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1
296-345

  • 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

  • The secret is concealed in a hundred coverings: its outward form is (in agreement) with thee, (but) the inward (reality) is (in) disagreement.”
  • سر پنهان است اندر صد غلاف ** ظاهرش با تست و باطن بر خلاف‌‌

  • The king said to him: “Tell (me), then, what is the (best) plan? What is the remedy against that deceit and imposture?—
  • شاه گفتش پس بگو تدبیر چیست ** چاره‌‌ی آن مکر و ان تزویر چیست‌‌

  • So that there may not remain a single Christian in the world, neither one whose religion is manifest nor one who is concealed.”
  • تا نماند در جهان نصرانیی ** نی هویدا دین و نی پنهانیی‌‌

  • “O king,” said he, “cut off my ears and hands, rip my nose and lips by bitter (cruel) decree;
  • گفت ای شه گوش و دستم را ببر ** بینی‌‌ام بشکاف و لب در حکم مر

  • Then bring me under the gallows, that an intercessor may plead for me. 345
  • بعد از آن در زیر دار آور مرا ** تا بخواهد یک شفاعت‌‌گر مرا