If the time of prayers had passed, this world would have become dark to you and without a gleam of light;
گر نماز از وقت رفتی مر ترا ** این جهان تاریک گشتی بیضیا
(And then) from disappointment and grief tears would have flowed from your two eyes in the fashion of (water from) water-skins,
از غبین و درد رفتی اشکها ** از دو چشم تو مثال مشکها
(Because) every one has delight in some act of devotion and consequently cannot bear to miss it (even) for a short while.
ذوق دارد هر کسی در طاعتی ** لاجرم نشکیبد از وی ساعتی
That disappointment and grief would have been (as) a hundred prayers: what is (ritual) prayer in comparison with the (spiritual) glow of humble supplication?”2770
آن غبین و درد بودی صد نماز ** کو نماز و کو فروغ آن نیاز
The excellence of the remorse felt by one who was sincere (in his devotion) for having missed the congregational prayers.
فضیلت حسرت خوردن آن مخلص بر فوت نماز جماعت
A certain man was going into the mosque (when) the people were coming out of the mosque.
آن یکی میرفت در مسجد درون ** مردم از مسجد همیآمد برون
He began to ask (one of them), saying, “What ails the congregation that they are coming out of the mosque (so) soon?”
گفت پرسان که جماعت را چه بود ** که ز مسجد میبرون آیند زود
That person said to him, “The Prophet has prayed with the congregation and finished (his) communion.
آن یکی گفتش که پیغمبر نماز ** با جماعت کرد و فارغ شد ز راز
How art thou going in, O foolish man, when the Prophet has given the blessing?”
تو کجا در میروی ای مرد خام ** چون که پیغمبر بداده ست السلام
He cried, “Ah!” and smoke issued from that (burning) sigh: his sigh was giving forth the smell of blood from his heart.2775
گفت آه و دود از آن اه شد برون ** آه او میداد از دل بوی خون
A certain man said, “Give (me) that sigh and may this (ritual) prayer of mine be (bestowed) on thee as a gift!”
آن یکی از جمع گفت این آه را ** تو به من ده و آن نماز من ترا
He answered, “I give the sigh and accept the prayers.” He (the other) took that sigh with a hundred yearnings (towards God).
گفت دادم آه و پذرفتم نماز ** او ستد آن آه را با صد نیاز
At night, whilst (he was) asleep, a Voice said to him, “Thou hast bought the Water of Life and salvation.
شب به خواب اندر بگفتش هاتفی ** که خریدی آب حیوان و شفا
In honour of this choice and this appropriation the prayers of all the people have been accepted.”
حرمت این اختیار و این دخول ** شد نماز جملهی خلقان قبول
Conclusion of the confession made by Iblís to Mu‘áwiya of his deceit.
تتمهی اقرار ابلیس به معاویه مکر خود را
Then ‘Azázíl said to him, “O noble Amír, I must lay my deceit before (you).2780
پس عزازیلش به گفت ای میر راد ** مکر خود اندر میان باید نهاد
If you had missed the prayers, you would then from heartache have uttered sighs and lamentations,
گر نمازت فوت میشد آن زمان ** میزدی از درد دل آه و فغان
And that regret and that lamentation and that (sorrowful) yearning would have exceeded (in value) two hundred litanies and prayers.
آن تاسف و آن فغان و آن نیاز ** در گذشتی از دو صد ذکر و نماز
I awakened you in fear lest such a sigh might burn the veil (of formality),
من ترا بیدار کردم از نهیب ** تا بسوزاند چنان آهی حجاب
In order that such a sigh should not be yours; in order that you should not have any way to it.
تا چنان آهی نباشد مر ترا ** تا بدان راهی نباشد مر ترا
I am envious: from envy I acted thus. I am the enemy: my (proper) work is deceit and malice.”2785
من حسودم از حسد کردم چنین ** من عدویم کار من مکر است و کین
He (Mu‘áwiya) said, “Now you have told the truth, you are veracious. This (deceit) comes (naturally) from you: to this you are adapted.
گفت اکنون راست گفتی صادقی ** از تو این آید تو این را لایقی
You are a spider, you have flies as your prey; O cur, I am not a fly, (so) do not worry.
عنکبوتی تو مگس داری شکار ** من نیم ای سگ مگس زحمت میار
I am a white falcon: the King hunts me. How should a spider weave his web about me?
باز اسپیدم شکارم شه کند ** عنکبوتی کی بگرد ما تند
Go now, continue to catch flies as far as you can: invite the flies to (partake of) some buttermilk;
رو مگس میگیر تا تانی هلا ** سوی دوغی زن مگسها را صلا
And if you call (them) to honey, that too will certainly be lies and buttermilk (fraud).2790
ور بخوانی تو به سوی انگبین ** هم دروغ و دوغ باشد آن یقین
You awakened me, (but) it (that awakenment) was (really) slumber: you showed (me) a ship, (but) that was (really) a whirlpool.
تو مرا بیدار کردی خواب بود ** تو نمودی کشتی آن گرداب بود
You were calling me to good for the purpose that you might drive me away from the better good.”
