So that you may become nutriment and mingle with the (vital) spirit: this affliction of yours is not on account of (your) being despised.
تا غذی گردی بیامیزی بجان ** بهرخواری نیستت این امتحان
You, when green and fresh, were drinking water in the garden: that water-drinking was for the sake of this fire.”4165
آب می‌خوردی به بستان سبز و تر ** بهراین آتش بدست آن آب خور
His (God's) mercy is prior to His wrath, to the end that by (God's) mercy he (the afflicted person) may suffer affliction.
رحمتش سابق بدست از قهر زان ** تا ز رحمت گردد اهل امتحان
His (God's) mercy (eternally) preceded His wrath in order that the stock-in-trade, (which is) existence, should come to hand (be acquired);
رحمتش بر قهر از آن سابق شدست ** تا که سرمایه‌ی وجود آید بدست
For, without pleasure, flesh and skin do not grow; and unless they grow, what shall the love of the Friend consume?
زانک بی‌لذت نروید لحم و پوست ** چون نروید چه گدازد عشق دوست
If, because of that requirement, acts of wrath come to pass, to the end that you may give up that stock-in-trade,
زان تقاضا گر بیاید قهرها ** تا کنی ایثار آن سرمایه را
(Yet) again (afterwards) the Grace (of God) will come in order to excuse it (the act of wrath), saying, “(Now) thou hast washed thyself (clean) and hast leaped forth from the river (of tribulation).”4170
باز لطف آید برای عذر او ** که بکردی غسل و بر جستی ز جو
She (the housewife) says, “O chickpea, thou didst feed in the springtime: (now) Pain has become thy guest: entertain him well,
گوید ای نخود چریدی در بهار ** رنج مهمان تو شد نیکوش دار
That the guest may return (home), giving thanks (for his entertainment), and may relate thy generosity in the presence of the King,
تا که مهمان باز گردد شکر ساز ** پیش شه گوید ز ایثار تو باز
So that the Bestower of favour may come to thee instead of the favour, and that all favours may envy thee.
تا به جای نعمتت منعم رسد ** جمله نعمتها برد بر تو حسد
I am Khalíl (Abraham), and thou art my son: lay thy head before the knife:lo, I see (in a dream) that I shall sacrifice thee.
من خلیلم تو پسر پیش بچک ** سر بنه انی ارانی اذبحک
Lay thy head before (my) wrath, with heart unmoved, that I may cut thy throat, like (that of) Ismá‘íl (Ishmael).4175
سر به پیش قهر نه دل بر قرار ** تا ببرم حلقت اسمعیل‌وار
I will cut off thy head, but this head is the head that is immune from being cut off and (from) dying;
سر ببرم لیک این سر آن سریست ** کز بریده گشتن و مردن بریست
Yet thy giving thyself up is the object of (God's) eternal purpose: O Moslem, thou must seek to give thyself up.
لیک مقصود ازل تسلیم تست ** ای مسلمان بایدت تسلیم جست
Continue, O chickpea, to boil in tribulation, that neither existence nor self may remain to thee.
ای نخود می‌جوش اندر ابتلا ** تا نه هستی و نه خود ماند ترا
If thou hast (formerly) laughed in that (earthly) garden, (yet) thou art the rose of the garden of the spirit and the (spiritual) eye.
اندر آن بستان اگر خندیده‌ای ** تو گل بستان جان و دیده‌ای
If thou hast been parted from the garden of water and earth, (yet) thou hast become food in the mouth and hast entered into the living.4180
گر جدا از باغ آب و گل شدی ** لقمه گشتی اندر احیا آمدی
Become nutriment and strength and thoughts! (Formerly) thou wert milk (sap): (now) be a lion in the jungles!
شو غذی و قوت و اندیشه‌ها ** شیر بودی شیر شو در بیشه‌ها
By God, thou grewest from His (God's) attributes in the beginning: go back nimbly and fleetly into His attributes.
از صفاتش رسته‌ای والله نخست ** در صفاتش باز رو چالاک و چست
Thou camest from the cloud and the sun and the sky; then didst thou become (diverse) attributes and ascend to heaven.
ز ابر و خورشید و ز گردون آمدی ** پس شدی اوصاف و گردون بر شدی
Thou camest in the form of rain and heat: thou wilt go into the goodly (Divine) attributes.
آمدی در صورت باران و تاب ** می‌روی اندر صفات مستطاب
Thou wert a part of the sun and the cloud and the stars: thou becamest soul and action and speech and thoughts.”4185
جزو شید و ابر و انجمها بدی ** نفس و فعل و قول و فکرتها شدی
The existence of the animal arose from the death of the plant: (hence the command) “slay me, O trusty friends” is right.
هستی حیوان شد از مرگ نبات ** راست آمد اقتلونی یا ثقات
Since there is such a victory for us after the checkmate (of death), (the words) “verily, in my being slain there is a life” are true.
چون چنین بردیست ما را بعد مات ** راست آمد ان فی قتلی حیات
Action and speech and sincerity became the food of the angel, so that by means of this ladder he mounted to heaven,
فعل و قول و صدق شد قوت ملک ** تا بدین معراج شد سوی فلک
Just as (when) that morsel became the food of Man, it mounted from (the state of) inanimateness and became possessed of soul.
