You will see neither the sky nor the stars nor (any) existence but God, the One, the Living, the Loving.1045
نه سما بینی نه اختر نه وجود ** جز خدای واحد حی ودود
Here is a tale, (be it) true or false, to illustrate (these) truths.
یک فسانه راست آمد یا دروغ ** تا دهد مر راستیها را فروغ
How the (King's) retainers envied the favourite slave.
حسد کردن حشم بر غلام خاص
A King had, of his grace, preferred a certain slave above all his retinue.
پادشاهی بندهای را از کرم ** بر گزیده بود بر جمله حشم
His allowance was the stipend of forty Amírs; a hundred Viziers would not see (receive) a tenth of its amount.
جامگی او وظیفهی چل امیر ** ده یک قدرش ندیدی صد وزیر
Through the perfection of (his) natal star and prosperity and fortune he was an Ayáz, while the King was the Mahmúd of the time.
از کمال طالع و اقبال و بخت ** او ایازی بود و شه محمود وقت
His spirit in its origin, before (the creation of) this body, was near-related and akin to the King's spirit.1050
روح او با روح شه در اصل خویش ** پیش از این تن بوده هم پیوند و خویش
(Only) that matters which has existed before the body; leave (behind you) these things which have newly sprung into being.
کار آن دارد که پیش از تن بده ست ** بگذر از اینها که نو حادث شده ست
That which matters belongs to the knower (of God), for he is not squinting: his eye is (fixed) upon the things first sown.
کار عارف راست کاو نه احول است ** چشم او بر کشتهای اول است
That which was sown as wheat (good) or as barley (relatively evil)—day and night his eye is fastened on that place (where it was sown).
آن چه گندم کاشتندش و آن چه جو ** چشم او آن جاست روز و شب گرو
Night gave birth to nothing but what she was pregnant withal: designs and plots are wind, (empty) wind.
آنچ آبست است شب جز آن نزاد ** حیلهها و مکرها باد است باد
How should he please his heart with fair designs who sees the design of God (prevailing) over them?1055
کی کند دل خوش به حیلتهای گش ** آن که بیند حیلهی حق بر سرش
He is within the snare (of God) and is laying a snare: by your life, neither that (snare) will escape (destruction) nor will this (man).
او درون دام دامی مینهد ** جان تو نه این جهد نه آن جهد
Though (in the meanwhile) a hundred herbs grow and fade, there will grow up at last that which God has sown.
گر بروید ور بریزد صد گیاه ** عاقبت بر روید آن کشتهی اله
He (the cunning man) sowed new seed over the first seed; (but) this second (seed) is passing away, and (only) the first is sound (and enduring).
کشت نو کارید بر کشت نخست ** این دوم فانی است و آن اول درست
The first seed is perfect and choice; the second seed is corrupt and rotten.
تخم اول کامل و بگزیده است ** تخم ثانی فاسد و پوسیده است
Cast away this contrivance of yours before the Beloved— though your contrivance indeed is of His contriving.1060
افکن این تدبیر خود را پیش دوست ** گر چه تدبیرت هم از تدبیر اوست
That which God has raised (and that alone) has use: what He has at first sown at last grows.
کار آن دارد که حق افراشته ست ** آخر آن روید که اول کاشته ست
Whatever you sow, sow for His sake, inasmuch as you are the Beloved's captive, O lover.
هر چه کاری از برای او بکار ** چون اسیر دوستی ای دوستدار
Do not hang about the thievish fleshly soul and its work: whatsoever is not God's work is naught, naught.
گرد نفس دزد و کار او مپیچ ** هر چه آن نه کار حق هیچ است هیچ
(Sow the good seed) ere the Day of Resurrection shall appear and the night-thief be shamed before Him whose is the Kingdom,
پیش از آن که روز دین پیدا شود ** نزد مالک دزد شب رسوا شود
With the goods stolen by his contrivance and craft (still) remaining on his neck at the Day of Judgement.1065
رخت دزدیده به تدبیر و فنش ** مانده روز داوری بر گردنش
Hundreds of thousands of minds may jump together (conspire) to lay a snare other than His snare;
صد هزاران عقل با هم بر جهند ** تا به غیر دام او دامی نهند
(But) they only find their snare more grievous (to themselves), (for) how can straws show any power (of resistance) against the wind?
دام خود را سختتر یابند و بس ** کی نماید قوتی با باد خس
If you say, “What was the profit of (our created) being?” (I reply), “There is profit in your question, O contumacious one.
گر تو گویی فایدهی هستی چه بود ** در سؤالت فایده هست ای عنود
If this question of yours has no profit, why should we listen to it in vain and fruitlessly?
