That is not “easy” in the end; its (true) name ultimately is “hard.”
آن میسر نبود اندر عاقبت ** نام او باشد معسر عاقبت
Distinguish the hard from the easy: consider (what is) the goodliness of this and that in the end.
تو معسر از میسر باز دان ** عاقبت بنگر جمال این و آن
In one he said: “Seek a master (teacher): you will not find foresight as to the end among the qualities derived from ancestors.”490
در یکی گفته که استادی طلب ** عاقبت بینی نیابی در حسب
Every sort of religious sect foresaw the end (according to their own surmise): of necessity they fell captive to error.
عاقبت دیدند هر گون ملتی ** لاجرم گشتند اسیر زلتی
To foresee the end is not (as simple as) a hand-loom; otherwise, how would there have been difference in religions?
عاقبت دیدن نباشد دست‌‌باف ** ور نه کی بودی ز دینها اختلاف
In one he said: “You are the master, because you know the master.
در یکی گفته که استا هم تویی ** ز انکه استا را شناسا هم تویی
Be a man and be not subject to men. Go, take your own head (choose your own way), and be not one whose head is turning (bewildered in search of a guide).”
مرد باش و سخره‌‌ی مردان مشو ** رو سر خود گیر و سر گردان مشو
In one he said: “All this (multiplicity) is one: whoever sees two is a squint-eyed manikin.”495
در یکی گفته که این جمله یکی است ** هر که او دو بیند احول مردکی است
In one he said: “How should a hundred be one? He who thinks this is surely mad.”
در یکی گفته که صد یک چون بود ** این کی اندیشد مگر مجنون بود
The doctrines, every one, are contrary to each other: how should they be one? Are poison and sugar one?
هر یکی قولی است ضد همدگر ** چون یکی باشد یکی زهر و شکر
Until you pass beyond (the difference of) poison and sugar, how will you catch a scent from the garden of Unity?
تا ز زهر و از شکر در نگذری ** کی تو از گلزار وحدت بر بری
Twelve scrolls of this style and fashion were drawn up in writing by that enemy to the religion of Jesus.
این نمط وین نوع ده طومار و دو ** بر نوشت آن دین عیسی را عدو
Showing how this difference lies in the form of the doctrine, not in the real nature of the Way.
بیان آن که این اختلافات در صورت روش است نه در حقیقت راه
He had no scent (perception) of the unicolority of Jesus, nor had he a disposition from (imbued with) the tincture of the dyeing-vat of Jesus.500
او ز یک رنگی عیسی بو نداشت ** وز مزاج خم عیسی خو نداشت
From that pure vat a garment of a hundred colours would become as simple and one-coloured as the zephyr.
جامه‌‌ی صد رنگ از آن خم صفا ** ساده و یک رنگ گشتی چون صبا
(This) is not the unicolority from which weariness ensues; nay, it is (a case) like (that of) fishes and clear water:
نیست یک رنگی کز او خیزد ملال ** بل مثال ماهی و آب زلال
Although there are thousands of colours on dry land, (yet) fishes are at war with dryness.
گر چه در خشکی هزاران رنگهاست ** ماهیان را با یبوست جنگهاست
Who is the fish and what is the sea in (my) simile, that the King Almighty and Glorious should resemble them?
کیست ماهی چیست دریا در مثل ** تا بدان ماند ملک عز و جل
In (the world of) existence myriads of seas and fishes prostrate themselves in adoration before that Munificence and Bounty.505
صد هزاران بحر و ماهی در وجود ** سجده آرد پیش آن اکرام و جود
How many a rain of largesse hath rained, so that the sea was made thereby to scatter pearls!
چند باران عطا باران شده ** تا بدان آن بحر در افشان شده
How many a sun of generosity hath shone, so that cloud and sea learned to be bountiful!
چند خورشید کرم افروخته ** تا که ابر و بحر جود آموخته
The sunbeams of Wisdom struck on soil and clay, so that the earth became receptive of the seed.
پرتو دانش زده بر آب و طین ** تا شده دانه پذیرنده‌‌ی زمین
The soil is faithful to its trust, and whatever you have sown in it, you carry away the (equivalent in) kind thereof without fraud (on the part of the soil).
خاک امین و هر چه در وی کاشتی ** بی‌‌خیانت جنس آن برداشتی
It has derived this faithfulness from that (Divine) faithfulness, inasmuch as the sun of Justice has shone upon it.510
این امانت ز آن امانت یافته ست ** کافتاب عدل بر وی تافته ست
Until springtide brings the token of God, the soil does not reveal its secrets.
تا نشان حق نیارد نو بهار ** خاک سرها را نکرده آشکار
The Bounteous One who gave to an inanimate thing these informations and this faithfulness and this righteousness,
آن جوادی که جمادی را بداد ** این خبرها وین امانت وین سداد
His grace makes an inanimate thing informed, (while) His wrath makes blind the men of understanding.
