Night causes many a thing to appear wrong and changed (from its proper aspect): not every one has the (power of) seeing correctly by night.
شب غلط بنماید و مبدل بسی ** دید صایب شب ندارد هر کسی
(Now there is) both night and clouds and heavy rain withal: these three darknesses produce great error.”660
هم شب و هم ابر و هم باران ژرف ** این سه تاریکی غلط آرد شگرف
He said, “To me ’tis as (manifest as) bright day: I know (it), it is the wind of my ass-colt.
گفت آن بر من چو روز روشنست ** می‌شناسم باد خرکره‌ی منست
Amongst twenty winds I know that wind as the traveller (knows) his provisions for the journey.”
در میان بیست باد آن باد را ** می‌شناسم چون مسافر زاد را
The Khwája sprang up, and losing patience he seized the countryman by his collar,
خواجه بر جست و بیامد ناشکفت ** روستایی را گریبانش گرفت
Crying, “O fool and cutpurse, thou hast shown hypocrisy: thou hast eaten both beng and opium together.
کابله طرار شید آورده‌ای ** بنگ و افیون هر دو با هم خورده‌ای
Amidst three darknesses thou knowest the wind of the ass: how dost not thou know me, O giddy-head?665
در سه تاریکی شناسی باد خر ** چون ندانی مر مرا ای خیره‌سر
He that knows a colt at midnight, how should he not know his own ten years' comrade?”
آنک داند نیمشب گوساله را ** چون نداند همره ده‌ساله را
Thou art feigning to be a gnostic and distraught (with love of God): thou art throwing dust in the eyes of generosity,
خویشتن را عارف و واله کنی ** خاک در چشم مروت می‌زنی
Saying, “I have no consciousness even of myself: in my heart there is no room for aught but God.
که مرا از خویش هم آگاه نیست ** در دلم گنجای جز الله نیست
I have no recollection of what I ate yesterday: this heart takes joy in nothing except bewilderment.
آنچ دی خوردم از آنم یاد نیست ** این دل از غیر تحیر شاد نیست
I am sane and maddened by God: remember (this), and (since I am) in such a state of selflessness, hold me excusable.670
عاقل و مجنون حقم یاد آر ** در چنین بی‌خویشیم معذور دار
He that eats carrion, that is to say, (drinks) date-wine—the (religious) Law enrols him amongst those who are excused.
آنک مرداری خورد یعنی نبید ** شرع او را سوی معذوران کشید
The drunkard and eater of beng has not (the right of) divorce or barter; he is even as a child: he is a person absolved and emancipated.
مست و بنگی را طلاق و بیع نیست ** همچو طفلست او معاف و معتقیست
The intoxication that arises from the scent of the unique King—a hundred vats of wine never wrought that (intoxication) in head and brain.
مستیی کید ز بوی شاه فرد ** صد خم می در سر و مغز آن نکرد
To him (the God-intoxicated man), then, how should the obligation (to keep the Law) be applicable? The horse is fallen (out of account) and has become unable to move.
پس برو تکلیف چون باشد روا ** اسب ساقط گشت و شد بی دست و پا
Who in the world would lay a load upon the ass-colt? Who would give lessons in Persian to Bú Murra?675
بار کی نهد در جهان خرکره را ** درس کی دهد پارسی بومره را
When lameness comes, the load is taken off: God hath said,It is no sin in the blind.
بار بر گیرند چون آمد عرج ** گفت حق لیس علی الاعمی حرج
I have become blind in regard to myself, seeing by (the grace of) God: therefore I am absolved from the small (obligation) and from the great.”
سوی خود اعمی شدم از حق بصیر ** پس معافم از قلیل و از کثیر
Thou braggest of thy dervishhood and selflessness, (thou utterest) the wailful cries of those intoxicated with God,
لاف درویشی زنی و بی‌خودی ** های هوی مستیان ایزدی
Saying, “I know not earth from heaven.” The (Divine) jealousy hath tried thee, tried thee (and found thee wanting).
که زمین را من ندانم ز آسمان ** امتحانت کرد غیرت امتحان
Thus hath the wind of thy ass-colt put thee to shame, thus hath it affirmed the existence of thy self-negation.680
باد خرکره‌ی چنین رسوات کرد ** هستی نفی ترا اثبات کرد
In this wise doth God expose hypocrisy, in this wise doth He catch the quarry that has started away.
این چنین رسوا کند حق شید را ** این چنین گیرد رمیده‌صید را
There are hundreds of thousands of trials, O son, for any one who says, “I am the captain of the Gate.”
صد هزاران امتحانست ای پسر ** هر که گوید من شدم سرهنگ در
If the vulgar do not know him by (putting him to) the trial, (yet) the adepts of the Way will demand from him the token (of his veracity).
