At whose song the bird of the soul would take wing, and at whose note the mind of the spirit would be distraught—
از نوایش مرغ دل پران شدی ** وز صدایش هوش جان حیران شدی
When time passed and he grew old, from weakness the falcon, his soul, became a catcher of gnats.
چون بر آمد روزگار و پیر شد ** باز جانش از عجز پشه‌‌گیر شد
His back became bent like the back of a wine-jar, the brows over his eyes like a crupper-strap.2075
پشت او خم گشت همچون پشت خم ** ابروان بر چشم همچون پالدم
His charming soul-refreshing voice became ugly and worth nothing to any one.
گشت آواز لطیف جان فزاش ** زشت و نزد کس نیرزیدی به لاش
The tone that had (once) been the envy of Zuhra (Venus) was now like the bray of an old donkey.
آن نوای رشک زهره آمده ** همچو آواز خر پیری شده
Truly, what sweet one is there that did not become unsweet, or what roof that did not become a carpet?—
خود کدامین خوش که او ناخوش نشد ** یا کدامین سقف کان مفرش نشد
Except the voices of holy men in their breasts, from the repercussion of whose breath is the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection).
غیر آواز عزیزان در صدور ** که بود از عکس دمشان نفخ صور
(Theirs is) the heart by which (all) hearts are made drunken, (theirs is) the nonexistence whereby these existences of ours are made existent.2080
اندرونی کاندرونها مست از اوست ** نیستی کاین هستهامان هست از اوست
He (the saint) is the amber (magnet) of (all) thought and of every voice; he is the (inward) delight of revelation and inspiration and (Divine) mystery.
کهربای فکر و هر آواز او ** لذت الهام و وحی و راز او
When the minstrel grew older and feeble, through not earning (anything) he became indebted for a single loaf of bread.
چون که مطرب پیرتر گشت و ضعیف ** شد ز بی‌‌کسبی رهین یک رغیف
He said, “Thou hast given me long life and respite: O God, Thou hast bestowed (many) favours on a vile wretch.
گفت عمر و مهلتم دادی بسی ** لطفها کردی خدایا با خسی
For seventy years I have been committing sin, (yet) not for one day hast Thou withheld Thy bounty from me.
معصیت ورزیده‌‌ام هفتاد سال ** باز نگرفتی ز من روزی نوال
I (can) earn nothing: to-day I am Thy guest, I will play the harp for Thee, I am Thine.”2085
نیست کسب امروز مهمان توام ** چنگ بهر تو زنم آن توام
He took up his harp and went in search of God to the graveyard of Medina, crying “Alas!”
چنگ را برداشت و شد الله جو ** سوی گورستان یثرب آه گو
He said, “I crave of God the price of silk (for harpstrings), for He in His kindness accepts adulterated coin.”
گفت خواهم از حق ابریشم بها ** کاو به نیکویی پذیرد قلبها
When he had played a long while and (then), weeping, laid his head down: he made the harp his pillow and dropped on a tomb.
چون که زد بسیار و گریان سر نهاد ** چنگ بالین کرد و بر گوری فتاد
Sleep overtook him: the bird, his soul, escaped from captivity, it let harp and harper go and darted away.
خواب بردش مرغ جانش از حبس رست ** چنگ و چنگی را رها کرد و بجست
It became freed from the body and the pain of this world in the simple (purely spiritual) world and the vast region of the soul.2090
گشت آزاد از تن و رنج جهان ** در جهان ساده و صحرای جان
There his soul was singing what had befallen (it), saying, “If they would but let me stay here,
جان او آن جا سرایان ماجرا ** کاندر اینجا گر بماندندی مرا
Happy would be my soul in this garden and springtide, drunken with this (far stretching) plain and mystic anemone-field.
خوش بدی جانم در این باغ و بهار ** مست این صحرا و غیبی لاله‌‌زار
Without wing or foot I would be journeying, without lip or tooth I would be eating sugar.
بی‌‌پر و بی‌‌پا سفر می‌‌کردمی ** بی‌‌لب و دندان شکر می‌‌خوردمی
With a memory and thought free from brain-sickness, I would frolic with the dwellers in Heaven.
ذکر و فکری فارغ از رنج دماغ ** کردمی با ساکنان چرخ لاغ
With eye shut I would be seeing a (whole) world, without a hand I would be gathering roses and basil.”2095
چشم بسته عالمی می‌‌دیدمی ** ورد و ریحان بی‌‌کفی می‌‌چیدمی
The water-bird (his soul) was plunged in a sea of honey— the fountain of Job, to drink and wash in,
مرغ آبی غرق دریای عسل ** عین ایوبی شراب و مغتسل
Whereby Job, from his feet to the crown of his head, was purged of afflictions (and made pure) like the light of the sunrise.
که بدو ایوب از پا تا به فرق ** پاک شد از رنجها چون نور شرق
If the Mathnawí were as the sky in magnitude, not half the portion of this (mystery) would find room in it,
مثنوی در حجم گر بودی چو چرخ ** درنگنجیدی در او زین نیم برخ
For the exceeding broad earth and sky (of the material world) caused my heart, from (their) narrowness (in comparison with the spiritual universe), to be rent in pieces;
کان زمین و آسمان بس فراخ ** کرد از تنگی دلم را شاخ شاخ
And this world that was revealed to me in this dream (of the minstrel) has spread wide my wings and pinions because of (its vast) expansion.2100
وین جهانی کاندر این خوابم نمود ** از گشایش پر و بالم را گشود
If this world and the way to it were manifest, no one would remain there (in the material world) for a single moment.
