Thou hast the good thought (of Me) and the fair hope that at each moment bids thee mount higher.
حسن ظنست و امیدی خوش ترا ** که ترا گوید بهر دم برتر آ
Whensoever thou intendest to read (the Qur’án) or wantest the lection from (different) copies,
هر زمان که قصد خواندن باشدت ** یا ز مصحفها قرائت بایدت
At that moment I will restore thine eye, in order that thou mayst read, O venerable being.’
من در آن دم وا دهم چشم ترا ** تا فرو خوانی معظم جوهرا
Even so He did, and whenever I open the Book to read,
همچنان کرد و هر آنگاهی که من ** وا گشایم مصحف اندر خواندن
That all-knowing One who never becomes forgetful of His work, that honoured Sovereign and Maker,1870
آن خبیری که نشد غافل ز کار ** آن گرامی پادشاه و کردگار
That incomparable King at once gives my sight back to me, like a lamp that makes an end of the (darkness of) night.”
باز بخشد بینشم آن شاه فرد ** در زمان همچون چراغ شب‌نورد
On this account the saint has no objection (to raise against the Divine ordainment): whatsoever He (God) takes away, He sends compensation.
زین سبب نبود ولی را اعتراض ** هرچه بستاند فرستد اعتیاض
If He burn your vineyard, He will give you grapes; in the midst of mourning He will give you festivity.
گر بسوزد باغت انگورت دهد ** در میان ماتمی سورت دهد
To the handless paralytic He gives a hand, to the (person who is a) mine of grief He gives the (joyous) heart of an intoxicated one.
آن شل بی‌دست را دستی دهد ** کان غمها را دل مستی دهد
(The feeling denoted by the words) “We will not submit” and (the desire to raise) objection have gone from us (saints), since there is coming a great recompense for what has been lost.1875
لا نسلم و اعتراض از ما برفت ** چون عوض می‌آید از مفقود زفت
Inasmuch as heat comes to me without fire, I am content if His fire kill me.
چونک بی آتش مرا گرمی رسد ** راضیم گر آتشش ما را کشد
Inasmuch as He gives light without, any lamp—if your lamp is gone, why are you lamenting?
بی چراغی چون دهد او روشنی ** گر چراغت شد چه افغان می‌کنی
Description of some saints who are content with the (Divine) ordainments and do not beseech (God) to change this decree.
صفت بعضی اولیا کی راضی‌اند باحکام و لابه نکنند کی این حکم را بگردان
Now listen to a story of those travellers on the Way who have no objection in the world.
بشنو اکنون قصه‌ی آن ره‌روان ** که ندارند اعتراضی در جهان
Those of the saints who make invocation are in sooth different (from these travellers): sometimes they sew and sometimes they tear.
ز اولیا اهل دعا خود دیگرند ** که همی‌دوزند و گاهی می‌درند
I know another class of saints whose mouths are closed to invocation.1880
قوم دیگر می‌شناسم ز اولیا ** که دهانشان بسته باشد از دعا
Because of the content (quietism) that is subservient to (possessed by) those noble ones, it has become unlawful for them to seek to avert Destiny.
از رضا که هست رام آن کرام ** جستن دفع قضاشان شد حرام
In (submitting to) Destiny they experience a peculiar delight: it would be (an act of) infidelity for them to crave release.
در قضا ذوقی همی‌بینند خاص ** کفرشان آید طلب کردن خلاص
He (God) hath revealed to their hearts such a good opinion (of Him) that they do not put on the blue garb (of mourning) on account of any sorrow.
حسن ظنی بر دل ایشان گشود ** که نپوشند از عمی جامه‌ی کبود
How Buhlúl questioned a certain dervish.
سال کردن بهلول آن درویش را
Buhlúl said to a certain dervish, “How art thou, O dervish? Inform me.”
گفت بهلول آن یکی درویش را ** چونی ای درویش واقف کن مرا
He said, “How should that one be, according to whose desire the work of the world goes on?—1885
گفت چون باشد کسی که جاودان ** بر مراد او رود کار جهان
According to whose desire the torrents and rivers flow, and the stars move in such wise as he wills;
سیل و جوها بر مراد او روند ** اختران زان سان که خواهد آن شوند
And Life and Death are his officers, going to and fro according to his desire.
زندگی و مرگ سرهنگان او ** بر مراد او روانه کو بکو
He sends (what entails) condolence wheresoever he will; he bestows (what entails) felicitation wheresoever he will.
هر کجا خواهد فرستد تعزیت ** هر کجا خواهد ببخشد تهنیت
The travellers on the Way (go) according to his pleasure; they that have lost the Way (are fallen) in his snare.
