When you become far from the presence of the saints, you have in reality become far from God.
چون شوی دور از حضور اولیا ** در حقیقت گشتهای دور از خدا
Inasmuch as the result of parting from fellow-travellers is sorrow, how is separation from the countenance of the kings (saints) less (grievous) than that?2215
چون نتیجه هجر همراهان غم است ** کی فراق روی شاهان ز آن کم است
Hasten every moment to seek the shadow (protection) of (those) kings, that by means of that shadow you may become superior to the sun.
سایه شاهان طلب هر دم شتاب ** تا شوی ز آن سایه بهتر ز آفتاب
If you have a journey (to make), go with this intention; and if it be (that you stay) at home, neglect not this.
گر سفر داری بدین نیت برو ** ور حضر باشد از این غافل مشو
How a certain Shaykh said to Báyazíd, “I am the Ka‘ba: perform a circumambulation round me.”
گفتن شیخی بایزید را که کعبه منم گرد من طوافی میکن
Báyazíd, the Shaykh of the community, was hurrying to Mecca for the greater pilgrimage (hajj) and the lesser (‘umra).
سوی مکه شیخ امت بایزید ** از برای حج و عمره میدوید
In every city to which he went he would at first make search after the venerable (saints).
او به هر شهری که رفتی از نخست ** مر عزیزان را بکردی باز جست
He would roam about, asking, “Who is there in the city that is relying on (spiritual) insight?”2220
گرد میگشتی که اندر شهر کیست ** کاو بر ارکان بصیرت متکیاست
God has said, “Whithersoever thou goest in thy travels, thou must first seek after a (holy) man.”
گفت حق اندر سفر هر جا روی ** باید اول طالب مردی شوی
Go in quest of a treasure, for (worldly) profit and loss come second: regard them as the branch (not as the root).
قصد گنجی کن که این سود و زیان ** در تبع آید تو آن را فرع دان
Whoever sows is in quest of wheat; the chaff comes to him indeed, (but only) secondarily.
هر که کارد قصد گندم باشدش ** کاه خود اندر تبع میآیدش
If you sow chaff, no wheat will come up: seek a man, seek a man, a man!
که بکاری بر نیاید گندمی ** مردمی جو مردمی جو مردمی
When it is the season of pilgrimage, go in quest of the Ka‘ba; when you have gone (with that purpose), Mecca also will be seen.2225
قصد کعبه کن چو وقت حج بود ** چون که رفتی مکه هم دیده شود
In the Mi‘ráj (Ascension of the Prophet) the quest was (for) vision of the Beloved; ’twas but secondarily that the empyrean and the angels were also shown.
قصد در معراج دید دوست بود ** در تبع عرش و ملایک هم نمود
Story.
حکایت
A novice one day built a new house; the Pír came (and) saw his house.
خانهی نو ساخت روزی نو مرید ** پیر آمد خانهی او را بدید
The Shaykh said to his new disciple—he put to the test him that had good thoughts—
گفت شیخ آن نو مرید خویش را ** امتحان کرد آن نکو اندیش را
“Wherefore hast thou made a window, O comrade?” Said he, “In order that light may come in by this way.”
روزن از بهر چه کردی ای رفیق ** گفت تا نور اندر آید زین طریق
He (the Shaykh) said, “That is (only) the branch (secondary object); (thy) want (desire) must be this, (namely) that through this channel thou mayst hear the call to prayer.”2230
گفت آن فرع است این باید نیاز ** تا از این ره بشنوی بانگ نماز
Báyazíd, on his journey (to the Ka‘ba), sought much to find some one that was the Khizr of his time.
بایزید اندر سفر جستی بسی ** تا بیابد خضر وقت خود کسی
He espied an old man with a stature (bent) like the new moon; he saw in him the majesty and (lofty) speech of (holy) men;
دید پیری با قدی همچون هلال ** دید در وی فر و گفتار رجال
His eyes sightless, and his heart (illumined) as the sun: like an elephant dreaming of Hindustán.
دیده نابینا و دل چون آفتاب ** همچو پیلی دیده هندستان به خواب
With closed eyes, asleep, he beholds a hundred delights; when he opens (his eyes), he sees not those (delights)—oh, (’tis) wonderful!
چشم بسته خفته بیند صد طرب ** چون گشاید آن نبیند ای عجب
Many a wonder is made manifest in sleep: in sleep the heart becomes a window.2235
One that is awake and dreams fair dreams, he is the knower (of God): smear your eyes with his dust.
آن که بیدار است و بیند خواب خوش ** عارف است او خاک او در دیده کش
He (Báyazíd) sat down before him and asked about his condition; he found him to be a dervish and also a family man.
پیش او بنشست و میپرسید حال ** یافتش درویش و هم صاحب عیال
He (the old man) said, “Whither art thou bound, O Báyazíd? To what place wouldst thou take the baggage of travel in a strange land?”
گفت عزم تو کجا ای بایزید ** رخت غربت را کجا خواهی کشید
Báyazíd answered, “I start for the Ka‘ba at daybreak.” “Eh,” cried the other, “what hast thou as provisions for the road?”