این جهان و راهش ار پیدا بدی ** کم کسی یک لحظه‌‌ای آن جا بدی
The (Divine) command was coming (to the minstrel)—“Nay, be not covetous: inasmuch as the thorn is out of thy foot, depart”—
امر می‌‌آمد که نی طامع مشو ** چون ز پایت خار بیرون شد برو
(Whilst) his soul was lingering there in the spacious demesne of His (God's) mercy and beneficence.
مول مولی می‌‌زد آن جا جان او ** در فضای رحمت و احسان او
How the heavenly voice spoke to ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, while he was asleep, saying, “Give a certain sum of gold from the public treasury to the man who is sleeping in the graveyard.”
در خواب گفتن هاتف مر عمر را رضی الله عنه که چندین زر از بیت المال به آن مرد ده که در گورستان خفته است
Then God sent such a drowsiness upon ‘Umar that he was unable to keep himself from slumber.
آن زمان حق بر عمر خوابی گماشت ** تا که خویش از خواب نتوانست داشت
He fell into amazement saying, “This is (a thing) unknown. This has fallen from the Unseen, ’tis not without purpose.”2105
در عجب افتاد کاین معهود نیست ** این ز غیب افتاد بی‌‌مقصود نیست
He laid his head down, and slumber overtook him. He dreamed that a voice came to him from God: his spirit heard
سر نهاد و خواب بردش خواب دید ** کامدش از حق ندا جانش شنید
That voice which is the origin of every cry and sound: that indeed is the (only) voice, and the rest are echoes.
آن ندایی کاصل هر بانگ و نواست ** خود ندا آن است و این باقی صداست
Turcoman and Kurd and Persian-speaking man and Arab have understood that voice without (help of) ear or lip.
ترک و کرد و پارسی گو و عرب ** فهم کرده آن ندا بی‌‌گوش و لب
Ay, (but) what of Turcomans, Persians, and Ethiopians? (Even) wood and stone have understood that voice.
خود چه جای ترک و تاجیک است و زنگ ** فهم کرده ست آن ندا را چوب و سنگ
Every moment there is coming from Him (the call), “Am not I (your Lord)?” and substance and accidents are becoming existent.2110
هر دمی از وی همی‌‌آید أ لست ** جوهر و اعراض می‌‌گردند هست
If (the answer) “Yea” is not coming from them, yet their coming from non-existence (into existence) is (equivalent to) “Yea.”
گر نمی‌‌آید بلی ز یشان ولی ** آمدنشان از عدم باشد بلی
Listen to a goodly tale in explanation of what I have said concerning the (spiritual) apprehension of (possessed by) stone and wood.
ز آن چه گفتم من ز فهم سنگ و چوب ** در بیانش قصه‌‌ای هش دار خوب
How the moaning pillar complained when they made a pulpit for the Prophet, on whom be peace—for the multitude had become great, and said, “We do not see thy blessed face when thou art exhorting us”—and how the Prophet and his Companions heard that complaint, and how Mustafá conversed with the pillar in clear language.
نالیدن ستون حنانه چون برای پیغامبر علیه السلام منبر ساختند که جماعت انبوه شد گفتند ما روی مبارک تو را به هنگام وعظ نمی‌‌بینیم و شنیدن رسول و صحابه آن ناله را و سؤال و جواب مصطفی صلی الله علیه و اله و سلم با ستون صریح
The moaning pillar was complaining of (its) separation from the Prophet, just as rational beings (might do).
استن حنانه از هجر رسول ** ناله می‌‌زد همچو ارباب عقول
The Prophet said, “O pillar, what dost thou want?” It said, “My soul is turned to blood because of parting from thee.
گفت پیغمبر چه خواهی ای ستون ** گفت جانم از فراقت گشت خون
I was thy support: (now) thou hast run away from me: thou hast devised a place to lean against upon the pulpit.”2115
مسندت من بودم از من تاختی ** بر سر منبر تو مسند ساختی
“Dost thou desire,” said he, “to be made a date-palm, (so that) the people of the East and the West shall gather fruit from thee?
گفت خواهی که ترا نخلی کنند ** شرقی و غربی ز تو میوه چنند
Or that He (God) should make thee a cypress in yonder world, so that thou wilt remain everlastingly fresh and flourishing?”
یا در آن عالم حقت سروی کند ** تا تر و تازه بمانی تا ابد
It replied, “I desire that whereof the life is enduring for ever.” Hearken, O heedless one! Be not thou less than a piece of wood!
گفت آن خواهم که دایم شد بقاش ** بشنو ای غافل کم از چوبی مباش
He (the Prophet) buried that pillar in the earth, that it may be raised from the dead, like mankind, on the day of Resurrection,
آن ستون را دفن کرد اندر زمین ** تا چو مردم حشر گردد یوم دین
That (hence) thou mayst know that every one whom God has called (to Himself) remains disengaged from all the work of this world.2120
تا بدانی هر که را یزدان بخواند ** از همه کار جهان بی‌‌کار ماند
Whosoever hath his work and business from God, gains admission there and goes forth from (abandons worldly) work.
هر که را باشد ز یزدان کار و بار ** یافت بار آن جا و بیرون شد ز کار
He that hath no gift (portion) of spiritual mysteries, how should he believe in the complaining of inanimate things?
آن که او را نبود از اسرار داد ** کی کند تصدیق او ناله‌‌ی جماد