I died to the inorganic state and became endowed with growth, and (then) I died to (vegetable) growth and attained to the animal.
از جمادی مردم و نامی شدم ** وز نما مردم به حیوان برزدم
I died from animality and became Adam (man): why, then, should I fear? When have I become less by dying?
مردم از حیوانی و آدم شدم ** پس چه ترسم کی ز مردن کم شدم
At the next remove I shall die to man, that I may soar and lift up my head amongst the angels;
حمله‌ی دیگر بمیرم از بشر ** تا بر آرم از ملایک پر و سر
And I must escape even from (the state of) the angel:everything is perishing except His Face.
وز ملک هم بایدم جستن ز جو ** کل شیء هالک الا وجهه
Once more I shall be sacrificed and die to the angel: I shall become that which enters not into the imagination.3905
بار دیگر از ملک قربان شوم ** آنچ اندر وهم ناید آن شوم
Then I shall become non-existence: non-existence saith to me, (in tones loud) as an organ, Verily, unto Him shall we return.
پس عدم گردم عدم چون ارغنون ** گویدم که انا الیه راجعون
Know death to be (the thing signified by) what the (Mohammedan) community are agreed upon, namely, that the Water of Life is hidden in the (Land of) Darkness.
مرگ دان آنک اتفاق امتست ** کاب حیوانی نهان در ظلمتست
Grow from this river-bank, like the water-lily, greedy and craving for death as the sufferer from dropsy.
همچو نیلوفر برو زین طرف جو ** همچو مستسقی حریص و مرگ‌جو
The water is death to him, and (yet) he is seeking the water and drinking it— and God best knoweth the right course.
مرگ او آبست و او جویای آب ** می‌خورد والله اعلم بالصواب
Oh, the cold lover, clad in the felt (garment) of shame, who from fear of (losing) his life is fleeing from the Beloved!3910
ای فسرده عاشق ننگین نمد ** کو ز بیم جان ز جانان می‌رمد
O thou disgrace (even) to women, behold hundreds of thousands of souls clapping their hands (and rushing) towards the sword of His love!
سوی تیغ عشقش ای ننگ زنان ** صد هزاران جان نگر دستک‌زنان
Thou hast seen the river: spill thy jug in the river: how should the water take flight from the river?
جوی دیدی کوزه اندر جوی ریز ** آب را از جوی کی باشد گریز
When the water in the jug goes into the river-water, it disappears in it, and it becomes the river.
آب کوزه چون در آب جو شود ** محو گردد در وی و جو او شود
His (the lover's) attributes have passed away, and his essence remains: after this, he does not dwindle or become ill-favoured.
وصف او فانی شد و ذاتش بقا ** زین سپس نه کم شود نه بدلقا
I have hanged myself on His palm-tree in excuse for having fled from Him.”3915
خویش را بر نخل او آویختم ** عذر آن را که ازو بگریختم
How that lover reached his Beloved when he washed his hands of (gave up) his life.
رسیدن آن عاشق به معشوق خویش چون دست از جان خود بشست
Prostrating himself on face and head, like a ball, he went with wet eyes towards the Sadr (Prince).
همچو گویی سجده کن بر رو و سر ** جانب آن صدر شد با چشم تر
All the people were waiting, their heads in the air, (to see) whether he would burn or hang him.
جمله خلقان منتظر سر در هوا ** کش بسوزد یا برآویزد ورا
“Now” (they said) “he will show to this simpleton that which Time (Fortune) shows to the unfortunate.
این زمان این احمق یک لخت را ** آن نماید که زمان بدبخت را
Like the moth, he (the lover) deemed the (fiery) sparks to be the light: foolishly he fell in and was cut off from (deprived of) life.”
همچو پروانه شرر را نور دید ** احمقانه در فتاد از جان برید
But the candle of Love is not like that (external) candle: it is radiance in radiance in radiance.3920
لیک شمع عشق چون آن شمع نیست ** روشن اندر روشن اندر روشنیست
It is the reverse of the fiery candles: it seems to be fire, while (in reality) it is all sweetness.
او به عکس شمعهای آتشیست ** می‌نماید آتش و جمله خوشیست
Description of the lover-killing mosque and of the death-seeking reckless lover who became a guest there.
صفت آن مسجد کی عاشق‌کش بود و آن عاشق مرگ‌جوی لا ابالی کی درو مهمان شد
Lend ear to a story, O well-conducted man! There was a mosque on the outskirts of the city of Rayy.
یک حکایت گوش کن ای نیک‌پی ** مسجدی بد بر کنار شهر ری
No one ever slept the night there but on the same night (he died) from terror (and) his children became orphans.
هیچ کس در وی نخفتی شب ز بیم ** که نه فرزندش شدی آن شب یتیم
Many the naked (destitute) stranger that went into it (at nightfall) and went at dawn, like the stars, into the grave.
بس که اندر وی غریب عور رفت ** صبحدم چون اختران در گور رفت
Make thyself very attentive to this (tale)! The dawn is come, cut short thy slumber!3925
خویشتن را نیک ازین آگاه کن ** صبح آمد خواب را کوتاه کن
Every one used to say that in it there were fierce Jinnís who killed the guests with blunt swords.
هر کسی گفتی که پریانند تند ** اندرو مهمان کشان با تیغ کند
Another would say, “It is the magic and talisman, for this enchantment is the foe and enemy of life.”
