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
That Spring is implied in autumn, and that autumn is (fulfilled) in the Spring: do not flee from it.
آن بهاران مضمر است اندر خزان ** در بهار است آن خزان مگریز از آن
Be a fellow-traveller with grief, agree with desolation, seek long (lasting) life in thy death (to self).2265
همره غم باش و با وحشت بساز ** میطلب در مرگ خود عمر دراز
Do not listen to what thy fleshly soul says, that this place (of self-mortification) is bad, inasmuch as her doings are contrary (to thy spiritual advancement).
آن چه گوید نفس تو کاینجا بد است ** مشنوش چون کار او ضد آمده ست
Do thou oppose her, for such (is the) injunction (that) has come from the prophets in the world.
تو خلافش کن که از پیغمبران ** این چنین آمد وصیت در جهان
It becomes necessary to take counsel concerning things to be done, so that there may not be repentance in the end.
مشورت در کارها واجب شود ** تا پشیمانی در آخر کم بود
The community said, “With whom shall we take counsel?” The prophets answered, “With intellect, (which is) the Imám (leader).”
گفت امت مشورت با کی کنیم ** انبیا گفتند با عقل امیم
He (the questioner) said, “(But) if a child should come in, or a woman who has no clear understanding or judgement.”2270
گفت گر کودک در آید یا زنی ** کاو ندارد عقل و رای روشنی
“Take counsel with her,” said he (the prophet), “and do the contrary of what she bids (thee), and go thy way.”
گفت با او مشورت کن و انچه گفت ** تو خلاف آن کن و در راه افت
Know that your fleshly soul is woman and worse than woman, because woman is a part (of evil), but your fleshly soul is evil entire.
نفس خود را زن شناس از زن بتر ** ز انکه زن جزوی است نفست کل شر
If you take counsel with your fleshly soul, oppose that vile one (in) whatsoever she may say.
مشورت با نفس خود گر میکنی ** هر چه گوید کن خلاف آن دنی
If she bid you pray and fast-the fleshly soul is a great plotter, she will bring some plot against you to birth.
گر نماز و روزه میفرمایدت ** نفس مکار است مکری زایدت
(When you take) counsel with your fleshly soul concerning (your) actions––whatsoever she tells (you to do), the reverse of that is perfectly right.2275
مشورت با نفس خویش اندر فعال ** هر چه گوید عکس آن باشد کمال
(If) you cannot cope with her and her contumacy, go to a friend and mix with him.
بر نیایی با وی و استیز او ** رو بر یاری بگیر آمیز او
Mind gains strength from another mind: the sugar-cane is made perfect by the sugar-cane.
عقل قوت گیرد از عقل دگر ** نی شکر کامل شود از نیشکر
I have seen (wondrous) things (arising) from the deceitfulness of the fleshly soul, for by her magic she takes away the faculties of discernment.
من ز مکر نفس دیدم چیزها ** کاو برد از سحر خود تمییزها
She will proffer afresh to you promises that she has broken thousands of times.
وعدهها بدهد ترا تازه به دست ** که هزاران بار آنها را شکست
If your life be prolonged even for a hundred years, she will lay before you a new pretext every day.2280
عمر اگر صد سال خود مهلت دهد ** اوت هر روزی بهانهی نو نهد
She utters cold (vain) promises (as though) warm (from the heart); (she is) a witch, she ties up the manhood of a man.
گرم گوید وعدههای سرد را ** جادویی مردی ببندد مرد را
O (thou who art the) radiance of God, Husámu’ddín, come! for without thee no herbs will grow from the brackish soil.
ای ضیاء الحق حسام الدین بیا ** که نروید بیتو از شوره گیا
A curtain has been let down from heaven because of the curse of one whose heart is sorely vexed.
از فلک آویخته شد پردهای ** از پی نفرین دل آزردهای
This destiny only the (Divine) destiny can cure: the understanding of His creatures is stunned at His destiny, stunned.
این قضا را هم قضا داند علاج ** عقل خلقان در قضا گیج است گیج
The lack serpent that was (as) a worm fallen on the road has become a dragon;2285
اژدها گشته ست آن مار سیاه ** آن که کرمی بود افتاده به راه
(But) in thy hand, O thou with (love for) whom the soul of Moses is intoxicated, the dragon or serpent became (as) the rod (in the hand of Moses).
اژدها و مار اندر دست تو ** شد عصا ای جان موسی مست تو
God gave thee command, saying, “Take it; fear not, so that the dragon may become a rod in thy hand.”
