(’Twas as though) a fish parched (for want of water) fell into the sea, (or) a caravan that had lost its way struck the right road.1065
ماهی پژمرده در بحر اوفتاد ** کاروان گم شده زد بر رشاد
If the words which the Prophet addressed (to him) at that moment should fall upon (the ears of) Night, it (Night) would cease from being night;
آن خطاباتی که گفت آن دم نبی ** گر زند بر شب بر آید از شبی
Night would become day radiant as dawn: I cannot express (the real meaning of) that mystic allocution.
روز روشن گردد آن شب چون صباح ** من نتوانم باز گفت آن اصطلاح
You yourself know what (words) a sun, in (the sign of) Aries, speaks to the plants and the date-palms;
خود تو دانی که آفتابی در حمل ** تا چه گوید با نبات و با دقل
You yourself, too, know what the limpid water is saying to the sweet herbs and the sapling.
خود تو دانی هم که آن آب زلال ** می چه گوید با ریاحین و نهال
The doing of God towards all the particles of the world is like the words (spells) breathed by enchanters.1070
صنع حق با جمله اجزای جهان ** چون دم و حرفست از افسون‌گران
The Divine attraction holds a hundred discourses with the effects and secondary causes, without (uttering) a word or (moving) a lip.
جذب یزدان با اثرها و سبب ** صد سخن گوید نهان بی‌حرف و لب
Not that the production of effects by the Divine decree is not actual; but His production of effects thereby is inconceivable to reason.
نه که تاثیر از قدر معمول نیست ** لیک تاثیرش ازو معقول نیست
Since reason has learned by rote (from the prophets) in regard to the fundamentals, know O trifler, that it (also) learns by rote in regard to the derivatives.
چون مقلد بود عقل اندر اصول ** دان مقلد در فروعش ای فضول
If reason should ask how the aim may be (attained), say, “In a manner that thou knowest not, and (so) farewell!”
گر بپرسد عقل چون باشد مرام ** گو چنانک تو ندانی والسلام
How Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, reproached the Siddíq, may God be pleased with him, saying, “I enjoined thee to buy in partnership with me: why hast thou bought for thyself alone?” and his (the Siddíq's) excuse.
معاتبه‌ی مصطفی علیه‌السلام با صدیق رضی الله عنه کی ترا وصیت کردم کی به شرکت من بخر تو چرا بهر خود تنها خریدی و عذر او
He (the Prophet) said, “Why, O Siddíq, I told thee to make me the partner in (thy) generosity.”1075
گفت ای صدیق آخر گفتمت ** که مرا انباز کن در مکرمت
He replied, “We are two slaves in thy street: I set him free for thy sake.
گفت ما دو بندگان کوی تو ** کردمش آزاد من بر روی تو
Keep me as thy slave and loyal friend: I want no freedom, beware (of thinking so)!
تو مرا می‌دار بنده و یار غار ** هیچ آزادی نخواهم زینهار
For my freedom consists in being thy slave: without thee, tribulation and injustice are (inflicted) on me.
که مرا از بندگیت آزادیست ** بی‌تو بر من محنت و بیدادیست
O thou who through being the chosen (Prophet) hast brought the (whole) world to life and hast made the common folk to be the elect, especially me,
ای جهان را زنده کرده ز اصطفا ** خاص کرده عام را خاصه مرا
In my youth my spirit used to dream that the orb of the sun salaamed to me,1080
خوابها می‌دید جانم در شباب ** که سلامم کرد قرص آفتاب
And lifted me up from earth to heaven: by mounting (so) high I had become its fellow-traveller.
از زمینم بر کشید او بر سما ** همره او گشته بودم ز ارتقا
I said (to myself), ‘This is an hallucination and absurd: how should absurdity ever become actuality?’
گفتم این ماخولیا بود و محال ** هیچ گردد مستحیلی وصف حال
When I beheld thee I beheld myself: blessings on that mirror goodly in its ways!
چون ترا دیدم بدیدم خویش را ** آفرین آن آینه‌ی خوش کیش را
When I beheld thee, the absurd became actual for me: my spirit was submerged in the Glory.
چون ترا دیدم محالم حال شد ** جان من مستغرق اجلال شد
When I beheld thee, O Spirit of the world, verily love for this (earthly) sun fell from mine eye.1085
چون ترا دیدم خود ای روح البلاد ** مهر این خورشید از چشمم فتاد
By thee mine eye was endowed with lofty aspiration: it looks not on the (earthly) garden save with contempt.
گشت عالی‌همت از نو چشم من ** جز به خواری نگردد اندر چمن
I sought light: verily I beheld the Light of light. I sought the houri: verily (in thee) I beheld an object of envy to the houri.
نور جستم خود بدیدم نور نور ** حور جستم خود بدیدم رشک حور
I sought a Joseph comely and with limbs (white as) silver: in thee I beheld an assembly of Josephs.
یوسفی جستم لطیف و سیم تن ** یوسفستانی بدیدم در تو من
I was (engaged) in searching after Paradise: from every part of thee a Paradise appeared (to me).
در پی جنت بدم در جست و جو ** جنتی بنمود از هر جزو تو