He said (also), “O light of God and defence against trouble, (O thou who art) the meaning of ‘Patience is the key of joy’!
گفت ای نور حق و دفع حرج ** معنی الصبر مفتاح الفرج
O thou whose countenance is the answer to every question, by thee hard knots are loosed without discussion.
ای لقای تو جواب هر سؤال ** مشکل از تو حل شود بی‌‌قیل و قال
Thou interpretest all that is in our hearts, thou givest a helping hand to every one whose foot is in the mire.
ترجمانی هر چه ما را در دل است ** دست گیری هر که پایش در گل است
Welcome, O chosen one, O approved one! If thou vanish, Destiny will come (upon us) and the wide room will be straitened.
مرحبا یا مجتبی یا مرتضی ** إن تغب جاء القضاء ضاق الفضا
Thou art the protector of the people. He that desires (thee) not hath gone to perdition. Nay, verily, if he do not refrain…!”100
أنت مولی القوم من لا یشتهی ** قد ردی کلا لئن لم ینته
How the king led the physician to the bedside of the sick girl, that he might see her condition.
بردن پادشاه آن طبیب را بر سر بیمار تا حال او را ببیند
When that meeting and bounteous (spiritual) repast was over, he took his hand and conducted him to the harem.
چون گذشت آن مجلس و خوان کرم ** دست او بگرفت و برد اندر حرم
He rehearsed the tale of the invalid and her illness, and then seated him beside the sick (girl).
قصه‌‌ی رنجور و رنجوری بخواند ** بعد از آن در پیش رنجورش نشاند
The physician observed the colour of her face, (felt) her pulse, and (inspected) her urine; he heard both the symptoms and the (secondary) causes of her malady.
رنگ رو و نبض و قاروره بدید ** هم علاماتش هم اسبابش شنید
He said, “None of the remedies which they have applied builds up (health): they (the false physicians) have wrought destruction.
گفت هر دارو که ایشان کرده‌‌اند ** آن عمارت نیست ویران کرده‌‌اند
They were ignorant of the inward state. I seek refuge with God from that which they invent.”105
بی‌‌خبر بودند از حال درون ** أستعیذ الله مما یفترون
He saw the pain, and the secret became open to him, but he concealed it and did not tell the king.
دید رنج و کشف شد بر وی نهفت ** لیک پنهان کرد و با سلطان نگفت
Her pain was not from yellow or black bile: the smell of every firewood appears from the smoke.
رنجش از صفرا و از سودا نبود ** بوی هر هیزم پدید آید ز دود
From her sore grief he perceived that she was heart-sore; well in body, but stricken in heart.
دید از زاریش کو زار دل است ** تن خوش است و او گرفتار دل است
Being in love is made manifest by soreness of heart: there is no sickness like heartsickness.
عاشقی پیداست از زاری دل ** نیست بیماری چو بیماری دل
The lover's ailment is separate from all other ailments: love is the astrolabe of the mysteries of God.110
علت عاشق ز علتها جداست ** عشق اصطرلاب اسرار خداست
Whether love be from this (earthly) side or from that (heavenly) side, in the end it leads us yonder.
عاشقی گر زین سر و گر ز ان سر است ** عاقبت ما را بدان سر رهبر است
Whatsoever I say in exposition and explanation of Love, when I come to Love (itself) I am ashamed of that (explanation).
هر چه گویم عشق را شرح و بیان ** چون به عشق آیم خجل گردم از آن
Although the commentary of the tongue makes (all) clear, yet tongueless love is clearer.
گر چه تفسیر زبان روشن‌‌گر است ** لیک عشق بی‌‌زبان روشن‌‌تر است
Whilst the pen was making haste in writing, it split upon itself as soon as it came to Love.
چون قلم اندر نوشتن می‌‌شتافت ** چون به عشق آمد قلم بر خود شکافت
In expounding it (Love), the intellect lay down (helplessly) like an ass in the mire: it was Love (alone) that uttered the explanation of love and loverhood.115
عقل در شرحش چو خر در گل بخفت ** شرح عشق و عاشقی هم عشق گفت
The proof of the sun is the sun (himself): if thou require the proof, do not avert thy face from him!
آفتاب آمد دلیل آفتاب ** گر دلیلت باید از وی رو متاب
If the shadow gives an indication of him, the sun (himself) gives spiritual light every moment.
از وی ار سایه نشانی می‌‌دهد ** شمس هر دم نور جانی می‌‌دهد
The shadow, like chat in the night-hours, brings sleep to thee; when the sun rises the moon is cloven asunder.
سایه خواب آرد ترا همچون سمر ** چون بر آید شمس انشق القمر
There is nothing in the world so wondrous strange as the Sun, the everlasting spiritual Sun which hath no yesterday.