تو مرا در خیر ز آن میخواندی ** تا مرا از خیر بهتر راندی
How a thief escaped because some one gave the alarm to the master of the house, who had nearly overtaken and caught the thief.
فوت شدن دزد به آواز دادن آن شخص صاحب خانه را که نزدیک آمده بود که دزد را دریابد و بگیرد
This (behaviour of Iblís) is like that (which is told in the following story), how a certain man saw a thief in the house and ran after him.
این بدان ماند که شخصی دزد دید ** در وثاق اندر پی او میدوید
He ran after him (the length of) two or three fields, till the fatigue threw him into a sweat.
تا دو سه میدان دوید اندر پیش ** تا در افگند آن تعب اندر خویش
At the moment when, rushing on, he had come so near to him that he might spring upon him and seize him,2795
اندر آن حمله که نزدیک آمدش ** تا بدو اندر جهد دریابدش
The second thief cried out to him, “Come, that you may see these signs of calamity.
دزد دیگر بانگ کردش که بیا ** تا ببینی این علامات بلا
Be quick and turn back, O man of (prompt) action, that you may see (how) very pitiable (is) the state of things here.”
زود باش و باز گرد ای مرد کار ** تا ببینی حال اینجا زار زار
He (the householder) said (to himself), “Maybe a thief is yonder: if I do not return at once, this (fate) will befall me.
گفت باشد کان طرف دزدی بود ** گر نگردم زود این بر من رود
He may lay hands upon my wife and child, (and in that case) how would it profit me to bind this thief (whom I am pursuing)?
در زن و فرزند من دستی زند ** بستن این دزد سودم کی کند
This Moslem is calling me in kindness: unless I return quickly, repentance will befall (me).”2800
این مسلمان از کرم میخواندم ** گر نگردم زود پیش آید ندم
In (confident) hope of the compassion of that well-disposed (friend), he left the thief and again set off (in another direction).
بر امید شفقت آن نیک خواه ** دزد را بگذاشت باز آمد به راه
“O good friend,” said he, “what is the matter? By whose hand (violence) is this lamentation and outcry of yours (caused)?”
گفت ای یار نکو احوال چیست ** این فغان و بانگ تو از دست کیست
“Look here,” said (the other). “See the thief's footprints! The pimping thief has gone this way. [ “Look here,” said (the other). “See the thief's footprints! The thief whose wife is for hire (who prostitutes his wife to other men) has gone this way.]
گفت اینک بین نشان پای دزد ** این طرف رفته ست دزد زن بمزد
Look at the cuckold thief's footprints! Follow him by means of these marks and traces.”
نک نشان پای دزد قلتبان ** در پی او رو بدین نقش و نشان
He answered, “O fool, what are you telling me? Why, I had (as good as) caught him,2805
گفت ای ابله چه میگویی مرا ** من گرفته بودم آخر مر و را
(But) at your cry I let the thief go. I deemed you, ass (as you are), a (reasonable) man.
دزد را از بانگ تو بگذاشتم ** من تو خر را آدمی پنداشتم
What silly gabble and nonsense is this, O fellow? I (had) found the reality: what (use to me) is the clue?”
این چه ژاژست و چه هرزه ای فلان ** من حقیقت یافتم چه بود نشان
He replied, “I am giving you a clue to the real (thing). This is the clue; I am acquainted with the reality.”
گفت من از حق نشانت میدهم ** این نشان است از حقیقت آگهم
He (the householder) said, “You are an artful knave or else you are a fool; nay, you are a thief and cognisant of this affair.
گفت طراری تو یا خود ابلهی ** بلکه تو دزدی و زین حال آگهی
I was (on the point of) dragging my adversary along, (when) you let him escape, saying (to me), ‘Here are (his) traces.’”2810
خصم خود را میکشیدم من کشان ** تو رهانیدی و را کاینک نشان
You speak of (external) relations, (but) I transcend (all) relations. In union (with God) where are signs or evidences?
تو جهت گو من برونم از جهات ** در وصال آیات کو یا بینات
The man that is debarred (from the Essence) sees the (Divine) action (as proceeding) from the Attributes: he that has lost the Essence is in (confined to) the Attributes.
صنع بیند مرد محجوب از صفات ** در صفات آن است کاو گم کرد ذات
Inasmuch as those united (with God) are absorbed in the Essence, O son, how should they look upon His Attributes?
واصلان چون غرق ذاتند ای پسر ** کی کنند اندر صفات او نظر
When your head is at the bottom of the river, how will your eye fall on the colour of the water?
چون که اندر قعر جو باشد سرت ** کی به رنگ آب افتد منظرت
And if you come back from the bottom to the colour of the water, then you have received a coarse woollen garment and given (fine) fur (in exchange).2815
ور به رنگ آب باز آیی ز قعر ** پس پلاسی بستدی دادی تو شعر
The piety of the vulgar is sin in the elect; the unitive state of the vulgar is a veil in the elect.