God forbid! Nay, (it was) for showing reverence to (the spiritual) kings, inasmuch as I did not conceive ill thoughts against dervishes—3495
حاش لله بل ز تعظیم شهان ** که نبودم در فقیران بد گمان
Those gracious dervishes of sweet breath (pure spirit), for whose magnification (the chapter of the Qur’án entitled) ‘Abasa was revealed.”
آن فقیران لطیف خوش نفس ** کز پی تعظیمشان آمد عبس
That dervishhood is not for the sake of (avoiding) entanglement (with the world); no, (it is) because nothing exists but God.
آن فقیری بهر پیچا پیچ نیست ** بل پی آن که بجز حق هیچ نیست
How should I hold in suspicion those whom God hath entrusted with the treasury of the Seventh Heaven?
متهم چون دارم آنها را که حق ** کرد امین مخزن هفتم طبق
The fleshly soul is suspect, not the sublime Reason: the senses are suspect, not the subtle Light.
متهم نفس است نه عقل شریف ** متهم حس است نه نور لطیف
The fleshly soul is a sophist: beat it constantly, for beating does it good, not arguing with it.3500
نفس سوفسطایی آمد میزنش ** کش زدن سازد نه حجت گفتنش
It sees a miracle (wrought by a prophet), and at the moment it glows (with belief); (but) afterwards it says, “’Twas (only) a phantasy;
معجزه بیند فروزد آن زمان ** بعد از آن گوید خیالی بود آن
For if that wondrous sight was real, why did it not become abiding, day and night, in the eye?”
ور حقیقت بودی آن دید عجب ** چون مقیم چشم نامد روز و شب
It is abiding in the eyes of the pure, (but) it does not haunt the eyes of animals (sensual men);
آن مقیم چشم پاکان میبود ** نه قرین چشم حیوان میشود
For the miracle is ashamed and scornful of these (bodily) senses: how should a peacock be (confined) in a narrow pit?
کان عجب زین حس دارد عار و ننگ ** کی بود طاوس اندر چاه تنگ
Take heed not to call me garrulous: I say (only) one in a hundred, and that (one) like a hair.3505
تا نگویی مر مرا بسیار گو ** من ز صد یک گویم و آن همچو مو
How some Súfís abused a certain Súfí, saying that he talked too much in the presence of the Shaykh.
تشنیع صوفیان بر آن صوفی که پیش شیخ بسیار میگوید
Some Súfís abused a certain Súfí, and came to the Shaykh of the convent,
صوفیان بر صوفیی شنعت زدند ** پیش شیخ خانقاهی آمدند
And said to the Shaykh, “Demand justice for our souls from this Súfí, O Guide!”
شیخ را گفتند داد جان ما ** تو از این صوفی بجو ای پیشوا
He said, “Why, what is the complaint, O Súfís?” He (their spokesman) replied, “This Súfí has three annoying habits:
گفت آخر چه گله ست ای صوفیان ** گفت این صوفی سه خو دارد گران
In speech he is garrulous as a bell; in eating he eats more than twenty persons;
در سخن بسیار گو همچون جرس ** در خورش افزون خورد از بیست کس
And if he sleep, he is like the Men of the Cave.” (Thus) did the Súfís march to war (against him) before the Shaykh.3510
ور بخسبد هست چون اصحاب کهف ** صوفیان کردند پیش شیخ زحف
The Shaykh turned his face towards that dervish, saying, “In every case that exists, take the middle (course).
شیخ رو آورد سوی آن فقیر ** که ز هر حالی که هست اوساط گیر
(It is stated) in Tradition that the best things are the mean (those between the two extremes): the (four) humours are beneficial through being in equipoise.
در خبر خیر الأمور أوساطها ** نافع آمد ز اعتدال أخلاطها
If by accident (any) one humour become excessive, disease appears in the human body.
گر یکی خلطی فزون شد از عرض ** در تن مردم پدید آید مرض
Do not exceed in (any) quality him that is thy yoke-fellow, for that will assuredly bring about separation (between you) in the end.
بر قرین خویش مفزا در صفت ** کان فراق آرد یقین در عاقبت
The speech of Moses was in measure, but even so it exceeded the words of his good friend.3515
نطق موسی بد بر اندازه و لیک ** هم فزون آمد ز گفت یار نیک
That excess resulted in (his) opposing Khadir; and he (Khadir) said, ‘Go, thou art one that talks too much: this is a (cause of) separation (between us).’
آن فزونی با خضر آمد شقاق ** گفت رو تو مکثری هذا فراق
O (thou who resemblest) Moses, thou art garrulous. Go far off, or else be dumb with me and blind!
موسیا بسیار گویی دور شو ** ور نه با من گنگ باش و کور شو
And if thou goest not, but remainest sitting (here) in despite (of me), thou art gone in reality and severed (from my company).”
