In thine essence thou art neither this nor that, O thou that art greater than (all) imaginations and more than (all) more!55
تو نه این باشی نه آن در ذات خویش ** ای فزون از وهمها و ز بیش بیش
The Spirit is associated (endued) with knowledge and reason: what has the Spirit to do with Arabic and Turkish?
روح با علم است و با عقل است یار ** روح را با تازی و ترکی چه کار
Both the muwahhid (who asserts the transcendence of God) and the mushabbih (who asserts His immanence) are bewildered by thee, O thou who, being without image (external appearance), art (appearing) in so many forms.
از تو ای بینقش با چندین صور ** هم مشبه هم موحد خیرهسر
Sometimes He (God) makes the mushabbih (who regards Him as immanent in phenomena) a muwahhid (an asserter of His transcendence); sometimes (these) forms are waylaying the muwahhid (so that he cannot gain access to God who transcends all forms).
گه مشبه را موحد میکند ** گه موحد را صور ره میزند
Sometimes Abu ’l-Hasan in drunkenness (ecstasy) says to thee, “O thou whose teeth are small (whose years are few), O thou whose body is tender!”
گه ترا گوید ز مستی بو الحسن ** یا صغیر السن یا رطب البدن
Sometimes he is laying waste (ruining and defacing) his own image: he is doing that in order to assert the transcendence of the Beloved (God).60
گاه نقش خویش ویران میکند ** از پی تنزیه جانان میکند
The doctrine held by the eye of sense is Mu‘tazilism, whereas the eye of Reason is Sunnite (orthodox) in respect of (its) union (vision of God).
چشم حس را هست مذهب اعتزال ** دیدهی عقل است سنی در وصال
Those in thrall to sense-perception are Mu‘tazilites, (though) from misguidedness they represent themselves as Sunnites.
سخرهی حساند اهل اعتزال ** خویش را سنی نمایند از ضلال
Any one who remains in (bondage to) sense-perception is a Mu‘tazilite; though he may say he is a Sunnite, ’tis from ignorance.
هر که در حس ماند او معتزلی ست ** گر چه گوید سنیم از جاهلی ست
Any one who has escaped from (the bondage of) sense-perception is a Sunnite: the man endowed with (spiritual) vision is the eye of sweet-paced (harmonious) Reason.
هر که بیرون شد ز حس سنی وی است ** اهل بینش چشم عقل خوش پی است
If the animal sense could see the King (God), then the ox and the ass would behold Allah.65
گر بدیدی حس حیوان شاه را ** پس بدیدی گاو و خر الله را
If, besides the animal sense, thou hadst not another sense outside of (unconditioned by) the desire of the flesh,
گر نبودی حس دیگر مر ترا ** جز حس حیوان ز بیرون هوا
Then how should the sons of Adam have been honoured? How by means of the common sense should they have become privileged (to know these mysteries)?
پس بنی آدم مکرم کی بدی ** کی به حس مشترک محرم شدی
Your calling (God) “formless” (transcending forms) or “formed” (immanent in forms) is vain, without your departure from form (unless you yourself are freed from sense perception).
نا مصور یا مصور گفتننت ** باطل آمد بی ز صورت رستنت
(Whether God is) “formless” or “formed,” He is with him that is all kernel and has gone forth from the husk.
نامصور یا مصور پیش اوست ** کاو همه مغز است و بیرون شد ز پوست
If you are blind, ’tis no crime in the blind; (but) if not, go (persevere in purifying yourself), for patience is the key to success.70
گر تو کوری نیست بر اعمی حرج ** ور نه رو کالصبر مفتاح الفرج
The medicine of patience will burn the veils over your eye and will also effect the opening of your breast (to Divine knowledge).
پردههای دیده را داروی صبر ** هم بسوزد هم بسازد شرح صدر
When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure, you will behold images (which are) outside of (the world of) water and earth.
آینهی دل چون شود صافی و پاک ** نقشها بینی برون از آب و خاک
You will behold both the image and the image-Maker, both the carpet of (spiritual) empire and the carpet-Spreader.
هم ببینی نقش و هم نقاش را ** فرش دولت را و هم فراش را
The phantom (seen in mystical vision) of my Friend seemed (to me) like Khalíl (Abraham)—its form an idol, its reality a breaker of idols.
چون خلیل آمد خیال یار من ** صورتش بت معنی او بت شکن
Thanks be to God that when he appeared, my spirit beheld in his phantom its own phantom (reflected image).75
شکر یزدان را که چون شد او پدید ** در خیالش جان خیال خود بدید
The dust of thy threshold was bewitching my heart: dust (woe) on him that was patient without thy dust!
خاک درگاهت دلم را میفریفت ** خاک بر وی کاو ز خاکت میشکیفت
I said, “If I am beautiful, I shall receive this (dust of Divine grace and love) from him; and if not, he has indeed laughed at ugly me.
گفتم ار خوبم پذیرم این از او ** ور نه خود خندید بر من زشت رو
The (best) plan is this, that I look at myself (to see whether I am worthy of him); otherwise (if I am not worthy), he will laugh at me: how shall I buy (gain his love)?”
