I am a lame ant. How should I know the elephant? How should a gnat know Isráfíl?”—
مور لنگم من چه دانم فیل را ** پشه‌ای کی داند اسرافیل را
This saying (answer) is also true in regard to the fact that you do not know him in his quiddity, O so-and-so.
این سخن هم راستست از روی آن ** که بماهیت ندانیش ای فلان
To be unable to perceive the quiddity, uncle, is the condition of common men: do not say it absolutely,3650
عجز از ادراک ماهیت عمو ** حالت عامه بود مطلق مگو
Inasmuch as quiddities and their inmost secret are clearly visible to the eyes of the Perfect.
زانک ماهیات و سر سر آن ** پیش چشم کاملان باشد عیان
Where in existence is (anything) more remote from understanding and mental perception than the consciousness and essence of God?
در وجود از سر حق و ذات او ** دورتر از فهم و استبصار کو
Since that does not remain hidden from (His) familiars, what is the essence and attribute that should remain concealed?
چونک آن مخفی نماند از محرمان ** ذات و وصفی چیست کان ماند نهان
The intellect of the scholastic theologian says, “This is far (from reasonable) and deeply involved (in error): do not listen to an absurdity without some explanation.”
عقل بحثی گوید این دورست و گو ** بی ز تاویل محالی کم شنو
The Qutb (the Head of the Saints) replies, “To thee, O infirm one, that which is above thy (spiritual) state seems absurd.”3655
قطب گوید مر ترا ای سست‌حال ** آنچ فوق حال تست آید محال
The visions which are now revealed to you, is it not the case that at first they seemed absurd to you?
واقعاتی که کنونت بر گشود ** نه که اول هم محالت می‌نمود
Inasmuch as the (Divine) Bounty has released you from ten prisons, do not make the (wide) desert an oppressive prison to yourself.
چون رهانیدت ز ده زندان کرم ** تیه را بر خود مکن حبس ستم
How the negation and affirmation of one (and the same) thing may be combined and reconciled from the standpoint of relativity and difference of aspect.
جمع و توفیق میان نفی و اثبات یک چیز از روی نسبت و اختلاف جهت
It is possible to deny and affirm the same thing: when the point of view is different, the relation is twofold.
نفی آن یک چیز و اثباتش رواست ** چون جهت شد مختلف نسبت دوتاست
(The text) thou didst not throw when thou threwest is relative: it is negation and affirmation: both are authorised.
ما رمیت اذ رمیت از نسبتست ** نفی و اثباتست و هر دو مثبتست
Thou threwest that (gravel), since it was on thy hand; thou didst not throw, for God manifested (His) power.3660
آن تو افکندی چو بر دست تو بود ** تو نه افکندی که قوت حق نمود
The strength of one born of Adam has a limit: how should a handful of earth become (the cause of) the rout of an army?
زور آدم‌زاد را حدی بود ** مشت خاک اشکست لشکر کی شود
“(O Mohammed), the handful is thy handful, and the throwing is from Me”: on account of these two relations (both) the denial and the affirmation of it (the throwing) are right.
مشت مشت تست و افکندن ز ماست ** زین دو نسبت نفی و اثباتش رواست
The prophets are known by their enemies, just as their (the enemies') children are not doubtful (to their parents).
یعرفون الانبیا اضدادهم ** مثل ما لا یشتبه اولادهم
The unbelievers know them (the prophets) as (they know) their children by a hundred indications and a hundred signs,
همچو فرزندان خود دانندشان ** منکران با صد دلیل و صد نشان
But, from jealousy and envy, they conceal (their knowledge) and attach themselves to (become addicted to saying) “I do not know.”3665
لیک از رشک و حسد پنهان کنند ** خویشتن را بر ندانم می‌زنند
Then, since He (God) hath said, “He (the unbeliever) knows,” how hath He said in another place?—“None knoweth them except Me, so leave off (seeking to know them);
پس چو یعرف گفت چون جای دگر ** گفت لایعرفهم غیری فذر
Verily, they are hidden beneath My tents.” None knows them by (immediate) experience except God.
انهم تحت قبابی کامنون ** جز که یزدانشان نداند ز آزمون
Regard also as (explicable) by means of relation this (subject) which was opened (above), (namely) that you know and do not know Noah.
هم بنسبت گیر این مفتوح را ** که بدانی و ندانی نوح را
The question of the faná and baqá of the dervish.
مسله‌ی فنا و بقای درویش
The speaker said, “There is no dervish in the world; and if there be a dervish, that dervish is (really) non-existent.”
