So that I may hear Thy name redoubled, (for) I am in love with Thy soul-soothing name.1350
تا مثنا بشنوم من نام تو ** عاشقم برنام جان آرام تو
That is why every prophet holds the mountains dear: (’tis) that he may hear Thy name redoubled.
هرنبی زان دوست دارد کوه را ** تا مثنا بشنود نام ترا
That low mountain, resembling stony ground, is suitable for a mouse, not for us, as a resting-place.
آن که پست مثال سنگ لاخ ** موش را شاید نه ما را در مناخ
(When) I speak, it does not join with me: the breath of my speech remains without (any) echo.
من بگویم او نگردد یار من ** بی صدا ماند دم گفتار من
’Tis better that thou level it with the earth; it is not in accord with thy breath (voice): thou shouldst join it with thy foot.”
با زمین آن به که هموارش کنی ** نیست همدم با قدم یارش کنی
He (God) said, “O Noah, if thou desire, I will assemble them all and raise them from (their graves in) the earth.1355
گفت ای نوح ار تو خواهی جمله را ** حشر گردانم بر آرم از ثری
I will not break thy heart for the sake of a Canaan, but I am acquainting (thee) with (their real) states.”
بهر کنعانی دل تو نشکنم ** لیکت از احوال آگه می‌کنم
He (Noah) said, “Nay, nay, I am content that Thou shouldst drown me too, if it behove Thee (to do so).
گفت نه نه راضیم که تو مرا ** هم کنی غرقه اگر باید ترا
Keep drowning me every instant, I am pleased: Thy ordinance is my (very) soul, I bear it (with me) as my soul.
هر زمانم غرقه می‌کن من خوشم ** حکم تو جانست چون جان می‌کشم
I do not look at any one (but Thee), and even if I do look at (any one), he is (only) a pretext, and Thou art the (real) object of my regard.
ننگرم کس را وگر هم بنگرم ** او بهانه باشد و تو منظرم
I am in love with Thy making (both) in (the hour of) thanksgiving and (in the hour of) patience; how should I be in love, like the infidel, with that which Thou hast made?”1360
عاشق صنع توم در شکر و صبر ** عاشق مصنوع کی باشم چو گبر
He that loves God's making is glorious; he that loves what He hath made is an unbeliever.
عاشق صنع خدا با فر بود ** عاشق مصنوع او کافر بود
Reconciliation of these two Traditions: “To be satisfied with infidelity is an act of infidelity,” and “If any one is not satisfied with My ordainment, let him seek a lord other than Me.”
توفیق میان این دو حدیث کی الرضا بالکفر کفر و حدیث دیگر من لم یرض بقضایی فلیطلب ربا سوای
Yesterday an inquirer put a question to me, because he was fond of disputation.
دی سالی کرد سایل مر مرا ** زانک عاشق بود او بر ماجرا
He said, “This Prophet uttered the deep saying, ‘To be satisfied with infidelity is an act of infidelity’; his words are (conclusive like) a seal.
گفت نکته‌ی الرضا بالکفر کفر ** این پیمبر گفت و گفت اوست مهر
Again, he said that the Moslem must be satisfied (acquiesce) in every ordainment, must be satisfied.
باز فرمود او که اندر هر قضا ** مر مسلمان را رضا باید رضا
Is not infidelity and hypocrisy the ordainment of God? If I become satisfied with this (infidelity), ’twill be opposition (disobedience to God),1365
نه قضای حق بود کفر و نفاق ** گر بدین راضی شوم باشد شقاق
And if I am not satisfied, that too will be detrimental: between (these two alternatives), then, what means (of escape) is there for me?”
ور نیم راضی بود آن هم زیان ** پس چه چاره باشدم اندر میان
I said to him, “This infidelity is the thing ordained, it is not the ordainment; this infidelity is truly the effects of the ordainment.
گفتمش این کفر مقضی نه قضاست ** هست آثار قضا این کفر راست
Therefore know (distinguish), sire, the ordainment from the thing ordained, so that thy difficulty may be removed at once.
پس قضا را خواجه از مقضی بدان ** تا شکالت دفع گردد در زمان
I acquiesce in infidelity in that respect that it is the ordainment (of God), not in this respect that it is our contentiousness and wickedness.
راضیم در کفر زان رو که قضاست ** نه ازین رو که نزاع و خبث ماست
In respect of the ordainment, infidelity indeed is not infidelity. Do not call God ‘infidel,’ do not stand here.1370
کفر از روی قضا خود کفر نیست ** حق را کافر مخوان اینجا مه‌ایست
Infidelity is ignorance, and the ordainment of infidelity is knowledge: how, pray, should hilm (forbearance) and khilm (anger) both be one (and the same)?
کفر جهلست و قضای کفر علم ** هر دو کی یک باشد آخر حلم و خلم
The ugliness of the script is not the ugliness of the artist; nay, ’tis an exhibition of the ugly by him.
زشتی خط زشتی نقاش نیست ** بلک از وی زشت را بنمودنیست
The power (skill) of the artist is that he can make both the ugly and the beautiful.”
