(Let me) take leave of quiddities and essential properties, and relate what happened to those twain with faces like the moon.
ترک ماهیات و خاصیات گو ** شرح کن احوال آن دو ماهرو
How the Arab set his heart on (complying with) his beloved's request and swore that in thus submitting (to her) he had no (idea of) trickery and making trial (of her).
دل نهادن عرب بر التماس دل بر خویش و سوگند خوردن که در این تسلیم مرا حیلتی و امتحانی نیست
The man said, “Now I have ceased to oppose (thee): thou hast authority (to do what thou wilt): draw the sword from the sheath.
مرد گفت اکنون گذشتم از خلاف ** حکم داری تیغ بر کش از غلاف
Whatsoever thou biddest me do, I will obey: I will not consider the bad or good result of it.
هر چه گویی من ترا فرمانبرم ** در بد و نیک آمد آن ننگرم
I will become non-existent in thy existence, because I am thy lover: love makes blind and deaf.”2645
در وجود تو شوم من منعدم ** چون محبم حب یعمی و یصم
The wife said, “Dost thou intend to treat me with kindness, or art thou (bent on) discovering my secret by trickery?”
گفت زن آهنگ برم میکنی ** یا به حیلت کشف سرم میکنی
He said, “(No), by God who knows the thought most deeply hid, who out of dust created Adam pure (chosen above all),
گفت و الله عالم السر الخفی ** کافرید از خاک آدم را صفی
Who, in the body three cubits long which He gave him, displayed everything that was contained in the tablets (of destiny) and the (world of) spirits.
در سه گز قالب که دادش وا نمود ** هر چه در الواح و در ارواح بود
Through his He (God) taught him (Adam) the Names (through his God-given knowledge) he at the very first gave instruction (to the angels) concerning everything that shall come to pass unto everlasting,
تا ابد هر چه بود او پیش پیش ** درس کرد از علم الاسماء خویش
So that the angels became beside themselves (in amazement) at his teaching, and gained from his glorification (of God) a holiness other (than they possessed before).2650
تا ملک بیخود شد از تدریس او ** قدس دیگر یافت از تقدیس او
The revelation that appeared to them from Adam was not (contained) in the amplitude of their heavens.
آن گشادیشان کز آدم رو نمود ** در گشاد آسمانهاشان نبود
In comparison with the spaciousness of the range of that pure spirit (Adam), the expanse of the seven heavens became narrow.
در فراخی عرصهی آن پاک جان ** تنگ آمد عرصهی هفت آسمان
The Prophet said that God has said, ‘I am not contained at all in “high” and “low” (spatial dimensions);
گفت پیغمبر که حق فرموده است ** من نگنجم هیچ در بالا و پست
I am not contained in earth or heaven or even in the empyrean—know this for certain, O noble one;
در زمین و آسمان و عرش نیز ** من نگنجم این یقین دان ای عزیز
(But) I am contained in the true believer's heart: oh, how wonderful! If thou seekest Me, search in those hearts.’2655
در دل مومن بگنجم ای عجب ** گر مرا جویی در آن دلها طلب
He (God) said (also), ‘Enter among My servants, thou wilt meet with a Paradise (consisting) of vision of Me, O God-fearing one.’
گفت ادخل فی عبادی تلتقی ** جنة من رؤیتی یا متقی
The empyrean, notwithstanding its wide (far-extending) light, when it beheld that (spirit of Adam), was confounded.
عرش با آن نور با پهنای خویش ** چون بدید آن را برفت از جای خویش
Truly, the magnitude of the empyrean is very great, but who (what) is form when reality has arrived?
خود بزرگی عرش باشد بس مدید ** لیک صورت کیست چون معنی رسید
Every angel was saying (to Adam), ‘Before this (time) we had a friendship (with thee) on the face of the earth.
هر ملک میگفت ما را پیش از این ** الفتی میبود بر گرد زمین
On the earth we were sowing the seed of service (worship): we were marveling at that connexion,2660
تخم خدمت بر زمین میکاشتیم ** ز آن تعلق ما عجب میداشتیم
Marvelling what connexion we had with this dust, inasmuch as our nature is of heaven.
کاین تعلق چیست با این خاکمان ** چون سرشت ما بده ست از آسمان
(We said), Why (this) friendship in us, who are light, with darkness? How can light live with darkness?
الف ما انوار با ظلمات چیست ** چون تواند نور با ظلمات زیست
O Adam, that friendship was owing to the scent of thee, because earth was the woof and warp of thy body.
آدما آن الف از بوی تو بود ** ز آن که جسمت را زمین بد تار و پود
From this place (the earth) thy earthly body was woven, in this place thy pure light was found.
جسم خاکت را از اینجا بافتند ** نور پاکت را در اینجا یافتند
This (light) that our souls have obtained from thy spirit shone erstwhile from the dust.2665
این که جان ما ز روحت یافته ست ** پیش پیش از خاک آن میتافته ست
We were in the earth, and heedless of the earth, heedless of the treasure that lay buried there.
