Either behold the light (of God) from the lamp of the last (saints), or behold His light from the candle of those who have gone before.1950
خواه بین نور از چراغ آخرین ** خواه بین نورش ز شمع غابرین
Explanation of the Tradition, “Verily, your Lord hath, during the days of your time, certain breathings: oh, address yourselves to (receive) them.”
در بیان این حدیث که إن لربکم فی أیام دهرکم نفحات ألا فتعرضوا لها
The Prophet said, “In these days the breathings of God prevail:
گفت پیغمبر که نفحتهای حق ** اندر این ایام می‌‌آرد سبق
Keep ear and mind (attentive) to these (spiritual) influences, catch up such-like breathings.”
گوش و هش دارید این اوقات را ** در ربایید این چنین نفحات را
The (Divine) breathing came, beheld you, and departed: it gave life to whom it would, and departed.
نفحه آمد مر شما را دید و رفت ** هر که را که خواست جان بخشید و رفت
Another breathing has arrived. Be thou heedful, that thou mayst not miss this one too, O comrade.
نفحه‌‌ی دیگر رسید آگاه باش ** تا از این هم وانمانی خواجه‌‌تاش
The soul of fire gained therefrom extinction; from its everlastingness the dead (soul) put on the mantle (of eternal life).1955
جان ناری یافت از وی انطفا ** مرده پوشید از بقای او قبا
This is the freshness and movement of the Túbá-tree, this is not like the movements of animals.
تازگی و جنبش طوبی است این ** همچو جنبشهای حیوان نیست این
If it fall on earth and heaven, their galls will turn to water at once (they will be consumed with terror).
گر در افتد در زمین و آسمان ** زهره‌‌هاشان آب گردد در زمان
Truly, from fear of this infinite breath (they were filled with dismay): recite (the words of the Qur’án) but they refused to bear it (the trust offered to them).
خود ز بیم این دم بی‌‌منتها ** باز خوان فأبين أن یحملنها
Else, how should (the words) they shrank from it have been (in the Qur’án), unless from fear of it the heart of the mountain had become blood?
ور نه خود أشفقن منها چون بدی ** گرنه از بیمش دل که خون شدی
Yesternight this (breath) presented itself (to me) in a different guise (but) some morsels (of food) came in and barred the way.1960
دوش دیگر لون این می‌‌داد دست ** لقمه‌‌ی چندی در آمد ره ببست
For a morsel's sake a Luqmán has become (held in custody as) a pledge: ’tis the time for Luqmán: begone, O morsel!
بهر لقمه گشته لقمانی گرو ** وقت لقمان است ای لقمه برو
These pricks (of the flesh) for desire of a morsel! Seek ye always (to draw forth) the thorn from the sole of Luqmán.
از هوای لقمه‌‌ی این خار خار ** از کف لقمان همی‌‌جویید خار
In his sole there is (really) no thorn or even the shadow of it, but because of concupiscence ye have not that discernment.
در کف او خار و سایه‌‌ش نیز نیست ** لیکتان از حرص آن تمییز نیست
Know that the thorn is that which thou, because thou art very greedy and very blind, hast deemed to be a date.
خار دان آن را که خرما دیده‌‌ای ** ز آن که بس نان کور و بس نادیده‌‌ای
Inasmuch as Luqmán's spirit is the rose-garden of God, why is the foot of his spirit wounded by a thorn?1965
جان لقمان که گلستان خداست ** پای جانش خسته‌‌ی خاری چراست
This thorn-eating existence is (like) a camel, and upon this camel one born of Mustafá (Mohammed) is mounted.
اشتر آمد این وجود خار خوار ** مصطفی زادی بر این اشتر سوار
O camel, on thy back is a bale of roses, from the perfume of which a hundred rosaries grew within thee.
اشترا تنگ گلی بر پشت تست ** کز نسیمش در تو صد گلزار رست
Thy inclination is towards thorn-bushes and sand: I wonder what roses thou wilt gather from worthless thorns.
میل تو سوی مغیلان است و ریگ ** تا چه گل چینی ز خار مرده‌‌ریگ
O thou who in this search hast roamed from one quarter to another, how long wilt thou say, “Where, where is this rose-garden?”
ای بگشته زین طلب از کو به کو ** چند گویی کین گلستان کو و کو
Until thou extract this thorn in thy foot, thine eye is dark (blind): how wilt thou go about?1970
پیش از آن کین خار پا بیرون کنی ** چشم تاریک است جولان چون کنی
Man, who is not contained in the world, becomes hidden in the point of a thorn!
آدمی کاو می‌‌نگنجد در جهان ** در سر خاری همی‌‌گردد نهان
Mustafá (Mohammed) came (into the world) to make harmony: (he would say) “Speak to me, O Humayrá, speak!”
