From his (the latter's) earnestness and ardour he (the imitator) gets a scent (inkling) that these wild outcries of his are not (mere) babble.
بوی برد از جد و گرمیهای او ** که گزافه نیست این هیهای او
He (the imitator) had no just claim to this camel, but he too has lost a camel; yes, (he has).2990
اندر این اشتر نبودش حق ولی ** اشتری گم کرده است او هم بلی
Desire for another's camel has become a veil to him, (so that) he has forgotten what he (himself) has lost.
طمع ناقهی غیر رو پوشش شده ** آنچ ازو گم شد فراموشش شده
Wherever he (the owner) runs, this one (the imitator) runs: from cupidity, he becomes a partner in the owner's pain.
هر کجا او میدود این میدود ** از طمع هم درد صاحب میشود
When a liar sets out (to journey) with a truthful man, his falsehood turns to truth of a sudden.
کاذبی یا صادقی چون شد روان ** آن دروغش راستی شد ناگهان
In the desert whither that camel had hastened, the other one (the imitator) also found his own camel.
اندر آن صحرا که آن اشتر شتافت ** اشتر خود نیز آن دیگر بیافت
As soon as he saw it, he remembered his own, and ceased to covet the camel of that friend and kinsman.2995
چون بدیدش یاد آورد آن خویش ** بیطمع شد ز اشتر آن یار و خویش
That imitator became a true searcher when he saw his camel browsing there.
آن مقلد شد محقق چون بدید ** اشتر خود را که آن جا میچرید
(Only) at that moment did he become a seeker of the camel: he was never (truly) seeking it till he saw it in the desert.
او طلب کار شتر آن لحظه گشت ** مینجستش تا ندید او را به دشت
After that, he began to go alone: he opened his eyes (and went) towards his own camel.
بعد از آن تنها روی آغاز کرد ** چشم سوی ناقهی خود باز کرد
The sincere one said, “You have left me, (although) till now you were paying regard to me.”
گفت آن صادق مرا بگذاشتی ** تا به اکنون پاس من میداشتی
He replied, “Hitherto I have been an idle scoffer and, from cupidity, have been (engaged) in flattering (thee);3000
گفت تا اکنون فسوسی بودهام ** وز طمع در چاپلوسی بودهام
(But) now, when corporeally I have become parted from thee in the search, I have become sympathetic with thee (in spirit).
این زمان هم درد تو گشتم که من ** در طلب از تو جدا گشتم به تن
I was stealing the camel's description from thee; (but when) my spirit saw its own camel, it had its eye filled (with seeing).
از تو میدزدیدمی وصف شتر ** جان من دید آن خود شد چشم پر
Till I found it, I was not seeking it; now the copper is overcome, the gold overpowers it.
تا نیابیدم نبودم طالبش ** مس کنون مغلوب شد زر غالبش
My evil deeds have become pious acts entirely—thanks (to God)! Jest is vanished and earnest is realised—thanks (to God)!
سیئاتم شد همه طاعات شکر ** هزل شد فانی و جد اثبات شکر
Since my evil deeds have become the means of (my) attaining unto God, do not, then, throw any blame on my evil deeds.3005
سیئاتم چون وسیلت شد به حق ** پس مزن بر سیئاتم هیچ دق
Thee thy sincerity had made a seeker; for me, toil and search opened (the way to) a sincere feeling.
مر ترا صدق تو طالب کرده بود ** مر مرا جد و طلب صدقی گشود
Thy sincerity led thee to seek; my seeking led me to a feeling of sincerity.
صدق تو آورد در جستن ترا ** جستنم آورد در صدقی مرا
I was sowing the seed of fortune in the earth, (though) I fancied it was labour without wages and hire.
تخم دولت در زمین میکاشتم ** سخره و بیگار میپنداشتم
’Twas not labour without hire; ’twas an excellent earning: (for) every grain that I sowed, a hundred grew.
آن نبد بیگار کسبی بود چست ** هر یکی دانه که کشتم صد برست
The thief went underhand (by stealth) to a certain house: when he entered, he saw that it was his own house.”3010
دزد سوی خانهای شد زیر دست ** چون در آمد دید کان خانهی خود است
Be hot, O cold one, that heat may come: put up with roughness, that ease may come.
گرم باش ای سرد تا گرمی رسد ** با درشتی ساز تا نرمی رسد
That (subject of my discourse) is not two camels; it is a single camel. Verbal expression is confined, the meaning (to be expressed) is very full.
آن دو اشتر نیست آن یک اشتر است ** تنگ آمد لفظ معنی بس پر است
The expression always fails to reach the meaning; hence the Prophet said, “(Whoso knows God), his tongue falters.”
لفظ در معنی همیشه نارسان ** ز آن پیمبر گفت قد کل لسان
Speech is (like) an astrolabe in (its) reckoning: how much does it know of the sky and the sun?—
نطق اصطرلاب باشد در حساب ** چه قدر داند ز چرخ و آفتاب
Especially, of that Sky whereof this heaven is (no more than) a blade of straw; (that Sky) of whose Sun the (terrestrial) sun is (but) a mote?3015
خاصه چرخی کاین فلک زو پرهای است ** آفتاب از آفتابش ذرهای است
Showing that there is in every soul the mischief of the Mosque of Opposition.
