Wouldst thou wash thy garment (clean), O so-and-so, do not avert thy face from the bleachers' quarter.3880
جامه شویی کرد خواهی ای فلان ** رو مگردان از محله‌‌ی گازران
Although the bread has broken thy fast, cling to Him that binds what is broken, and ascend!
گر چه نان بشکست مر روزه‌‌ی ترا ** در شکسته بند پیچ و برتر آ
Inasmuch as His hand binds what is broken, it follows that His breaking is assuredly mending.
چون شکسته بند آمد دست او ** پس رفو باشد یقین اشکست او
It thou break it, He will say to thee, “Come, make it whole (again)”; and thou hast neither hand nor foot (thou art helpless).
گر تو آن را بشکنی گوید بیا ** تو درستش کن نداری دست و پا
Therefore He (alone) has the right to break, for He (alone) can mend what has been broken.
پس شکستن حق او باشد که او ** مر شکسته گشته را داند رفو
He that knows how to sew (together) knows how to tear (asunder); whatsoever He sells, He buys (something) better (in exchange).3885
آن که داند دوخت او داند درید ** هر چه را بفروخت نیکوتر خرید
He lays the house in ruins, upside down; then in one moment He makes it more habitable (than it was before).
خانه را ویران کند زیر و زبر ** پس به یک ساعت کند معمورتر
If He sever one head from the body, He at once raises up hundreds of thousands of heads (for the beheaded person).
گر یکی سر را ببرد از بدن ** صد هزاران سر بر آرد در زمن
If He had not ordained a retaliation upon the guilty, or if He had not said, “In retaliation there is (for you) a life,”
گر نفرمودی قصاصی بر جناة ** یا نگفتی فی القصاص آمد حیات
Who indeed would have the stomach (would dare) of himself (on his own responsibility) to wield (draw) a sword against him that is a thrall to the decree of God?—
خود که را زهره بدی تا او ز خود ** بر اسیر حکم حق تیغی زند
Because every one whose eyes He (God) hath opened would know that the slayer was constrained (to slay) by (Divine) predestination.3890
ز آن که داند هر که چشمش را گشود ** کآن کشنده سخره‌‌ی تقدیر بود
Any one on whom that decree might come (fall) would strike a sword-blow even at the head of his (own) child.
هر که را آن حکم بر سر آمدی ** بر سر فرزند هم تیغی زدی
Go, fear (God) and do not rail at the wicked: know thine own impotence before the snare of the (Divine) decree.
رو بترس و طعنه کم زن بر بدان ** پیش دام حکم عجز خود بدان
How Adam, on whom be peace, marvelled at the perdition of the accursed Iblís and showed vanity.
تعجب کردن آدم علیه السلام از ضلالت ابلیس لعین و عجب آوردن
The eye of Adam looked with contempt and scorn on Iblís who is damned.
چشم آدم بر بلیسی کو شقی ست ** از حقارت و از زیافت بنگریست
He behaved with self-conceit and became self-approving: he laughed at the plight of accursed Iblís.
خویش بینی کرد و آمد خود گزین ** خنده زد بر کار ابلیس لعین
The jealousy of God cried out (against him)—“O chosen one, thou art ignorant of the hidden mysteries (of His providence).3895
بانگ بر زد غیرت حق کای صفی ** تو نمی‌‌دانی ز اسرار خفی
If He should turn the fur inside out, He would tear up from root and bottom (even) the (firmest) mountain (of faith);
پوستین را باژگونه گر کند ** کوه را از بیخ و از بن بر کند
At that instant He would rend the veil of (put to shame) a hundred Adams and bring (to light) a hundred Devils newly converted to Islam.”
پرده‌‌ی صد آدم آن دم بر درد ** صد بلیس نو مسلمان آورد
Adam said, “I repent of this look; I will not think so disrespectfully again.”
گفت آدم توبه کردم زین نظر ** این چنین گستاخ نندیشم دگر
O Help of them that call for help, lead us (aright)! There is no (cause for) pride in knowledge or riches.
یا غیاث المستغیثین اهدنا ** لا افتخار بالعلوم و الغنی
Do not let a heart stray that Thou hast guided by Thy grace, and avert the evil which the Pen has written.3900
لا تزغ قلبا هدیت بالکرم ** و اصرف السوء الذی خط القلم
Let the evil of Thy ordainment pass from our souls: do not cut us off from those who are sincere.
بگذران از جان ما سوء القضا ** وا مبر ما را ز اخوان صفا
There is naught more bitter than separation from Thee: without Thy protection there is naught but perplexity.
تلخ‌‌تر از فرقت تو هیچ نیست ** بی‌‌پناهت غیر پیچا پیچ نیست
Our (worldly) goods waylay (and plunder) our (spiritual) goods: our bodies tear the garment (of spirituality) from our souls.
رخت ما هم رخت ما را راه زن ** جسم ما مر جان ما را جامه کن
Inasmuch as (the evil wrought by) our hand devours (the good towards which we move) our foot, how shall any one save his soul without Thy security?