گفت قصد کعبه دارم از پگه ** گفت هین با خود چه داری زاد ره
“I have two hundred silver dirhems,” said he; “look, (they are) tied fast in the corner of my cloak.”2240
گفت دارم از درم نقره دویست ** نک ببسته سخت در گوشهی ردی است
He said, “Make a circuit round me seven times, and reckon this (to be) better than the circumambulation (of the Ka‘ba) in the pilgrimage;
گفت طوفی کن به گردم هفت بار ** وین نکوتر از طواف حج شمار
And lay those dirhems before me, O generous one. Know that thou hast made the greater pilgrimage and that thy desire has been achieved;
و آن درمها پیش من نهای جواد ** دان که حج کردی و حاصل شد مراد
(That) thou hast (also) performed the lesser pilgrimage and gained the life everlasting; (that) thou hast become pure (sáf) and sped up (the Hill of) Purity (Safá).
عمره کردی عمر باقی یافتی ** صاف گشتی بر صفا بشتافتی
By the truth of the Truth (God) whom thy soul hath seen, (I swear) that He hath chosen me above His House.
حق آن حقی که جانت دیده است ** که مرا بر بیت خود بگزیده است
Albeit the Ka‘ba is the House of His religious service, my form too, in which I was created, is the House of His inmost consciousness.2245
کعبه هر چندی که خانهی بر اوست ** خلقت من نیز خانهی سر اوست
Never since God made the Ka‘ba hath He gone into it, and none but the Living (God) hath ever gone into this House (of mine).
تا بکرد آن کعبه را در وی نرفت ** و اندر این خانه بجز آن حی نرفت
When thou hast seen me, thou hast seen God: thou hast circled round the Ka‘ba of Sincerity.
چون مرا دیدی خدا را دیدهای ** گرد کعبهی صدق بر گردیدهای
To serve me is to obey and glorify God: beware thou think not that God is separate from me.
خدمت من طاعت و حمد خداست ** تا نپنداری که حق از من جداست
Open thine eyes well and look on me, that thou mayst behold the Light of God in man.”
چشم نیکو باز کن در من نگر ** تا ببینی نور حق اندر بشر
Báyazíd gave heed to those mystic sayings, and put them in his ear as a golden ring.2250
بایزید آن نکتهها را هوش داشت ** همچو زرین حلقهاش در گوش داشت
Through him (the old man), Báyazíd came into an increase (of spiritual endowment): the adept at last attained unto the end.
آمد از وی بایزید اندر مزید ** منتهی در منتها آخر رسید
How the Prophet-God bless and save him! –– perceived that the cause of that person’s sickness was irreverence in prayer.
دانستن پیغامبر صلی الله علیه و آله که سبب رنجوری آن شخص گستاخی بوده است در دعا
When the Prophet saw the sick man, he dealt sweetly and tenderly with that familiar friend.
چون پیمبر دید آن بیمار را ** خوش نوازش کرد یار غار را
He became alive when he saw the Prophet: you might say, that moment created him.
زنده شد او چون پیمبر را بدید ** گوییا آن دم مر او را آفرید
He said, “Sickness has given me this good fortune, that this Sultan has come to my side at morn,
گفت بیماری مرا این بخت داد ** کامد این سلطان بر من بامداد
So that health and well-being have accrued to me from the arrival of this King who is without retinue.2255
تا مرا صحت رسید و عاقبت ** از قدوم این شه بیحاشیت
O happy pain and sickness and fever! O blessed anguish and wakefulness in the night!
ای خجسته رنج و بیماری و تب ** ای مبارک درد و بیداری شب
Lo, in (my) old age God of His grace and bounty hath bestowed on me such a sickness and malady!
نک مرا در پیری از لطف و کرم ** حق چنین رنجوریی داد و سقم
He too hath given me pain in the back, so that every midnight I cannot help springing up quickly from sleep.
درد پشتم داد هم تا من ز خواب ** بر جهم هر نیم شب لا بد شتاب
In order that I may not slumber all night like a buffalo, God of His grace hath given me pains.
تا نخسبم جمله شب چون گاومیش ** دردها بخشید حق از لطف خویش
Through this infirmity the mercy of Kings has been aroused, and Hell’s threatening of me has been silenced.”2260
زین شکست آن رحم شاهان جوش کرد ** دوزخ از تهدید من خاموش کرد
Pain is a treasure, for there are mercies in it: the kernel becomes fresh when you scrape off the rind.
رنج گنج آمد که رحمتها در اوست ** مغز تازه شد چو بخراشید پوست
O brother, (to dwell in) a dark and cold place, to endure patiently sorrow and weakness and pain,
ای برادر موضع تاریک و سرد ** صبر کردن بر غم و سستی و درد
Is the Fountain of Life and the cup of (spiritual) intoxication, for those heights are all in lowliness.
چشمهی حیوان و جام مستی است ** کان بلندیها همه در پستی است