You are making a choice, and your hands and feet are loosed: why (then) are you imprisoned, why?
اختیاری میکنی و دست و پا ** بر گشادستت چرا حسبی چرا
You have betaken yourself to denying (the action of) the keeper: you have called it ‘threats of the fleshly soul.’
روی در انکار حافظ بردهای ** نام تهدیدات نفسش کردهای
How Daqúqí went forward to act as Imám.
پیش رفتن دقوقی رحمة الله علیه به امامت
This discourse hath no end. “Run quickly! Hark, the (time for) prayer is come. Go forward, O Daqúqí!
این سخن پایان ندارد تیز دو ** هین نماز آمد دقوقی پیش رو
O unique one, come, perform the twofold (genuflexion), that Time may be adorned by thee.2085
ای یگانه هین دوگانه بر گزار ** تا مزین گردد از تو روزگار
O (thou who art a) clear-sighted Imám (precentor), the leader in the ritual prayer must always be clear-sighted.”
ای امام چشمروشن در صلا ** چشم روشن باید ایدر پیشوا
According to the religious Law it is objectionable, O worthy (reader), to put forward a blind man in the office of Imám.
در شریعت هست مکروه ای کیا ** در امامت پیش کردن کور را
Though he know the Qur’án by heart and be quick and learned in divinity, the clear-sighted man is superior, even if he be a fool.
گرچه حافظ باشد و چست و فقیه ** چشمروشن به وگر باشد سفیه
The blind man has no (means of) abstention from filth: the eye is the source of abstention and precaution.
کور را پرهیز نبود از قذر ** چشم باشد اصل پرهیز و حذر
He does not see the dirt in passing by. May no true believer have blind eyes!2090
او پلیدی را نبیند در عبور ** هیچ مومن را مبادا چشم کور
The man outwardly blind is in outward (material) filthiness; the man inwardly blind is in inward (spiritual) filthiness.
کور ظاهر در نجاسهی ظاهرست ** کور باطن در نجاسات سرست
This outward filthiness may be removed by some water; that inward filthiness (gradually) increases.
این نجاسهی ظاهر از آبی رود ** آن نجاسهی باطن افزون میشود
It cannot be washed away save by water of the eye (tears), when (once) the inward filthinesses have become manifest.
جز بب چشم نتوان شستن آن ** چون نجاسات بواطن شد عیان
Since God has called the infidel “filth,” that filthiness is not on his outward part.
چون نجس خواندست کافر را خدا ** آن نجاست نیست بر ظاهر ورا
The infidel's outward part is not defiled by this (outward filth); that filthiness is in (his) disposition and religion.2095
ظاهر کافر ملوث نیست زین ** آن نجاست هست در اخلاق و دین
The smell of this (outward filth comes (extends to a distance of) twenty paces; but the smell of that (inward) filth (reaches) from Rayy to Damascus;
این نجاست بویش آید بیست گام ** و آن نجاست بویش از ری تا بشام
Nay, its smell goes up to the heavens and mounts to the brain of the houris and Rizwán.
بلک بویش آسمانها بر رود ** بر دماغ حور و رضوان بر شود
What I am saying is according to the measure of your understanding: I die in grief for (the absence of) a sound understanding.
اینچ میگویم به قدر فهم تست ** مردم اندر حسرت فهم درست
The understanding is (like) the water, and the bodily existence (is like) the jug: when the jug is cracked, the water spills from it.
فهم آبست و وجود تن سبو ** چون سبو بشکست ریزد آب ازو
This jug has five deep holes: neither water will stay in it nor even snow.2100
این سبو را پنج سوراخست ژرف ** اندرو نه آب ماند خود نه برف
You have heard, too, the command (of God), “Close ye your eyes tightly”; (yet) you have not walked aright.
امر غضوا غضة ابصارکم ** هم شنیدی راست ننهادی تو سم
Your speech bears away your understanding by (way of) the mouth; your ear is like sand: it drinks (sucks up) your understanding.
از دهانت نطق فهمت را برد ** گوش چون ریگست فهمت را خورد
Similarly, your other holes (avenues of sense-perception) are drawing (off) the hidden water of your understanding.
همچنین سوراخهای دیگرت ** میکشاند آب فهم مضمرت
If you expel the water from the sea without (admitting) compensation, you will make the sea a desert.
گر ز دریا آب را بیرون کنی ** بی عوض آن بحر را هامون کنی
’Tis late; otherwise, I would declare the (true) state of the case (as to) the entrance of compensations and substitutes,2105
بیگهست ار نه بگویم حال را ** مدخل اعواض را و ابدال را
(And tell) whence come to the sea those compensations and substitutes after (such) expenditures.
کان عوضها و آن بدلها بحر را ** از کجا آید ز بعد خرجها
Hundreds of thousands of animals drink of it; from outside also the clouds take it (its water) away;
صد هزاران جانور زو میخورند ** ابرها هم از برونش میبرند
(But) again the sea draws (into itself) those compensations— whence (they come) is known to the righteous.
