Similarly, (in the case of) knowledge and accomplishments and trades: (a man is engrossed with them) since he has not seen (anything) superior to them in excellence.
همچنین علم و هنرها و حرف ** چون بدید افزون از آنها در شرف
Whilst nothing is better than life, life is precious; when a better appears, the name of life becomes a slippery (futile) thing.4110
تا به از جان نیست جان باشد عزیز ** چون به آمد نام جان شد چیز لیز
The lifeless doll is as (dear as) life to the child until he has grown up to manhood.
لعبت مرده بود جان طفل را ** تا نگشت او در بزرگی طفلزا
This imagination and fancy are (like) the doll: so long as you are (spiritually) a child, you have need of them;
این تصور وین تخیل لعبتست ** تا تو طفلی پس بدانت حاجتست
(But) when the spirit has escaped from childishness, it is in union (with God): it is done with sense-perception and imagination and fancy.
چون ز طفلی رست جان شد در وصال ** فارغ از حس است و تصویر و خیال
There is no confidant (familiar with this mystery), that I should speak without insincerity (reserve). I will keep silence, and God best knoweth the (true) accord.
نیست محرم تا بگویم بینفاق ** تن زدم والله اعلم بالوفاق
The goods (of this world) and the body are snow melting away to naught; (yet) God is their purchaser, for God hath purchased.4115
مال و تن برفاند ریزان فنا ** حق خریدارش که الله اشتری
The snows seem to you better than the price, because you are in doubt: you have no certainty (no sure faith),
برفها زان از ثمن اولیستت ** که هیی در شک یقینی نیستت
And in you, O contemptible man, there is this marvellous opinion that does not fly to the garden of certainty.
وین عجب ظنست در تو ای مهین ** که نمیپرد به بستان یقین
O son, every opinion is thirsting for certainty and emulously flapping its wings (in quest thereof).
هر گمان تشنهی یقینست ای پسر ** میزند اندر تزاید بال و پر
When it attains to knowledge, then the wing becomes a foot, and its knowledge begins to scent certainty,
چون رسد در علم پس پر پا شود ** مر یقین را علم او بویا شود
For in the tested Way knowledge is inferior to certainty, but above opinion.4120
زانک هست اندر طریق مفتتن ** علم کمتر از یقین و فوق ظن
Know that knowledge is a seeker of certainty, and certainty is a seeker of vision and intuition.
علم جویای یقین باشد بدان ** و آن یقین جویای دیدست و عیان
Seek this (difference between knowledge and intuitive certainty) now, in (the Súra which begins with) Alhákum, after (the word) kallá and after (the words) lau ta‘lamún.
اندر الهیکم بجو این را کنون ** از پس کلا پس لو تعلمون
Knowledge leads to vision, O knowing one: if it (knowledge) became (intuitive) certainty, they would see Hell.
Vision is immediately born of certainty, just as fancy is born of opinion.
دید زاید از یقین بی امتهال ** آنچنانک از ظن میزاید خیال
See in Alhákum the explanation of this, (namely), that the knowledge of certainty becomes the intuition of certainty.4125
اندر الهیکم بیان این ببین ** که شود علم الیقین عین الیقین
“I am higher than opinion and certainty, and my head is not to be turned aside by blame.
از گمان و از یقین بالاترم ** وز ملامت بر نمیگردد سرم
Since my mouth ate of His sweetmeat, I have become clear-eyed and a seer of Him.
چون دهانم خورد از حلوای او ** چشمروشن گشتم و بینای او
I step boldly when I go (to my spiritual) home: I do not let my feet tremble, I do not walk like the blind.
پا نهم گستاخ چون خانه روم ** پا نلرزانم نه کورانه روم
That which God said to the rose, and caused it to laugh (in full-blown beauty), He said to my heart, and made it a hundred times more (beautiful).
آنچ گل را گفت حق خندانش کرد ** با دل من گفت و صد چندانش کرد
(He bestowed on my heart) that which touched the cypress and made its stature straight, and that of which the narcissus and wild-rose partook;4130
آنچ زد بر سرو و قدش راست کرد ** و آنچ از وی نرگس و نسرین بخورد
That which made sweet the soul and heart of the sugar-cane, and that from which the creature of earth gained the form of Chigil;
آنچ نی را کرد شیرین جان و دل ** و آنچ خاکی یافت ازو نقش چگل
That which made the eyebrow so ravishing and made the face rose-coloured and (like) the pomegranate-flower;
آنچ ابرو را چنان طرار ساخت ** چهره را گلگونه و گلنار ساخت
(That which) gave a hundred enchantments to the tongue, and that which gave the (pure) gold of Ja‘far to the mine.