مصطفی آمد که سازد هم دمی ** کلمینی یا حمیراء کلمی
O Humayrá, put the horse-shoe in the fire, that by means of thy horse-shoe this mountain may become (glowing with love, like) rubies.
ای حمیراء آتش اندر نه تو نعل ** تا ز نعل تو شود این کوه لعل
This “Humayrá” is a feminine word, and the Arabs call the (word for) “spirit” feminine;
این حمیراء لفظ تانیث است و جان ** نام تانیث‌‌اش نهند این تازیان
But there is no fear (harm) to the Spirit from being feminine: the Spirit has no association (nothing in common) with man and woman.1975
لیک از تانیث جان را باک نیست ** روح را با مرد و زن اشراک نیست
It is higher than feminine and masculine: this is not that spirit which is composed of dryness and moisture.
از مونث وز مذکر برتر است ** این نه آن جان است کز خشک و تر است
This is not that spirit which is increased by (eating) bread, or which is sometimes like this and sometimes like that.
این نه آن جان است کافزاید ز نان ** یا گهی باشد چنین گاهی چنان
It is a doer of (what is) sweet, and (it is) sweet, and the essence of sweetness. Without (inward) sweetness there is no sweetness, O taker of bribes!
خوش کننده ست و خوش و عین خوشی ** بی‌‌خوشی نبود خوشی ای مرتشی
When thou art (made) sweet by sugar, it may be that at some time that sugar will vanish from thee;
چون تو شیرین از شکر باشی بود ** کان شکر گاهی ز تو غایب شود
(But) when thou becomest sugar from the effect produced by faithfulness, then how should sugar be parted from sugar?1980
چون شکر گردی ز تاثیر وفا ** پس شکر کی از شکر باشد جدا
When the lover (of God) is fed from (within) himself with pure wine, there reason becomes lost, lost, O comrade.
عاشق از خود چون غذا یابد رحیق ** عقل آن جا گم شود گم ای رفیق
Partial (discursive) reason is a denier of Love, though it may give out that it is a confidant.
عقل جزوی عشق را منکر بود ** گر چه بنماید که صاحب سر بود
It is clever and knowing, but it is not naught (devoid of self-existence): until the angel has become naught, he is an Ahriman (Devil).
زیرک و داناست اما نیست نیست ** تا فرشته لا نشد اهریمنی است
It (partial reason) is our friend in word and deed, (but) when you come to the case of inward feeling (ecstasy), it is naught (of no account).
او به قول و فعل یار ما بود ** چون به حکم حال آیی لا بود
It is naught because it did not (pass away) from existence and become nonexistent: since it did not become naught willingly, (it must become naught nevertheless, for) there is many a one (who became naught, i.e. died) unwillingly.1985
لا بود چون او نشد از هست نیست ** چون که طوعا لا نشد کرها بسی است
The Spirit is perfection and its call is perfection: Mustafá (Mohammed) used to say, “Refresh us, O Bilál!
جان کمال است و ندای او کمال ** مصطفی گویان ارحنا یا بلال
O Bilál, lift up thy mellifluous voice (drawn) from that breath which I breathed into thy heart,
ای بلال افراز بانگ سلسلت ** ز آن دمی کاندر دمیدم در دلت
From that breath by which Adam was dumbfounded and the wits of the people of Heaven were made witless.”
ز آن دمی کادم از آن مدهوش گشت ** هوش اهل آسمان بی‌‌هوش گشت
Mustafá became beside himself at that beautiful voice: his prayer escaped him (was left unperformed) on the night of the ta‘rís.
مصطفی بی‌‌خویش شد ز آن خوب صوت ** شد نمازش از شب تعریس فوت
He did not raise his head from that blessed sleep until the (time of the) dawn prayer had advanced to (the time of) forenoon.1990
سر از آن خواب مبارک بر نداشت ** تا نماز صبحدم آمد به چاشت
On the night of the ta‘rís his holy spirit gained (the privilege of) kissing hands in the presence of the Bride.
در شب تعریس پیش آن عروس ** یافت جان پاک ایشان دستبوس
Love and the Spirit are, both of them, hidden and veiled: if I have called Him (God) the Bride, do not find fault.
عشق و جان هر دو نهانند و ستیر ** گر عروسش خوانده‌‌ام عیبی مگیر
I would have been silent from (fear of) the Beloved's displeasure, if He had granted me a respite for one moment,
از ملولی یار خامش کردمی ** گر همو مهلت بدادی یک دمی
But He keeps saying, “Say on! Come, ’tis no fault, ’tis but the requirement of the (Divine) destiny in the World Unseen.”