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
If orchards and forests should become pens altogether, there would never be any decrease in this Word.3545
باغ و بیشه گر بود یک سر قلم ** زین سخن هرگز نگردد هیچ کم
All that ink and (all those) pens pass away, and this numberless Word is everlasting.
آن همه حبر و قلم فانی شود ** وین حدیث بیعدد باقی بود
At times my state resembles sleep: a misguided person may think it is sleep.
حالت من خواب را ماند گهی ** خواب پندارد مر آن را گمرهی
Know that my eyes are asleep, (but) my heart is awake: know that my (seemingly) inactive form is (really) in action.
چشم من خفته دلم بیدار دان ** شکل بیکار مرا بر کار دان
The Prophet said, ‘My eyes sleep, (but) my heart is not asleep to the Lord of created beings.’
گفت پیغمبر که عینای تنام ** لا ینام قلبی عن رب الأنام
Your eyes are awake, and your heart is sunk in slumber; my eyes are asleep, (but) my heart is in (contemplation of) the opening of the door (of Divine grace).3550
چشم تو بیدار و دل خفته به خواب ** چشم من خفته دلم در فتح باب
My heart hath five senses other (than the physical): both the worlds (external and spiritual) are the stage (theatre) for the senses of the heart.
مر دلم را پنج حس دیگر است ** حس دل را هر دو عالم منظر است
Do not regard me from (the standpoint of) your infirmity: to you ’tis night, to me that same night is morningtide.
تو ز ضعف خود مکن در من نگاه ** بر تو شب بر من همان شب چاشتگاه
To you ’tis prison, to me that prison is like a garden: to me the most absolute state of occupation (with the world) has become (a state of spiritual) freedom.
بر تو زندان بر من آن زندان چو باغ ** عین مشغولی مرا گشته فراغ
Your feet are in the mud; to me the mud has become roses. You have mourning; I have feasting and drums.
پای تو در گل مرا گل گشته گل ** مر ترا ماتم مرا سور و دهل
(Whilst) I am dwelling with you in some place on the earth, I am coursing over the seventh sphere (of Heaven), like Saturn.3555
در زمینم با تو ساکن در محل ** میدوم بر چرخ هفتم چون زحل
’Tis not I that am seated beside you, ’tis my shadow: my rank is higher than (the reach of) thoughts,
همنشینت من نیم سایهی من است ** برتر از اندیشهها پایهی من است
Because I have passed beyond (all) thoughts, and have become a swift traveler outside (the region of) thought.
ز انکه من ز اندیشهها بگذشتهام ** خارج اندیشه پویان گشتهام