ور نرفتی وز ستیزه شستهای ** تو به معنی رفتهای بگسستهای
When suddenly you commit an act of (legal) impurity in the ritual prayer, it (the prayer) says to you, “Go speedily to purify yourself”;
چون حدث کردی تو ناگه در نماز ** گویدت سوی طهارت رو به تاز
And if you go not, you will be moving (exerting yourself) in vain; verily your prayer is gone beforehand (already), O misguided man!3520
ور نرفتی خشک جنبان میشوی ** خود نمازت رفت بنشین ای غوی
Go to them that are your mates, (them) that are enamoured of your discourse and thirsting for it.
رو بر آنها که هم جفت تواند ** عاشقان و تشنهی گفت تواند
One who keeps watch is superior to those who slumber: the (spiritual) fish have no need of one who keeps watch.
پاسبان بر خوابناکان بر فزود ** ماهیان را پاسبان حاجت نبود
Those who wear clothes look to the launderer, (but) the soul of the naked hath (Divine) illumination as its adornment.
جامه پوشان را نظر بر گازر است ** جان عریان را تجلی زیور است
Either withdraw (and turn) aside from the naked, or like them become free from body-garments.
یا ز عریانان به یک سو باز رو ** یا چو ایشان فارغ از تن جامه شو
And if you cannot become wholly naked, make your garments less, so that you may tread the middle path.3525
ور نمیتانی که کل عریان شوی ** جامه کم کن تا ره اوسط روی
How the dervish excused himself to the Shaykh.
عذر گفتن فقیر به شیخ
Then the dervish told the Shaykh how the case stood, and coupled excuses with the discharge of that obligation.
پس فقیر آن شیخ را احوال گفت ** عذر را با آن غرامت کرد جفت
To the Shaykh's questions he gave answer good and right, like the answers of Khadir—
مر سؤال شیخ را داد او جواب ** چون جوابات خضر خوب و صواب
(Namely) those answers to the questions of Moses which Khadir, (inspired) by the all-knowing Lord, set forth to him,
آن جوابات سؤالات کلیم ** کش خضر بنمود از رب علیم
(So that) his difficulties became solved, and he (Khadir) gave to him (Moses) the key to every question (in a way) beyond telling.
گشت مشکلهاش حل و افزون زیاد ** از پی هر مشکلش مفتاح داد
The dervish also had (a spiritual) inheritance from Khadir; (hence) he bent his will to answering the Shaykh.3530
از خضر درویش هم میراث داشت ** در جواب شیخ همت بر گماشت
He said, “Although the middle path is (the way of) wisdom, yet the middle path too is relative.
گفت راه اوسط ار چه حکمت است ** لیک اوسط نیز هم با نسبت است
Relatively to a camel, the water in the stream is little, but to a mouse it is like the ocean.
آب جو نسبت به اشتر هست کم ** لیک باشد موش را آن همچو یم
If any one has an allowance of four loaves and eats two or three, that is the mean;
هر که را باشد وظیفه چار نان ** دو خورد یا سه خورد هست اوسط آن
But if he eat all the four, it is far from the mean: he is in bondage to greed, like a duck.
ور خورد هر چار دور از اوسط است ** او اسیر حرص مانند بط است
If one has appetite for ten loaves and eats six, know that that is the mean.3535
هر که او را اشتها ده نان بود ** شش خورد میدان که اوسط آن بود
When I have appetite for fifty loaves, and you for (no more than) six scones, we are not equivalent.
چون مرا پنجاه نان هست اشتهی ** مر ترا شش گرده هم دستیم نی
You may be tired by ten rak‘as (of prayer), I may not be worn thin by five hundred.
تو به ده رکعت نماز آیی ملول ** من به پانصد در نیایم در نحول
One goes bare-foot (all the way) to the Ka‘ba, and one becomes beside himself (with exhaustion in going) as far as the mosque.
آن یکی تا کعبه حافی میرود ** و آن یکی تا مسجد از خود میشود
One in utter self-devotion gives his life, one is agonised at giving a single loaf.
آن یکی در پاکبازی جان بداد ** وین یکی جان کند تا یک نان بداد
This mean belongs to (the realm of) the finite, for that (finite) has a beginning and end.3540
این وسط در با نهایت میرود ** که مرا آن را اول و آخر بود
A beginning and end are necessary in order that the mean or middle (point) between them may be conceived in imagination.
اول و آخر بباید تا در آن ** در تصور گنجد اوسط یا میان
Inasmuch as the infinite has not (these) two limits, how should the mean be applicable to it?
بینهایت چون ندارد دو طرف ** کی بود او را میانه منصرف
No one has shown it to have beginning or end. He (God) said, ‘If the sea were to become ink for it (the Word of God)…’
اول و آخر نشانش کس نداد ** گفت لو کان له البحر مداد
If the Seven Seas should become entirely ink, (still) there is no hope of coming to an end.
هفت دریا گر شود کلی مداد ** نیست مر پایان شدن را هیچ امید