دست ما چون پای ما را می‌‌خورد ** بی‌‌امان تو کسی جان چون برد
And (even) if (unaided) he save his soul from these awful dangers, he will (only) have saved a stock of misfortune and fear,3905
ور برد جان زین خطرهای عظیم ** برده باشد مایه‌‌ی ادبار و بیم
Because the soul, when it is not united with the Beloved, is blind and blue (miserable) with itself for ever.
ز آن که جان چون واصل جانان نبود ** تا ابد با خویش کور است و کبود
When Thou wilt not give him admission (to Thy presence) —even suppose he has saved his soul, regard as dead the soul that would live without Thee.
چون تو ندهی راه جان خود برده گیر ** جان که بی‌‌تو زنده باشد مرده گیر
If Thou art upbraiding Thy slaves, that is suitable to Thee, O Thou whose every wish is fulfilled.
گر تو طعنه می‌‌زنی بر بندگان ** مر ترا آن می‌‌رسد ای کامران
And if Thou utter abuse of the moon and sun, and if Thou say that the (straight) stature of the cypress is (bent) double,
ور تو ماه و مهر را گویی جفا ** ور تو قد سرو را گویی دوتا
And if Thou call the sky and the empyrean contemptible, and if Thou say that the mine and the sea are poor—3910
ور تو چرخ و عرش را خوانی حقیر ** ور تو کان و بحر را گویی فقیر
That is proper in reference to Thy perfection: Thine is the power of perfecting (all) mortalities,
آن به نسبت با کمال تو رواست ** ملک اکمال فناها مر تراست
For Thou art holy (and free) from danger and from non-existence: Thou art He that brings the non-existent ones into being and endows (them with existence).
که تو پاکی از خطر و ز نیستی ** نیستان را موجد و معنیستی
He that made to grow can burn (destroy), because when He has torn, He can sew (mend).
آن که رویانید داند سوختن ** ز آن که چون بدرید داند دوختن
Every autumn He burns (withers) the garden; (then) He makes to grow again the rose that dyes (the garden),
می‌‌بسوزد هر خزان مر باغ را ** باز رویاند گل صباغ را
Saying, “O thou who wert withered, come forth, be fresh, once more be fair and of fair renown!”3915
کای بسوزیده برون آ تازه شو ** بار دیگر خوب و خوب آوازه شو
The eye of the narcissus became blind: He restored it; the throat of the reed was cut: He himself fostered it again (and revived it).
چشم نرگس کور شد بازش بساخت ** حلق نی ببرید و بازش خود نواخت
Since we are made (by God) and are not makers, we are not (entitled to be anything) but humble and content.
ما چو مصنوعیم و صانع نیستیم ** جز زبون و جز که قانع نیستیم
We all are of the flesh and busy with fleshliness: if Thou call us not (to Thyself), we all are Ahrimans (Devils).
ما همه نفسی و نفسی می‌‌زنیم ** گر نخوانی ما همه اهرمنیم
(If) we have been delivered from Ahriman, (it is only) because Thou hast redeemed our souls from blindness.
ز آن ز اهرمن رهیدستیم ما ** که خریدی جان ما را از عمی
Thou art the Guide of every one that hath life: what is the blind man without staff and guide?3920
تو عصا کش هر که را که زندگی است ** بی‌‌عصا و بی‌‌عصا کش کور چیست
Excepting Thee (alone), whatsoever is sweet or unsweet is man-destroying and the essence of fire.
غیر تو هر چه خوش است و ناخوش است ** آدمی سوز است و عین آتش است
Any one to whom fire is a refuge and support becomes both a Magian and a Zoroaster.
هر که را آتش پناه و پشت شد ** هم مجوسی گشت و هم زردشت شد
Everything except Allah is vain: verily the grace of Allah is a cloud pouring abundantly and continually.
کل شی‌‌ء ما خلا الله باطل ** إن فضل الله غیم هاطل
Returning to the story of ‘Alí—may God honour his person!— and how generously he behaved to his murderer.
باز گشتن به حکایت امیر المؤمنین علی کرم الله وجهه و مسامحت کردن او با خونی خویش
Go back to ‘Alí and his murderer, and the kindness he showed to the murderer, and his superiority (moral and spiritual excellence).
باز رو سوی علی و خونی‌‌اش ** و آن کرم با خونی و افزونی‌‌اش
He said, “Day and night I see the enemy with my eyes, (but) I have no anger against him,3925
گفت دشمن را همی بینم به چشم ** روز و شب بر وی ندارم هیچ خشم
Because death has become sweet as manna to me: my death has laid fast hold of resurrection.”
ز آنکه مرگم همچو من خوش آمده ست ** مرگ من در بعث چنگ اندر زده ست
The death of deathlessness is lawful to us, the provision of unprovidedness is a bounty to us.
مرگ بی‌‌مرگی بود ما را حلال ** برگ بی‌‌برگی بود ما را نوال
’Tis death outwardly but life inwardly: apparently ’tis a cutting-off (decease), in secret (in reality) ’tis permanence (life without end).
ظاهرش مرگ و به باطن زندگی ** ظاهرش ابتر نهان پایندگی
To the embryo in the womb birth is a going (to another state of existence): in the world it (the embryo) blossoms anew.
در رحم زادن جنین را رفتن است ** در جهان او را ز نو بشکفتن است