در زمین بودیم و غافل از زمین ** غافل از گنجی که در وی بد دفین
When He (God) bade us journey from that place of abode our palates were soured (we were bitterly grieved) by the change,
چون سفر فرمود ما را ز آن مقام ** تلخ شد ما را از آن تحویل کام
So that we were arguing (and saying), ‘O God, who will come in our stead?
تا که حجتها همیگفتیم ما ** که بجای ما کی آید ای خدا
Wilt Thou sell the splendour of the praise with which we glorify and magnify Thee for babble and palaver?’
نور این تسبیح و این تهلیل را ** میفروشی بهر قال و قیل را
The decree of God spread for us the carpet (of indulgence), (and He said), ‘Speak ye, in the way of boldness2670
حکم حق گسترد بهر ما بساط ** که بگویید از طریق انبساط
(And) without fear, whatever comes upon your tongues, like only children with their father;
هر چه آید بر زبانتان بیحذر ** همچو طفلان یگانه با پدر
For what if these words (of yours) are unseemly? My mercy likewise is prior (superior) to My wrath.
ز آن که این دمها چه گر نالایق است ** رحمت من بر غضب هم سابق است
In order to manifest this priority, O angel, I will put in thee incitement to perplexity and doubt,
از پی اظهار این سبق ای ملک ** در تو بنهم داعیهی اشکال و شک
That thou mayst speak and I not take offence at thee, (so that) none who denies My clemency may dare to utter a word.
تا بگویی و نگیرم بر تو من ** منکر حلمم نیارد دم زدن
Within My (infinite) clemency (the clemencies of) a hundred fathers and a hundred mothers at every moment are born and vanish.2675
صد پدر صد مادر اندر حلم ما ** هر نفس زاید در افتد در فنا
Their clemency is (but) the foam of the sea of My clemency: the foam comes and goes, but the sea is (always) there.’’
حلم ایشان کف بحر حلم ماست ** کف رود آید ولی دریا به جاست
What indeed shall I say? Compared with that pearl (Divine clemency) this oyster-shell (human clemency) is naught but the foam of the foam of the foam of foam.
خود چه گویم پیش آن در این صدف ** نیست الا کف کف کف کف
By the truth of that foam, by the truth of that pure sea, (I swear) that these words (of mine) are not (meant to make) trial of thee and are not vain.
حق آن کف حق آن دریای صاف ** که امتحانی نیست این گفت و نه لاف
They are from (inspired by) love and sincerity and humbleness, (I swear) by the truth of that One to whom I turn.
از سر مهر و صفاء است و خضوع ** حق آن کس که بدو دارم رجوع
If this affection (which I am showing) seems to thee a trial, do thou for one moment put the (supposed) trial (of thee) to the test.2680
گر به پیشت امتحان است این هوس ** امتحان را امتحان کن یک نفس
Do not hide thy secret (but reveal it), in order that mine may be revealed: command anything that I am able to do.
سر مپوشان تا پدید آید سرم ** امر کن تو هر چه بر وی قادرم
Do not hide thy heart (but reveal it), in order that mine may be revealed and that I may accept whatever I am capable of (performing).
دل مپوشان تا پدید آید دلم ** تا قبول آرم هر آن چه قابلم
How shall I do? What remedy is in my power? Look what a plight my soul is in.”
چون کنم در دست من چه چاره است ** در نگر تا جان من چه کاره است
How the wife specified to her husband the way to earn daily bread and how he accepted (her proposal).
تعیین کردن زن طریق طلب روزی کدخدای خود را و قبول کردن او
The wife said, “A sun has shone forth, a (whole) world has received light from him—
گفت زن یک آفتابی تافته ست ** عالمی زو روشنایی یافته ست
The Vicar of the Merciful (God), the Khalífa of the Creator: through him the city of Baghdád is (gay and happy) as the season of spring.2685
نایب رحمان خلیفهی کردگار ** شهر بغداد است از وی چون بهار
If thou gain access to that King, thou wilt become a king: how long wilt thou go after every (kind of) misfortune?”
گر بپیوندی بدان شه شه شوی ** سوی هر ادبار تا کی میروی
Companionship with kings is like the Elixir: indeed, how is an Elixir like (to be compared with) their looks (of favour)?
همنشینی مقبلان چون کیمیاست ** چون نظرشان کیمیایی خود کجاست
The eye of Ahmad (Mohammed) was cast upon an Abú Bakr: he by a single act of faith became a Siddíq.
چشم احمد بر ابو بکری زده ** او ز یک تصدیق صدیق آمده
Said the husband, “How should I go to meet the King? How should I go to him without a pretext?
گفت من شه را پذیرا چون شوم ** بیبهانه سوی او من چون روم
I must have some reference or device: is any handicraft right (possible) without tools?2690
نسبتی باید مرا یا حیلتی ** هیچ پیشه راست شد بیآلتی
As (to mention a similar case) the famous Majnún, when he heard from some one that Laylá was a little unwell,
همچو آن مجنون که بشنید از یکی ** که مرض آمد به لیلی اندکی