گر نداند عامه او را ز امتحان ** پختگان راه جویندش نشان
When a churl pretends to be a tailor, the king will throw down a piece of satin in front of him,
چون کند دعوی خیاطی خسی ** افکند در پیش او شه اطلسی
Saying, “Cut this into a wide undervest (baghaltáq)”: from (as the result of) the trial there appear two horns on him.685
که ببر این را بغلطاق فراخ ** ز امتحان پیدا شود او را دو شاخ
Were there not a testing of every vicious person, every effeminate would be a Rustam in the fray.
گر نبودی امتحان هر بدی ** هر مخنث در وغا رستم بدی
Even suppose that the effeminate has put on a coat of mail: as soon as he feels the blow, he will become as a captive.
خود مخنث را زره پوشیده گیر ** چون ببیند زخم گردد چون اسیر
How will he that is intoxicated with God be restored to his senses by (the soft breath of) the west-wind? The God-intoxicated man will not come to himself till the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection).
مست حق هشیار چون شد از دبور ** مست حق ناید به خود تا نفخ صور
The wine of God is true, not false: thou hast drunk buttermilk, thou hast drunk buttermilk, buttermilk, buttermilk!
باده‌ی حق راست باشد بی دروغ ** دوغ خوردی دوغ خوردی دوغ دوغ
Thou hast made thyself out to be a Junayd or a Báyazíd, (saying), “Begone, for I do not know a hatchet from a key.”690
ساختی خود را جنید و بایزید ** رو که نشناسم تبر را از کلید
How by means of hypocrisy, O contriver of fraud, wilt thou conceal depravity of nature and (spiritual) sloth and greed and concupiscence?
بدرگی و منبلی و حرص و آز ** چون کنی پنهان بشید ای مکرساز
Thou makest thyself a Mansúr-i Halláj and settest fire to the cotton of thy friends,
خویش را منصور حلاجی کنی ** آتشی در پنبه‌ی یاران زنی
Saying, “I do not know ‘Umar from Bú Lahab, (but) I know the wind of my ass-colt at midnight.”
که بنشناسم عمر از بولهب ** باد کره‌ی خود شناسم نیمشب
Oh, the ass that would believe this from an ass like thee, and would make himself blind and deaf for thy sake!
ای خری کین از تو خر باور کند ** خویش را بهر تو کور و کر کند
Do not count thyself one of the travellers on the Way; thou art a comrade of them that defile the Way: do not eat dung (do not talk rubbish)!695
خویش را از ره‌روان کمتر شمر ** تو حریف ره‌ریانی گه مخور
Fly back from hypocrisy, hasten towards Reason: how shall the wing of the phenomenal (unreal) soar to Heaven?
باز پر از شید سوی عقل تاز ** کی پرد بر آسمان پر مجاز
Thou hast feigned to be a lover of God, (but in truth) thou hast played the game of love with a black devil.
خویشتن را عاشق حق ساختی ** عشق با دیو سیاهی باختی
At the Resurrection lover and beloved shall be tied in couples and quickly brought forward (to judgement).
عاشق و معشوق را در رستخیز ** دو بدو بندند و پیش آرند تیز
Why hast thou made thyself crazy and senseless? Where is the blood of the vine? Thou hast drunk our blood,
تو چه خود را گیج و بی‌خود کرده‌ای ** خون رز کو خون ما را خورده‌ای
(Saying), “Begone, I do not know thee: spring away from me. I am a gnostic who is beside himself and (I am) the Buhlúl of the village.”700
رو که نشناسم ترا از من بجه ** عارف بی‌خویشم و بهلول ده
Thou art conceiving a false opinion of thy nearness to God, thinking that the Tray-maker is not far from the tray;
تو توهم می‌کنی از قرب حق ** که طبق‌گر دور نبود از طبق
(And) thou dost not see this, that the nearness of the saints (to God) hath a hundred miracles and pomps and powers.
این نمی‌بینی که قرب اولیا ** صد کرامت دارد و کار و کیا
By David iron is made (soft as) a piece of wax; in thy hand wax is (hard) as iron.
آهن از داوود مومی می‌شود ** موم در دستت چو آهن می‌بود
Nearness (to God) in respect of (His) creating and sustaining (us) is common to all, (but only) these noble ones possess the nearness (consisting) of the inspiration of Love.
قرب خلق و رزق بر جمله‌ست عام ** قرب وحی عشق دارند این کرام
Nearness is of various kinds, O father: the sun strikes (both) on the mountains and on the gold (in the mine);705
قرب بر انواع باشد ای پدر ** می‌زند خورشید بر کهسار و زر
But between the sun and the gold there is a nearness (affinity) of which the bíd-tree hath no knowledge.
لیک قربی هست با زر شید را ** که از آن آگه نباشد بید را