God hath scattered that light over (all) spirits, (but only) the fortunate have held up their skirts (to receive it);760
حق فشاند آن نور را بر جانها ** مقبلان برداشته دامانها
And he (that is fortunate), having gained that strown largesse of light, has turned his face away from all except God.
و آن نثار نور را وایافته ** روی از غیر خدا بر تافته
Whosoever has lacked (such) a skirt of love is left without share in that strown largesse of light.
هر که را دامان عشقی نابده ** ز آن نثار نور بیبهره شده
The faces of particulars are set towards the universal: nightingales are in love with the face of the rose.
جزوها را رویها سوی کل است ** بلبلان را عشق با روی گل است
The ox has his colour outside, but in the case of a man seek the red and yellow hues within.
گاو را رنگ از برون و مرد را ** از درون جو رنگ سرخ و زرد را
The good colours are from the vat of purity; the colour of the wicked is from the black water of iniquity.765
رنگهای نیک از خم صفاست ** رنگ زشتان از سیاهآبهی جفاست
The baptism of God is the name of that subtle colour; the curse of God is the smell of this gross colour.
صبغة الله نام آن رنگ لطیف ** لعنة الله بوی این رنگ کثیف
That which is of the sea is going to the sea: it is going to the same place whence it came—
آن چه از دریا به دریا میرود ** از همانجا کامد آن جا میرود
From the mountain-top the swift-rushing torrents, and from our body the soul whose motion is mingled with love.
از سر که سیلهای تیز رو ** وز تن ما جان عشق آمیز رو
How the Jewish king made a fire and placed an idol beside it, saying, “Whoever bows down to this idol shall escape the fire.”
آتش کردن پادشاه جهود و بت نهادن پهلوی آتش که هر که این بت را سجود کند از آتش برست
Now see what a plan this currish Jew contrived! He set up an idol beside the fire,
آن جهود سگ ببین چه رای کرد ** پهلوی آتش بتی بر پای کرد
Saying, “He that bows down to this idol is saved, and if he bow not, he shall sit in the heart of the fire.”770
کان که این بت را سجود آرد برست ** ور نیارد در دل آتش نشست
Inasmuch as he did not give due punishment to this idol of self, from the idol of his self the other idol was born.
چون سزای این بت نفس او نداد ** از بت نفسش بتی دیگر بزاد
The idol of your self is the mother of (all) idols, because that (material) idol is (only) a snake, while this (spiritual) idol is a dragon.
مادر بتها بت نفس شماست ** ز آن که آن بت مار و این بت اژدهاست
The self is (as) iron and stone (whence fire is produced), while the (material) idol is (as) the sparks: those sparks are quieted (quenched) by water.
آهن و سنگ است نفس و بت شرار ** آن شرار از آب میگیرد قرار
(But) how should the stone and iron be allayed by water? How should a man, having these twain, be secure?
سنگ و آهن ز آب کی ساکنشود ** آدمی با این دو کی ایمن شود
The idol is the black water hidden in the jug; know that the self is the fountain.775
بت سیاهآبهست در کوزه نهان ** نفس مر آب سیه را چشمه دان
That sculptured idol is like the black torrent; the idol-making self is a fountain (jetting muddy water) on the Water-way (the Way that leads to the Water of Life).
آن بت منحوت چون سیل سیاه ** نفس بتگر چشمهای بر آب راه
A single piece of stone will break a hundred pitchers, but the fountain-water is making jets incessantly.
صد سبو را بشکند یک پاره سنگ ** و آب چشمه میزهاند بیدرنگ
’Tis easy to break an idol, very easy; to regard the self as easy (to subdue) is folly, folly.
بت شکستن سهل باشد نیک سهل ** سهل دیدن نفس را جهل است جهل
O son, if you seek (to know) the form of the self, read the story of Hell with its seven gates.
صورت نفس ار بجویی ای پسر ** قصهی دوزخ بخوان با هفت در
Every moment (there proceeds from the self) an act of deceit, and in every one of those deceits a hundred Pharaohs are drowned together with their followers.780
هر نفس مکری و در هر مکر ز آن ** غرقه صد فرعون با فرعونیان
Flee to the God of Moses and to Moses, do not from Pharaoh's quality (rebellious insolence) spill the water of the Faith.
در خدای موسی و موسی گریز ** آب ایمان را ز فرعونی مریز
Lay your hand on (cleave to) the One (God) and Ahmad (Mohammed)! O brother, escape from the Bú Jahl of the body!
دست را اندر احد و احمد بزن ** ای برادر واره از بو جهل تن
How a child began to speak amidst the fire and urged the people to throw themselves into the fire.
به سخن آمدن طفل در میان آتش و تحریض کردن خلق را در افتادن به آتش
That Jew brought to that idol a woman with her child, and the fire was blazing.
یک زنی با طفل آورد آن جهود ** پیش آن بت و آتش اندر شعله بود
He took the child from her and cast it into the fire: the woman was affrighted and withdrew her heart from (abandoned) her faith.