چاره آن باشد که خود را بنگرم ** ور نه او خندد مرا من کی خرم
He is beautiful and a lover of beauty: how should a fresh young man choose a decrepit old woman?
او جمیل است و محب للجمال ** کی جوان نو گزیند پیر زال
The Beautiful attracts the beautiful (to itself): know this (for sure). Recite thereon (the text) the good women for the good men.80
خوب خوبی را کند جذب این بدان ** طیبات و طیبین بر وی بخوان
In this world everything attracts something: the hot draws the hot (to itself) and the cold the cold.
در جهان هر چیز چیزی جذب کرد ** گرم گرمی را کشید و سرد سرد
The worthless sort attract the worthless; the lasting (those of lasting worth) are rejoiced by the lasting.
قسم باطل باطلان را میکشند ** باقیان از باقیان هم سر خوشند
Those of the Fire attract those of the Fire, those of the Light seek those of the Light.
ناریان مر ناریان را جاذباند ** نوریان مر نوریان را طالباند
When you shut your eye, you have a feeling of anguish: the eye cannot do without the light of the window.
چشم چون بستی ترا تاسه گرفت ** نور چشم از نور روزن کی شکفت
Your discomfort was (caused by) the light in your eye straining to be joined speedily with the daylight.85
تاسهی تو جذب نور چشم بود ** تا بپیوندد به نور روز زود
If you feel distress (within) while your eyes are unclosed, know that you have shut the eye of your heart, (and) open it.
چشم باز ار تاسه گیرد مر ترا ** دان که چشم دل ببستی بر گشا
Recognise that that (distress) is the craving of the eyes of your heart which is seeking the immeasurable Light.
آن تقاضای دو چشم دل شناس ** کاو همیجوید ضیای بیقیاس
Inasmuch as separation from those two impermanent lights brought you discomfort, (so that) you opened your eyes,
چون فراق آن دو نور بیثبات ** تاسه آوردت گشادی چشمهات
Separation, then, from those two steadfast (everlasting) lights will bring you discomfort: guard them (well)!
پس فراق آن دو نور پایدار ** تاسه میآرد مر آن را پاس دار
Since He is calling me, I will look to see whether I am worthy to be drawn (to Him) or whether I am ill-favoured.90
او چو میخواند مرا من بنگرم ** لایق جذبام و یا بد پیکرم
If a charming person makes an ugly one (follow) at his heels, ’tis (but) a mockery that he makes of him.
گر لطیفی زشت را در پی کند ** تسخری باشد که او بر وی کند
How, I wonder, shall I behold my own face, so as to see what complexion I have and whether I am like day or like night?
کی ببینم روی خود را ای عجب ** تا چه رنگم همچو روزم یا چو شب
For a long while I was seeking the image of my soul, (but) my image was not displayed (reflected) by any one.
نقش جان خویش میجستم بسی ** هیچ میننمود نقشم از کسی
“After all,” I said, “what is a mirror for? (The use of it is this), that every one may know what and who he is.”
گفتم آخر آینه از بهر چیست ** تا بداند هر کسی کاو چیست و کیست
The mirror of iron is (only) for husks (external forms); the mirror that shows the aspect of the heart is of great price.95
آینهی آهن برای پوستهاست ** آینهی سیمای جان سنگین بهاست
The soul's mirror is naught but the face of the friend, the face of that friend who is of yonder country (the spiritual land).
آینهی جان نیست الا روی یار ** روی آن یاری که باشد ز آن دیار
I said, “O heart, seek the Universal Mirror, go to the Sea: the business will not succeed (be successfully accomplished) by means of the river.”
گفتم ای دل آینهی کلی بجو ** رو به دریا کار برناید به جو
In this quest thy slave (at last) arrived at thy dwelling-place, (as) the pains (of childbirth) drew Mary to the palm-tree.
زین طلب بنده به کوی تو رسید ** درد مریم را به خرما بن کشید
When thine eye became an eye for my heart, my blind heart went and became drowned in vision.
دیدهی تو چون دلم را دیده شد ** این دل نادیده غرق دیده شد
I saw that thou art the Universal Mirror unto everlasting: I saw my own image in thine eye.100
آینهی کلی ترا دیدم ابد ** دیدم اندر چشم تو من نقش خود
I said, “At last I have found myself: in his eyes I have found the shining Way.”
گفتم آخر خویش را من یافتم ** در دو چشمش راه روشن یافتم
My false instinct said, “Beware! That (image) is (only) thy phantom: distinguish thy essence from thy phantom”;
گفت وهمم کان خیال تست هان ** ذات خود را از خیال خود بدان
(But) my image gave voice (spoke) from thine eye (and said), “I am thou and thou art I in (perfect) oneness;
نقش من از چشم تو آواز داد ** که منم تو تو منی در اتحاد
For how should a phantom find the way into this illumined eye which never ceases from (contemplating) the (Divine) realities?”
کاندر این چشم منیر بیزوال ** از حقایق راه کی یابد خیال