His (the true believer's) name is loved on account of its essence (which is true faith); this one's (the hypocrite's) name is loathed on account of its pestilent qualities.
نام او محبوب از ذات وی است ** نام این مبغوض از آفات وی است
(The four letters) mím and wáw and mím and nún do not confer honour: the word múmin (true believer) is only for the sake of denotation.
میم و واو و میم و نون تشریف نیست ** لفظ مومن جز پی تعریف نیست
If you call him (the true believer) hypocrite, this vile name is stinging (him) within like a scorpion.
گر منافق خوانی‌‌اش این نام دون ** همچو کژدم می‌‌خلد در اندرون
If this name is not derived from Hell, then why is there the taste of Hell in it?
گرنه این نام اشتقاق دوزخ است ** پس چرا در وی مذاق دوزخ است
The foulness of that ill name is not from the letters; the bitterness of that sea-water is not from the vessel (containing it).295
زشتی آن نام بد از حرف نیست ** تلخی آن آب بحر از ظرف نیست
The letters are the vessel: therein the meaning is (contained) like water; (but) the sea of the meaning is (with God)—with Him is the Ummu ’l-Kitáb.
حرف ظرف آمد در او معنی چو آب ** بحر معنی عنده أم الکتاب
In this world the bitter sea and the sweet sea (are divided)— between them is a barrier which they do not seek to cross.
بحر تلخ و بحر شیرین در جهان ** در میانشان برزخ لا یبغیان
Know that both these flow from one origin. Pass on from them both, go (all the way) to their origin!
وانگه این هر دو ز یک اصلی روان ** بر گذر زین هر دو رو تا اصل آن
Without the touchstone you will never know in the assay adulterated gold and fine gold by (using your own) judgement.
زر قلب و زر نیکو در عیار ** بی‌‌محک هرگز ندانی ز اعتبار
Any one in whose soul God shall put the touchstone, he will distinguish every certainty from doubt.300
هر که را در جان خدا بنهد محک ** هر یقین را باز داند او ز شک
A piece of rubbish jumps into the mouth of a living man, and only when he ejects it is he at ease.
در دهان زنده خاشاکی جهد ** آن گه آرامد که بیرونش نهد
When, amongst thousands of morsels (of food), one little piece of rubbish entered (his mouth), the living man's sense (of touch or taste) tracked it down.
در هزاران لقمه یک خاشاک خرد ** چون در آمد حس زنده پی ببرد
The worldly sense is the ladder to this world; the religious sense is the ladder to Heaven.
حس دنیا نردبان این جهان ** حس دینی نردبان آسمان
Seek ye the well-being of the former sense from the physician; beg ye the well-being of the latter sense from the Beloved.
صحت این حس بجویید از طبیب ** صحت آن حس بخواهید از حبیب
The health of the former arises from the flourishing state of the body; the health of the latter arises from the ruin of the body.305
صحت این حس ز معموری تن ** صحت آن حس ز تخریب بدن
The spiritual way ruins the body and, after having ruined it, restores it to prosperity:
راه جان مر جسم را ویران کند ** بعد از آن ویرانی آبادان کند
Ruined the house for the sake of the golden treasure, and with that same treasure builds it better (than before);
کرد ویران خانه بهر گنج زر ** وز همان گنجش کند معمورتر
Cut off the water and cleansed the river-bed, then caused drinking-water to flow in the river-bed;
آب را ببرید و جو را پاک کرد ** بعد از آن در جو روان کرد آب خورد
Cleft the skin and drew out the iron point (of the arrow or spear)—then fresh skin grew over it (the wound);
پوست را بشکافت و پیکان را کشید ** پوست تازه بعد از آتش بردمید
Rased the fortress and took it from the infidel, then reared thereon a hundred towers and ramparts.310
قلعه ویران کرد و از کافر ستد ** بعد از آن بر ساختش صد برج و سد
Who shall describe the action of Him who hath no like? This that I have said (is what) the present necessity is affording.
کار بی‌‌چون را که کیفیت نهد ** این که گفتم هم ضرورت می‌‌دهد
Sometimes it (the action of God) appears like this and sometimes the contrary of this: the work of religion is naught but bewilderment.
گه چنین بنماید و گه ضد این ** جز که حیرانی نباشد کار دین
(I mean) not one bewildered in such wise that his back is (turned) towards Him; nay, but one bewildered (with ecstasy) like this and drowned (in God) and intoxicated with the Beloved.
نی چنان حیران که پشتش سوی اوست ** بل چنین حیران و غرق و مست دوست
The face of the one is set towards the Beloved, (while) the face of the other is just his own face (he is facing himself).
آن یکی را روی او شد سوی دوست ** و آن یکی را روی او خود روی دوست
Look long on the face of every one, keep watch attentively: it may be that by doing service (to Súfís) you will come to know the face (of the true saint).315
روی هر یک می‌‌نگر می‌‌دار پاس ** بو که گردی تو ز خدمت رو شناس
Since there is many a devil who hath the face of Adam, it is not well to give your hand to every hand,
چون بسی ابلیس آدم روی هست ** پس به هر دستی نشاید داد دست
Because the fowler produces a whistling sound in order to decoy the bird,
ز انکه صیاد آورد بانگ صفیر ** تا فریبد مرغ را آن مرغ گیر
(So that) the bird may hear the note of its congener and come down from the air and find trap and knife-point.
