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2
297-346

  • Else it is wrong to swear by a transient thing: how indeed is transiency proper to the speech of God?
  • ور نه بر فانی قسم گفتن خطاست ** خود فنا چه لایق گفت خداست‏

  • That Friend (of God) said, “I love not them that set”: how should the glorious Lord mean transiency by this (oath)?
  • لا أحب الآفلین گفت آن خلیل ** کی فنا خواهد از این رب جلیل‏

  • Again, and by the night is (refers to) his occultation and his earthen rust-dark body.
  • باز و اللیل است ستاری او ** و آن تن خاکی زنگاری او

  • When his sun rose from that sky, it said to the night of the body, “Lo, He hath not forsaken thee.” 300
  • آفتابش چون بر آمد ز آن فلک ** با شب تن گفت هین ما ودعک‏

  • Union was made manifest out of the essence of affliction: that sweetness (of union) was expressed by (the words) He hath not hated (thee).
  • وصل پیدا گشت از عین بلا ** ز آن حلاوت شد عبارت ما قلی‏

  • In fact, every expression is the symbol of a state: the state is as a hand, while the expression is a tool.
  • هر عبارت خود نشان حالتی است ** حال چون دست و عبارت آلتی است‏

  • The goldsmith's tool in the hand of a shoemaker is like a seed sown in sand;
  • آلت زرگر به دست کفشگر ** همچو دانه‏ی کشت کرده ریگ در

  • And the cobbler's tool (put) before the husbandman is (as) straw before a dog (or) bones before an ass.
  • و آلت اسکاف پیش برزگر ** پیش سگ کاه استخوان در پیش خر

  • “I am God” on the lips of Mansúr was the light (of truth); “I am Allah” on the lips of Pharaoh was a lie. 305
  • بود انا الحق در لب منصور نور ** بود انا الله در لب فرعون زور

  • In the hand of Moses the rod became a witness (to the truth); in the hand of the magician the rod became (worthless as) motes in the air.
  • شد عصا اندر کف موسی گوا ** شد عصا اندر کف ساحر هبا

  • On this account Jesus did not teach his fellow-traveller that Name of the Lord,
  • زین سبب عیسی بدان همراه خود ** در نیاموزید آن اسم صمد

  • For he would not know (its proper use) and would attribute imperfection to the tool (which he misused). Strike stone on clay, and how should fire leap forth?
  • کاو نداند نقص بر آلت نهد ** سنگ بر گل زن تو آتش کی جهد

  • Hand and tool are as stone and iron; there must be a pair: (the existence of) a pair is the condition (necessary) for bringing to birth.
  • دست و آلت همچو سنگ و آهن است ** جفت باید جفت شرط زادن است‏

  • The One is He who hath no consort and no tool; in number there is doubt, and that One is beyond doubt. 310
  • آن که بی‏جفت است و بی‏آلت یکی است ** در عدد شک است و آن یک بی‏شکی است‏

  • Those who say “two” or “three” or more than these (numbers) are certainly agreed in (affirming the existence of) One.
  • آن که دو گفت و سه گفت و بیش ازین ** متفق باشند در واحد یقین‏

  • When squinting has been put aside (so that they see correctly), they become alike: the assertors of two or three become assertors of Unity.
  • احولی چون دفع شد یکسان شوند ** دو سه گویان هم یکی گویان شوند

  • If you are a ball in His polo-field, keep spinning round from (the blows of) His polo-stick.
  • گر یکی گویی تو در میدان او ** گرد بر می‏گرد از چوگان او

  • The ball becomes right and flawless (only) at the time when it is made to dance by the stroke of the King's hand.
  • گوی آن گه راست و بی‏نقصان شود ** که ز زخم دست شه رقصان شود

  • Give ear heedfully to these (sayings), O squinting one: apply the eye-salve by way of the ear. 315
  • گوش دار ای احول اینها را به هوش ** داروی دیده بکش از راه گوش‏

  • Holy words, then, do not abide in blind hearts, (but) go to the Light whence they came,
  • پس کلام پاک در دلهای کور ** می‏نپاید می‏رود تا اصل نور

  • While the (guileful) spell of the Devil goes into crooked (perverse) hearts as a crooked shoe on to a crooked foot.
  • و آن فسون دیو در دلهای کژ ** می‏رود چون کفش کژ در پای کژ

  • Though you may learn Wisdom by rote, it becomes quit of you when you are unworthy (to receive it);
  • گر چه حکمت را به تکرار آوری ** چون تو نااهلی شود از تو بری‏

  • And though you write it and note it (down), and though you brag (about it) and expound it,
  • ور چه بنویسی نشانش می‏کنی ** ور چه می‏لافی بیانش می‏کنی‏

  • It withdraws its face from you, O disputatious one: it snaps its bonds and (takes) flight from you. 320
  • او ز تو رو در کشد ای پر ستیز ** بندها را بگسلد وز تو گریز

  • (But) if you read not and it sees your ardour (of love), Knowledge will be a bird docile (and obedient) to your hand.
  • ور نخوانی و ببیند سوز تو ** علم باشد مرغ دست‏آموز تو

