If thou wouldst not have the mind of thy spirit in (a state of) perplexity, do not stuff this cotton-wool into thy spiritual ear,
گر نخواهی در تردد هوش جان ** کم فشار این پنبه اندر گوش جان
So that thou mayst understand those riddles of His, so that thou mayst apprehend (both) the secret sign and the open.1460
تا کنی فهم آن معماهاش را ** تا کنی ادراک رمز و فاش را
Then the spiritual ear becomes the place where wahy (inspiration) descends. What is wahy? A speech hidden from sense-perception.
پس محل وحی گردد گوش جان ** وحی چه بود گفتنی از حس نهان
The spiritual ear and eye are other than this sense-perception, the ear of (discursive) reason and the ear of opinion are destitute of this (inspiration).
گوش جان و چشم جان جز این حس است ** گوش عقل و گوش ظن زین مفلس است
The word “compulsion” (jabr) made me impatient (uncontrollable) for love's sake, while it confined in (the prison of) compulsion him who is not a lover.
لفظ جبرم عشق را بی‌‌صبر کرد ** و آن که عاشق نیست حبس جبر کرد
This is union with God, and it is not compulsion: this is the shining forth of the moon, this is not a cloud.
این معیت با حق است و جبر نیست ** این تجلی مه است این ابر نیست
And if this be compulsion, it is not the compulsion of (suffered by) the vulgar: it is not the compulsion of (exerted by) the evil-commanding self-willed (soul).1465
ور بود این جبر جبر عامه نیست ** جبر آن اماره‌‌ی خودکامه نیست
O son, (only) they know (the real meaning of) compulsion in whose hearts God has opened the sight (of the spiritual eye).
جبر را ایشان شناسند ای پسر ** که خدا بگشادشان در دل بصر
To them the unseen and the future became manifest; to them recollection of the past became naught.
غیب و آینده بر ایشان گشت فاش ** ذکر ماضی پیش ایشان گشت لاش
Their freewill and compulsion is different (from that of ordinary men): in oyster-shells drops (of rain) are pearls.
اختیار و جبر ایشان دیگر است ** قطره‌‌ها اندر صدفها گوهر است
Outside (of the shell) it is a drop of water, small or great, (but) within the shell it is a small or big pearl.
هست بیرون قطره‌‌ی خرد و بزرگ ** در صدف آن در خرد است و سترگ
Those persons have the nature of the muskdeer's gland: externally they are (as) blood, while within them is the fragrance of musk.1470
طبع ناف آهو است آن قوم را ** از برون خون و درونشان مشکها
Do not say, “This substance externally is blood: how should it become a musky perfume when it goes into the gland?”
تو مگو کاین مایه بیرون خون بود ** چون رود در ناف مشکی چون شود
Do not say, “This copper externally was despicable: how should it assume nobility in the heart (midst) of the elixir?”
تو مگو کاین مس برون بد محتقر ** در دل اکسیر چون گیرد گهر
In thee (the matter of) freewill and compulsion was a (mere) fancy, (but) when it went into them it became the light of (Divine) Majesty.
اختیار و جبر در تو بد خیال ** چون در ایشان رفت شد نور جلال
When bread is (wrapped) in the tablecloth it is the inanimate thing (so-called), (but) in the human body it becomes the glad spirit (of life).
نان چو در سفره ست باشد آن جماد ** در تن مردم شود او روح شاد
It does not become transmuted in the heart of (within) the table-cloth: the (animal) soul transmutes it with (the water of) Salsabíl.1475
در دل سفره نگردد مستحیل ** مستحیلش جان کند از سلسبیل
O thou who readest aright, such is the power of the soul: what, then, must be the power of that Soul of soul?
قوت جان است این ای راست خوان ** تا چه باشد قوت آن جان جان
The piece of flesh which is Man, endowed witrh intelligence and soul, cleaves the mountain by means of sea (water-channel) and mine.
گوشت پاره‌‌ی آدمی با عقل و جان ** می‌‌شکافد کوه را با بحر و کان
The strength of the mountain-riving soul is (shown in) the splitting of rocks; the strength of the Soul of soul in the moon was split asunder.
زور جان کوه کن شق حجر ** زور جان جان در انشق القمر
If the heart should open the lid of the wallet of (this) mystery, the soul would rush (in rapture) towards the highest heaven.
گر گشاید دل سر انبان راز ** جان به سوی عرش سازد ترک تاز
How Adam imputed that fault (which he had committed) to himself, saying, “O Lord, we have done wrong,” and how Iblís imputed his own sin to God, saying, “Because Thou hast seduced me.”
اضافت کردن آدم آن زلت را به خویشتن که ربنا ظلمناو اضافت کردن ابلیس گناه خود را به خدا که بما أغويتنی
Consider both the action of God and our action. Regard our action as existent. This is manifest.1480
کرد حق و کرد ما هر دو ببین ** کرد ما را هست دان پیداست این
If the action of created beings be not in the midst (obviously existent), then say not to any one, “Why have you acted thus?
گر نباشد فعل خلق اندر میان ** پس مگو کس را چرا کردی چنان
The creative act of God brings our actions into existence: our actions are the effects of the creative act of God.
خلق حق افعال ما را موجد است ** فعل ما آثار خلق ایزد است
A rational being perceives either the letter (the outer sign) or the (inner) purpose (the spirit): how should he comprehend two accidents at once?
