A certain man, (when) his beloved let (him) sit beside her, produced a letter and read it to her.
آن یکی را یار پیش خود نشاند ** نامه بیرون کرد و پیش یار خواند
In the letter were verses and praise and laud, lamentation and wretchedness and many humble entreaties.
بیتها در نامه و مدح و ثنا ** زاری و مسکینی و بس لابه‌ها
The beloved said, “If this is for my sake, (to read) this at the time of (our) meeting is to waste one's life.
گفت معشوق این اگر بهر منست ** گاه وصل این عمر ضایع کردنست
I am here beside thee, and thou reading a letter! This, at any rate, is not the mark of (true) lovers.”
من به پیشت حاضر و تو نامه خوان ** نیست این باری نشان عاشقان
He replied, “Thou art present here, but I am not gaining my pleasure well (completely).1410
گفت اینجا حاضری اما ولیک ** من نمی‌یایم نصیب خویش نیک
That which I felt last year on account of thee is non-existent at this moment, though I am experiencing union (with thee).
آنچ می‌دیدم ز تو پارینه سال ** نیست این دم گرچه می‌بینم وصال
I have drunk cool water from this fountain, I have refreshed eye and heart with its water.
من ازین چشمه زلالی خورده‌ام ** دیده و دل ز آب تازه کرده‌ام
I am (still) seeing the fountain, but the water is not there: maybe some brigand has waylaid (and cut off) my water.”
چشمه می‌بینم ولیکن آب نی ** راه آبم را مگر زد ره‌زنی
She said, “Then I am not thy beloved: I am in Bulghár, and the object of thy desire is in Qutú
گفت پس من نیستم معشوق تو ** من به بلغار و مرادت در قتو
Thou art in love with me and (also) with a state of feeling; the state of feeling is not in thy hand (in thy possession), O youth.1415
عاشقی تو بر من و بر حالتی ** حالت اندر دست نبود یا فتی
Therefore I am not the whole of that which is sought by thee; I am (only) part of the object of thy quest at the present time.
پس نیم کلی مطلوب تو من ** جزو مقصودم ترا اندرز من
I am (only) the house of thy beloved, not the beloved (herself): (true) love is for the cash, not for the coffer (that contains it).”
خانه‌ی معشوقه‌ام معشوق نی ** عشق بر نقدست بر صندوق نی
The (real) beloved is that one who is single, who is thy beginning and end.
هست معشوق آنک او یکتو بود ** مبتدا و منتهاات او بود
When thou findest him, thou wilt not remain in expectation (of aught else): he is both the manifest and also the mystery,
چون بیابی‌اش نمانی منتظر ** هم هویدا او بود هم نیز سر
He is the lord of states of feeling, not dependent on any state: month and year are slaves of that Moon.1420
میر احوالست نه موقوف حال ** بنده‌ی آن ماه باشد ماه و سال
When he bids the “state,” it does his behest; when he wills, he makes bodies (become) spirit.
چون بگوید حال را فرمان کند ** چون بخواهد جسمها را جان کند
One that is stopped (on the way) is not (at) the (journey's) end; he will be seated, waiting and seeking the “state.”
منتها نبود که موقوفست او ** منتظر بنشسته باشد حال‌جو
His (the perfect saint's) hand is the elixir that transmutes the “state”: (if) he move his hand, the copper becomes intoxicated with him.
کیمیای حال باشد دست او ** دست جنباند شود مس مست او
If he will, even death becomes sweet; thorns and stings become narcissus and wild-rose.
گر بخواهد مرگ هم شیرین شود ** خار و نشتر نرگس و نسرین شود
He that is dependent on the “state” is (still) a human being: for (at one moment) he is (made) greater by the “state,” at another moment he is in decrease.1425
آنک او موقوف حالست آدمیست ** کو بحال افزون و گاهی در کمیست
In respect of gaining (the 'state'), the Súfí is “the son of the time,” but the pure one (sáfí) is unconcerned with “time” and “state.”
صوفی ابن الوقت باشد در منال ** لیک صافی فارغست از وقت و حال
“States” are dependent on his decision and judgement; (they are) vivified by his Messiah-like breath.
حالها موقوف عزم و رای او ** زنده از نفخ مسیح‌آسای او
“Thou art in love with thy ‘state,’ thou art not in love with me; thou art attached to me in the hope of (experiencing) the ‘state.’”
عاشق حالی نه عاشق بر منی ** بر امید حال بر من می‌تنی
He that at one moment is deficient and at another moment perfect is not He that was worshipped by Khalíl (Abraham): he is one that sinks;
آنک یک دم کم دمی کامل بود ** نیست معبود خلیل آفل بود
And he that is liable to sink and is now that and (now) this is not the (true) beloved: “I love not them that sink.”1430
وانک آفل باشد و گه آن و این ** نیست دلبر لا احب افلین
He that is now pleasing and now unpleasing, at one time water and at one moment fire,
آنک او گاهی خوش و گه ناخوشست ** یک زمانی آب و یک دم آتشست
May be the mansion of the Moon, but he is not the Moon; he may be the picture of the Adored One, but he is not conscious.
