If He make me a fountain, I give water; and if He make me fire, I give heat.
گر مرا چشمه کند آبی هم ** ور مرا آتش کند تابی دهم
If He make rain of me, I give a cornstack; and if He make an arrow of me, I dart into the body.
گر مرا باران کند خرمن دهم ** ور مرا ناوک کند در تن جهم
If He make me a snake (márí), I emit venom; and if He make me a friend (yárí), I do (kindly) service.
گر مرا ماری کند زهر افکنم ** ور مرا یاری کند خدمت کنم
I am as a pen between His two fingers: I am not a waverer in the ranks of obedience (to Him).”1690
من چو کلکم در میان اصبعین ** نیستم در صف طاعت بین بین
He (Azrael) engaged the Earth in (this) discourse, (and meanwhile) he snatched from the old Earth a handful (of clay).
خاک را مشغول کرد او در سخن ** یک کفی بربود از آن خاک کهن
(Deftly) like a magician he snatched it from the Earth, (whilst) the Earth was absorbed, like those beside themselves, in (listening to) his words.
ساحرانه در ربود از خاکدان ** خاک مشغول سخن چون بی‌خودان
He brought the inconsiderate clay to God: (he brought) the runaway (back) to school.
برد تا حق تربت بی‌رای را ** تا به مکتب آن گریزان پای را
God said, “(I swear) by My resplendent knowledge, I will make thee the executioner of these (My) creatures.”
گفت یزدان که به علم روشنم ** که ترا جلاد این خلقان کنم
He replied, “O Lord, Thy creatures will regard me as their enemy when I strangle them at death.1695
گفت یا رب دشمنم گیرند خلق ** چون فشارم خلق را در مرگ حلق
Dost Thou deem it right, O exalted Lord, to make me hated and like a foe in appearance?”
تو روا داری خداوند سنی ** که مرا مبغوض و دشمن‌رو کنی
He (God) said, “I will bring into clear view certain causes, (such as) fever and dysentery and phrenitis and spear(-wounds);
گفت اسبابی پدید آرم عیان ** از تب و قولنج و سرسام و سنان
For (so) I will turn their attention from thee to the diseases and threefold causes (of death).”
که بگردانم نظرشان را ز تو ** در مرضها و سببهای سه تو
He (Azrael) replied, “O Lord, there are also servants (of Thine) who rend (shatter the illusion of) causes, O Almighty.”
گفت یا رب بندگان هستند نیز ** که سببها را بدرند ای عزیز
Their eye pierces through the cause: by the grace of the Lord, it has passed beyond (all) veils.1700
چشمشان باشد گذاره از سبب ** در گذشته از حجب از فضل رب
It has obtained the collyrium of Unity from the oculist of ecstasy and has been delivered from ailment and infirmity.
سرمه‌ی توحید از کحال حال ** یافته رسته ز علت و اعتلال
They do not look at fever and dysentery and consumption: they do not admit these causes into their heart;
ننگرند اندر تب و قولنج و سل ** راه ندهند این سببها را به دل
For every one of these diseases has its cure: when it becomes incurable, that is the act of the (Divine) Decree.
زانک هر یک زین مرضها را دواست ** چون دوا نپذیرد آن فعل قضاست
Know for certain that every disease has its cure, as (for example) a fur is the cure for the pain of cold;
هر مرض دارد دوا می‌دان یقین ** چون دوای رنج سرما پوستین
(Yet), when God wills that a man shall be frozen, the cold penetrates even a hundred furs1705
چون خدا خواهد که مردی بفسرد ** سردی از صد پوستین هم بگذرد
And puts into his body a tremor that will not be made better by (wrapping himself in) clothes or by (snuggling in) the house.
در وجودش لرزه‌ای بنهد که آن ** نه به جامه به شود نه از آشیان
When the Decree comes, the physician is made foolish, and the medicine too loses its beneficial effect.
چون قضا آید طبیب ابله شود ** وان دوا در نفع هم گمره شود
How should the perception of the (mystic) seer be veiled by these (secondary) causes, which are a veil to catch the dolt?
کی شود محجوب ادراک بصیر ** زین سببهای حجاب گول‌گیر
When the eye is quite perfect, it sees the root (origin); when a man is squint-eyed, it sees the branch (derivative).
اصل بیند دیده چون اکمل بود ** فرع بیند چونک مرد احول بود
The (Divine) answer, (namely), “One who does not regard causes and diseases and sword-wounds will likewise pay no regard to thy action, O Azrael, for thou too art a (secondary) cause, although thou art more concealed than those (other) causes.” And maybe it (the real nature of Azrael) is not concealed from the sick (dying) man, for He (God) is nigher to him than ye are, but ye do not see.
جواب آمدن کی آنک نظر او بر اسباب و مرض و زخم تیغ نیاید بر کار تو عزرائیل هم نیاید کی تو هم سببی اگر چه مخفی‌تری از آن سببها و بود کی بر آن رنجور مخفی نباشد کی و هو اقرب الیه منکم و لکن لا تبصرون
God said, “He who perceives the origin (does not regard the derivative): how, then, should he be conscious of thy intervention?1710
گفت یزدان آنک باشد اصل دان ** پس ترا کی بیند او اندر میان
Although thou hast concealed thyself (thy real nature) from the vulgar, still to the clear-eyed (mystics) thou art (no more than) a veil (instrument).”
گرچه خویش را عامه پنهان کرده‌ای ** پیش روشن‌دیدگان هم پرده‌ای