  • It does not abide with every unskilled tiro: (it is) like a peacock (which does not stay) in the house of a peasant.
  • او نپاید پیش هر نااوستا ** همچو طاوسی به خانه‏ی روستا

  • How the King found his falcon in the house of a decrepit old woman.
  • یافتن پادشاه باز را به خانه‏ی کمپیر زن

  • Religion is not (like) the falcon that fled from the King to the old crone who was sifting flour
  • دین نه آن باز است کاو از شه گریخت ** سوی آن کمپیر کاو می‏آرد بیخت‏

  • That she might cook tutmáj for her children. (When) she saw the beautiful well-born falcon,
  • تا که تتماجی پزد اولاد را ** دید آن باز خوش خوش زاد را

  • She tied its little foot and clipped its wings; she cut its talons and fed it with straw. 325
  • پایکش بست و پرش کوتاه کرد ** ناخنش ببرید و قوتش کاه کرد

  • “Unworthy folk,” said she, “have not kept thee in (good) trim: thy wings are overgrown and thy talons have become long.
  • گفت نااهلان نکردندت به ساز ** پر فزود از حد و ناخن شد دراز

  • Every unworthy one's hand makes thee ill: come to thy mother that she may take care of thee.”
  • دست هر نااهل بیمارت کند ** سوی مادر آ که تیمارت کند

  • Know, O friend, that such is the affection of the fool: the fool ever walks crookedly on the way.
  • مهر جاهل را چنین دان ای رفیق ** کژ رود جاهل همیشه در طریق‏

  • The King's day became late (far-spent) in searching (for the falcon): he went (at last) to the old woman and the tent (where she lived).
  • روز شه در جستجو بی‏گاه شد ** سوی آن کمپیر و آن خرگاه شد

  • Suddenly he espied the falcon amidst smoke and dust: the King wept sorely over it and made lament. 330
  • دید ناگه باز را در دود و گرد ** شه بر او بگریست زار و نوحه کرد

  • He said, “Albeit this is the retribution for thy deed, in that thou art not firm in keeping faith with me,
  • گفت هر چند این جز ای کار تست ** که نباشی در وفای ما درست‏

  • (Yet) how shouldst thou take flight from Paradise to Hell, heedless of (the text) the people of the Fire (and those of Paradise) are not equal?
  • چون کنی از خلد زی دوزخ فرار ** غافل از لا یستوی اصحاب نار

  • This is the fitting reward for one that unconscionably flees from the King who knows (him) well to the house of an old hag.”
  • این سزای آن که از شاه خبیر ** خیره بگریزد به خانه‏ی گنده پیر

  • (Meanwhile) the falcon was rubbing its wings against the King's hand: without tongue it was saying, “I have sinned.”
  • باز می‏مالید پر بر دست شاه ** بی‏زبان می‏گفت من کردم گناه‏

  • Where then should the vile (sinner) plead piteously, where should he moan, if Thou wilt accept naught but good, O bountiful (King)? 335
  • پس کجا زارد کجا نالد لئیم ** گر تو نپذیری بجز نیک ای کریم‏

  • The King's grace makes the soul sin-seeking, because the King makes every foul thing fair.
  • لطف شه جان را جنایت جو کند ** ز آنکه شه هر زشت را نیکو کند

  • Go, do not commit foulness, for (even) our fair deeds appear foul in the sight of our beauteous (Loved One).
  • رو مکن زشتی که نیکیهای ما ** زشت آمد پیش آن زیبای ما

  • You deemed your service worthy: thereby you raised the banner of sin.
  • خدمت خود را سزا پنداشتی ** تو لوای جرم از آن افراشتی‏

  • Forasmuch as praise and prayer were vouchsafed to you, through making that prayer your heart became vainglorious.
  • چون ترا ذکر و دعا دستور شد ** ز آن دعاکردن دلت مغرور شد

  • You regarded yourself as speaking (confidentially) with God. Oh, (there is) many a one that becomes separated (from God) by this opinion. 340
  • هم سخن دیدی تو خود را با خدا ** ای بسا کاو زین گمان افتد جدا

  • Although the King sit with you on the ground, know yourself and sit better (with more decorum and reverence).
  • گر چه با تو شه نشیند بر زمین ** خویشتن بشناس و نیکوتر نشین‏

  • The falcon said, “O King, I am penitent, I am converted, I am embracing Islam anew.
  • باز گفت ای شه پشیمان می‏شوم ** توبه کردم نو مسلمان می‏شوم‏

  • He whom Thou makest drunken and pot-valiant—if from drunkenness he walk crookedly, do Thou accept his excuse.
  • آن که تو مستش کنی و شیر گیر ** گر ز مستی کج رود عذرش پذیر

  • Though my talons are gone, when thou art mine I tear off the forelock of the sun;
  • گر چه ناخن رفت چون باشی مرا ** بر کنم من پرچم خورشید را

  • And though my wings are gone, when Thou art kind to me the heavenly sphere loses its play (ceases to revolve). 345
  • ور چه پرم رفت چون بنوازیم ** چرخ بازی گم کند در بازیم‏

  • If Thou bestow a belt on me, I will uproot the mountain; if Thou give me a pen, I will break the banners.
  • گر کمر بخشیم که را بر کنم ** گر دهی کلکی علمها بشکنم‏