گفت قایل در جهان درویش نیست ** ور بود درویش آن درویش نیست
He exists in respect of the survival of his essence, (but) his attributes have become non-existent in the attributes of Him (God).3670
هست از روی بقای ذات او ** نیست گشته وصف او در وصف هو
Like the flame of a candle in the presence of the sun, he is (really) non-existent, (though he is) existent in (formal) calculation.
چون زبانه‌ی شمع پیش آفتاب ** نیست باشد هست باشد در حساب
Its (the flame's) essence is existent, so that, if you put cotton upon it, it (the cotton) will be consumed by the sparks;
هست باشد ذات او تا تو اگر ** بر نهی پنبه بسوزد زان شرر
(But) it is (really) non-existent: it gives you no light: the sun will have naughted it.
نیست باشد روشنی ندهد ترا ** کرده باشد آفتاب او را فنا
When you have thrown an ounce of vinegar into two hundred maunds of sugar, and it has become dissolved therein,
در دو صد من شهد یک اوقیه خل ** چون در افکندی و در وی گشت حل
The flavour of the vinegar, when you taste (the sugar), is non-existent, (though) the ounce exists (as a) surplus when you weigh.3675
نیست باشد طعم خل چون می‌چشی ** هست اوقیه فزون چون برکشی
In the presence of a lion a deer becomes senseless: her existence becomes a (mere) veil for his existence.
پیش شیری آهوی بیهوش شد ** هستی‌اش در هست او روپوش شد
These analogies drawn by imperfect men concerning the action of the Lord are (like) the emotion of love, (they are) not from irreverence.
این قیاس ناقصان بر کار رب ** جوشش عشقست نه از ترک ادب
The lover's pulse bounds up without reverence, he lays himself on the scale of the King's balance.
نبض عاشق بی ادب بر می‌جهد ** خویش را در کفه‌ی شه می‌نهد
None is more irreverent than he in the world (outwardly); none is more reverent than he in secret (inwardly).
بی‌ادب‌تر نیست کس زو در جهان ** با ادب‌تر نیست کس زو در نهان
Know, O chosen one, that these two opposites also, “reverent” and “irreverent,” are reconciled by means of relation.3680
هم بنسبت دان وفاق ای منتجب ** این دو ضد با ادب با بی‌ادب
He (the lover) is irreverent when you regard the outward aspect, for his claim of love is (involves) equality (with the Beloved);
بی‌ادب باشد چو ظاهر بنگری ** که بود دعوی عشقش هم‌سری
(But) when you regard the inward aspect, where is the claim? He and (his) claim are naughted in the presence of that Sultan.
چون به باطن بنگری دعوی کجاست ** او و دعوی پیش آن سلطان فناست
Máta Zaydun (Zayd died): if Zayd is the agent (grammatical subject), (yet) he is not the agent, for he is defunct.
مات زید زید اگر فاعل بود ** لیک فاعل نیست کو عاطل بود
He is the agent (only) in respect of the grammatical expression; otherwise, he is the one acted upon (the object of the action), and Death is his slayer.
او ز روی لفظ نحوی فاعلست ** ورنه او مفعول و موتش قاتلست
What agent (is he), since he has been so overpowered and all the qualities of an agent have been removed from him?3685
فاعل چه کو چنان مقهور شد ** فاعلیها جمله از وی دور شد
Story of the Sadr-i Jahán's Wakíl (minister), who fell under suspicion and fled from Bukhárá in fear of his life; then love drew him back irresistibly, for the matter of life is of small account to lovers.
قصه وکیل صدر جهان کی متهم شد و از بخارا گریخت از بیم جان باز عشقش کشید رو کشان کی کار جان سهل باشد عاشقان را
In Bukhárá the servant of the Sadr-i Jahán incurred suspicion and hid from his Sadr (prince).
در بخارا بنده‌ی صدر جهان ** متهم شد گشت از صدرش نهان
During ten years he roamed distractedly, now in Khurásán, now in the mountain-land, now in the desert.
مدت ده سال سرگردان بگشت ** گه خراسان گه کهستان گاه دشت
After ten years, through longing he became unable to endure the days of separation (from his beloved).
از پس ده سال او از اشتیاق ** گشت بی‌طاقت ز ایام فراق
He said, “Henceforth I cannot bear to be parted (from him) any more: how can patience allay (the lover's) state of abandonment?”
گفت تاب فرقتم زین پس نماند ** صبر کی داند خلاعت را نشاند
From separation these soils are nitrous (barren), and water becomes yellow and stinking and dark;3690
از فراق این خاکها شوره بود ** آب زرد و گنده و تیره شود
The life-increasing wind (air) becomes unhealthy and pestilential; a fire turns to ashes and dust.