The Owner of the threshing-floor is saying (to the ant), “Hey, thou who in thy blindness deemest nothing something,
صاحب خرمن همیگوید که هی ** ای ز کوری پیش تو معدوم شی
Hast thou regarded that (alone) as belonging to My threshing-floors, so that thou art devoted with (all) thy soul to that (single) grain?”
تو ز خرمنهای ما آن دیدهای ** که در آن دانه به جان پیچیدهای
O thou who in semblance art (insignificant as) a mote, look at Saturn; thou art a lame ant: go, look at Solomon.810
ای به صورت ذره کیوان را ببین ** مور لنگی رو سلیمان را ببین
Thou art not this body: thou art that (spiritual) Eye. If thou hast beheld the spirit, thou art delivered from the body.
تو نهای این جسم تو آن دیدهای ** وا رهی از جسم گر جان دیدهای
Man (essentially) is eye: the rest (of him) is (mere) flesh and skin: whatsoever his eye has beheld, he is that thing.
آدمی دیدهست باقی گوشت و پوست ** هرچه چشمش دیده است آن چیز اوست
A jar will submerge a mountain with (its) water when the eye of the jar is open to the Sea.
کوه را غرقه کند یک خم ز نم ** منفذش چون باز باشد سوی یم
When from the soul (interior) of the jar a channel is made to the Sea, the jar will overwhelm the Jayhún (Oxus).
چون به دریا راه شد از جان خم ** خم با جیحون برآرد اشتلم
For that reason whatsoever the speech (voice) of Ahmad (Mohammed) may utter, the words are (really) uttered by the Sea.815
زان سبب قل گفتهی دریا بود ** هرچه نطق احمدی گویا بود
All his words were pearls of the Sea, for his heart had a passage into the Sea.
گفتهی او جمله در بحر بود ** که دلش را بود در دریا نفوذ
Since the bounty of the Sea is (poured) through our jar, what wonder (that) the Sea (itself) should be (contained) in a Fish?
داد دریا چون ز خم ما بود ** چه عجب در ماهیی دریا بود
The sensual eye is fixed on the form of the thoroughfare: thou art regarding it as a thoroughfare, but he (the Perfect Man) as a permanent abode.
چشم حس افسرد بر نقش ممر ** تش ممر میبینی و او مستقر
This dualism is characteristic of the eye that sees double; but (in reality) the first is the last and the last is the first.
این دوی اوصاف دید احولست ** ورنه اول آخر آخر اولست
Hark, by what means is this made known (to thee)? By means of the (spiritual) resurrection. Seek to experience (that) resurrection: do not dispute concerning (that) resurrection.820
هی ز چه معلوم گردد این ز بعث ** بعث را جو کم کن اندر بعث بحث
The (necessary) condition of (experiencing) the Day of Resurrection is to die first, for (the word) ba‘th (resurrection) is (signifies) “to raise to life from the dead.”
شرط روز بعث اول مردنست ** زانک بعث از مرده زنده کردنست
Hence all the world have taken the wrong way, for they are afraid of nonexistence, though it is (really) the refuge (in which they find salvation).
جمله عالم زین غلط کردند راه ** کز عدم ترسند و آن آمد پناه
Whence shall we seek (true knowledge? From renouncing (our false) knowledge. Whence shall we seek (true) peace? From renouncing peace (with our carnal selves).
از کجا جوییم علم از ترک علم ** از کجا جوییم سلم از ترک سلم
Whence shall we seek (real) existence? From renouncing (illusory) existence. Whence shall we seek the apple (of Truth)? From renouncing the hand (of self-assertion and self-interest).
از کجا جوییم هست از ترک هست ** از کجا جوییم سیب از ترک دست
O best Helper, only Thou canst make the eye that regards the non-existent to regard that which is (really) existent.825
هم تو تانی کرد یا نعم المعین ** دیدهی معدومبین را هست بین
The eye that was produced from non-existence regarded the Essence of (real) Being as wholly non-existent;
دیدهای کو از عدم آمد پدید ** ذات هستی را همه معدوم دید
(But), if (thy) two eyes are transformed and illumined, this well-ordered world becomes the scene of the Last Judgement.
این جهان منتظم محشر شود ** گر دو دیده مبدل و انور شود
These realities are shown forth imperfectly (here) because the apprehension of them is forbidden to these raw (ignorant) ones.
زان نماید این حقایق ناتمام ** که برین خامان بود فهمش حرام
Although God is munificent, the enjoyment of the delightful gardens ofParadise is forbidden to him who is destined for Hell.
نعمت جنات خوش بر دوزخمی ** شد محرم گرچه حق آمد سخی
The honey of Paradise becomes bitter in his mouth, since he was not (destined to be) one of them that faithfully keep the covenant of everlasting life.830
در دهانش تلخ آید شهد خلد ** چون نبود از وافیان در عهد خلد
Ye (worldly folk) also (who are engaged) in commerce—how should your hands move (to sell anything) when there is no buyer?
مر شما را نیز در سوداگری ** دست کی جنبد چو نبود مشتری
How should (idle) looking-on be capable of buying? The fool's looking-on is (not for buying, but merely for) loitering.
کی نظاره اهل بخریدن بود ** آن نظاره گول گردیدن بود