سالکان راه هم بر گام او ** ماندگان از راه هم در دام او
No tooth flashes with laughter in the world without the approval and command of that imperial personage.”1890
هیچ دندانی نخندد در جهان ** بی رضا و امر آن فرمان‌روان
He (Buhlúl) said, “O King, thou hast spoken truly: ’tis even so: this is manifest in thy (spiritual) radiance and (glorious) aspect.
گفت ای شه راست گفتی همچنین ** در فر و سیمای تو پیداست این
Thou art this and a hundred times as much, O veracious one; but expound this (mystery) and explain it very well,
این و صد چندینی ای صادق ولیک ** شرح کن این را بیان کن نیک نیک
In such fashion that (both) the virtuous (wise) and the man given to vanity (folly) may assent when it comes to their ears.
آنچنانک فاضل و مرد فضول ** چون به گوش او رسد آرد قبول
Expound it in thy discourse in such a way that the understanding of the vulgar may profit thereby.”
آنچنانش شرح کن اندر کلام ** که از آن هم بهره یابد عقل عام
The perfect speaker is like one who distributes trays of viands, and on whose table is every sort of food,1895
ناطق کامل چو خوان‌پاشی بود ** خوانش بر هر گونه‌ی آشی بود
So that no guest remains without provisions, (but) each one gets his (proper) nourishment separately:
که نماند هیچ مهمان بی نوا ** هر کسی یابد غذای خود جدا
(Such a speaker is) like the Qur’án which is sevenfold in meaning, and in which there is food for the elect and for the vulgar.
همچو قرآن که بمعنی هفت توست ** خاص را و عام را مطعم دروست
He (the dervish) said, “This at least is evident to the vulgar, that the world is subject to the command of God.
گفت این باری یقین شد پیش عام ** که جهان در امر یزدانست رام
No leaf drops from a tree without the predestination and ordainment of that Ruler of Fortune.
هیچ برگی در نیفتد از درخت ** بی قضا و حکم آن سلطان بخت
No morsel goes from the mouth towards the gullet till God says to that morsel, ‘Enter!’1900
از دهان لقمه نشد سوی گلو ** تا نگوید لقمه را حق که ادخلوا
The inclination and desire which is Man's nose-rein—its movement is subject to the command of that Self-sufficient One.
میل و رغبت کان زمام آدمیست ** جنبش آن رام امر آن غنیست
In (all) the earths and heavens not an atom moves a wing, not a straw turns,
در زمینها و آسمانها ذره‌ای ** پر نجنباند نگردد پره‌ای
Save by His eternal and effectual command. To expound (this) is impossible, and presumption is not good.
جز به فرمان قدیم نافذش ** شرح نتوان کرد و جلدی نیست خوش
Who may number all the leaves of the trees? How may the Infinite become amenable to speech?
کی شمرد برگ درختان را تمام ** بی‌نهایت کی شود در نطق رام
Hear this much, (however): since all action (in the universe) only comes to pass by the command of the Maker,1905
این قدر بشنو که چون کلی کار ** می‌نگردد جز بامر کردگار
When the predestination of God becomes the pleasure of His servant, he (the servant) becomes a willing slave to His decree,
چون قضای حق رضای بنده شد ** حکم او را بنده‌ی خواهنده شد
Without tasking himself, and not on account of the (future) reward and recompense; nay, his nature has become so goodly.
بی تکلف نه پی مزد و ثواب ** بلک طبع او چنین شد مستطاب
He does not desire his life for himself nor to the end that he may enjoy the life that is found sweet (by others).
زندگی خود نخواهد بهر خوذ ** نه پی ذوقی حیات مستلذ
Wheresoever the Eternal Command takes its course, living and dying are one to him.
هرکجا امر قدم را مسلکیست ** زندگی و مردگی پیشش یکیست
He lives for God's sake, not for riches; he dies for God's sake, not from fear of pain.1910
بهر یزدان می‌زید نه بهر گنج ** بهر یزدان می‌مرد نه از خوف رنج
His faith is (held) for the sake of (doing) His will, not for the sake of Paradise and its trees and streams.
هست ایمانش برای خواست او ** نه برای جنت و اشجار و جو
His abandonment of infidelity is also for God's sake, not for fear lest he go into the Fire.
ترک کفرش هم برای حق بود ** نه ز بیم آنک در آتش رود
That disposition of his is like this originally: it is not (acquired by) discipline or by his effort and endeavour.
این چنین آمد ز اصل آن خوی او ** نه ریاضت نه بجست و جوی او
He laughs at the moment when he sees (the Divine) pleasure: to him Destiny is even as sugared sweetmeat.”
آنگهان خندد که او بیند رضا ** همچو حلوای شکر او را قضا
The servant (of God) whose disposition and character is (like) this—does not the world move according to his command and behest?1915
بنده‌ای کش خوی و خلقت این بود ** نه جهان بر امر و فرمانش رود