The intellect is luminous and a seeker of good: how (then) does the dark fleshly soul prevail over it?
عقل نورانی و نیکو طالبست ** نفس ظلمانی برو چون غالبست
(It prevails) because it is at home, (while) your intellect is a stranger: the dog at his own door is (like) a terrible lion.
زانک او در خانه عقل تو غریب ** بر در خود سگ بود شیر مهیب
Wait till the lions go (back) to the jungle and these blind dogs’ will believe (in them) there.
باش تا شیران سوی بیشه روند ** وین سگان کور آنجا بگروند
The common folk of the city do not know the deceit of the fleshly soul and of the body: it (the fleshly soul) is not subdued save by (Divine) inspiration in the heart.2560
مکر نفس و تن نداند عام شهر ** او نگردد جز بوحی القلب قهر
Every one that is its congener becomes its friend, except, to be sure, the David who is your Shaykh;
هر که جنس اوست یار او شود ** جز مگر داود کان شیخت بود
For he has been transmuted, and whomsoever God hath seated in the abode of the heart, he( that person) is no more the body’s congener.
کو مبدل گشت و جنس تن نماند ** هر که را حق در مقام دل نشاند
All the (other) people are (rendered) infirm by (that which lies in) ambush (within them): ‘tis certain that infirmity associates with infirmity.
خلق جمله علتی‌اند از کمین ** یار علت می‌شود علت یقین
Every worthless fellow pretends to be (a) David; every one who lacks discernment lays hold of him (attaches himself to him):
هر خسی دعوی داودی کند ** هر که بی تمییز کف در وی زند
He hears the bird’s note from a fowler and, (like a) foolish bird, he keeps going in that direction.2565
از صیادی بشنود آواز طیر ** مرغ ابله می‌کند آن سوی سیر
‘He dos not distinguish fact from fiction: he is misguided. Come, flee from him, even if he is spiritual (in appearance).
نقد را از نقل نشناسد غویست ** هین ازو بگریز اگر چه معنویست
What has grown (genuinely) and what has been tied on (artificially) is (all) one to him: though he may claim (to possess) intuitive certainty, he is (really) in a (great) doubt.
رسته و بر بسته پیش او یکیست ** گر یقین دعوی کند او در شکیست
If such a one is absolutely keen-witted, (still), when he has not this (power of) discernment, he is a fool.
این چنین کس گر ذکی مطلقست ** چونش این تمییز نبود احمقست
Hark, flee from him as the deer from the lion: do not hasten boldly towards him, O wise man!
هین ازو بگریز چون آهو ز شیر ** سوی او مشتاق ای دانا دلیر
How Jesus, on whom be peace, fled to the top of a mountain (to escape) from the fools.
گریختن عیسی علیه السلام فراز کوه از احمقان
Jesus, son of Mary, was fleeing to a mountain: you would say that a lion wished to shed his blood.2570
عیسی مریم به کوهی می‌گریخت ** شیرگویی خون او می‌خواست ریخت
A certain man ran after him and said, “(Is it) well (with thee)? There is no one in pursuit of thee: why dost thou flee, like a bird?”
آن یکی در پی دوید و گفت خیر ** در پیت کس نیست چه گریزی چو طیر
(But) he (Jesus) still kept running with haste so (quickly) that on account of his haste he did not answer him.
با شتاب او آنچنان می‌تاخت جفت ** کز شتاب خود جواب او نگفت
He pushed on in pursuit of Jesus for the distance of one or two fields, and then invoked Jesus with the utmost earnestness,
یک دو میدان در پی عیسی براند ** پس بجد جد عیسی را بخواند
Saying, “For the sake of pleasing God, stop one moment, for I have a difficulty concerning thy flight.
کز پی مرضات حق یک لحظه بیست ** که مرا اندر گریزت مشکلیست
From whom art thou fleeing in this direction, O noble one? There is no lion pursuing thee, no enemy, and there is no fear or danger.”2575
از کی این سو می‌گریزی ای کریم ** نه پیت شیر و نه خصم و خوف و بیم
He said, “I am fleeing from the fool. Begone! I am saving myself. Do not debar me!”
گفت از احمق گریزانم برو ** می‌رهانم خویش را بندم مشو
“Why,” said he, “art not thou the Messiah by whom the blind and the deaf are restored (to sight and hearing)?”
گفت آخر آن مسیحا نه توی ** که شود کور و کر از تو مستوی
He said, “Yea.” Said the other, “Art not thou the King in whom the spells of the Unseen World have their abode?—
گفت آری گفت آن شه نیستی ** که فسون غیب را ماویستی
(So that) when thou chantest those spells over a dead man, he springs up (rejoicing) like a lion that has caught his prey.”
چون بخوانی آن فسون بر مرده‌ای ** برجهد چون شیر صید آورده‌ای
He said, “Yea, I am he.” Said the other, “Dost not thou make (living) birds out of clay, O beauteous one?”2580
گفت آری آن منم گفتا که تو ** نه ز گل مرغان کنی ای خوب‌رو
He said, “Yea.” Said the other, “Then, O pure Spirit, thou doest whatsoever thou wilt: of whom hast thou fear?
گفت آری گفت پس ای روح پاک ** هرچه خواهی می‌کنی از کیست باک
With such (miraculous) evidence, who is there in the world that would not be one of the slaves (devoted) to thee?”
با چنین برهان که باشد در جهان ** که نباشد مر ترا از بندگان
Jesus said, “By the holy Essence of God, the Maker of the body and the Creator of the soul in eternity;
گفت عیسی که به ذات پاک حق ** مبدع تن خالق جان در سبق
By the sanctity of the pure Essence and Attributes of Him, for whose sake the collar of Heaven is rent,
حرمت ذات و صفات پاک او ** که بود گردون گریبان‌چاک او
(I swear) that the spells and the Most Great Name which I pronounced over the deaf and the blind were good (in their effects).2585
کان فسون و اسم اعظم را که من ** بر کر و بر کور خواندم شد حسن
I pronounced (them) over the stony mountain: it was cloven and tore upon itself its mantle down to the navel.
بر که سنگین بخواندم شد شکاف ** خرقه را بدرید بر خود تا بناف
I pronounced (them) over the corpse: it came to life. I pronounced (them) over nonentity: it became entity.
برتن مرده بخواندم گشت حی ** بر سر لاشی بخواندم گشت شی
I pronounced them lovingly over the heart of the fool hundreds of thousands of times, and ’twas no cure (for his folly).
خواندم آن را بر دل احمق بود ** صد هزاران بار و درمانی نشد
He became hard rock and changed not from that disposition; he became sand from which no produce grows.”
سنگ خارا گشت و زان خو بر نگشت ** ریگ شد کز وی نروید هیچ کشت
Said the other, “What is the reason that the Name of God availed there, (while) it had no advantage (good effect) here?2590
گفت حکمت چیست کنجا اسم حق ** سود کرد اینجا نبود آن را سبق
That (physical infirmity) is disease too, and this (folly) is a disease: why did it (the Name of God) not become a cure for this, since it cured that?”
آن همان رنجست و این رنجی چرا ** او نشد این را و آن را شد دوا
He (Jesus) said, “The disease of folly is (the result of) the wrath of God; (physical) disease and blindness are not (the result of Divine) wrath: they are (a means of) probation.”
گفت رنج احمقی قهر خداست ** رنج و کوری نیست قهر آن ابتلاست
Probation is a disease that brings (Divine) mercy (in its train); folly is a disease that brings (Divine) rejection.