Notwithstanding such piety and devotions and (nights passed in) performance of the ritual prayer, he was always seeking the elect (the saints) of God.1945
با چنین تقوی و اوراد و قیام ** طالب خاصان حق بودی مدام
In travel his chief object was that he might come in touch for a moment with an elect servant (of God).
در سفر معظم مرادش آن بدی ** که دمی بر بندهی خاصی زدی
Whilst he was going along the road, he would be saying, “O God, make me a companion of the elect.
این همیگفتی چو میرفتی براه ** کن قرین خاصگانم ای اله
O Lord, to those (saints) whom my heart knows I am a slave and one who has girt his loins and is ready to do (them) good service;
یا رب آنها راکه بشناسد دلم ** بنده و بستهمیان ومجملم
And (as for) those whom I know not, do Thou, O God of the soul, make them kindly disposed to me who am debarred (from knowing them).”
و آنک نشناسم تو ای یزدان جان ** بر من محجوبشان کن مهربان
The Lord would say to him, “O most noble prince, what passion is this and what unquenchable thirst is this?1950
حضرتش گفتی که ای صدر مهین ** این چه عشقست و چه استسقاست این
Thou hast My love: why art thou seeking other (than Mine)? When God is with thee, how dost thou seek man?”
مهر من داری چه میجویی دگر ** چون خدا با تست چون جویی بشر
He would answer, “O Lord, O Knower of the secret, Thou hast opened in my heart the way of supplication.
او بگفتی یا رب ای دانای راز ** تو گشودی در دلم راه نیاز
If I am seated in the midst of the Sea, yet have I set my desire on the water in the jug.
درمیان بحر اگر بنشستهام ** طمع در آب سبو هم بستهام
I am like David: I have ninety ewes, and yet desire for my rival's ewe hath arisen in me.
همچو داودم نود نعجه مراست ** طمع در نعجهی حریفم هم بخاست
Greed for Thy love is glorious and grand; greed for (the love of) any besides Thee is shameful and corrupt.”1955
حرص اندر عشق تو فخرست و جاه ** حرص اندر غیر تو ننگ و تباه
The lust and greed of the manly is advancement (in the spiritual Way), while that of the effeminate is disgrace and irreligion.
شهوت و حرص نران بیشی بود ** و آن حیزان ننگ و بدکیشی بود
The greed of (true) men is by the forward way, (but) greed in the effeminate goes backward.
حرص مردان از ره پیشی بود ** در مخنث حرص سوی پس رود
The one greed belongs to the perfection of manliness, while the other greed is (a cause of) opprobrium and disgust.
آن یکی حرص از کمال مردی است ** و آن دگر حرص افتضاح و سردی است
Ah, there is a very occult mystery here (in the fact) that Moses sets out to go towards a Khizr.
آه سری هست اینجا بس نهان ** که سوی خضری شود موسی روان
By God, do not tarry in anything (any spiritual position) that thou hast gained, (but crave more) like one suffering from dropsy who is never sated with water.1960
همچو مستسقی کز آبش سیر نیست ** بر هر آنچ یافتی بالله مهایست
This (Divine) court is the Infinite Plane. Leave the seat of honour behind: the Way is thy seat of honour.
بی نهایت حضرتست این بارگاه ** صدر را بگذار صدر تست راه
The mystery of Moses seeking Khizr, notwithstanding his perfection as a prophet and as one nigh unto God.
سر طلب کردن موسی خضر را علیهماالسلام با کمال نبوت و قربت
Learn from him with whom God spake, O noble sir! See what Kalím (Moses) says in his longing!
از کلیم حق بیاموز ای کریم ** بین چه میگوید ز مشتاقی کلیم
“Notwithstanding such a dignity and such a prophetic office (as I possess), I am a seeker of Khizr, (I am) quit of self-regard.”
با چنین جاه و چنین پیغامبری ** طالب خضرم ز خودبینی بری
(They said), “O Moses, thou hast forsaken thy people; thou hast wandered distraught in search of a blessed man.
موسیا تو قوم خود را هشتهای ** در پی نیکوپیی سرگشتهای
Thou art an emperor delivered from fear and hope: how long wilt thou wander? How long wilt thou seek? To what bound?1965
کیقبادی رسته از خوف و رجا ** چند گردی چند جویی تا کجا
(He that is) thine is with thee, and thou art conscious of this. O (thou who art exalted as the) sky, how long wilt thou traverse the (low) earth?”
آن تو با تست و تو واقف برین ** آسمانا چند پیمایی زمین
Moses said, “Do not make this reproach (against me), do not waylay the Sun and the Moon.
گفت موسی این ملامت کم کنید ** آفتاب و ماه را کم ره زنید
I will fare as far as the meeting-place of the two seas, that (afterwards) I may be accompanied by the Sovereign of the time.
میروم تا مجمع البحرین من ** تا شوم مصحوب سلطان زمن
I will make Khizr a means to (the achievement of) my purpose: (either) that, or I will go onward and journey by night a long while.
