This Mathnawí has been delayed for a while: an interval was needed in order that the blood might turn to milk.
مدتی این مثنوی تاخیر شد ** مهلتی بایست تا خون شیر شد
Blood does not become sweet milk until thy fortune gives birth to a new babe. Hearken well (to my words).
تا نزاید بخت تو فرزند نو ** خون، نگردد شیر شیرین خوش شنو
When the Light of God, Husámu’ddín, drew the reins (of his spirit) back from the zenith of Heaven—
چون ضیاء الحق حسام الدین عنان ** باز گردانید ز اوج آسمان
(For) after he had gone in the ascension to (spiritual) realities, without his (life-giving) springtide the buds (of mystic knowledge) were unburst (in my heart)—
چون به معراج حقایق رفته بود ** بیبهارش غنچهها نشکفته بود
When (I say) he returned from the Sea towards the shore, the lyre of the poesy of the Mathnawí became attuned (again).5
چون ز دریا سوی ساحل باز گشت ** چنگ شعر مثنوی با ساز گشت
The Mathnawí, which was the burnisher (purifier) of spirits —his return was the day of (my) seeking (an auspicious) commencement (for it).
مثنوی که صیقل ارواح بود ** باز گشتش روز استفتاح بود
The date of beginning this gainful (spiritual) traffic was in the year six hundred and sixty-two.
مطلع تاریخ این سودا و سود ** سال اندر ششصد و شصت و دو بود
A nightingale went hence and returned: it became a falcon for hunting these spiritual truths.
بلبلی ز ینجا برفت و باز گشت ** بهر صید این معانی باز گشت
May this falcon's resting-place be the fore-arm of the King! May this gate (to the Truth) be open to (all) the people unto everlasting!
ساعد شه مسکن این باز باد ** تا ابد بر خلق این در باز باد
The bane of this gate is sensuality and lust; else, draught on draught (of spiritual knowledge) is (to be found) here.10
آفت این در هوا و شهوت است ** ور نه اینجا شربت اندر شربت است
Close this mouth that you may see plainly: gullet and mouth are the eye-bandage (which makes you blind) to yonder world.
این دهان بر بند تا بینی عیان ** چشم بند آن جهان حلق و دهان
O mouth, verily thou art the mouth of Hell; and, O world, thou art like the intermediate state.
ای دهان تو خود دهانه‌ای دوزخی ** وی جهان تو بر مثال برزخی
The everlasting light is beside this low world, the pure milk is beside rivers of blood.
نور باقی پهلوی دنیای دون ** شیر صافی پهلوی جوهای خون
When you take one step in it (the world) without precaution, your milk will be turned to blood through commixture.
چون در او گامی زنی بیاحتیاط ** شیر تو خون میشود از اختلاط
Adam took one step in sensual pleasure: separation from his high place in Paradise became a collar on the neck of his (fleshly) soul.15
یک قدم زد آدم اندر ذوق نفس ** شد فراق صدر جنت طوق نفس
The angels were fleeing from him as from a devil: how many tears did he shed for the sake of a single loaf!
همچو دیو از وی فرشته میگریخت ** بهر نانی چند آب چشم ریخت
Although the sin which he had compassed was (but) a hair, yet that hair had grown in his eyes.
گر چه یک مو بد گنه کاو جسته بود ** لیک آن مو در دو دیده رسته بود
Adam was the eye of the Eternal Light: a hair in the eye is a great mountain.
بود آدم دیدهی نور قدیم ** موی در دیده بود کوه عظیم
If Adam had taken counsel in that (matter), he would not have uttered excuses in penitence,
گر در آن آدم بکردی مشورت ** در پشیمانی نگفتی معذرت
Because when one intellect is joined with another intellect, it prevents evil action and evil speech;20
ز آن که با عقلی چو عقلی جفت شد ** مانع بد فعلی و بد گفت شد
(But) when the fleshly soul is associated with another fleshly soul, the partial (individual) intellect becomes idle and useless.
نفس با نفس دگر چون یار شد ** عقل جزوی عاطل و بیکار شد
When because of loneliness you fall into despair, you become (bright as) a sun (if you go) under the shadow (protection) of the friend.
چون ز تنهایی تو نومیدی شوی ** زیر سایهی یار خورشیدی شوی
Go, seek at once the friend of God: when you have done so, God is your friend.
رو بجو یار خدایی را تو زود ** چون چنان کردی خدا یار تو بود
He who has fixed his gaze upon seclusion (and made it his object), after all ’tis from the friend (of God) that he has learned that (lesson).
آن که در خلوت نظر بر دوخته ست ** آخر آن را هم ز یار آموخته ست
One must seclude one's self from strangers, (but) not from the friend: the fur-coat is for winter, not for spring.25
خلوت از اغیار باید نه ز یار ** پوستین بهر دی آمد نه بهار
(If) the intellect is paired with another intellect, light increases and the way becomes plain;
عقل با عقل دگر دو تا شود ** نور افزون گشت و ره پیدا شود
(But if) the fleshly soul makes merry with another fleshly soul, darkness increases, the way becomes hidden.
