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.”
The fault is (in him) who sees nothing but fault: how should the Pure Spirit of the Invisible see fault?1995
عیب باشد کاو نبیند جز که عیب ** عیب کی بیند روان پاک غیب
Fault arises (only) in relation to the ignorant creature, not in relation to the Lord of favour (clemency).
عیب شد نسبت به مخلوق جهول ** نی به نسبت با خداوند قبول
Infidelity, too, is wisdom in relation to the Creator, (but) when you impute it to us, infidelity is a noxious thing.
کفر هم نسبت به خالق حکمت است ** چون به ما نسبت کنی کفر آفت است
And if there be one fault together with a hundred advantages (excellences), it resembles the wood (woody stalk) in the sugarcane.
ور یکی عیبی بود با صد حیات ** بر مثال چوب باشد در نبات
Both (sugar and stalk) alike are put into the scales, because they both are sweet like body and soul.
در ترازو هر دو را یکسان کشند ** ز آن که آن هر دو چو جسم و جان خوشند
Not idly, therefore, the great (mystics) said this: “The body of the holy ones (the saints) is essentially pure as (their) spirit.”2000
پس بزرگان این نگفتند از گزاف ** جسم پاکان عین جان افتاد صاف
Their speech and soul and form, all (this) is absolute spirit without (external) trace.
گفتشان و نفسشان و نقششان ** جمله جان مطلق آمد بی‌‌نشان
The spirit that regards them with enmity is a mere body; like the plus in (the game called) nard, it is a mere name.
جان دشمن دارشان جسم است صرف ** چون زیاد از نرد او اسم است صرف
That one (the body of the enemy of the saints) went into the earth (grave) and became earth entirely; this (holy body) went into the salt and became entirely pure—
آن به خاک اندر شد و کل خاک شد ** وین نمک اندر شد و کل پاک شد
The (spiritual) salt through which Mohammed is more refined (than all others): he is more eloquent than that salt-seasoned (elegantly expressed) Hadíth.
آن نمک کز وی محمد املح است ** ز آن حدیث با نمک او افصح است
This salt is surviving in his heritage: those heirs of his are with thee. Seek them!2005
این نمک باقی است از میراث او ** با تواند آن وارثان او بجو
He (the spiritual heir of Mohammed) is seated in front of thee, (but) where indeed is thy “front”? He is before thee, (but) where is the soul that thinks “before”?
پیش تو شسته ترا خود پیش کو ** پیش هستت جان پیش اندیش کو
If thou fancy thou hast a “before” and “behind,” thou art tied to body and deprived of spirit.
گر تو خود را پیش و پس داری گمان ** بسته‌‌ی جسمی و محرومی ز جان
“Below” and “above,” “before” and “behind” are attributes of the body: the essence of the bright spirit is without relations (not limited by relations of place).
زیر و بالا پیش و پس وصف تن است ** بی‌‌جهت آن ذات جان روشن است
Open thy (inward) vision with the pure light of the King. Beware of fancying, like one who is short-sighted,
بر گشا از نور پاک شه نظر ** تا نپنداری تو چون کوته نظر