آن دگر گفتی که سحرست و طلسم ** کین رصد باشد عدو جان و خصم
Another would say, “Put an inscription (notice) conspicuously on its door—‘O guest, do not stay here.
آن دگر گفتی که بر نه نقش فاش ** بر درش کای میهمان اینجا مباش
Do not sleep the night here, if you want to live; otherwise, death will unmask an ambush for you in this place.’”
شب مخسپ اینجا اگر جان بایدت ** ورنه مرگ اینجا کمین بگشایدت
And another would say, “Bolt (the door) at night, (and when) a heedless person comes, do not admit him.”3930
وان یکی گفتی که شب قفلی نهید ** غافلی کاید شما کم ره دهید
How the guest came into the mosque.
مهمان آمدن در آن مسجد
(So it continued) till a guest arrived at nightfall who had heard that marvellous rumour.
تا یکی مهمان در آمد وقت شب ** کو شنیده بود آن صیت عجب
He was testing (it) in order to put (it) to the proof, for he was very valiant and surfeited with life.
از برای آزمون می‌آزمود ** زانک بس مردانه و جان سیر بود
He said (to himself), “I take little account of a (sheep's) head and belly: suppose that one grain is gone from the spirit's treasure, (what does it matter?)
گفت کم گیرم سر و اشکمبه‌ای ** رفته گیر از گنج جان یک حبه‌ای
Let the bodily form go: who am I (in reality)? Is not the (bodily) figure of small account when I am enduring for ever?
صورت تن گو برو من کیستم ** نقش کم ناید چو من باقیستم
Since by the grace of God the (Divine) spirit was breathed into me, I am the breath of God (which is) kept apart from the windpipe of the body,3935
چون نفخت بودم از لطف خدا ** نفخ حق باشم ز نای تن جدا
To the end that the sound of His breathing should not fall in this direction, and that that (spiritual) pearl should escape from the narrow (bodily) shell.
تا نیفتد بانگ نفخش این طرف ** تا رهد آن گوهر از تنگین صدف
Since God said, ‘Desire death, O ye that are sincere,’ I am sincere: I will lavish my soul upon this (I will sacrifice my life for this object).”
چون تمنوا موت گفت ای صادقین ** صادقم جان را برافشانم برین
How the people of the mosque blamed the lover-guest for (his intention of) sleeping the night there and threatened him.
ملامت کردن اهل مسجد مهمان عاشق را از شب خفتن در آنجا و تهدید کردن مرورا
The people said to him, “Beware! Do not sleep here, lest the Taker of the soul pound thee like the dregs of sesame-grain,
قوم گفتندش که هین اینجا مخسپ ** تا نکوبد جانستانت همچو کسپ
For thou art a stranger and ignorant of the fact that any one who sleeps in this place perishes.
که غریبی و نمی‌دانی ز حال ** کاندرین جا هر که خفت آمد زوال
This is not an (accidental) occurrence: we and all those possessed of intelligence have ofttimes witnessed this.3940
اتفاقی نیست این ما بارها ** دیده‌ایم و جمله اصحاب نهی
To whomsoever that mosque gave lodging for a single night, poisonous death came to him at midnight.
هر که آن مسجد شبی مسکن شدش ** نیم‌شب مرگ هلاهل آمدش
We have seen this not (only) once but a hundred times: we have not heard it at second-hand from any one.
از یکی ما تابه صد این دیده‌ایم ** نه به تقلید از کسی بشنیده‌ایم
The Prophet said, ‘The (Mohammedan) religion is (consists in) sincerity (nasíhat)’: that nasíhat etymologically is the opposite of ghulúl (unfaithfulness).
گفت الدین نصیحه آن رسول ** آن نصیحت در لغت ضد غلول
This nasíhat is ‘to be true in friendship’: in an act of ghulúl you are treacherous and currish.
این نصیحت راستی در دوستی ** در غلولی خاین و سگ‌پوستی
We are showing this sincerity towards thee, without treachery, from (motives of) love: do not turn away from reason and justice!”3945
بی خیانت این نصیحت از وداد ** می‌نماییمت مگرد از عقل و داد
The lover's reply to those who chid him.
جواب گفتن عاشق عاذلان را
He said, “O sincere advisers, I have become unrepentantly weary of the world of life.
گفت او ای ناصحان من بی ندم ** از جهان زندگی سیر آمدم
I am an idle vagabond, seeking blows and desiring blows: do not seek rectitude from the vagabond on the road.
منبلی‌ام زخم جو و زخم‌خواه ** عافیت کم جوی از منبل براه
(I am) not the vagabond who in sooth is a seeker of provender: I am the reckless vagabond (who is) the seeker of death.
منبلی نی کو بود خود برگ‌جو ** منبلی‌ام لاابالی مرگ‌جو
(I am) not the vagabond who gets small money into his palm, (but) the nimble vagabond who would cross this bridge (to the world hereafter)—
منبلی نی کو به کف پول آورد ** منبلی چستی کزین پل بگذرد
Not the one who cleaves to every shop; nay, but (the one who) springs away from (phenomenal) existence and strikes upon a mine (of reality).3950
آن نه کو بر هر دکانی بر زند ** بل جهد از کون و کانی بر زند