طفل از او بستد در آتش در فکند ** زن بترسید و دل از ایمان بکند
She was about to bow down before the idol (when) the child cried, “Verily, I am not dead.785
خواست تا او سجده آرد پیش بت ** بانگ زد آن طفل إنی لم أمت
Come in, O mother: I am happy here, although in appearance I am amidst the fire.
اندر آ ای مادر اینجا من خوشم ** گر چه در صورت میان آتشم
The fire is a spell that binds the eye for the sake of screening (the truth); this is (in reality) a Divine mercy which has raised its head from the collar (has been manifested from the Unseen).
چشم بند است آتش از بهر حجاب ** رحمت است این سر بر آورده ز جیب
Come in, mother, and see the evidence of God, that thou mayst behold the delight of God's elect.
اندر آ مادر ببین برهان حق ** تا ببینی عشرت خاصان حق
Come in, and see water that has the semblance of fire; (come away) from a world which is (really) fire and (only) has the semblance of water.
اندر آ و آب بین آتش مثال ** از جهانی کاتش است آبش مثال
Come in, and see the mysteries of Abraham, who in the fire found cypress and jessamine.790
اندر آ اسرار ابراهیم بین ** کاو در آتش یافت سرو و یاسمین
I was seeing death at the time of birth from thee: sore was my dread of falling from thee;
مرگ میدیدم گه زادن ز تو ** سخت خوفم بود افتادن ز تو
(But) when I was born, I escaped from the narrow prison (of the womb) into a world of pleasant air and beautiful colour.
چون بزادم رستم از زندان تنگ ** در جهان خوش هوای خوب رنگ
Now I deem the (earthly) world to be like the womb, since in this fire I have seen such rest:
من جهان را چون رحم دیدم کنون ** چون در این آتش بدیدم این سکون
In this fire I have seen a world wherein every atom possesses the (life-giving) breath of Jesus.
اندر این آتش بدیدم عالمی ** ذره ذره اندر او عیسی دمی
Lo, (it is) a world apparently non-existent (but) essentially existent, while that (other) world is apparently existent (but) has no permanence.795
نک جهان نیست شکل هست ذات ** و آن جهان هست شکل بیثبات
Come in, mother, (I beseech thee) by the right of motherhood: see this fire, how it hath no fieriness.
اندر آ مادر به حق مادری ** بین که این آذر ندارد آذری
Come in, mother, for felicity is come; come in, mother, do not let fortune slip from thy hand.
اندر آ مادر که اقبال آمده ست ** اندر آ مادر مده دولت ز دست
Thou hast seen the power of that (Jewish) cur: come in, that thou mayst see the power and the grace of God.
قدرت آن سگ بدیدی اندر آ ** تا ببینی قدرت و لطف خدا
’Tis (only) out of pity that I am drawing thy feet (hither), for indeed such is my rapture that I have no care for thee.
من ز رحمت میکشانم پای تو ** کز طرب خود نیستم پروای تو
Come in and call the others also, for the King has spread a (festal) table within the fire.800
اندر آ و دیگران را هم بخوان ** کاندر آتش شاه بنهاده ست خوان
O true believers, come in, all of you: except the sweetness (‘adhbí) of (the true) religion all is torment (‘adháb).
اندر آیید ای مسلمانان همه ** غیر عذب دین عذاب است آن همه
Oh, come in, all of you, like moths; (come) into this fortune which hath a hundred springtimes.”
اندر آیید ای همه پروانهوار ** اندر این بهره که دارد صد بهار
(Thus) he was crying amidst that multitude: the souls of the people were filled with awe.
بانگ میزد در میان آن گروه ** پر همیشد جان خلقان از شکوه
After that, the folk, men and women (alike), cast themselves unwittingly into the fire—
خلق خود را بعد از آن بیخویشتن ** میفگندند اندر آتش مرد و زن
Without custodian, without being dragged, for love of the Friend, because from Him is the sweetening of every bitterness—805
بیموکل بیکشش از عشق دوست ** ز آن که شیرین کردن هر تلخ از اوست
Until it came to pass that the (king's) myrmidons were holding back the people, saying, “Do not enter the fire!”
تا چنان شد کان عوانان خلق را ** منع میکردند کاتش در میا
The Jew became black-faced (covered with shame) and dismayed; he became sorry and sick at heart,
آن یهودی شد سیه رو و خجل ** شد پشیمان زین سبب بیمار دل
Because the people grew more loving (ardent) in their Faith and more firm in mortification (faná) of the body.
کاندر ایمان خلق عاشقتر شدند ** در فنای جسم صادقتر شدند
Thanks (be to God), the Devil's plot caught him in its toils; thanks (be to God), the Devil saw himself disgraced.
مکر شیطان هم در او پیچید شکر ** دیو هم خود را سیه رو دید شکر