They (your hearers) nod their heads in your presence for (the purpose of assenting to) you: your time is wasted in the passionate desire of (attracting) them.
سر بجنبانند پیشت بهر تو ** رفت در سودای ایشان دهر تو
You say to me, ‘Don't indulge in envy,’ (but) how should any one feel envy in consequence of losing naught?
تو مرا گویی حسد اندر مپیچ ** چه حسد آرد کسی از فوت هیچ
O impudent man, instruction given to the worthless is like drawing a little design on a clod of earth.
هست تعلیم خسان ای چشم‌شوخ ** هم‌چو نقش خرد کردن بر کلوخ
Instruct thyself in love (of God) and (spiritual) insight; for that is like a design (engraved) on a solid mass of stone.
خویش را تعلیم کن عشق و نظر ** که آن بود چون نقش فی جرم الحجر
Your own self is the (only) pupil that is (really) faithful to you: (all) the others perish: where will you seek them, where?3195
نفس تو با تست شاگرد وفا ** غیر فانی شد کجا جویی کجا
In order that you may make others erudite and eminent, you are making yourself evil-natured and empty (of true knowledge).
تا کنی مر غیر را حبر و سنی ** خویش را بدخو و خالی می‌کنی
(But) when your heart is united with that Eden (of Reality), hark, speak on, and be not afraid of becoming empty.
متصل چون شد دلت با آن عدن ** هین بگو مهراس از خالی شدن
Hence the (Divine) command, ‘Speak!’ came to him (the Prophet), saying, ‘O righteous one, it will not fail: this is an (infinite) ocean.’
امر قل زین آمدش کای راستین ** کم نخواهد شد بگو دریاست این
(God said), ‘Be ye silent,’ that is, ‘do not waste your water in idle talk, for the orchard is dry-lipped (thirsty).’
انصتوا یعنی که آبت را بلاغ ** هین تلف کم کن که لب‌خشکست باغ
This discourse hath no end, O father: leave this discourse and consider the end.3200
این سخن پایان ندارد ای پدر ** این سخن را ترک کن پایان نگر
I am not jealous that they (your pupils) stand (listening) in your presence: they are (really) mocking you, they are not lovers.
غیرتم آید که پیشت بیستند ** بر تو می‌خندند عاشق نیستند
Behold your (true) lovers behind the veil of the (Divine) Bounty, crying aloud for you continually.
عاشقانت در پس پرده‌ی کرم ** بهر تو نعره‌زنان بین دم بدم
Be the lover of those unseen lovers: do not cherish the lovers who last (no more than) five days;
عاشق آن عاشقان غیب باش ** عاشقان پنج روزه کم تراش
For they have devoured you by means of a (great) deceit and attraction (exerted upon you), and during (many) years you have never seen a grain (of profit) from them.
که بخوردندت ز خدعه و جذبه‌ای ** سالها زیشان ندیدی حبه‌ای
How long will you set up a show on the public road? You are footsore (with travel), and no desire (of yours) has been fulfilled.3205
چند هنگامه نهی بر راه عام ** گام خستی بر نیامد هیچ کام
When you enjoy good health all of them are your friends and comrades, (but) in the hour of pain and sorrow where is any familiar friend but God?
وقت صحت جمله یارند و حریف ** وقت درد و غم به جز حق کو الیف
In the hour of eye-ache or toothache will any one take your hand (to help) except Him who comes at the cry of distress?
وقت درد چشم و دندان هیچ کس ** دست تو گیرد به جز فریاد رس
Therefore (always) recollect that sickness and pain: take warning (from it), like Ayáz from that sheepskin jacket.
پس همان درد و مرض را یاد دار ** چون ایاز از پوستین کن اعتبار
Your experience of pain is the sheepskin jacket which Ayáz took into his hand.”
پوستین آن حالت درد توست ** که گرفتست آن ایاز آن را به دست
How the Necessitarian infidel again replied to the Sunní who was inviting him to accept Islam and abandon his belief in Necessity, and how the debate was prolonged on both sides; for this difficult and controversial matter cannot be decided except by the real love that has no further interest in it—“and that is God's grace: He bestows it on whom He pleases.”
باز جواب گفتن آن کافر جبری آن سنی را کی باسلامش دعوت می‌کرد و به ترک اعتقاد جبرش دعوت می‌کرد و دراز شدن مناظره از طرفین کی ماده‌ی اشکال و جواب را نبرد الا عشق حقیقی کی او را پروای آن نماند و ذلک فضل الله یتیه من یشاء
The Necessitarian infidel began his reply, by which that eloquent man (the Sunní) was confounded;3210
کافر جبری جواب آغاز کرد ** که از آن حیران شد آن منطیق مرد
But if I relate all those answers and questions, I shall be unable to get on with this Discourse.
لیک گر من آن جوابات و سال ** جمله را گویم بمانم زین مقال
We have things of greater importance to say, whereby your understanding will obtain a better clue.
زان مهم‌تر گفتنیها هستمان ** که بدان فهم تو به یابد نشان
We have told (only) a little of that disputation, O fierce debater, (but) from a little (part) the principle of the whole is evident.
اندکی گفتیم زان بحث ای عتل ** ز اندکی پیدا بود قانون کل
Similarly, there is a disputation, (which will continue) till mankind are raised from the dead, between the Necessitarians and the partisans of (absolute) Freewill.
هم‌چنین بحثست تا حشر بشر ** در میان جبری و اهل قدر
If he (the disputant of either party) had been incapable of refuting his adversary, their (respective) doctrines would have fallen out of sight (would have failed to maintain themselves),3215
گر فرو ماندی ز دفع خصم خویش ** مذهب ایشان بر افتادی ز پیش