Therefore train the horse (so as to cure it) of bad habits; else the horse will be rejected before the King.
پس ادب کن اسب را از خوی بد ** ور نه پیش شاه باشد اسب رد
The horse's eye finds the way from the King's eye: without the King's eye its eye is in desperate plight.
چشم اسب از چشم شه رهبر بود ** چشم او بیچشم شه مضطر بود
The eye of horses, whithersoever you call it except to grass and pasture, says, “Nay, why (should we go)?”
چشم اسبان جز گیاه و جز چرا ** هر کجا خوانی بگوید نه چرا
The Light of God mounts (as a rider) on the sensuous eye, and then the soul yearns after God.1290
نور حق بر نور حس راکب شود ** آن گهی جان سوی حق راغب شود
How should the riderless horse know the marks of the road? The King is needed (to ride it) in order that it may know the King's road.
اسب بیراکب چه داند رسم راه ** شاه باید تا بداند شاه راه
Go towards a sense on which the Light is riding: that Light is a good companion for the sense.
سوی حسی رو که نورش راکب است ** حس را آن نور نیکو صاحب است
The Light of God is an ornament to the light of sense: this is the meaning of light upon light.
نور حس را نور حق تزیین بود ** معنی نور علی نور این بود
The light of sense draws (a man) towards earth; the Light of God bears him aloft,
نور حسی میکشد سوی ثری ** نور حقش میبرد سوی علی
Because sensible things are a lower world: the Light of God is (as) the sea, and the sense as a dew-drop.1295
ز انکه محسوسات دونتر عالمی است ** نور حق دریا و حس چون شبنمی است
But that which rides on it (on the sense) is not manifested save by good effects and words.
لیک پیدا نیست آن راکب بر او ** جز به آثار و به گفتار نکو
The sensuous light, which is gross and heavy, is hidden in the black of the eyes.
نور حسی کاو غلیظ است و گران ** هست پنهان در سواد دیدهگان
Inasmuch as you are not seeing the light of sense with (your) eye, how should you see the light of that religious one (the saint) with (your) eye?
چون که نور حس نمیبینی ز چشم ** چون ببینی نور آن دینی ز چشم
The light of sense is hidden notwithstanding this grossness: how (then) should not that radiance be hidden which is pure (and subtle)?
نور حس با این غلیظی مختفی است ** چون خفی نبود ضیایی کان صفی است
This world, like straws in the hand (control) of the wind (which is) the (world) unseen, is a helpless object before the power and sway of the Unseen1300
این جهان چون خس به دست باد غیب ** عاجزی پیش گرفت و داد غیب
It (this control) makes it now lofty, now low; makes it now sound (and whole), now broken;
See (how) the Hand (is) hidden, while the pen is writing; the horse careering, while the Rider is invisible.
دست پنهان و قلم بین خط گزار ** اسب در جولان و ناپیدا سوار
See the arrow flying, and the Bow not in sight; the (individual) souls manifest, and the Soul of souls hidden.
تیر پران بین و ناپیدا کمان ** جانها پیدا و پنهان جان جان
Do not break the arrow, for it is the arrow of a King; it is not shot at long range (at random), it is from the thumb-stall of One who knows (how to hit the target).1305
تیر را مشکن که این تیر شهی است ** تیر پرتابی ز شصت آگهی است
God said, “Thou didst not throw when thou threwest”: the action of God has precedence over (our) actions.
ما رمیت إذ رمیت گفت حق ** کار حق بر کارها دارد سبق
Break your own anger, do not break the arrow: the eye of your anger reckons milk (to be) blood.
خشم خود بشکن تو مشکن تیر را ** چشم خشمت خون شمارد شیر را
Give the arrow a kiss and bring it to the King—the blood-stained arrow, wet with your blood.
بوسه ده بر تیر و پیش شاه بر ** تیر خون آلود از خون تو تر
That which is seen is helpless and confined and feeble; and that which is unseen is so fierce and uncontrollable.
آن چه پیدا عاجز و بسته و زبون ** و آن چه ناپیدا چنان تند و حرون
We are the (hunted) prey: to whom belongs such a (fearful) snare? We are the ball (for the blows) of the polo-bat—and where is the Batsman?1310
ما شکاریم این چنین دامی کراست ** گوی چوگانیم چوگانی کجاست
He tears, He sews: where is this Tailor? He blows, He burns: where is this Fire-kindler?
میدرد میدوزد این خیاط کو ** میدمد میسوزد این نفاط کو
At one hour He makes the true saint an unbeliever; at another hour He makes the (impious) deist an (orthodox) ascetic;
ساعتی کافر کند صدیق را ** ساعتی زاهد کند زندیق را
For the mukhlis (sincere worshipper) is in danger of the snare until he becomes entirely purged of self,
ز انکه مخلص در خطر باشد ز دام ** تا ز خود خالص نگردد او تمام
Because he is (still) on the Way, and the brigands are numberless: (only) he escapes who is under God's safeguard.
