of letters and sounds.3820
نطق جان را روضه‌ی جانیستی ** گر ز حرف و صوت مستغنیستی
Oh, there is many a one in whom this donkey's head amidst the sugar plantation has fixed a thorn!
این سر خر در میان قندزار ** ای بسا کس را که بنهادست خار
He, (seeing it) from afar, supposed that it (the sugar-plantation) is just that (donkey's head), nothing more; (so) he was retiring, like a ram vanquished in fight.
ظن ببرد از دور کان آنست و بس ** چون قج مغلوب وا می‌رفت پس
Know for sure that the (literal) form (of speech) is (like) that donkey's head in the vineyard and highest Paradise of the spiritual reality.
صورت حرف آن سر خر دان یقین ** در رز معنی و فردوس برین
O Ziyá’u ’l-Haqq Husámu’ddín, bring this donkey's head into that melon-field,
ای ضیاء الحق حسام الدین در آر ** این سر خر را در آن بطیخ‌زار
In order that, when the donkey's head has died to (has passed beyond) the skinning-place, that kitchen may bestow on it another growth (a spiritual regeneration).3825
تا سر خر چون بمرد از مسلخه ** نشو دیگر بخشدش آن مطبخه
Hark, the shaping (of the poem) is from me, and the spirit (of it) from thee; nay, (I spoke) in error: truly both this and that are from thee.
هین ز ما صورت‌گری و جان ز تو ** نه غلط هم این خود و هم آن ز تو
Thou art glorified in Heaven, O conspicuous Sun: be thou also glorified on earth unto everlasting,
بر فلک محمودی ای خورشید فاش ** بر زمین هم تا ابد محمود باش
That the inhabitant of the earth may become one in heart and one in aim and one in nature with the sublime celestial.
تا زمینی با سمایی بلند ** یک‌دل و یک‌قبله و یک‌خو شوند
(Then) separation and polytheism and duality will disappear: in real existence there is (only) unity.
تفرقه برخیزد و شرک و دوی ** وحدتست اندر وجود معنوی
When my spirit (fully) recognises thy spirit, they (both) remember their being one in the past,3830
چون شناسد جان من جان ترا ** یاد آرند اتحاد ماجری
And on the earth become (as) Moses and Aaron, sweetly mingled like milk and honey.
موسی و هارون شوند اندر زمین ** مختلط خوش هم‌چو شیر و انگبین
When it (my spirit) recognises (thy spirit) a little and (then) denies (it), its denial becomes a veil covering (the truth).
چون شناسد اندک و منکر شود ** منکری‌اش پرده‌ی ساتر شود
Many a one who recognised (part of the truth) averted his face: that Moon was angered by his ingratitude.
پس شناسایی بگردانید رو ** خشم کرد آن مه ز ناشکری او
Hence the evil spirit became unable to recognise the spirit of the Prophet and turned on its heel.
زین سبب جان نبی را جان بد ** ناشناسا گشت و پشت پای زد
You have read all this: read (the Súra beginning with the words) Lam yakun, that you may know the obstinacy of that old infidel.3835
این همه خواندی فرو خوان لم یکن ** تا بدانی لج این گبر کهن
Ere the (bodily) form of Ahmad (Mohammed) displayed its glory, the description of him (in the Pentateuch and the Gospel) was a phylactery for every infidel.
پیش از آنک نقش احمد فر نمود ** نعت او هر گبر را تعویذ بود
“There is some one like this” (they said): “(let us wait) till he shall appear”; and their hearts were throbbing at the imagination of (seeing) his face.
کین چنین کس هست تا آید پدید ** از خیال روش دلشان می‌طپید
They were prostrating themselves (in prayer), crying, “O Lord of mankind, wilt Thou bring him before our eyes as quickly as may be?”
سجده می‌کردند کای رب بشر ** در عیان آریش هر چه زودتر
(This they did) in order that, by asking (God) to grant them victory in the name of Ahmad, their enemies might be overthrown.
تا به نام احمد از یستفتحون ** یاغیانشان می‌شدندی سرنگون
Whenever a formidable war arose, Ahmad's pertinacity in onset was always their succour;3840