گر ندارد این سؤالت فایده ** چه شنویم این را عبث بیعایده
And if there are many profits in your question, then why, pray, is the world unprofitable?1070
ور سؤالت را بسی فاییدههاست ** پس جهان بیفایده آخر چراست
And (again), if from one standpoint the world is unprofitable, from other standpoints it is advantageous.
ور جهان از یک جهت بیفایده ست ** از جهتهای دگر پر عایده ست
If your profit is no profit to me, (yet) since it is a profit to you, do not withdraw from it.”
فایدهی تو گر مرا فاییده نیست ** مر ترا چون فایده ست از وی مه ایست
The beauty of Joseph profited a (whole) world (of people), though to his brethren it was a vain superfluity.
حسن یوسف عالمی را فایده ** گر چه بر اخوان عبث بد زایده
The melodies of David were so dear (to the faithful), but to the interdicted (unbeliever) they were (no more than) the noise of wood.
لحن داودی چنان محبوب بود ** لیک بر محروم بانگ چوب بود
The water of the Nile was superior to the Water of Life, but to the interdicted and unbelieving it was blood.1075
آب نیل از آب حیوان بد فزون ** لیک بر محروم و منکر بود خون
To the true believer martyrdom is life; to the hypocrite it is death and corruption.
هست بر مومن شهیدی زندگی ** بر منافق مردن است و ژندگی
Tell (me), what single blessing is there in the world, from which some group of people is not excluded?
چیست در عالم بگو یک نعمتی ** که نه محرومند از وی امتی
What profit have the ox and the ass in sugar? Every soul has a different food;
گاو و خر را فایده چه در شکر ** هست هر جان را یکی قوتی دگر
But if that food is accidental to it (and not according to its real nature), then admonition is the (proper) correction for it.
لیک گر آن قوت بر وی عارضی است ** پس نصیحت کردن او را رایضی است
As (in the case of) one who from disease has become fond of (eating) clay— though he may suppose that that (clay) is indeed his (natural) food,1080
چون کسی کاو از مرض گل داشت دوست ** گر چه پندارد که آن خود قوت اوست
He has (in reality) forgotten his original food and has betaken himself to the food of disease.
قوت اصلی را فرامش کرده است ** روی در قوت مرض آورده است
Having given up honey, he has eaten poison; he has made the food of disease (to be his nourishment) as (though it were) fat.
نوش را بگذاشته سم خورده است ** قوت علت همچو چوبش کرده است
Man's original food is the Light of God: animal food is improper for him;
قوت اصلی بشر نور خداست ** قوت حیوانی مر او را ناسزاست
But, in consequence of disease, his mind has fallen into this (delusion), that day and night he should eat of this water and clay.
لیک از علت در این افتاد دل ** که خورد او روز و شب زین آب و گل
(He is) pale-faced, weak-footed, faint-hearted—where is the food of by Heaven which hath (starry) tracks?1085
روی زرد و پای سست و دل سبک ** کو غذای و السما ذات الحبک
That is the food of the chosen ones of the (Divine) sovereignty; the eating thereof is (done) without throat or instrument.
آن غذای خاصگان دولت است ** خوردن آن بیگلو و آلت است
The food of the (spiritual) sun is (derived) from the light of the (celestial) Throne; (the food that belongs) to the envious and devilish is (derived) from the smoke of the (terrestrial) carpet.
شد غذای آفتاب از نور عرش ** مر حسود و دیو را از دود فرش
God said concerning the martyrs, they are (alive with their Lord) receiving sustenance. For that food there was neither mouth nor dish.
در شهیدان یرزقون فرمود حق ** آن غذا را نه دهان بد نه طبق
The heart is eating a (particular) food from every single companion; the heart is getting a (particular) excellence from every single (piece of) knowledge.
دل ز هر یاری غذایی میخورد ** دل ز هر علمی صفایی میبرد
Every human being's (outer) form is like a cup; (only) the (spiritual) eye is a percipient of his (or her) reality.1090
صورت هر آدمی چون کاسهای است ** چشم از معنی او حساسهای است
You eat (receive) something from meeting with any one, and you carry away something from conjunction with any associate.
از لقای هر کسی چیزی خوری ** و ز قران هر قرین چیزی بری
When planet comes into conjunction with planet, the effect appropriate to them both is assuredly produced,
چون ستاره با ستاره شد قرین ** لایق هر دو اثر زاید یقین
As (for example) the conjunction of man and woman brings to birth the human being, and (as) sparks arise from the conjunction of stone and iron;
چون قران مرد و زن زاید بشر ** وز قران سنگ و آهن شد شرر
And (as) from the conjunction of earth with rains (there are produced) fruits and greenery and sweet herbs;
و ز قران خاک با بارانها ** میوهها و سبزه و ریحانها