مر زبان را داد صد افسونگری ** وانک کان را داد زر جعفری
When the door of the Armoury was opened, the amorous glances became archers,
چون در زرادخانه باز شد ** غمزههای چشم تیرانداز شد
And shot arrows at my heart and frenzied me and made me in love with thanksgiving and sugar-chewing.4135
بر دلم زد تیر و سوداییم کرد ** عاشق شکر و شکرخاییم کرد
I am the lover of that One to whom every ‘that’ belongs: of (even) a single pearl of His the bodyguard is Intellect and Spirit.
عاشق آنم که هر آن آن اوست ** عقل و جان جاندار یک مرجان اوست
I do not boast, or if I boast, (’tis only in appearance, for) like water, I have no trouble in quenching fire.
من نلافم ور بلافم همچو آب ** نیست در آتشکشیام اضطراب
How should I steal when He is the keeper of the treasury? How should not I be hard-faced (bold and resolute)? He is my support.
چون بدزدم چون حفیظ مخزن اوست ** چون نباشم سخترو پشت من اوست
Every one whose back is warmed by the Sun will be hard-faced: he will have neither dread nor shame.
هر که از خورشید باشد پشت گرم ** سخت رو باشد نه بیم او را نه شرم
His face has become foe-burning and veil-rending, like the face of the peerless Sun.4140
همچو روی آفتاب بیحذر ** گشت رویش خصمسوز و پردهدر
Every prophet was hard-faced in this world, and beat single-handed against the army of the kings,
هر پیمبر سخترو بد در جهان ** یکسواره کوفت بر جیش شهان
And did not avert his face from any fear or pain, (but) single and alone dashed against a (whole) world.
رو نگردانید از ترس و غمی ** یکتنه تنها بزد بر عالمی
The rock is hard-faced and bold-eyed: it is not afraid of the world that is full of brickbats;
سنگ باشد سخترو و چشمشوخ ** او نترسد از جهان پر کلوخ
For those brickbats were made solid by the brick-maker, (while) the rock was hardened by Divine art.
کان کلوخ از خشتزن یکلخت شد ** سنگ از صنع خدایی سخت شد
If the sheep are beyond count, (yet) how should the butcher be afraid of their numerousness?4145
گوسفندان گر برونند از حساب ** ز انبهیشان کی بترسد آن قصاب
‘Each of you is a shepherd’: the prophet is as the shepherd. The people are like the flock; he is the overseer.
کلکم راع نبی چون راعیست ** خلق مانند رمه او ساعیست
The shepherd is not afraid of the sheep in (his) contention (with them), but is their protector from hot and cold (from all calamities).
از رمه چوپان نترسد در نبرد ** لیکشان حافظ بود از گرم و سرد
If he cry out in wrath against the flock, know ’tis from the love which he hath for them all.
گر زند بانگی ز قهر او بر رمه ** دان ز مهرست آن که دارد بر همه
(My) new Fortune says (whispers) into my ear every moment, ‘I will make thee sorrowful, (but) be not sorrowful (on that account).
هر زمان گوید به گوشم بخت نو ** که ترا غمگین کنم غمگین مشو
I will make thee sorrowful and weeping, to the end that I may hide thee from the eyes of the wicked.4150
من ترا غمگین و گریان زان کنم ** تا کت از چشم بدان پنهان کنم
I will cause thy temper to be soured with sorrows, in order that the evil eye may be averted from thy face.
تلخ گردانم ز غمها خوی تو ** تا بگردد چشم بد از روی تو
Thou art not (really) a hunter and seeker of Me; (nay), thou art My slave and prostrate before My providence.
نه تو صیادی و جویای منی ** بنده و افکندهی رای منی
Thou art thinking of devices whereby thou mayst attain unto Me: (both) in quitting and in seeking Me thou art helpless.
حیله اندیشی که در من در رسی ** در فراق و جستن من بیکسی
Thy anguish is seeking a means for (attaining unto) Me: I was hearkening yestereve to thy heavy sighs.
چاره میجوید پی من درد تو ** میشنودم دوش آه سرد تو
I am even able, without this waiting, to give (thee) access and show unto thee the way of passage,4155
من توانم هم که بی این انتظار ** ره دهم بنمایمت راه گذار
That thou mayst be delivered from this whirlpool of Time and mayst set thy foot upon the treasure of union with Me;
تا ازین گرداب دوران وا رهی ** بر سر گنج وصالم پا نهی
But the sweetness and delights of the resting-place are in proportion to the pain of the journey.
لیک شیرینی و لذات مقر ** هست بر اندازهی رنج سفر
(Only) then wilt thou enjoy thy (native) town and thy kinsfolk when thou sufferest pains and tribulations from exile.’”
آنگه ا ز شهر و ز خویشان بر خوری ** کز غریبی رنج و محنتها بری
Comparison of the true believer's fleeing (from tribulation) and his impatience in affliction to the agitation and restlessness of chick-peas and other pot-herbs when boiling in the pot, and to their running upwards in order to jump out.
تمثیل گریختن مومن و بیصبری او در بلا به اضطراب و بیقراری نخود و دیگر حوایج در جوش دیگ و بر دویدن تا بیرون جهند