The quiver of his life became empty: his life passed in running hotly in chase of the shadow.
ترکش عمرش تهی شد عمر رفت ** از دویدن در شکار سایه تفت
(But) when the shadow of God is his nurse, it delivers him from (every) phantom and shadow.
سایهی یزدان چو باشد دایهاش ** وارهاند از خیال و سایهاش
The shadow of God is that servant of God who is dead to this world and living through God.
سایهی یزدان بود بندهی خدا ** مرده او زین عالم و زندهی خدا
Lay hold of his skirt most quickly without misgiving, that you may be saved in the skirt (end) of the last days (of the world).
دامن او گیر زودتر بیگمان ** تا رهی در دامن آخر زمان
(The shadow mentioned in the words) How He (God) extended the shadow is the form of the saints, which guides to the light of the Divine Sun.425
کيف مد الظل نقش اولیاست ** کاو دلیل نور خورشید خداست
Do not go in this valley without this guide; say, like Khalíl (Abraham), “I love not them that set.”
اندر این وادی مرو بیاین دلیل ** لا أحب الآفلین گو چون خلیل
Go, from the shadow gain a sun: pluck the skirt of the (spiritual) king, Shams-i Tabrízí (the Sun of Tabríz)!
رو ز سایه آفتابی را بیاب ** دامن شه شمس تبریزی بتاب
If you do not know the way to this feast and bridal, ask of Ziyá’u ’l-Haqq (the Radiance of God) Husámu’ddín.
ره ندانی جانب این سور و عرس ** از ضیاء الحق حسام الدین بپرس
And if on the way envy seize you by the throat, it belongs to (is characteristic of) Iblís to go beyond bounds in envy;
ور حسد گیرد ترا در ره گلو ** در حسد ابلیس را باشد غلو
For he because of envy hath disdain for Adam, and because of envy is at war with felicity.430
کاو ز آدم ننگ دارد از حسد ** با سعادت جنگ دارد از حسد
In the Way there is no harder pass than this. Oh, fortunate he who is not companioned by envy!
ای خنک آن کش حسد همراه نیست ** عقبهای زین صعبتر در راه نیست
This body, you must know, is the house of envy, for the household are tainted with envy.
این جسد خانهی حسد آمد بدان ** از حسد آلوده باشد خاندان
If the body is the house of envy, yet God made that body very pure.
گر جسد خانهی حسد باشد و لیک ** آن جسد را پاک کرد الله نیک
(The text) Cleanse My house, ye twain, is the explanation of (such) purity: it (the purified heart) is a treasure of (Divine) light, though its talisman is of earth.
طهرا بيتي بیان پاکی است ** گنج نور است ار طلسمش خاکی است
When you practise deceit and envy against one who is without envy, from that envy black stain arise in your heart.435
چون کنی بر بیجسد مکر و حسد ** ز آن حسد دل را سیاهیها رسد
Become (as) dust under the feet of the men of God; throw dust on the head of envy, even as we do.
خاک شو مردان حق را زیر پا ** خاک بر سر کن حسد را همچو ما
Explanation of the envy of the vizier.
بیان حسد وزیر
That petty vizier had his origin from envy, so that for vanity he gave to the wind (sacrificed) his ears and nose,
آن وزیرک از حسد بودش نژاد ** تا به باطل گوش و بینی باد داد
In the hope that by the sting of envy his venom might enter the souls of the poor (Christians).
بر امید آن که از نیش حسد ** زهر او در جان مسکینان رسد
Any one who from envy mutilates his nose makes himself without ear and without nose (unable to apprehend spiritual things).
هر کسی کاو از حسد بینی کند ** خویشتن بیگوش و بیبینی کند
The nose is that which catches a scent, and which the scent leads towards an abode (of spiritual truth).440
بینی آن باشد که او بویی برد ** بوی او را جانب کویی برد
Whoever hath no scent is without a nose; the scent (referred to) is that scent which is religious.
هر که بویش نیست بیبینی بود ** بوی آن بوی است کان دینی بود
When he has caught a scent and given no thanks for it, (that) ingratitude comes and devours his nose (deprives him of the organ of spiritual perception).
چون که بویی برد و شکر آن نکرد ** کفر نعمت آمد و بینیش خورد
Give thanks (to God) and be a slave to those who give thanks: be in their presence (as one) dead, be steadfast.
شکر کن مر شاکران را بنده باش ** پیش ایشان مرده شو پاینده باش
Do not, like the vizier, make brigandage your stock-in-trade; do not turn the people away from the ritual prayer.
چون وزیر از ره زنی مایه مساز ** خلق را تو بر میاور از نماز
The miscreant vizier had become (in appearance) a true religious counsellor, (but) he had craftily put garlic in the walnut cake.445
ناصح دین گشته آن کافر وزیر ** کرده او از مکر در لوزینه سیر
How the sagacious among the Christians perceived the guile of the vizier.
