As (when) a mote of fire (falls) amidst forests, the (whole) forest passes away in that mote;3395
هم‌چو ز آتش ذره‌ای در بیشه‌ها ** اندر آن ذره شود بیشه فنا
(Or) as (when) a phantasy (appears) in the heart of a king or his army, (a phantasy which) destroyed his enemies in war.
چون خیالی در دل شه یا سپاه ** کرد اندر جنگ خصمان را تباه
A star (of Divine illumination) appeared in Mohammed, so that the substance of (the beliefs of) Magian and Jew passed away.
یک ستاره در محمد رخ نمود ** تا فنا شد گوهر گبر و جهود
He that received the Faith entered into security; the infidelities of the rest became (a matter on which there were) two opinions.
آنک ایمان یافت رفت اندر امان ** کفرهای باقیان شد دو گمان
At any rate, their first pure (entire) unbelief did not remain (with them): it (the star of Mohammed) planted (in them) either (formal acceptance of) Islam or a (great) dread (of it).
کفر صرف اولین باری نماند ** یا مسلمانی و یا بیمی نشاند
This (description of the Faith of Báyazíd) is a (mere) makeshift varnishing: these similes are not equivalent to the mote of (Divine light).3400
این به حیله آب و روغن کردنیست ** این مثلها کفو ذره‌ی نور نیست
A mote is only a paltry bodily thing: a mote is not the indivisible Sun.
ذره نبود جز حقیری منجسم ** ذره نبود شارق لا ینقسم
Know that (my) calling it (the Sun) a mote has a purpose hidden (from thee, for) thou art not familiar with the Sea: at present thou art (but) the foam.
گفتن ذره مرادی دان خفی ** محرم دریا نه‌ای این دم کفی
If the luminous sun of the Shaykh's Faith should display itself from the Orient of the Shaykh's spirit,
آفتاب نیر ایمان شیخ ** گر نماید رخ ز شرق جان شیخ
All below, down to the moist clay (beneath the earth's crust), would gain (abundant) treasure, and all above would gain a verdant Paradise.
جمله پستی گنج گیرد تا ثری ** جمله بالا خلد گیرد اخضری
He hath a spirit of resplendent light, he hath a body of despicable earth.3405
او یکی جان دارد از نور منیر ** او یکی تن دارد از خاک حقیر
Oh, I wonder whether he is this or that. Tell (me), uncle, for I am left (helpless) in this difficulty.
ای عجب اینست او یا آن بگو ** که بماندم اندرین مشکل عمو
O brother, if he is this, (then) what is that?—for the Seven Heavens are filled with its light—
گر وی اینست ای برادر چیست آن ** پر شده از نور او هفت آسمان
And if he is that (spirit), (then) what is this body, my friend? Oh, I wonder which of these twain he is and who?
ور وی آنست این بدن ای دوست چیست ** ای عجب زین دو کدامین است و کیست
Story of the woman who told her husband that the cat had eaten the meat, (whereupon) the husband put the cat in the balance (in order to weigh her). (Finding that) her weight amounted to half a “mann”, he said, “O wife, the meat weighed half a ‘mann’ and more. If this is the meat, where is the cat? Or if this is the cat, where is the meat?”
حکایت آن زن کی گفت شوهر را کی گوشت را گربه خورد شوهر گربه را به ترازو بر کشید گربه نیم من برآمد گفت ای زن گوشت نیم من بود و افزون اگر این گوشتست گربه کو و اگر این گربه است گوشت کو
There was a man, a householder, who had a very sneering, dirty, and rapacious wife.
بود مردی کدخدا او را زنی ** سخت طناز و پلید و ره‌زنی
Whatever (food) he brought (home), his wife would consume it, and the man was forced to keep silence.3410
هرچه آوردی تلف کردیش زن ** مرد مضطر بود اندر تن زدن
(One day) that family man brought home, for a guest, (some) meat (which he had procured) with infinite pains.
بهر مهمان گوشت آورد آن معیل ** سوی خانه با دو صد جهد طویل
His wife ate it up with kabáb and wine: (when) the man came in, she put him off with useless words.
زن بخوردش با کباب و با شراب ** مرد آمد گفت دفع ناصواب
The man said to her, “Where is the meat? The guest has arrived: one must set nice food before a guest.”
مرد گفتش گوشت کو مهمان رسید ** پیش مهمان لوت می‌باید کشید
“This cat has eaten the meat,” she replied: “hey, go and buy some more meat if you can!”
گفت زن این گربه خورد آن گوشت را ** گوشت دیگر خر اگر باشد هلا
He said (to the servant), “O Aybak, fetch the balance: I will weigh the cat.3415
گفت ای ایبک ترازو را بیار ** گربه را من بر کشم اندر عیار
He weighed her. The cat was half a mann. Then the man said, “O deceitful wife,
بر کشیدش بود گربه نیم من ** پس بگفت آن مرد کای محتال زن
The meat was half a mann and one sitír over; the cat is just half a mann, my lady.
گوشت نیم من بود و افزون یک ستیر ** هست گربه نیم‌من هم ای ستیر
If this is the cat, then where is the meat? Or, if this is the meat, where is the cat? Search (for her)!”
این اگر گربه‌ست پس آن گوشت کو ** ور بود این گوشت گربه کو بجو
If Báyazíd is this (body), what is that spirit? And if he is that spirit, who is this (bodily) image?
بایزید ار این بود آن روح چیست ** ور وی آن روحست این تصویر کیست