بیان آن که در هر نفسی فتنهی مسجد ضرار است
When it appeared that that was not a mosque, (but) was a house of intrigue and a trap laid by the Jews,
چون پدید آمد که آن مسجد نبود ** خانهی حیلت بد و دام جهود
The Prophet then gave the command (and said), “Rase it and make it a dumping-place for rubbish and ashes.”
پس نبی فرمود کان را بر کنید ** مطرحهی خاشاک و خاکستر کنید
The founder of the Mosque was false, like the Mosque (itself): ‘tis not munificence if you sprinkle grain upon a snare.
صاحب مسجد چو مسجد قلب بود ** دانهها بر دام ریزی نیست جود
The meat that catches the fish on the hook––such a morsel is neither bounty nor generosity.
گوشت کاندر شست تو ماهی رباست ** آن چنان لقمه نه بخشش نه سخاست
The Mosque of the people of Qubá, which was inanimate––he (the Prophet) did not admit to (equality with) it that which was not its equal.3020
مسجد اهل قبا کان بد جماد ** آن چه کفو او نبد راهش نداد
(Even) in the case of lifeless things such a wrong did not come to pass: the lord of justice (Mohammed) set fire to that unequal (and incongruous Mosque).
در جمادات این چنین حیفی نرفت ** زد در آن ناکفو امیر داد نفت
Therefore (a fortiori) in the case of the (human) essences, which are the foundation of all fundamentals, know that there (too) there are differences and divisions.
پس حقایق را که اصل اصلهاست ** دان که آن جا فرقها و فصلهاست
Neither is his (one man’s) life like his (another man’s) life, nor is his death like his death.
نه حیاتش چون حیات او بود ** نه مماتش چون ممات او بود
Never deem his (this one’s) grave like his (that one’s) grave. How indeed shall I describe the difference (between them) in that (other) world?
گور او هرگز چو گور او مدان ** خود چه گویم حال فرق آن جهان
Put thy work to the touchstone, O man of work, lest thou build the Mosque of the Opposers.3025
بر محک زن کار خود ای مرد کار ** تا نسازی مسجد اهل ضرار
Thou has mocked, then, at those Mosque-makers; (but) when thou considerest (carefully), thou thyself hast been one of them.
بس بر آن مسجد کنان تسخر زدی ** چون نظر کردی تو خود ز یشان بدی
Story of the Indian who quarrelled with his friend over a certain action and was not aware that he too was afflicted with (guilty of) it.
حکایت هندو که با یار خود جنگ میکرد بر کاری و خبر نداشت که او هم بدان مبتلاست
Four Indians went into a mosque: they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves for worship's sake.
چار هندو در یکی مسجد شدند ** بهر طاعت راکع و ساجد شدند
Each one performed the takbír (following) upon a niyyat, and began to pray with lowliness and contrition.
هر یکی بر نیتی تکبیر کرد ** در نماز آمد به مسکینی و درد
(When) the muezzin came, from one of them fell a remark— “O muezzin, have you given the call to prayers? Is it time?”
موذن آمد از یکی لفظی بجست ** کای موذن بانگ کردی وقت هست
The second Indian said on the spur of the moment, “Hey, you have spoken, and (so) your prayer is null.”3030
گفت آن هندوی دیگر از نیاز ** هی سخن گفتی و باطل شد نماز
The third one said to the second, “O uncle, why do you rail at him? Tell yourself (how to behave).”
آن سوم گفت آن دوم را ای عمو ** چه زنی طعنه بر او خود را بگو
Said the fourth, “Praise be to God that I have not fallen into the pit (of error), like those three persons.”
آن چهارم گفت حمد الله که من ** در نیفتادم به چه چون آن سه تن
Hence the prayers of all the four were marred; and the fault-finders went astray more (than he who made the original mistake).
پس نماز هر چهاران شد تباه ** عیب گویان بیشتر گم کرده راه
Oh, happy the soul that saw its own fault, and if any one told (found) a fault, wished eagerly (to take) that (fault) upon itself!—
ای خنک جانی که عیب خویش دید ** هر که عیبی گفت آن بر خود خرید
Because half of him (every man) has always belonged to the realm of faults, and the other half of him to the realm of the Unseen.3035
ز انکه نیم او ز عیبستان بده ست ** و آن دگر نیمش ز غیبستان بده ست
Since you have ten sores on your head, you must apply the plaster to yourself.
چون که بر سر مر ترا ده ریش هست ** مرهمت بر خویش باید کار بست
Finding fault with one's self is the (right) remedy for him (who is at fault); when he has become broken (contrite), it is (then) the (proper) occasion for (obeying the Prophet's injunction), “Have pity.”
عیب کردن ریش را داروی اوست ** چون شکسته گشت جای ارحمواست