مر جمادی را کند فضلش خبیر ** عاقلان را کرده قهر او ضریر
Soul and heart cannot endure that ferment: to whom shall I speak? There is not in the world a single ear (capable of apprehension).
جان و دل را طاقت آن جوش نیست ** با که گویم در جهان یک گوش نیست
Wherever there was an ear, through Him it became an eye; wherever there was a stone, through Him it became a jasper.515
هر کجا گوشی بد از وی چشم گشت ** هر کجا سنگی بد از وی یشم گشت
He is an alchemist—what is alchemy (compared with His action)? He is a giver of miracles (to prophets)—what is magic (compared with these miracles)?
کیمیا ساز است چه بود کیمیا ** معجزه بخش است چه بود سیمیا
This uttering of praise (to Him) is (really) the omission of praise on my part, for this (praise) is a proof of (my) being, and being is a sin.
این ثنا گفتن ز من ترک ثناست ** کین دلیل هستی و هستی خطاست
It behoves (us) to be not-being in the presence of His Being: in His presence what is (our) being? Blind and blue.
پیش هست او بباید نیست بود ** چیست هستی پیش او کور و کبود
Were it not blind it would have been melted (consumed) by Him: it would have known the heat of (the Divine) sun;
گر نبودی کور از او بگداختی ** گرمی خورشید را بشناختی
And were it not blue from mourning, how would this region (of phenomenal existence) have (remained) frozen like ice?520
ور نبودی او کبود از تعزیت ** کی فسردی همچو یخ این ناحیت
Setting forth how the vizier incurred perdition (by engaging) in this plot.
بیان خسارت وزیر در این مکر
The vizier was ignorant and heedless, like the (Jewish) king: he was wrestling with the eternal and inevitable,
همچو شه نادان و غافل بد وزیر ** پنجه می‌‌زد با قدیم ناگزیر
With a God so mighty that in a moment He causes a hundred worlds like ours to come into existence from non-existence:
با چنان قادر خدایی کز عدم ** صد چو عالم هست گرداند به دم
A hundred worlds like ours He displays to the sight, when He makes your eye seeing by (the light of) Himself.
صد چو عالم در نظر پیدا کند ** چون که چشمت را به خود بینا کند
If the world appears to you vast and bottomless, know that to Omnipotence it is not (so much as) an atom.
گر جهان پیشت بزرگ و بی‌‌بنی است ** پیش قدرت ذره ای می‌‌دان که نیست
This world, indeed, is the prison of your souls: oh, go in yonder direction, for there lies your open country.525
این جهان خود حبس جانهای شماست ** هین روید آن سو که صحرای شماست
This world is finite, and truly that (other) is infinite: image and form are a barrier to that Reality.
این جهان محدود آن خود بی حد است ** نقش و صورت پیش ٱن معنی سد است
The myriads of Pharaoh's lances were shattered by (the hand of) Moses (armed) with a single staff.
صد هزاران نیزه‌‌ی فرعون را ** در شکست از موسیی با یک عصا
Myriads were the therapeutic arts of Galen: before Jesus and his (life-giving) breath they were a laughing-stock.
صد هزاران طب جالینوس بود ** پیش عیسی و دمش افسوس بود
Myriads were the books of (pre-Islamic) poems: at the word of an illiterate (prophet) they were (put to) shame.
صد هزاران دفتر اشعار بود ** پیش حرف امیی آن عار بود
(Confronted) with such an all-conquering Lord, how should any one not die (to self), unless he be a vile wretch?530
با چنین غالب خداوندی کسی ** چون نمیرد گر نباشد او خسی
Many a mind (strong and firm) as a mountain did He uproot; the cunning bird He hung up by its two feet.
بس دل چون کوه را انگیخت او ** مرغ زیرک با دو پا آویخت او
To sharpen the intelligence and wits is not the (right) way: none but the broken (in spirit) wins the favour of the King.
فهم و خاطر تیز کردن نیست راه ** جز شکسته می‌‌نگیرد فضل شاه
Oh, many the amassers of treasure, digging holes (in search of treasure), who became an ox's beard (dupe) to that vain schemer (the vizier)!
ای بسا گنج آگنان کنج کاو ** کان خیال اندیش را شد ریش گاو
Who is the ox that you should become his beard? What is earth that you should become its stubble?
گاو که بود تا تو ریش او شوی ** خاک چه بود تا حشیش او شوی
When a woman became pale-faced (ashamed) of (her) wickedness, God metamorphosed her and made her Zuhra (the planet Venus).535
چون زنی از کار بد شد روی زرد ** مسخ کرد او را خدا و زهره کرد
To make a woman Zuhra was metamorphosis: is it not metamorphosis to become earth and clay, O contumacious one?
عورتی را زهره کردن مسخ بود ** خاک و گل گشتن نه مسخ است ای عنود
Your spirit was bearing you towards the highest sphere (of heaven): you went towards the water and the clay amongst the lowest (of the low).
روح می‌‌بردت سوی چرخ برین ** سوی آب و گل شدی در اسفلین