I have sought (it) for years and seen no sign (of it) except the gibes and ridicule of these merry men.”
سالها جستم ندیدم یک نشان ** جز که طنز و تسخر این سر خوشان
The Shaykh laughed and said to him, “O simpleton, this is the tree of knowledge in the sage—
شیخ خندید و بگفتش ای سلیم ** این درخت علم باشد در علیم
Very high and very grand and very far-spreading: (it is) a Water of Life from the all-encompassing Sea (of God).
بس بلند و بس شگرف و بس بسیط ** آب حیوانی ز دریای محیط
Thou hast gone after the form, O ignorant man: hence thou art without fruit and produce from the bough of reality.3670
تو به صورت رفتهای ای بیخبر ** ز آن ز شاخ معنیی بیبار و بر
Sometimes it is named ‘tree,’ sometimes ‘sun’; sometimes it is named ‘sea,’ sometimes ‘cloud.’
گه درختش نام شد گه آفتاب ** گاه بحرش نام گشت و گه سحاب
(It is) that one (thing) from which a hundred thousand effects arise: its least effects are everlasting life.
آن یکی کش صد هزار آثار خاست ** کمترین آثار او عمر بقاست
Although (in essence) it is single, it hath a thousand effects: innumerable names befit (may be properly applied to) that one (thing).
گر چه فرد است او اثر دارد هزار ** این یکی را نام شاید بیشمار
One person may be father in relation to thee; in regard to another individual he may be son.
آن یکی شخص ترا باشد پدر ** در حق شخصی دگر باشد پسر
In regard to another he may be wrath and a foe; in regard to another he may be graciousness and a friend.3675
در حق دیگر بود قهر و عدو ** در حق دیگر بود لطف و نکو
(He hath) hundreds of thousands of names, (but) he is one man: the owner of every quality belonging to him is blind to (incapable of) giving any (true) description (of him).
صد هزاران نام و او یک آدمی ** صاحب هر وصفش از وصفی عمی
Whoever seeks the (mere) name, if he is entrusted (with a confidential mission) he is hopeless and in distraction, even as thou art.
هر که جوید نام اگر صاحب ثقه است ** همچو تو نومید و اندر تفرقه است
Why dost thou stick to the name ‘tree,’ so that thou art left bitterly disappointed and ill-fortuned?
تو چه بر چفسی بر این نام درخت ** تا بمانی تلخ کام و شور بخت
Pass on from the name and look at the attributes, in order that the attributes may show thee the way to the essence.”
در گذر از نام و بنگر در صفات ** تا صفاتت ره نماید سوی ذات
The disagreement of mankind is caused by names: peace ensues when they advance to the reality (denoted by the name).3680
اختلاف خلق از نام اوفتاد ** چون به معنی رفت آرام اوفتاد
How four persons quarrelled about grapes, which were known to each of them by a different name.
منازعت چهار کس جهت انگور که هر یکی به نام دیگر فهم کرده بود آن را
A certain man gave a dirhem to four persons: one of them (a Persian) said, “I will spend this on angúr.”
چار کس را داد مردی یک درم ** آن یکی گفت این به انگوری دهم
The second one was an Arab: he said, “No, I want ‘inab, not angúr, O rascal!”
آن یکی دیگر عرب بد گفت لا ** من عنب خواهم نه انگور ای دغا
The third was a Turk; and he said, “This (money) is mine: I don't want ‘inab, I want uzum.”
آن یکی ترکی بدو گفت ای گزم ** من نمیخواهم عنب خواهم ازم
The fourth, a Greek, said, “Stop this talk: I want istáfíl.”
آن یکی رومی بگفت این قیل را ** ترک کن خواهیم استافیل را
These people began fighting in contention with one another, because they were unaware of the hidden meaning of the names.3685
در تنازع آن نفر جنگی شدند ** که ز سر نامها غافل بدند
In their folly they smote each other with their fists: they were full of ignorance and empty of knowledge.
مشت بر هم میزدند از ابلهی ** پر بدند از جهل و از دانش تهی
If a master of the esoteric had been there, a revered and many-languaged man, he would have pacified them;
صاحب سری عزیزی صد زبان ** گر بدی آن جا بدادی صلحشان
And then he would have said, “With this one dirhem I will give all of you what ye wish.
پس بگفتی او که من زین یک درم ** آرزوی جملهتان را میخرم
When without deceit ye surrender your hearts (to me), this dirhem will do all this for you.
چون که بسپارید دل را بیدغل ** این درمتان میکند چندین عمل
Your one dirhem will become four—the result desired: four enemies will become one through unanimity.3690
یک درمتان میشود چار المراد ** چار دشمن میشود یک ز اتحاد
What each one of you says produces strife and separation; what I say brings you agreement.