خود غریبی در جهان چون شمس نیست ** شمس جان باقیی کش امس نیست
Although the external sun is unique, still it is possible to imagine one resembling it;120
شمس در خارج اگر چه هست فرد ** می‌‌توان هم مثل او تصویر کرد
But the Sun by which the aether was brought into existence hath no peer.
شمس جان کاو خارج آمد از اثیر ** نبودش در ذهن و در خارج نظیر
Where is room in the imagination for His essence, that the like of Him should come into the imagination?
در تصور ذات او را گنج کو ** تا در آید در تصور مثل او
When news arrived of the face of Shamsu’ddín (the Sun of the Religion), the sun of the fourth heaven drew in its head (hid itself for shame).
چون حدیث روی شمس الدین رسید ** شمس چارم آسمان سر در کشید
Since his name has come (to my lips), it behoves me to set forth some hint of his bounty.
واجب آید چون که آمد نام او ** شرح کردن رمزی از انعام او
At this moment my Soul has plucked my skirt: he has caught the perfume of Joseph's vest.125
این نفس جان دامنم بر تافته ست ** بوی پیراهان یوسف یافته ست
(He said): “For the sake of our years of companionship, recount one of those sweet ecstasies,
از برای حق صحبت سالها ** باز گو حالی از آن خوش حالها
That earth and heaven may laugh (with joy), that intellect and spirit and eye may increase a hundredfold.”
تا زمین و آسمان خندان شود ** عقل و روح و دیده صد چندان شود
(I said): “Do not lay tasks on me, for I have passed away from myself (faná); my apprehensions are blunted and I know not how to praise.
لا تکلفنی فإنی فی الفنا ** کلت أفهامی فلا أحصی ثنا
Everything that is said by one who has not returned to consciousness, if he constrains himself or boastfully exaggerates, is unseemly.
کل شی‌‌ء قاله غیر المفیق ** إن تکلف أو تصلف لا یلیق
How should I—not a vein of mine is sensible—describe that Friend who hath no peer?130
من چه گویم یک رگم هشیار نیست ** شرح آن یاری که او را یار نیست
The description of this severance and this heart's blood do thou at present leave over till another time.”
شرح این هجران و این خون جگر ** این زمان بگذار تا وقت دگر
He said: “Feed me, for I am hungry, and make haste, for Time is a cutting sword.
قال أطعمنی فإنی جائع ** و اعتجل فالوقت سیف قاطع
The Súfí is the son of the (present) time, O comrade: it is not the rule of the Way to say ‘To-morrow.’
صوفی ابن الوقت باشد ای رفیق ** نیست فردا گفتن از شرط طریق
Art not thou indeed a Súfí, then? That which is (in hand) is reduced to naught by postponing the payment.”
تو مگر خود مرد صوفی نیستی ** هست را از نسیه خیزد نیستی
I said to him: “It is better that the secret of the Friend should be disguised: do thou hearken (to it as implied) in the contents of the tale.135
گفتمش پوشیده خوشتر سر یار ** خود تو در ضمن حکایت گوش دار
It is better that the lovers' secret should be told in the talk of others.”
خوشتر آن باشد که سر دلبران ** گفته آید در حدیث دیگران
He said: “Tell this openly and nakedly: talk of religion is better overt than covert.
گفت مکشوف و برهنه گوی این ** آشکارا به که پنهان ذکر دین
Lift the veil and speak nakedly, for I do not wear a shirt when I sleep with the Adored One.”
پرده بردار و برهنه گو که من ** می‌‌نخسبم با صنم با پیرهن
I said: “If He should become naked in (thy) vision, neither wilt thou remain nor thy bosom nor thy waist.
گفتم ار عریان شود او در عیان ** نی تو مانی نی کنارت نی میان
Ask thy wish, but ask with measure: a blade of straw will not support the mountain.140
آرزو می‌‌خواه لیک اندازه خواه ** بر نتابد کوه را یک برگ کاه
If the Sun, by whom this world is illumined, should approach a little (nearer), all will be burned.
آفتابی کز وی این عالم فروخت ** اندکی گر پیش آید جمله سوخت
Do not seek trouble and turmoil and bloodshed: say no more concerning the Sun of Tabriz!”
فتنه و آشوب و خون‌‌ریزی مجوی ** بیش از این از شمس تبریزی مگوی
This (mystery) hath no end: tell of the beginning. Go, relate the conclusion of this tale.
این ندارد آخر از آغاز گوی ** رو تمام این حکایت باز گوی
How that saint demanded of the king to be alone for the purpose of discovering her malady.
خلوت طلبیدن آن ولی از پادشاه جهت دریافتن رنج کنیزک
He said: “O king, make the house empty; send away both kinsfolk and strangers.
گفت ای شه خلوتی کن خانه را ** دور کن هم خویش و هم بیگانه را
Let no one listen in the entrance-halls, that I may ask certain things of this handmaiden.”145
کس ندارد گوش در دهلیزها ** تا بپرسم زین کنیزک چیزها