Beyond any doubt, negation (not-being) is the opposite of (real) being, (and this is) in order that by means of the (one) opposite you may gain a little knowledge of the (other) opposite.
نفی ضد هست باشد بی‌شکی ** تا ز ضد ضد را بدانی اندکی
At this time there is no (means of) making (God) known except (by) denying the opposite: in this (earthly) life no moment is without a snare.
این زمان جز نفی ضد اعلام نیست ** اندرین نشات دمی بی‌دام نیست
O you who possess sincerity, (if) you want that (Reality) unveiled, choose death and tear off the veil—
بی‌حجابت باید آن ای ذو لباب ** مرگ را بگزین و بر دران حجاب
Not such a death that you will go into a grave, (but) a death consisting of (spiritual) transformation, so that you will go into a Light.
نه چنان مرگی که در گوری روی ** مرگ تبدیلی که در نوری روی
(When) a man grows up, his childhood dies; (when) he becomes a (fair-complexioned) Greek, he washes out the dye (swarthy colour) of the Ethiopian.740
مرد بالغ گشت آن بچگی بمرد ** رومیی شد صبغت زنگی سترد
(When) earth becomes gold, its earthly aspect remains not; (when) sorrow becomes joy, the thorn of sorrowfulness remains not.
خاک زر شد هیات خاکی نماند ** غم فرج شد خار غمناکی نماند
Hence Mustafá (Mohammed) said, “O seeker of the mysteries, (if) you wish to see a dead man living—
مصطفی زین گفت کای اسرارجو ** مرده را خواهی که بینی زنده تو
Walking on the earth, like living men; (yet he is) dead and his spirit is gone to heaven;
می‌رود چون زندگان بر خاکدان ** مرده و جانش شده بر آسمان
(One) whose spirit hath a dwelling-place on high at this moment, (so that) if he die, his spirit is not translated,
جانش را این دم به بالا مسکنیست ** گر بمیرد روح او را نقل نیست
Because it has been translated before death: this (mystery) is understood (only) by dying, not by (using one's) reason;745
زانک پیش از مرگ او کردست نقل ** این بمردن فهم آید نه به عقل
Translation it is, (but) not like the translation of the spirits of the vulgar: it resembles a removal (during life) from one place to another—
نقل باشد نه چو نقل جان عام ** هم‌چو نقلی از مقامی تا مقام
If any one wish to see a dead man walking thus visibly on the earth,
هرکه خواهد که ببیند بر زمین ** مرده‌ای را می‌رود ظاهر چنین
Let him behold Abú Bakr, the devout, (who) through being a true witness (siddíq) became the Prince of the Resurrected.
مر ابوبکر تقی را گو ببین ** شد ز صدیقی امیرالمحشرین
In this (earthly) life look at the Siddíq (Abú Bakr), that you may believe more firmly in the Resurrection.”
اندرین نشات نگر صدیق را ** تا به حشر افزون کنی تصدیق را
Mohammed, then, was a hundred (spiritual) resurrections here and now, for he was dissolved (naughted) in dying to (temporal) loosing and binding.750
پس محمد صد قیامت بود نقد ** زانک حل شد در فنای حل و عقد
Ahmad (Mohammed) is the twice-born in this world: he was manifestly a hundred resurrections.
زاده‌ی ثانیست احمد در جهان ** صد قیامت بود او اندر عیان
They asked him concerning the Resurrection, saying, “O (thou who art the) Resurrection, how long is the way to the Resurrection?”
زو قیامت را همی‌پرسیده‌اند ** ای قیامت تا قیامت راه چند
And often he would say with mute eloquence, “Does any one ask (me who am) the Resurrection concerning the Resurrection?”
با زبان حال می‌گفتی بسی ** که ز محشر حشر را پرسید کسی
Hence the Messenger of good tidings said, (speaking) symbolically, “Die before ye die, O nobles,
بهر این گفت آن رسول خوش‌پیام ** رمز موتوا قبل موت یا کرام
Even as I have died before death and brought from Yonder this fame and renown.”755
هم‌چنانک مرده‌ام من قبل موت ** زان طرف آورده‌ام این صیت و صوت
Do thou, then, become the (spiritual) resurrection and (thereby) see (experience) the resurrection: this (becoming) is the necessary condition for seeing (knowing and experiencing the real nature of) anything.
پس قیامت شو قیامت را ببین ** دیدن هر چیز را شرطست این
Until thou become it, thou wilt not know it completely, whether it be light or darkness.
تا نگردی او ندانی‌اش تمام ** خواه آن انوار باشد یا ظلام
(If) thou become Reason, thou wilt know Reason perfectly; if thou become Love, thou wilt know Love's (flaming) wick.
عقل گردی عقل را دانی کمال ** عشق گردی عشق را دانی ذبال
I would declare plainly the proof of this assertion, if there were an understanding fit to receive it.
گفتمی برهان این دعوی مبین ** گر بدی ادراک اندر خورد این
Figs are very cheap in this vicinity, if a fig-eating bird should arrive as a guest.760
هست انجیر این طرف بسیار و خوار ** گر رسد مرغی قنق انجیرخوار