ز انکه در راهست و ره زن بیحد است ** آن رهد کاو در امان ایزد است
(If) he has not become (selfless, like) a pure mirror, he is (no more than) mukhlis: (if) he has not caught the bird, he is (still) hunting;1315
آینهی خالص نگشت او مخلص است ** مرغ را نگرفته است او مقنص است
(But) when the mukhlis has become mukhlas, he is delivered: he has reached the place of safety and has won the victory.
چون که مخلص گشت مخلص باز رست ** در مقام امن رفت و برد دست
No mirror (ever) became iron again; no bread (ever) became the wheat in the stack.
هیچ آیینه دگر آهن نشد ** هیچ نانی گندم خرمن نشد
No full-grown grape (ever) became a young grape; no mature fruit (ever) became premature fruit.
هیچ انگوری دگر غوره نشد ** هیچ میوهی پخته با کوره نشد
Become mature and be far from (the possibility of) change for the worse: go, become the Light, like Burhán-i Muhaqqiq.
پخته گرد و از تغیر دور شو ** رو چو برهان محقق نور شو
When you have escaped from self, you have become wholly the proof (of God): when the slave (in you) has become naught, you have become the King.1320
چون ز خود رستی همه برهان شدی ** چون که بنده نیست شد سلطان شدی
[And if you wish to behold (this mystery) plainly, Saláhu’ddín has shown it forth: he has made the eyes to see and has opened (them).
ور عیان خواهی صلاح دین نمود ** دیدهها را کرد بینا و گشود
From his eyes and mien every eye that hath the Light of Hú (God) has discerned (mystical) poverty.
فقر را از چشم و از سیمای او ** دید هر چشمی که دارد نور هو
The Shaykh (Saláhu’ddín) is one who, like God, acts without instrument, giving lessons to his disciples without anything said.]
شیخ فعال است بیآلت چو حق ** با مریدان داده بیگفتی سبق
In his hand the heart is submissive like soft wax: his seal makes (the impression) now (of) shame, now (of) fame.
دل به دست او چو موم نرم رام ** مهر او گه ننگ سازد گاه نام
The seal impressed on his wax is telling of the seal-ring; of whom, again, does the device tell, (which is) graven on the stone of the ring?1325
مهر مومش حاکی انگشتری است ** باز آن نقش نگین حاکی کیست
It tells of the thought of the Goldsmith—(all this) is a chain, every link (inserted) in another.
حاکی اندیشهی آن زرگر است ** سلسلهی هر حلقه اندر دیگر است
Whose voice is this echo in the mountains of (our) hearts? Sometimes this mountain is full of the voice, sometimes it is empty.
این صدا در کوه دلها بانگ کی ست ** گه پرست از بانگ این که گه تهی است
Wheresoever he is, he is the Sage, the Master—may his voice not forsake this mountain!
هر کجا هست او حکیم است اوستاد ** بانگ او زین کوه دل خالی مباد
There is a mountain that (only) doubles the voice; there is a mountain that makes it hundredfold.
هست که کاوا مثنا میکند ** هست که کآواز صد تا میکند
At that voice and speech the mountain lets gush forth hundreds of thousands of springs of clear water.1330
میزهاند کوه از آن آواز و قال ** صد هزاران چشمهی آب زلال
Inasmuch as that grace emanates (even) from the mountain, the waters in the springs become blood.
چون ز کوه آن لطف بیرون میشود ** آبها در چشمهها خون میشود
’Twas on account of that monarch of auspicious gait that Mount Sinai was (turned to) rubies from end to end.
ز آن شهنشاه همایون نعل بود ** که سراسر طور سینا لعل بود
(All) the parts of the mountain received life and intelligence— after all, are we inferior to stone, O people?
جان پذیرفت و خرد اجزای کوه ** ما کم از سنگیم آخر ای گروه
Neither is there gushing from the soul a single spring, nor is the body becoming one of those clad in green;
نه ز جان یک چشمه جوشان میشود ** نه بدن از سبز پوشان میشود
Neither is there in it the echo of the cry of longing, nor the purity (born) of the draught of (wine bestowed by) the Cup-bearer.1335
نه صدای بانگ مشتاقی در او ** نه صفای جرعهی ساقی در او
Where is (so great) zeal, that they should entirely dig up such a mountain as this with axe and with pick?—
کو حمیت تا ز تیشه و ز کلند ** این چنین که را بکلی بر کنند