Night has wrecked the ship of (my) understanding and senses: no hope is left, nor fear nor despair.
شب شکسته کشتی فهم و حواس ** نه امیدی مانده نه خوف و نه یاس
God has borne me into the sea of Mercy: (I know not) with what specialty He will fill me and send me (back to the world).
برده در دریای رحمت ایزدم ** تا ز چه فن پر کند بفرستدم
He fills one with the light of Majesty, while He fills another with (vain) imagination and fancy.
آن یکی را کرده پر نور جلال ** وآن دگر را کرده پر وهم و خیال
If I had any judgement and skill by myself, my judgement and forethought would be under my control;
گر بخویشم هیچ رای و فن بدی ** رای و تدبیرم به حکم من بدی
At night my consciousness would not go (from me) without my bidding, and my birds (senses and faculties) would be under my trap.2325
شب نرفتی هوش بی‌فرمان من ** زیر دام من بدی مرغان من
I should be aware of the stages (of the journey) of the soul (both) at the time of sleep and unconsciousness and (at the time of) tribulation.
بودمی آگه ز منزلهای جان ** وقت خواب و بیهشی و امتحان
Inasmuch as my hand is (made) empty by this (sovereign) power of His to loose and bind, oh, I wonder, from whom comes this self-conceit of mine?
چون کفم زین حل و عقد او تهیست ** ای عجب این معجبی من ز کیست
I have even deemed that what I saw was not seen (by me), and (like a beggar) I have again held up the basket of invocation.
دیده را نادیده خود انگاشتم ** باز زنبیل دعا برداشتم
Like alif, I possess nothing, O Gracious One, except a heart more constricted with anguish than the eye of mim.
چون الف چیزی ندارم ای کریم ** جز دلی دلتنگ‌تر از چشم میم
This alif and this mím are the mother (umm) of our existence: the mím of umm is narrow (distressful), and the alif is (begging for deliverance) from it (like) a sturdy beggar.2330
این الف وین میم ام بود ماست ** میم ام تنگست الف زو نر گداست
(The state denoted by) ‘alif possesses nothing’ is forgetfulness (unconsciousness); the distressful mím is (denotes) the time of rationality (consciousness).
آن الف چیزی ندارد غافلیست ** میم دلتنگ آن زمان عاقلیست
During the time of unconsciousness I am nothing at all; during the time of consciousness I am in torment.
در زمان بیهشی خود هیچ من ** در زمان هوش اندر پیچ من
Do not lay another nothing upon a nothing like this; do not put the name of ‘(worldly) fortune’ upon a torment like this.
هیچ دیگر بر چنین هیچی منه ** نام دولت بر چنین پیچی منه
Truly (the state of) ‘I possess nothing’ suits me better, since these hundred troubles arise from imagining that I possess (something).
خود ندارم هیچ به سازد مرا ** که ز وهم دارم است این صد عنا
Just in (the state where) I possess nothing do Thou act in sovereign fashion towards me. I have suffered pain: do Thou increase my pleasure.2335
در ندارم هم تو داراییم کن ** رنج دیدم راحت‌افزاییم کن
I will just stand naked in (a flood of) tears at Thy gate, since I have no sight.
هم در آب دیده عریان بیستم ** بر در تو چونک دیده نیستم
Do Thou bestow on the tears of Thy sightless slave a verdure and vegetation from this (bountiful) pasture;
آب دیده‌ی بنده‌ی بی‌دیده را ** سبزه‌ای بخش و نباتی زین چرا
And if I leave no tears (in my eyes), do Thou give me tears (flowing abundantly) from an eye like the two streaming eyes of the Prophet.
ور نمانم آب آبم ده ز عین ** هم‌چو عینین نبی هطالتین
Since he, with all that high fortune and majesty and pre-eminence, sought tears from the bounty of God,
او چو آب دیده جست از جود حق ** با چنان اقبال و اجلال و سبق
How should not I, an empty-handed destitute lick-platter, spin fine webs of blood-stained tears?2340
چون نباشم ز اشک خون باریک‌ریس ** من تهی‌دست قصور کاسه‌لیس
Inasmuch as an eye like that (of the Prophet) is enamoured of tears, it behoves my tears to be (like) a hundred great rivers.”
چون چنان چشم اشک را مفتون بود ** اشک من باید که صد جیحون بود
A single drop of those (tears) is better than these two hundred great rivers, for by that single drop mankind and the Jinn were saved.
قطره‌ای زان زین دو صد جیحون به است ** که بدان یک قطره انس و جن برست
Since that Garden of Paradise sought rain, how should not the foul briny soil seek water?
چونک باران جست آن روضه‌ی بهشت ** چون نجوید آب شوره‌خاک زشت
O comrade, do not refrain from invoking (God): what business do you have with His acceptance or rejection (of your prayer)?
ای اخی دست از دعا کردن مدار ** با اجابت یا رد اویت چه کار
Since bread (worldliness) was the barrier and obstacle to this water (tears), you must quickly wash your hands of that bread.2345
نان که سد و مانع این آب بود ** دست از آن نان می‌بباید شست زود