The skin hides the defect of the bad kernel; it (also) hides jealously the secrets of the good kernel.
پوست باشد مغز بد را عیب پوش ** مغز نیکو را ز غیرت غیب پوش
When the pen is of wind and the scroll of water, whatever you write perishes speedily;
چون قلم از باد بد دفتر ز آب ** هر چه بنویسی فنا گردد شتاب
It is written on water: if you seek constancy from it, you will return biting your hands (in disappointment).1100
نقش آب است ار وفا جویی از آن ** باز گردی دستهای خود گزان
The wind in men is vanity and desire; when you have abandoned vanity, (then) is (the time for) the message from Him (God).
باد در مردم هوا و آرزوست ** چون هوا بگذاشتی پیغام هوست
Sweet are the messages of the Maker, for it (that message) from head to foot (from first to last) is enduring.
خوش بود پیغامهای کردگار ** کاو ز سر تا پای باشد پایدار
The khutbas for kings change (and pass), and their empire; (all will pass) except the empire and khutbas (insignia) of the prophets,
خطبه‌‌ی شاهان بگردد و آن کیا ** جز کیا و خطبه‌‌های انبیا
Because the pomp of kings is from (earthly) vanity, (while) the glorious privilege of the prophets is from (Divine) Majesty.
ز آن که بوش پادشاهان از هواست ** بار نامه‌‌ی انبیا از کبریاست
The names of kings are removed from the dirhems, (but) the name of Ahmad (Mohammed) is stamped on them for ever.1105
از درمها نام شاهان بر کنند ** نام احمد تا ابد بر می‌‌زنند
The name of Ahmad is the name of all the prophets: when the hundred comes (is counted), ninety is with us as well.
نام احمد نام جمله انبیاست ** چون که صد آمد نود هم پیش ماست
Further setting forth the stratagem of the hare.
هم در بیان مکر خرگوش
The hare made much delay in going; he rehearsed to himself the tricks (which he was about to play).
در شدن خرگوش بس تاخیر کرد ** مکر را با خویشتن تقریر کرد
After long delay he came on (took) the road, that he might say one or two secrets into the ear of the lion.
در ره آمد بعد تاخیر دراز ** تا به گوش شیر گوید یک دو راز
Think what words are in the core (inmost consciousness) of Reason.
تا چه عالمهاست در سودای عقل ** تا چه با پهناست این دریای عقل
In this sweet ocean our forms are moving fast, like cups on the surface of water:1110
صورت ما اندر این بحر عذاب ** می‌‌دود چون کاسه‌‌ها بر روی آب
Until they become full, (they float) like bowls on the top of the sea, (but) when the bowl is filled it sinks therein.
تا نشد پر بر سر دریا چو طشت ** چون که پر شد طشت در وی غرق گشت
Reason is hidden, and (only) a world (of phenomena) is visible: our forms are the waves or a spray of it (of that hidden ocean).
عقل پنهان است و ظاهر عالمی ** صورت ما موج یا از وی نمی
Whatsoever (thing) the form makes (uses as) a means of approach to It (to Reason), by that (same) means the ocean (of Reason) casts it (the form) far away.
هر چه صورت می وسیلت سازدش ** ز آن وسیلت بحر دور اندازدش
So long as the heart does not see the Giver of (its) conscience, so long as the arrow does not see the far-shooting Archer,
تا نبیند دل دهنده‌‌ی راز را ** تا نبیند تیر دور انداز را
He (who is thus blind) thinks his horse is lost, though (all the while) he is obstinately speeding his horse on the road.1115
اسب خود را یاوه داند وز ستیز ** می‌‌دواند اسب خود در راه تیز
That fine fellow thinks his horse is lost, while the horse in truth is sweeping him onward like the wind.
اسب خود را یاوه داند آن جواد ** و اسب خود او را کشان کرده چو باد
In lamentation and inquiry that scatterbrain (runs) from door to door in every direction, asking and searching:
در فغان و جستجو آن خیره‌‌سر ** هر طرف پرسان و جویان دربدر
“Where and who is he that stole my horse?” What is this (animal) under thy thigh, O master?
کان که دزدید اسب ما را کو و کیست ** این که زیر ران تست ای خواجه چیست
“Yes, this is the horse, but where is this horse?” O dexterous rider in search of thy horse, come to thyself!
آری این اسب است لیک این اسب کو ** با خود آ ای شهسوار اسب جو
The Spirit is lost (to view) because of its being so manifest and near: how, having thy belly full of water, art thou dry-lipped like a jar?1120
جان ز پیدایی و نزدیکی است گم ** چون شکم پر آب و لب خشکی چو خم
How wilt thou see red and green and russet, unless before (seeing) these three (colours) thou see the light?
کی ببینی سرخ و سبز و فور را ** تا نبینی پیش از این سه نور را
But since thy mind was lost (absorbed) in (perception of) the colour, those colours became to thee a veil from (debarred thee from contemplating) the light.