اجعل الخضر لامری سببا ** ذاک او امضی و اسری حقبا
I will fly with wings and pinions for years: what are years? For thousands of years.”1970
سالها پرم بپر و بالها ** سالها چه بود هزاران سالها
(He said) “I will fare,” meaning, “Is it not worth that (toilsome journey)? Do not deem the passion for the Beloved to be less than the passion for bread (worldly goods).”
میروم یعنی نمیارزد بدان ** عشق جانان کم مدان از عشق نان
This discourse hath no end, O uncle. (Now) tell the story of Daqúqí.
این سخن پایان ندارد ای عمو ** داستان آن دقوقی را بگو
Resuming the story of Daqúqí.
بازگشتن به قصهی دقوقی
That Daqúqí, God have mercy on him, said: “I travelled a long time between His two horizons.
آن دقوقی رحمة الله علیه ** گفت سافرت مدی فی خافقیه
Years and months I went on my journey for love of the Moon, unconscious of the way, lost in God.”
سال و مه رفتم سفر از عشق ماه ** بیخبر از راه حیران در اله
(Some one asked him), “(Why) dost thou go bare-foot over thorns and stones?” He said, “I am bewildered and beside myself and crazed.”1975
پا برهنه میروی بر خار و سنگ ** گفت من حیرانم و بی خویش و دنگ
Do not regard these feet (that walk) on the earth, for assuredly the lover (of God) walks on his heart;
تو مبین این پایها را بر زمین ** زانک بر دل میرود عاشق یقین
(And) the heart that is intoxicated with the Sweetheart, what should it know of road and stage or of short (distance) and long?
از ره و منزل ز کوتاه و دراز ** دل چه داند کوست مست دلنواز
That “long” and “short” are attributes of the body: the faring of spirits is another (kind of) faring.
آن دراز و کوته اوصاف تنست ** رفتن ارواح دیگر رفتنست
You have journeyed from the seed to rationality: ’twas not by (taking) a step or (travelling from stage to) stage or moving from one place to another.
تو سفرکردی ز نطفه تا بعقل ** نه بگامی بود نه منزل نه نقل
The journey of the spirit is unconditioned in respect of Time and Space: our body learned from the spirit how to journey.1980
سیر جان بی چون بود در دور و دیر ** جسم ما از جان بیاموزید سیر
Now it has relinquished the bodily manner of journeying: it moves unconditioned, (though) masked in the form of conditionedness.
سیر جسمانه رها کرد او کنون ** میرود بیچون نهان در شکل چون
He (Daqúqí) said, “One day I was going along like him that yearns, that I might behold in man the radiance of the Beloved,
گفت روزی میشدم مشتاقوار ** تا ببینم در بشر انوار یار
That I might behold an ocean in a drop of water, a sun enclosed in a mote.
تا ببینم قلزمی در قطرهای ** آفتابی درج اندر ذرهای
When I came on foot to a certain shore, the day had turned late, and ’twas eventide.
چون رسیدم سوی یک ساحل بگام ** بود بیگه گشته روز و وقت شام
The apparition of what seemed like seven candles in the direction of the shore.
نمودن مثال هفت شمع سوی ساحل
Of a sudden I beheld from afar seven candles and hastened along the shore towards them.1985
هفت شمع از دور دیدم ناگهان ** اندر آن ساحل شتابیدم بدان
The light of the flame of each candle thereof ascended beauteously to the loft of the sky.
نور شعلهی هر یکی شمعی از آن ** بر شده خوش تا عنان آسمان
I became amazed, (so that) even amazement (itself) became amazed: the waves of bewilderment passed over the head of my understanding.
خیره گشتم خیرگی هم خیره گشت ** موج حیرت عقل را از سر گذشت
(I thought), ‘What kind of candles are these (that) He hath lighted, so that the eyes of His creatures are screened from them?’
این چگونه شمعها افروختست ** کین دو دیدهی خلق ازینها دوختست
The people had gone to seek a lamp in the presence of that (sevenfold) candle which was surpassing the moon (in splendour).
خلق جویان چراغی گشته بود ** پیش آن شمعی که بر مه میفزود
Wonderful! There was a bandage over their eyes: they were bound by (the Divine destiny implied in the text) He guideth aright those whom He will.1990
چشمبندی بد عجب بر دیدهها ** بندشان میکرد یهدی من یشا
How the seven candles became what seemed like one candle.
شدن آن هفت شمع بر مثال یک شمع
Then I saw the seven (candles) become one, its light cleaving the bosom (rim) of the sky.
باز میدیدم که میشد هفت یک ** میشکافد نور او جیب فلک
Then again that one became seven once more: my intoxication and bewilderment waxed mighty.
باز آن یک بار دیگر هفت شد ** مستی و حیرانی من زفت شد
(There were) such connexions between the candles as may not come (may not be uttered) on my tongue and (in) my speech.
اتصالاتی میان شمعها ** که نیاید بر زبان و گفت ما
That which one look perceives, ’tis impossible during years to show it forth by the tongue.
آنک یک دیدن کند ادارک آن ** سالها نتوان نمودن از زبان