Come, O Radiance of God, Husámu’ddín, O polisher of the spirit and sovereign of the Way to salvation,
ای ضیاء الحق حسام‌الدین بیا ** ای صقال روح و سلطان الهدی
Give the Mathnawí a free and open course, endow the outward form of its parables with the spirit (of life),
مثنوی را مسرح مشروح ده ** صورت امثال او را روح ده
That all its words may become reason and soul and may fly towards the soul's everlasting abode.185
تا حروفش جمله عقل و جان شوند ** سوی خلدستان جان پران شوند
(’Twas) through thy efforts (that) they came from the (world of) spirits into the trap of words and were confined (there).
هم به سعی تو ز ارواح آمدند ** سوی دام حرف و مستحقن شدند
May thy life in the world be like (that of) Khadir, soul-increasing and help giving and perpetual!
باد عمرت در جهان هم‌چون خضر ** جان‌فزا و دستگیر و مستمر
Like Khadir and Ilyás, mayst thou remain in the world (for ever), that by thy grace earth may become heaven!
چون خضر و الیاس مانی در جهان ** تا زمین گردد ز لطفت آسمان
I would declare a hundredth part of thy grace, were it not for the vainglory of the evil eye;
گفتمی از لطف تو جزوی ز صد ** گر نبودی طمطراق چشم بد
But from the evil venomous eye I have suffered spirit-crushing strokes.190
لیک از چشم بد زهراب دم ** زخمهای روح‌فرسا خورده‌ام
(Therefore) I will not give an eloquent description of thy state except allusively, by telling of the state of others.
جز به رمز ذکر حال دیگران ** شرح حالت می‌نیارم در بیان
(Really, however) this pretext too is one of the lures of the heart whereby the feet of the heart are (caught) in a mire.
این بهانه هم ز دستان دلیست ** که ازو پاهای دل اندر گلیست
Hundreds of hearts and souls are in love with the Maker, (but) the evil eye or the evil ear has hindered (them from seeking union with Him).
صد دل و جان عاشق صانع شده ** چشم بد یا گوش بد مانع شده
One (of them), indeed, (is) Bú Tálib, the Prophet's uncle: to him the revilement of the Arabs seemed terrible,
خود یکی بوطالب آن عم رسول ** می‌نمودش شنعه‌ی عربان مهول
For (he thought), “What will the Arabs say of me? (They will say), ‘At the bidding of his nephew he has changed the (traditional) custom on which we rely.’”195
که چه گویندم عرب کز طفل خود ** او بگردانید دیدن معتمد
He (the Prophet) said to him, “O uncle, pronounce once the profession of faith, that I may plead with God for thee.”
گفتش ای عم یک شهادت تو بگو ** تا کنم با حق خصومت بهر تو
He (Bú Tálib) said, “But it will be spread abroad by hearsay: every secret that passes beyond the two (who share it) becomes common talk.
گفت لیکن فاش گردد ازسماع ** کل سر جاوز الاثنین شاع
I shall remain (a laughing-stock) on the tongues of these Arabs: because of this I shall become despicable in their sight.”
من بمانم در زبان این عرب ** پش ایشان خوار گردم زین سبب
But if the predestined grace had been (granted) to him, how should this faintheartedness have existed (simultaneously) with God's pull (towards Himself)?
لیک گر بودیش لطف ما سبق ** کی بدی این بددلی با جذب حق
O Thou who art the Help of those who seek help, help (me to escape) from this pillory of wicked acts of free-will.200
الغیاث ای تو غیاث المستغیث ** زین دو شاخه‌ی اختیارات خبیث
By the heart's deceit and guile I have been so discomfited that I am left unable (even) to lament.
من ز دستان و ز مکر دل چنان ** مات گشتم که بماندم از فغان
Who am I? Heaven, with its hundred (mighty) businesses, cried out for help against this ambush of free-will,
من که باشم چرخ با صد کار و بار ** زین کمین فریاد کرد از اختیار
Saying, “Deliver me from this pillory of free-will, O gracious and long-suffering Lord!
که ای خداوند کریم و بردبار ** ده امانم زین دو شاخه‌ی اختیار
The one-way pull on the straight Path is better than the two ways of perplexity, O gracious One.
جذب یک راهه‌ی صراط المستقیم ** به ز دو راه تردد ای کریم
Although Thou art the entire (only) goal of these two ways, yet indeed this duality is agonising to the spirit.205
زین دو ره گرچه همه مقصد توی ** لیک خود جان کندن آمد این دوی
Although the destination of these two ways is unto Thee alone, yet the battle is never like the banquet.”
زین دو ره گرچه به جز تو عزم نیست ** لیک هرگز رزم هم‌چون بزم نیست
Hearken to the explanation thereof given by God in the Qur’án, (namely) the Verse they shrank from bearing it.