لیک چون در رنگ گم شد هوش تو ** شد ز نور آن رنگها رو پوش تو
Inasmuch as at night those colours were hidden, thou sawest that thy vision of the colour was (derived) from the light.
چون که شب آن رنگها مستور بود ** پس بدیدی دید رنگ از نور بود
There is no vision of colour without the external light: even so it is with the colour of inward phantasy.
نیست دید رنگ بی‌‌نور برون ** همچنین رنگ خیال اندرون
This outward (light) is (derived) from the sun and from Suhá, while the inward (light) is from the reflexion of the beams of (Divine) Glory.1125
این برون از آفتاب و از سها ** و اندرون از عکس انوار علی
The light which gives light to the eye is in truth the light of the heart: the light of the eye is produced by the light of hearts.
نور نور چشم خود نور دل است ** نور چشم از نور دلها حاصل است
Again, the light which gives light to the heart is the Light of God, which is pure and separate from the light of intellect and sense.
باز نور نور دل نور خداست ** کاو ز نور عقل و حس پاک و جداست
At night there was no light and thou didst not see the colours; then it (the light) was made manifest by the opposite of light (by darkness).
شب نبد نوری ندیدی رنگها ** پس به ضد نور پیدا شد ترا
(First) comes the seeing of light, then the seeing of colour; and this thou knowest immediately by the opposite of light (darkness).
دیدن نور است آن گه دید رنگ ** وین به ضد نور دانی بی‌‌درنگ
God created pain and sorrow for the purpose that happiness might be made manifest by means of this opposite.1130
رنج و غم را حق پی آن آفرید ** تا بدین ضد خوش دلی آید پدید
Hidden things, then, are manifested by means of their opposite; since God hath no opposite, He is hidden;
پس نهانیها به ضد پیدا شود ** چون که حق را نیست ضد پنهان بود
For the sight fell (first) on the light, then on the colour: opposite is made manifest by opposite, like Greeks and Ethiopians.
که نظر بر نور بود آن گه به رنگ ** ضد به ضد پیدا بود چون روم و زنگ
Therefore thou knewest light by its opposite: opposite reveals opposite in (the process of) coming forth.
پس به ضد نور دانستی تو نور ** ضد ضد را می‌‌نماید در صدور
The Light of God hath no opposite in (all) existence, that by means of that opposite it should be possible to make Him manifest:
نور حق را نیست ضدی در وجود ** تا به ضد او را توان پیدا نمود
Necessarily (therefore) our eyes do not perceive Him, though He perceives (us): see this (fact) from (the case of) Moses and the mountain (Sinai).1135
لاجرم أبصارنا لا تدرکه ** و هو یدرک بین تو از موسی و که
Know that form springs from spirit (reality) as the lion from the jungle, or as voice and speech from thought.
صورت از معنی چو شیر از بیشه دان ** یا چو آواز و سخن ز اندیشه دان
This speech and voice arose from thought; thou knowest not where is the sea of thought,
این سخن و آواز از اندیشه خاست ** تو ندانی بحر اندیشه کجاست
But since thou hast seen that the waves of speech are fair, thou knowest that their sea also is noble.
لیک چون موج سخن دیدی لطیف ** بحر آن دانی که باشد هم شریف
When the waves of thought sped on from (the sea of) Wisdom, it (Wisdom) made (for them) the form of speech and voice.
چون ز دانش موج اندیشه بتاخت ** از سخن و آواز او صورت بساخت
The form was born of the Word and died again, the wave drew itself back into the sea.1140
از سخن صورت بزاد و باز مرد ** موج خود را باز اندر بحر برد
The form came forth from Formlessness and went back (thither), for Verily unto Him are we returning.
صورت از بی‌‌صورتی آمد برون ** باز شد که إنا إليه راجعون
Every instant, then, thou art dying and returning: Mustafá declared that this world is (but) a moment.
پس ترا هر لحظه مرگ و رجعتی است ** مصطفی فرمود دنیا ساعتی است
Our thought is an arrow (shot) from Him (Hú) into the air (hawá): how should it stay in the air? It comes (back) to God.
فکر ما تیری است از هو در هوا ** در هوا کی پاید آید تا خدا
Every moment the world is renewed, and we are unaware of its being renewed whilst it remains (the same in appearance).
هر نفس نو می‌‌شود دنیا و ما ** بی‌‌خبر از نو شدن اندر بقا
Life is ever arriving anew, like the stream, though in the body it has the semblance of continuity.1145
عمر همچون جوی نو نو می‌‌رسد ** مستمری می‌‌نماید در جسد
From its swiftness it appears continuous, like the spark which thou whirlest rapidly with thy hand.
آن ز تیری مستمر شکل آمده ست ** چون شرر کش تیز جنبانی به دست
If thou whirl a firebrand with dexterity, it appears to the sight as a very long (line of) fire.
شاخ آتش را بجنبانی به ساز ** در نظر آتش نماید بس دراز