نفس با نفس دگر خندان شود ** ظلمت افزون گشت و ره پنهان شود
The friend is thine eye, O huntsman: keep him pure from (unsoiled by) sticks and straws.
یار چشم تست ای مرد شکار ** از خس و خاشاک او را پاک دار
Beware! Do not make a dust with thy tongue's broom, do not make a present of rubbish to thine eye.
هین به جاروب زبان گردی مکن ** چشم را از خس ره آوردی مکن
Since the true believer is a mirror for the true believer, his face is safe from defilement.30
چون که مومن آینهی مومن بود ** روی او ز آلودگی ایمن بود
The friend is a mirror for the soul in sorrow: breathe not on the face of the mirror, O my soul!
یار آیینه ست جان را در حزن ** در رخ آیینهای جان دم مزن
Lest it cover its face to (conceal itself from) thee at once, thou must swallow (suppress) thy breath at every moment.
تا نپوشد روی خود را در دمت ** دم فرو خوردن بباید هر دمت
Art thou less than earth? When a plot of earth finds a friend, that is, a springtide, it finds (gains) a hundred thousand flowers.
کم ز خاکی چون که خاکی یار یافت ** از بهاری صد هزار انوار یافت
The tree that is united with a friend, that is, the sweet air (of spring), blossoms from head to foot;
آن درختی کاو شود با یار جفت ** از هوای خوش ز سر تا پا شکفت
In autumn, when it sees (meets with) a repugnant companion, it withdraws its face and head under the coverlet35
در خزان چون دید او یار خلاف ** در کشید او رو و سر زیر لحاف
And says, “A bad comrade is (the means of) stirring up trouble: since he has come, my (best) course is to sleep.
گفت یار بد بلا آشفتن است ** چون که او آمد طریقم خفتن است
Therefore I will sleep, I will be (like) one of the Men of the Cave (the Seven Sleepers): that prisoner of woe (that sorely distressed one) is better than Decianus.”
پس بخسپم باشم اصحاب کهف ** به ز دقیانوس آن محبوس لهف
Their time of waking was expended by (was at the disposal of) Decianus; their sleep was the capital (fundamental source) of their renown.
یقظه شان مصروف دقیانوس بود ** خوابشان سرمایهی ناموس بود
Sleep, when it is accompanied by wisdom, is (spiritual) wakefulness; (but) alas for the man awake who consorts with the ignorant!
خواب بیداری ست چون با دانش است ** وای بیداری که با نادان نشست
When the crows pitch their tents on Bahman (January), the nightingales hide themselves and are mute,40
چون که زاغان خیمه بر بهمن زدند ** بلبلان پنهان شدند و تن زدند
Because the nightingale is silent without the rose-garden: the absence of the sun kills (the nightingale's) wakefulness.
O sun, thou takest leave of this rose-garden (the earth) in order to illumine (the region) below the earth;
آفتابا ترک این گلشن کنی ** تا که تحت الارض را روشن کنی
(But) the Sun of Divine knowledge has no motion: its place of rising is naught but the spirit and the intellect;
آفتاب معرفت را نقل نیست ** مشرق او غیر جان و عقل نیست
Especially the perfect Sun which is of yonder (world of Reality): day and night its action is (giving) illumination.
خاصه خورشید کمالی کان سری ست ** روز و شب کردار او روشنگری ست
If thou art an Alexander, come to the Sun's rising-place: after that, wheresoever thou goest, thou art possessed of goodly splendour.45
مطلع شمس آی گر اسکندری ** بعد از آن هر جا روی نیکوفری
After that, wheresoever thou goest, ’twill become the place of sunrise: (all) the places of sunrise will be in love with thy place of sunset.
بعد از آن هر جا روی مشرق شود ** شرقها بر مغربت عاشق شود
Thy bat-like senses are running towards the sunset; thy pearl-scattering senses are faring towards the sunrise.
حس خفاشت سوی مغرب دوان ** حس در پاشت سوی مشرق روان
The way of (physical) sense-perception is the way of asses, O rider: have shame, O thou that art jostling (vying) with asses!
راه حس راه خران است ای سوار ** ای خران را تو مزاحم شرم دار
Besides these five (physical) senses there are five (spiritual) senses: those (latter) are like red gold, while these (physical) senses are like copper.
پنج حسی هست جز این پنج حس ** آن چو زر سرخ و این حسها چو مس
In the bazaar where the people of the Last Congregation (on the Day of Judgment) are (purchasers), how should they buy the copper sense like (as though it were) the sense of gold?50
اندر آن بازار کایشان ماهرند ** حس مس را چون حس زر کی خرند