باز دریا آن عوضها میکشد ** از کجا دانند اصحاب رشد
We began the stories in haste; in this Book (the Mathnawí) they are left without (being brought to) the (final) issue.
قصهها آغاز کردیم از شتاب ** ماند بی مخلص درون این کتاب
O Light of God, noble Husámu’ddín, a king whose like the sky and the elements have never brought to birth,2110
ای ضیاء الحق حسام الدین راد ** که فلک و ارکان چو تو شاهی نزاد
Seldom hast thou come into (the world of) soul and heart, O thou at whose advent heart and soul are abashed.
تو بنادر آمدی در جان و دل ** ای دل و جان از قدوم تو خجل
How oft have I praised the people of the past! Of necessity, thou wert (the object of) my quest in (praising) them.
چند کردم مدح قوم ما مضی ** قصد من زانها تو بودی ز اقتضا
Verily the invocation knows its own house: attach the praise to the name of whomsoever you will.
خانهی خود را شناسد خود دعا ** تو بنام هر که خواهی کن ثنا
God hath set down these tales and parables for the purpose of concealing (the true nature of) the praise from the unworthy.
بهر کتمان مدیح از نا محل ** حق نهادست این حکایات و مثل
Even if that praise is abashed before thee, yet God accepts the (utmost) exertion of one that has little (to give).2115
گر چه آن مدح از تو هم آمد خجل ** لیک بپذیرد خدا جهد المقل
God accepts a crust (of bread) and absolves (the giver), for from the eyes of a blind man two drops (of light) are enough.
حق پذیرد کسرهای دارد معاف ** کز دو دیدهی کور دو قطره کفاف
Birds and fishes know the (real meaning of) the ambiguous style in which I have praised compendiously this person of goodly name,
مرغ و ماهی داند آن ابهام را ** که ستودم مجمل این خوشنام را
To the end that the sighs of the envious may not blow upon him, and that he (the envier) may not bite the (false) idea of him (Husámu’ddín) with the teeth (of malice).
تا برو آه حسودان کم وزد ** تا خیالش را به دندان کم گزد
Where should the envious man find even the idea of him? When did a parrot rest in the abode of a mouse?
خود خیالش را کجا یابد حسود ** در وثاق موش طوطی کی غنود
That idea of him (Husámu’ddín) arises (in the mind of the envious man) from cunning practice (on his part): it is the hair of his eyebrow, not the new moon.2120
آن خیال او بود از احتیال ** موی ابروی ویست آن نه هلال
I sing thy praise outside of the five (senses) and the seven (heavens). Now write “Daqúqí went forward.”
مدح تو گویم برون از پنج و هفت ** بر نویس اکنون دقوقی پیش رفت
How Daqúqí went forward to lead that company (in prayer).
پیش رفتن دقوقی به امامت آن قوم
In the salutations and benedictions addressed to the righteous (saints) praise of all the prophets is blended.
در تحیات و سلام الصالحین ** مدح جملهی انبیا آمد عجین
The praises are all commingled (and united): the jugs are poured into one basin.
مدحها شد جملگی آمیخته ** کوزهها در یک لگن در ریخته
Inasmuch as the object of praise Himself is not more than One, from this point of view (all) religions are but one religion.
زانک خود ممدوح جز یک بیش نیست ** کیشها زین روی جز یک کیش نیست
Know that every praise goes (belongs) to the Light of God and is (only) lent to (created) forms and persons.2125
دان که هر مدحی بنور حق رود ** بر صور و اشخاص عاریت بود
How should folk praise (any one) except Him who (alone) has the right (to be praised)?—but they go astray on (the ground of) a vain fancy.
مدحها جز مستحق را کی کنند ** لیک بر پنداشت گمره میشوند
The Light of God in relation to phenomena is as a light shining upon a wall—the wall is a link (focus) for these splendours:
همچو نوری تافته بر حایطی ** حایط آن انوار را چون رابطی
Necessarily, when the reflexion moved towards its source, he who had gone astray lost the moon and ceased from praise;
لاجرم چون سایه سوی اصل راند ** ضال مه گم کرد و ز استایش بماند
Or (again) a reflexion of the moon appeared from a well, and he (the misguided one) put his head into the well and was praising that same (reflexion):
یا ز چاهی عکس ماهی وا نمود ** سر بچه در کرد و آن را میستود
In truth he is a praiser of the moon, although his ignorance has turned its face towards its (the moon's) reflexion.2130
در حقیقت مادح ماهست او ** گرچه جهل او بعکسش کرد رو
His praise belongs to the moon, not to that reflexion, (but) that (praise) becomes infidelity when the matter is misapprehended;
مدح او مهراست نه آن عکس را ** کفر شد آن چون غلط شد ماجرا