بشنود آن مرغ بانگ جنس خویش ** از هوا آید بیابد دام و نیش
The vile man will steal the language of dervishes, that he may thereby chant a spell over (fascinate and deceive) one who is simple.
حرف درویشان بدزدد مرد دون ** تا بخواند بر سلیمی ز ان فسون
The work of (holy) men is (as) light and heat; the work of vile men is trickery and shamelessness.320
کار مردان روشنی و گرمی است ** کار دونان حیله و بی‌‌شرمی است
They make a woollen lion for the purpose of begging; they give the title of Ahmad (Mohammed) to Bú Musaylim;
شیر پشمین از برای کد کنند ** بو مسیلم را لقب احمد کنند
(But) to Bú Musaylim remained the title of Kadhdháb (Liar), to Mohammed remained (the title of) Ulu ’l-albáb (Endowed with understanding).
بو مسیلم را لقب کذاب ماند ** مر محمد را اولو الالباب ماند
The wine of God, its seal (last result) is pure musk, (but) as for (the other) wine, its seal is stench and torment
آن شراب حق ختامش مشک ناب ** باده را ختمش بود گند و عذاب
Story of the Jewish king who for bigotry's sake used to slay the Christians.
داستان آن پادشاه جهود که نصرانیان را می‌‌کشت از بهر تعصب
Amongst the Jews there was a king who wrought oppression, an enemy of Jesus and a destroyer of Christians.
بود شاهی در جهودان ظلم ساز ** دشمن عیسی و نصرانی گداز
’Twas the epoch of Jesus and the turn was his: he was the soul of Moses, and Moses the soul of him;325
عهد عیسی بود و نوبت آن او ** جان موسی او و موسی جان او
(But) the squint-eyed (double-seeing) king separated in the way of God those two Divine (prophets) who were (really) in accord (with each other).
شاه احول کرد در راه خدا ** آن دو دمساز خدایی را جدا
The master said to a squint-eyed (pupil), “Come on; go, fetch that bottle out of the room.”
گفت استاد احولی را کاندر آ ** رو برون آر از وثاق آن شیشه را
Said the squint-eyed one: “Which of the two bottles shall I bring to you? Explain fully.”
گفت احول ز ان دو شیشه من کدام ** پیش تو آرم بکن شرح تمام
“There are not two bottles,” replied the master; “go, leave off squinting and do not be seeing more (than one).”
گفت استاد آن دو شیشه نیست رو ** احولی بگذار و افزون بین مشو
“O master,” said he, “don't chide me.” Said the master, “Smash one of those two.”330
گفت ای استا مرا طعنه مزن ** گفت استا ز ان دو یک را در شکن
The bottle was one, though in his eyes it seemed two; when he broke the bottle, there was no other.
شیشه یک بود و به چشمش دو نمود ** چون شکست او شیشه را دیگر نبود
When one was broken, both vanished from sight: a man is made squint-eyed by (evil) propensity and anger.
چون یکی بشکست هر دو شد ز چشم ** مردم احول گردد از میلان و خشم
Anger and lust make a man squint-eyed, they change the spirit (so that it departs) from rectitude.
خشم و شهوت مرد را احول کند ** ز استقامت روح را مبدل کند
When self-interest appears, virtue becomes hidden: a hundred veils rise from the heart to the eye.
چون غرض آمد هنر پوشیده شد ** صد حجاب از دل به سوی دیده شد
When the cadi lets bribery gain hold of his heart, how should he know the wronger from the wretched victim of wrong?335
چون دهد قاضی به دل رشوت قرار ** کی شناسد ظالم از مظلوم زار
The king, from Jewish rancour, became so squint-eyed that (we cry), “Mercy, O Lord, mercy (save us from such an affliction)!”
شاه از حقد جهودانه چنان ** گشت احول کالامان یا رب امان
He slew hundreds of thousands of wronged (innocent) believers, saying, “I am the protection and support of the religion of Moses.”
صد هزاران مومن مظلوم کشت ** که پناهم دین موسی را و پشت
How the vizier instructed the king to plot.
آموختن وزیر مکر پادشاه را
He had a vizier, a miscreant and ogler (deceiver), who by reason of (his exceeding) guile would tie knots on water.
او وزیری داشت گبر و عشوه‌‌ده ** کاو بر آب از مکر بر بستی گره
“The Christians,” said he, “seek to save their lives; they hide their religion from the king.
گفت ترسایان پناه جان کنند ** دین خود را از ملک پنهان کنند
Slay them not, for slaying (them) is useless: religion hath no smell, it is not musk and aloes-wood.340
کم کش ایشان را که کشتن سود نیست ** دین ندارد بوی، مشک و عود نیست