حکم خذها لا تخف دادت خدا ** تا به دستت اژدها گردد عصا
Hark, show the white hand, O King: out of the black nights reveal a new dawn!
A hell hath blazed forth; breathe (thy) enchantment over it, O thou whose breath is more (excellent) than the breath of the sea.
دوزخی افروخت در وی دم فسون ** ای دم تو از دم دریا فزون
She (the fleshly soul) is the guileful sea that shows (but) a (little) foam; she is the hell that from guile shows (but) a (little) heat.2290
بحر مکار است بنموده کفی ** دوزخ است از مکر بنموده تفی
She appears exiguous in your eyes, to the end that you may regard her as feeble and that your wrath may be stirred (against her);
ز آن نماید مختصر در چشم تو ** تا زبون بینیش جنبد خشم تو
Even as there was a dense host (of infidels), (but) to the Prophet’s eye it seemed small,
همچنان که لشکر انبوه بود ** مر پیمبر را به چشم اندک نمود
So that the Prophet set upon them without (fear of) the danger; but if he had deemed (them) more (in number), he would have acted cautiously in that (affair).
تا بر ایشان زد پیمبر بیخطر ** ور فزون دیدی از آن کردی حذر
That was the Divine favour, and thou wert worthy of it, O Ahmad (Mohammed); else, thou wouldst have become faint-hearted.
آن عنایت بود و اهل آن بدی ** احمدا ور نه تو بد دل میشدی
God caused the outward and inward warfare to seem little to him and his Companions,2295
کم نمود او را و اصحاب و را ** آن جهاد ظاهر وباطن خدا
In order that He might make it easy for him to gain ease (success), and that he might turn away his face from difficulty (unsuccess).
تا میسر کرد یسری را بر او ** تا ز عسری او بگردانید رو
For him, (God’s) causing (the warfare) to seem little was victory, since God was his friend and taught him the way.
کم نمودن مر و را پیروز بود ** که حقش یار و طریق آموز بود
(But) he that hath not God for his victorious support, alas if the fierce lion seem to him a cat.
آن که حق پشتش نباشد از ظفر ** وای اگر گربش نماید شیر نر
Alas if from afar he see a hundred as one, so that in vain confidence he enters on the fray.
وای اگر صدرا یکی بیند ز دور ** تا به چالش اندر آید از غرور
He (God) causes a Prophet’s sword to seem a dart and makes the fierce lion appear as a cat,2300
ز آن نماید ذو الفقاری حربهای ** ز آن نماید شیر نر چون گربهای
To the end that the fool may fall boldly to fighting, and that He may catch them by this device;
تا دلیر اندر فتد احمق به جنگ ** و اندر آردشان بدین حیلت به چنگ
(And besides He is acting thus), in order that those dolts may have come towards the fire-temple by means of their own feet (by their own free will).
تا به پای خویش باشند آمده ** آن فلیوان جانب آتشکده
He is showing (what seems to you) a blade of straw, in order that you may quickly give a puff so as to make it vanish out of existence.
کاه برگی مینماید تا تو زود ** پف کنی کاو را برانی از وجود
Beware! for that straw has uprooted mountains: through it the world is weeping, while it (the straw) is in laughter.
هین که آن که کوهها بر کنده است ** زو جهان گریان و او در خنده است
He makes this river-water seem (only) up to the ankle, (but) a hundred such as Áj son of 'Unuq have ben drowned therein.2305
مینماید تا به کعب این آب جو ** صد چو عاج ابن عنق شد غرق او
He makes the wave of blood seem to him a mound of musk: He makes the bottom of the sea seem dry land.
مینماید موج خونش تل مشک ** مینماید قعر دریا خاک خشک
Blind Pharaoh deemed that sea dry, so that in (the pride of his) manhood and strength he drave into it.
خشک دید آن بحر را فرعون کور ** تا در او راند از سر مردی و زور
When he enters (it), he is at the bottom of the sea: how should the eye of Pharaoh be seeing?
چون در آید در تگ دریا بود ** دیدهی فرعون کی بینا بود
The eye is made seeing by meeting with God: how should God become the confidant of every fool?
دیده بینا از لقای حق شود ** حق کجا هم راز هر احمق شود
He (the fool) sees (what he thinks is) candy: it is, in sooth, deadly poison; he sees (what he thinks is) the road: it is, in sooth, the cry of the ghoul (luring him to destruction).2310
قند بیند خود شود زهر قتول ** راه بیند خود بود آن بانگ غول