ناطقی یا حرف بیند یا غرض ** کی شود یک دم محیط دو عرض
If he goes (turns his mind) to the spirit, he becomes unheedful of the letter: no eye sees forward and backward at the same moment.
گر به معنی رفت شد غافل ز حرف ** پیش و پس یک دم نبیند هیچ طرف
At the time when you look in front, how at the same time can you look behind you? Recognise this.1485
آن زمان که پیش بینی آن زمان ** تو پس خود کی ببینی این بدان
Inasmuch as the soul does not comprehend (both) the letter and the spirit, how should the soul be the creator of them both?
چون محیط حرف و معنی نیست جان ** چون بود جان خالق این هر دوان
O son, (only) God comprehends all: the (one) action does not hinder Him from the other action.
حق محیط جمله آمد ای پسر ** وا ندارد کارش از کار دگر
Satan said Because Thou hast seduced me: the vile Devil concealed his own act.
گفت شیطان که بما أغویتنی ** کرد فعل خود نهان دیو دنی
Adam said We have done wrong unto ourselves: he was not, like us, unheedful of the action of God.
گفت آدم که ظلمنا نفسنا ** او ز فعل حق نبد غافل چو ما
From respect he concealed it (the action of God) in (regard to) the sin: by casting the sin upon himself he ate fruit (was blessed).1490
در گنه او از ادب پنهانش کرد ** ز آن گنه بر خود زدن او بر بخورد
After his repentance, He (God) said to him, “O Adam, did not I create in thee that sin and (those) tribulations?
بعد توبه گفتش ای آدم نه من ** آفریدم در تو آن جرم و محن
Was it not My foreordainment and destiny? How didst thou conceal that at the time of excusing thyself?”
نه که تقدیر و قضای من بد آن ** چون به وقت عذر کردی آن نهان
He (Adam) said, “I was afraid, (so) I did not let respect go (did not fail to observe due respect).” He (God) said, “I too have observed it towards thee.”
گفت ترسیدم ادب نگذاشتم ** گفت هم من پاس آنت داشتم
هر که آرد حرمت او حرمت برد ** هر که آرد قند لوزینه خورد
For whom are the good women? For the good men. Make thy friend pleased (with thee); offend (him) and see (what will happen).1495
طیبات از بهر که للطیبین ** یار را خوش کن برنجان و ببین
O heart, bring (forward) a parable for the sake of (illustrating) a difference, that thou mayst know (what distinguishes) compulsion from freewill.
یک مثال ای دل پی فرقی بیار ** تا بدانی جبر را از اختیار
(Take the case of) a hand that is shaking from (morbid or involuntary) tremor and (the case of) a person whose hand you cause to shake (by knocking it away) from its place.
دست کان لرزان بود از ارتعاش ** و آن که دستی را تو لرزانی ز جاش
Know that both (these) movements are created by God, but it is impossible to compare the latter with the former.
هر دو جنبش آفریده‌‌ی حق شناس ** لیک نتوان کرد این با آن قیاس
You are sorry for having caused it (his hand) to shake: when did you see the man afflicted with (a morbid) tremor (to be) sorry?
ز آن پشیمانی که لرزانیدی‌‌اش ** مرتعش را کی پشیمان دیدی‌‌اش
This is the intellectual quest— (but) what (sort of) intellect is that ingenious one? (The object of its quest is) perchance (by its means) a man of weak understanding may find his way to that place (gain some idea of the truth).1500
بحث عقل است این چه عقل آن حیله‌‌گر ** تا ضعیفی ره برد آن جا مگر
(Yet) the intellectual quest, though it be (fine as) pearls and coral, is other than the spiritual quest.
بحث عقلی گر در و مرجان بود ** آن دگر باشد که بحث جان بود
The spiritual quest is on another plane: the spiritual wine has another consistency.
بحث جان اندر مقامی دیگر است ** باده‌‌ی جان را قوامی دیگر است
At the time when the intellectual quest was in keeping (with the circumstances), this ‘Umar was intimate with Bu ’l-Hakam,
آن زمان که بحث عقلی ساز بود ** این عمر با بو الحکم هم راز بود
(But) when ‘Umar went away from intellect towards spirit, Bu ’l-Hakam became Bú Jahl (the father of ignorance) in the case of that (spiritual quest).
چون عمر از عقل آمد سوی جان ** بو الحکم بو جهل شد در حکم آن
He is perfect on the side of sense-perception and understanding, though indeed he is ignorant in regard to the spirit.1505
سوی حس و سوی عقل او کامل است ** گر چه خود نسبت به جان او جاهل است
Know that the quest of the intellect and the senses is (concerned with) effects or secondary causes. The spiritual quest is either wonder or the father of wonder (either wonderful or beyond wonder).
بحث عقل و حس اثر دان یا سبب ** بحث جانی یا عجب یا بو العجب
The illumination of the spirit comes: (then) there remains not, O thou who seekest illumination, conclusion and premise or that which contradicts (a statement) (or) that which renders (its acceptance) necessary,
ضوء جان آمد نماند ای مستضی ** لازم و ملزوم و نافی مقتضی
Because the seer on whom His (God's) Light is dawning is quite independent of the (logical) proof which resembles a (blind man's) staff.
ز آن که بینایی که نورش بازغ است ** از دلیل چون عصا بس فارغ است
Commentary on “And He is with you wheresoever ye be.”