گفت هر یک تان دهد جنگ و فراق ** گفت من آرد شما را اتفاق
Therefore be ye mute, keep silence, that I may be your tongue in speech and talk.”
پس شما خاموش باشید أنصتوا ** تا زبان تان من شوم در گفتوگو
(Even) if your words appear uniform (seem to express an agreement), in effect they are the source of contention and anger.
گر سخنتان مینماید یک نمط ** در اثر مایهی نزاع است و سخط
If you have made vinegar hot by means of fire, (still) when you drink it, it will undoubtedly increase the coldness (of your constitution),3695
سرکه را گر گرم کردی ز آتش آن ** چون خوری سردی فزاید بیگمان
Because that (artificially produced) heat of it is exotic: its fundamental nature is coldness and tartness.
ز انکه آن گرمی او دهلیزی است ** طبع اصلش سردی است و تیزی است
And (on the other hand), though grape-syrup be frozen, my son, it will add heat to the liver when you drink it.
ور بود یخ بسته دوشاب ای پسر ** چون خوری گرمی فزاید در جگر
Hence the Shaykh's hypocrisy is better than our sincerity, for the former arises from (spiritual) insight, while the latter arises from (spiritual) blindness.
پس ریای شیخ به ز اخلاص ماست ** کز بصیرت باشد آن وین از عماست
From the Shaykh's discourse comes union (concord); the words of the corporealists (materialists) bring separation (discord).
از حدیث شیخ جمعیت رسد ** تفرقه آرد دم اهل حسد
As (for example) Solomon, who sped (on his prophetic mission) from God, and who knew the language of all birds—3700
چون سلیمان کز سوی حضرت بتاخت ** کاو زبان جمله مرغان را شناخت
In the time of his just sway the deer made friends with the leopard and ceased from war.
در زمان عدلش آهو با پلنگ ** انس بگرفت و برون آمد ز جنگ
The dove became secure from the talons of the hawk, the sheep took no precaution against the wolf.
شد کبوتر ایمن از چنگال باز ** گوسفند از گرگ ناورد احتراز
He (Solomon) became an arbitrator between enemies: he became a (means of establishing) oneness between the creatures that fly with wings.
او میانجی شد میان دشمنان ** اتحادی شد میان پر زنان
Thou art running after grain, like an ant. Hark! seek for Solomon! Why art thou still astray?
تو چو موری بهر دانه میدوی ** هین سلیمان جو چه میباشی غوی
To the seeker of grain his grain becomes a snare, but the seeker of Solomon may have both (Solomon and the grain).3705
دانه جو را دانهاش دامی شود ** و آن سلیمان جوی را هر دو بود
In these latter days the soul-birds have no security from each other for a moment;
مرغ جانها را در این آخر زمان ** نیستشان از همدگر یک دم امان
(Yet) even in our epoch there is a Solomon who would give (us) peace and not suffer our injustice to continue.
هم سلیمان هست اندر دور ما ** کاو دهد صلح و نماند جور ما
Call to mind (the text), There is no people down to (the words) but in the past a warner dwelt among them.
قول إن من أمة را یاد گیر ** تا به إلا و خلا فیها نذیر
God said that verily there has never been a people devoid of a vicar of God and a man of spiritual power;
گفت خود خالی نبوده ست امتی ** از خلیفهی حق و صاحب همتی
And he makes the soul-birds so unanimous that, in respect of sincerity, he purges them of (all) guile and rancour.3710
مرغ جانها را چنان یکدل کند ** کز صفاشان بیغش و بیغل کند
They become (as) kind as a mother: he (Mohammed) said of the Moslems, “(They are as) one soul.”
مشفقان گردند همچون والده ** مسلمون را گفت نفس واحده
(’Twas) through the Messenger of Allah they became one soul; else, they were absolute enemies, every one (to the other).
نفس واحد از رسول حق شدند ** ور نه هر یک دشمن مطلق بدند
How dissension and enmity amongst the Ansár were removed by the blessings of the Prophet—may God bless and save him!
برخاستن مخالفت و عداوت از میان انصار به برکات رسول صلی الله علیه و آله
The two tribes which were named Aws and Khazraj had a blood-thirsty spirit towards each other.
دو قبیله کاوس و خزرج نام داشت ** یک ز دیگر جان خون آشام داشت
Through (the preaching of) Mustafá (Mohammed) their ancient feuds vanished in the light of Islam and of pureness (of heart).
کینههای کهنهشان از مصطفی ** محو شد در نور اسلام و صفا
First, those enemies became brethren like the units of (a bunch of) grapes in the garden;3715
اولا اخوان شدند آن دشمنان ** همچو اعداد عنب در بوستان
And (then) at the admonition given in the words, The true believers are brethren, they dissolved (and mingled) and became one body.
و ز دم المؤمنون إخوة به پند ** در شکستند و تن واحد شدند