آنچنان کان طعمه شد قوت بشر ** از جمادی بر شد و شد جانور
As regards this topic, a wide (far-reaching) explanation will be given in another place.4190
این سخن را ترجمه‌ی پهناوری ** گفته آید در مقام دیگری
“The caravan (of spirits) is incessantly arriving from heaven, that they may traffic (on the earth) and go back again.
کاروان دایم ز گردون می‌رسد ** تا تجارت می‌کند وا می‌رود
Go, then, sweetly and gladly with free-will, not with bitterness and loathing, like a thief.
پس برو شیرین و خوش با اختیار ** نه بتلخی و کراهت دزدوار
I am speaking bitter words to thee, in order that I may wash thee (clean) of bitternesses.
The frozen grape is thawed by cold water and lays aside its coldness and congealment.
ز آب سرد انگور افسرده رهد ** سردی و افسردگی بیرون نهد
When, from (having endured) bitterness (self-mortification), thy heart is filled with blood (like the grape), then thou wilt escape from all bitternesses.4195
تو ز تلخی چونکه دل پر خون شوی ** پس ز تلخیها همه بیرون روی
A comparison showing how the true believer becomes patient when he understands the inward meaning and the beneficial nature of tribulation.
تمثیل صابر شدن مومن چون بر شر و خیر بلا واقف شود
(If) a dog is not (kept) for hunting, he has no collar: the raw and unboiled is naught but the insipid.”
سگ شکاری نیست او را طوق نیست ** خام و ناجوشیده جز بی‌ذوق نیست
The chickpea said, “Since it is so, O lady, I will gladly boil: give me help in verity!
گفت نخود چون چنینست ای ستی ** خوش بجوشم یاریم ده راستی
In this boiling thou art, as it were, my architect: smite me with the skimming spoon, for thou smitest very delightfully.
تو درین جوشش چو معمار منی ** کفچلیزم زن که بس خوش می‌زنی
I am as the elephant: beat and brand my head, that I may not dream of Hindustán and (its) gardens;
همچو پیلم بر سرم زن زخم و داغ ** تا نبینم خواب هندستان و باغ
So that I may yield myself (submit) to the boiling, to the end that I may find a way to that embrace (of the Beloved);4200
تا که خود را در دهم در جوش من ** تا رهی یابم در آن آغوش من
Because Man, in (the state of) independence, grows insolent and becomes hostile, like the dreaming elephant.
زانک انسان در غنا طاغی شود ** همچو پیل خواب‌بین یاغی شود
When the elephant dreams of Hindustán, he does not hearken to the driver and displays viciousness.”
پیل چون در خواب بیند هند را ** پیلبان را نشنود آرد دغا
(Showing) how the housewife made apologies to the chickpea, and (explaining) the wise purpose in her keeping the chickpea on the boil.
عذر گفتن کدبانو با نخود و حکمت در جوش داشتن کدبانو نخود را
The dame says to it, “Formerly I, like thee, was a part of the earth.
آن ستی گوید ورا که پیش ازین ** من چو تو بودم ز اجزای زمین
After I had drunk a (cup of) fiery self-mortification, then I became an acceptable and worthy one.
چون بنوشیدم جهاد آذری ** پس پذیرا گشتم و اندر خوری
For a long while, I boiled in (the world of) Time; for another long while, in the pot of the body.4205
مدتی جوشیده‌ام اندر زمن ** مدتی دیگر درون دیگ تن
By reason of these two boilings I became (a source of) strength to the senses: I became (animal) spirit: then I became thy teacher.
زین دو جوشش قوت حسها شدم ** روح گشتم پس ترا استا شدم
(Whilst I was) in the inanimate state I used to say (to myself), ‘Thou art running (to and fro in agitation) to the end that thou mayst become (endued with) knowledge and spiritual qualities.’
در جمادی گفتمی زان می‌دوی ** تا شوی علم و صفات معنوی
Since I have become (animal) spirit, now (let me) boil once more and pass beyond animality.”
چون شدم من روح پس بار دگر ** جوش دیگر کن ز حیوانی گذر
Beseech God continually that you may not stumble over these deep sayings and that you may arrive at the (journey's) end,
از خدا می‌خواه تا زین نکته‌ها ** در نلغزی و رسی در منتها
For many have been led astray by the Qur’án: by (clinging to) that rope a multitude have fallen into the well.4210
زانک از قرآن بسی گمره شدند ** زان رسن قومی درون چه شدند
There is no fault in the rope, O perverse man, inasmuch as you had no desire for (reaching) the top.
مر رسن را نیست جرمی ای عنود ** چون ترا سودای سربالا نبود
The remainder of the story of the guest of that guest-killing mosque, and his firmness and sincerity.
باقی قصه‌ی مهمان آن مسجد مهمان کش و ثبات و صدق او
That high-aspiring stranger to the town said, “I will sleep in this mosque at night.
آن غریب شهر سربالا طلب ** گفت می‌خسپم درین مسجد بشب
O mosque, if thou become my Karbalá, thou wilt be the Ka'ba that fulfils my need.