قوت نقاش باشد آنک او ** هم تواند زشت کردن هم نکو
If I develop the investigation of this (subject) methodically, so that question and answer become lengthy,
گر کشانم بحث این را من بساز ** تا سال و تا جواب آید دراز
The savour of Love's mystery will go from me, the form of piety will be deformed.1375
ذوق نکته‌ی عشق از من می‌رود ** نقش خدمت نقش دیگر می‌شود
A parable illustrating the fact that (mystical) bewilderment prevents investigation and consideration.
مثل در بیان آنک حیرت مانع بحث و فکرتست
A certain man, whose hair was of two colours, came in haste to a highly esteemed barber.
آن یکی مرد دومو آمد شتاب ** پیش یک آیینه دار مستطاب
He said, “Remove the hoariness from my beard, for I have chosen a new bride, O young man.”
گفت از ریشم سپیدی کن جدا ** که عروس نو گزیدم ای فتی
He cut off his beard and laid the whole of it before him, and said, “Do thou pick out (the white hairs), for it happens that I have some important business.”
ریش او ببرید و کل پیشش نهاد ** گفت تو بگزین مرا کاری فتاد
That “pick (them) out” is dialectic, for religious emotion has no care for these things (hair-splitting disputes).
این سال وآن جوابست آن گزین ** که سر اینها ندارد درد دین
A certain man slapped Zayd on the neck; he (Zayd) at once rushed at him with warlike purpose.1380
آن یکی زد سیلیی مر زید را ** حمله کرد او هم برای کید را
The assailant said, “I will ask thee a question, so answer me (first) and then strike me.
گفت سیلی‌زن سالت می‌کنم ** پس جوابم گوی وانگه می‌زنم
I struck the nape of thy neck, and there was the sound of a slap: at this point I have a question (to ask thee) in concord:
بر قفای تو زدم آمد طراق ** یک سالی دارم اینجا در وفاق
Was this sound caused by my hand or by the nape of thy neck, O pride of the noble?”
این طراق از دست من بودست یا ** از قفاگاه تو ای فخر کیا
He (Zayd) said, “On account of the pain I have no leisure to stop (occupy myself) in this reflection and consideration.
گفت از درد این فراغت نیستم ** که درین فکر و تفکر بیستم
Do thou, who art without pain, ponder on this; he that feels the pain has no such thought. Take heed!”1385
تو که بی‌دردی همی اندیش این ** نیست صاحب‌درد را این فکر هین
Story.
حکایت
Amongst the Companions (of the Prophet) there was scarcely any one that knew the Qur’án by heart, though their souls had a great desire (to commit it to memory),
در صحابه کم بدی حافظ کسی ** گرچه شوقی بود جانشان را بسی
Because, inasmuch as its kernel had filled (them) and had reached maturity, the rinds became very thin and burst.
زانک چون مغزش در آگند و رسید ** پوستها شد بس رقیق و واکفید
Similarly, the shells of the walnut and the pistachio-nut and the almond— when the kernel has filled them, the rind decreases.
قشر جوز و فستق و بادام هم ** مغز چون آگندشان شد پوست کم
(When) the kernel, knowledge, increases, its rind decreases (and vanishes), because the lover is consumed by his beloved.
مغز علم افزود کم شد پوستش ** زانک عاشق را بسوزد دوستش
Since the quality of being sought is the opposite of seeking, the Revelation and the flashing of the (Divine) Light consume the prophet with burning.1390
وصف مطلوبی چو ضد طالبیست ** وحی و برق نور سوزنده‌ی نبیست
When the Attributes of the Eternal have shone forth, then the mantle of temporality is burned.
چون تجلی کرد اوصاف قدیم ** پس بسوزد وصف حادث را گلیم
Every one that knew a quarter of the Qur’án by heart was hearing from the Companions (the words), “Great is he amongst us.”
ربع قرآن هر که را محفوظ بود ** جل فینا از صحابه می‌شنود
To combine the (outward) form with such a deep (inner) meaning is not possible, except on the part of a mighty (spiritual) king.
جمع صورت با چنین معنی ژرف ** نیست ممکن جز ز سلطانی شگرف
In such (mystical) intoxication (as his) the observance of due respect (to the letter of the Qur’án) will not be there at all; or if it be, ’tis a wonder.
در چنین مستی مراعات ادب ** خود نباشد ور بود باشد عجب
To observe humility in (the state of spiritual) independence is to combine two opposites, like “round” and “long.”1395
اندر استغنا مراعات نیاز ** جمع ضدینست چون گرد و دراز
Truly the staff is loved by the blind; the (inwardly) blind man himself is a coffer (full) of the Qur’án.
خود عصا معشوق عمیان می‌بود ** کور خود صندوق قرآن می‌بود
He (a certain one) said, “In sooth the blind are coffers full of the words of the Qur’án and commemoration (of God) and warning.”
گفت کوران خود صنادیقند پر ** از حروف مصحف و ذکر و نذر
Again, a coffer full of the Qur’án is better than he that is (like) an empty coffer in the hand.
باز صندوقی پر از قرآن به است ** زانک صندوقی بود خالی بدست
Yet again, the coffer that is empty of (any) load is better than the coffer that is full of mice and snakes.
باز صندوقی که خالی شد ز بار ** به ز صندوقی که پر موشست و مار