برج مه باشد ولیکن ماه نه ** نقش بت باشد ولی آگاه نه
The Súfí that seeks purity is ‘the son of the time’: he has clasped the ‘time’ tightly as (though it were) his father.
هست صوفی صفاجو ابن وقت ** وقت را همچون پدر بگرفته سخت
The pure one (sáfí) is plunged in love of the Glorious (God); he is not the son of any one, (he is) free from ‘times’ and ‘states’—
هست صافی غرق عشق ذوالجلال ** ابن کس نه فارغ از اوقات و حال
Plunged in the Light which is unbegotten: (the description) He neither begetteth nor is He begotten belongs to God (alone).1435
غرقه‌ی نوری که او لم یولدست ** لم یلد لم یولد آن ایزدست
Go, seek a love like this, if thou art (spiritually) alive; otherwise, thou art a slave to the changing “time.”
رو چنین عشقی بجو گر زنده‌ای ** ورنه وقت مختلف را بنده‌ای
Do not regard thy ugly or beauteous form; regard Love and the object of thy search.
منگر اندر نقش زشت و خوب خویش ** بنگر اندر عشق و در مطلوب خویش
Do not regard the fact that thou art despicable or infirm; look upon thy aspiration, O noble one.
منگر آنک تو حقیری یا ضعیف ** بنگر اندر همت خود ای شریف
In whatsoever state thou be, keep searching; O thou with dry lip, always be seeking the water,
تو به هر حالی که باشی می‌طلب ** آب می‌جو دایما ای خشک‌لب
For that dry lip of thine gives evidence that at last it will reach the springhead.1440
کان لب خشکت گواهی می‌دهد ** کو بخر بر سر منبع رسد
Dryness of lip is a message from the water (to say) that this agitation (anxious search) will certainly bring thee to the water,
خشکی لب هست پیغامی ز آب ** که بمات آرد یقین این اضطراب
For this seeking is a blessed motion; this search is a killer of obstacles on the Way to God.
کین طلب‌کاری مبارک جنبشیست ** این طلب در راه حق مانع کشیست
This search is the key to the things sought by thee; this (search) is thy army and the victory of thy banners.
این طلب مفتاح مطلوبات تست ** این سپاه و نصرت رایات تست
This search is like a cock crowing and proclaiming that the dawn is at hand.
این طلب همچون خروسی در صیاح ** می‌زند نعره که می‌آید صباح
Although thou hast no equipment, do thou be ever seeking: equipment is not necessary on the Way of the Lord.1445
گرچه آلت نیستت تو می‌طلب ** نیست آلت حاجت اندر راه رب
Whomsoever thou seest engaged in search, O son, become his friend and cast thy head before him,
هر که را بینی طلب‌کار ای پسر ** یار او شو پیش او انداز سر
For through being the neighbour of the seekers thou (thyself) wilt become a seeker, and from the shadows (protection) of the conquerors thou (thyself) wilt become a conqueror.
If an ant has sought (to attain) the rank of Solomon, do not look languidly (contemptuously) on its quest.
گر یکی موری سلیمانی بجست ** منگر اندر جستن او سست سست
Everything that thou hast of wealth and (skill in) a handicraft (or profession)— was it not at first a quest and a thought?
هرچه داری تو ز مال و پیشه‌ای ** نه طلب بود اول و اندیشه‌ای
Story of the person who in the time of David, on whom be peace, used to pray night and day, crying, “Give me a lawful livelihood without trouble (on my part).”
حکایت آن شخص کی در عهد داود شب و روز دعا می‌کرد کی مرا روزی حلال ده بی رنج
In the time of the prophet David a certain man, beside every sage and before every simpleton,1450
آن یکی در عهد داوود نبی ** نزد هر دانا و پیش هر غبی
Used always to utter this prayer: “O God, bestow on me riches without trouble!
این دعا می‌کرد دایم کای خدا ** ثروتی بی رنج روزی کن مرا
Since Thou hast created me a lazybones, a receiver of blows, a slow mover, a sluggard,
چون مرا تو آفریدی کاهلی ** زخم‌خواری سست‌جنبی منبلی
One cannot place on sore-backed luckless asses the load carried by horses and mules.
بر خران پشت‌ریش بی‌مراد ** بار اسپان و استران نتوان نهاد
Inasmuch as Thou, O perfect One, hast created me lazy, do Thou accordingly give me the daily bread by the way of laziness.
کاهلم چون آفریدی ای ملی ** روزیم ده هم ز راه کاهلی
I am lazy and sleeping in the shade in (the world of) existence: I sleep in the shade of this Bounty and Munificence.1455
کاهلم من سایه‌ی خسپم در وجود ** خفتم اندر سایه‌ی این فضل و جود