فهم کردن حاذقان نصارا مکر وزیر را
Whoever was possessed of (spiritual) discernment was feeling a sweet savour in his words and, joined therewith, bitterness.
هر که صاحب ذوق بود از گفت او ** لذتی میدید و تلخی جفت او
He (the vizier) was saying fine things mixed (with foul): he had poured some poison into the sugared julep.
نکتهها میگفت او آمیخته ** در جلاب قند زهری ریخته
The outward sense of it was saying, “Be diligent in the Way,” but in effect it was saying to the soul, “Be slack.”
ظاهرش میگفت در ره چیست شو ** وز اثر میگفت جان را سست شو
If the surface of silver is white and new, (yet) the hands and dress are blackened by it.
ظاهر نقره گر اسپید است و نو ** دست و جامه می سیه گردد ازو
Although fire is red-faced (bright and glorious) with sparks, look at the black behaviour (displayed) in its action.450
آتش ار چه سرخ روی است از شرر ** تو ز فعل او سیه کاری نگر
If the lightning appears luminous to the eye, (yet) from its distinctive property it is the robber of sight (it strikes men blind).
برق اگر نوری نماید در نظر ** لیک هست از خاصیت دزد بصر
(As for) any (Christian) who was not wary and possessed of discernment, the words of him (the vizier) were (as) a collar on his neck.
هر که جز آگاه و صاحب ذوق بود ** گفت او در گردن او طوق بود
During six years, in separation from the king, the vizier became a refuge for the followers of Jesus.
مدت شش سال در هجران شاه ** شد وزیر اتباع عیسی را پناه
To him the people wholly surrendered their religion and their hearts: at his command and decree they were ready to die.
دین و دل را کل بدو بسپرد خلق ** پیش امر و حکم او میمرد خلق
How the king sent messages in secret to the vizier.
پیغام شاه پنهان با وزیر
Messages (passed) between the king and him: the king had words of comfort from him in secret.455
در میان شاه و او پیغامها ** شاه را پنهان بدو آرامها
The king wrote to him, saying, “O my fortunate one, the time is come: quickly set my mind at ease.”
پیش او بنوشت شه کای مقبلم ** وقت آمد زود فارغ کن دلم
He replied: “Behold, O king, I am preparing to cast disorders into the religion of Jesus.”
گفت اینک اندر آن کارم شها ** کافکنم در دین عیسی فتنهها
Explanation of the twelve tribes of the Christians.
بیان دوازده سبط از نصارا
The people of Jesus had twelve amírs as rulers in authority over them.
قوم عیسی را بد اندر دار و گیر ** حاکمانشان ده امیر و دو امیر
Each party followed one amír and had become devoted to its own amír from desire (of worldly gain).
هر فریقی مر امیری را تبع ** بنده گشته میر خود را از طمع
These twelve amírs and their followers became in bondage to (a prey to) that vizier of evil sign.460
این ده و این دو امیر و قومشان ** گشته بند آن وزیر بدنشان
They all put trust in his words, they all took his procedure as a pattern.
اعتماد جمله بر گفتار او ** اقتدای جمله بر رفتار او
Each amír would have given up his life in his presence at the time and hour (on the spot), if he (the vizier) had bidden him die.
پیش او در وقت و ساعت هر امیر ** جان بدادی گر بدو گفتی بمیر
How the vizier confused the ordinances of the Gospel.
تخلیط وزیر در احکام انجیل
He prepared a scroll in the name of (addressed to) each one, the (written) form of each scroll (of) a different tenor,
ساخت طوماری به نام هر یکی ** نقش هر طومار دیگر مسلکی
The ordinances of each (of) a diverse kind, this contradicting that from the end to the beginning.
حکمهای هر یکی نوعی دگر ** این خلاف آن ز پایان تا به سر
In one he made the path of asceticism and hunger to be the basis of repentance and the condition (necessary) for conversion.465
در یکی راه ریاضت را و جوع ** رکن توبه کرده و شرط رجوع
In one he said: “Asceticism profits naught: in this Way there is no place (means) of deliverance but generosity.”
در یکی گفته ریاضت سود نیست ** اندر این ره مخلصی جز جود نیست
In one he said: “Your hunger and generosity are (imply) association on your part (of other objects) with (Him who is) the object of your worship.
در یکی گفته که جوع و جود تو ** شرک باشد از تو با معبود تو
Excepting trust (in God) and complete resignation in sorrow and joy, all is a deceit and snare.”
جز توکل جز که تسلیم تمام ** در غم و راحت همه مکر است و دام
In one he said: “It is incumbent (on you) to serve (God); else the thought of putting trust (in Him) is (a cause of) suspicion.”
در یکی گفته که واجب خدمت است ** ور نه اندیشهی توکل تهمت است
In one he said: “There are (Divine) commands and prohibitions, (but they) are not for practice (observance): they are (only) to show our weakness (inability to fulfil them),470
در یکی گفته که امر و نهیهاست ** بهر کردن نیست شرح عجز ماست