Do not deem absence (from Him) to be the result of imperfection on their part, for He takes vengeance for the sake of their spirits (which are one with Him).80
غایبی مندیش از نقصانشان ** کو کشد کین از برای جانشان
He said, “These saints are My children in exile, sundered from (My) dominion and glory;
گفت اطفال من‌اند این اولیا ** در غریبی فرد از کار و کیا
(They are) despised and orphaned for the sake of probation, but secretly I am their friend and intimate.
از برای امتحان خوار و یتیم ** لیک اندر سر منم یار و ندیم
All of them are supported by My protections: you may say they are in sooth parts of Me.
پشت‌دار جمله عصمتهای من ** گوییا هستند خود اجزای من
Take heed! Take heed! These are My dervishes; they are a hundred thousand thousand and (yet) they are one body.”
هان و هان این دلق‌پوشان من‌اند ** صد هزار اندر هزار و یک تن‌اند
Else, how should a Moses have overthrown Pharaoh by means of one goodly rod?85
ورنه کی کردی به یک چوبی هنر ** موسیی فرعون را زیر و زبر
Else, how should Noah have submerged East and West in his Flood by means of one evil curse?
ورنه کی کردی به یک نفرین بد ** نوح شرق و غرب را غرقاب خود
One prayer of the generous Lot would not have rased (to the ground) all their (his people's) city (and left them) in despair.
بر نکندی یک دعای لوط راد ** جمله شهرستانشان را بی مراد
Their city, resembling Paradise, became a lake of black water: go, behold the sign!
گشت شهرستان چون فردوسشان ** دجله‌ی آب سیه رو بین نشان
This sign and this information (admonition) lies in the direction of Syria: you will see it as you pass on the way to Jerusalem.
سوی شامست این نشان و این خبر ** در ره قدسش ببینی در گذر
Hundreds of thousands of prophets who worshipped God— truly there have been chastisements (inflicted by them) in every generation.90
صد هزاران ز انبیای حق‌پرست ** خود بهر قرنی سیاستها بدست
If I should tell on and if this narration should increase (in length), not only (men's) hearts but the (very) mountains would bleed.
گر بگویم وین بیان افزون شود ** خود جگر چه بود که کهها خون شود
The mountains bleed and again become solid, (but) you do not see them bleed: you are blind and reprobate.
خون شود کهها و باز آن بفسرد ** تو نبینی خون شدن کوری و رد
A marvellous blind man, (who is) far-sighted and keen-eyed, but sees naught of the camel except the hair!
طرفه کوری دوربین تیزچشم ** لیک از اشتر نبیند غیر پشم
Man, from the parsimony of greed, inspects hair by hair: like a bear, he keeps dancing to no purpose.
مو بمو بیند ز صرفه حرص انس ** رقص بی مقصود دارد همچو خرس
Dance (only) where you break (mortify) yourself and (when you) tear away the cotton from the sore of lust.95
رقص آنجا کن که خود را بشکنی ** پنبه را از ریش شهوت بر کنی
(Holy) men dance and wheel on the (spiritual) battle-field: they dance in their own blood.
رقص و جولان بر سر میدان کنند ** رقص اندر خون خود مردان کنند
When they are freed from the hand (dominion) of self, they clap a hand; when they escape from their own imperfection, they make a dance.
چون رهند از دست خود دستی زنند ** چون جهند از نقص خود رقصی کنند
From within them musicians strike the tambourine; at their ecstasy the seas burst into foam.
مطربانشان از درون دف می‌زنند ** بحرها در شورشان کف می‌زنند
You see it not, but for their ears the leaves too on the boughs are clapping hands.
تو نبینی لیک بهر گوششان ** برگها بر شاخها هم کف‌زنان
You do not see the clapping of the leaves: one must have the spiritual ear, not this ear of the body.100
تو نبینی برگها را کف زدن ** گوش دل باید نه این گوش بدن
Close the ear of the head to jesting and lying, that you may see the resplendent city of the soul.
گوش سر بر بند از هزل و دروغ ** تا ببینی شهر جان با فروغ
The ear of Mohammed draws out the hidden meaning in the words (of the religious hypocrites), for God saith of him in the Qur’án, “He is an ear.”
سر کشد گوش محمد در سخن ** کش بگوید در نبی حق هو اذن
This Prophet is entirely ear and eye; we are refreshed by him: he is (as) the suckler and we (as) the (infant) boy.
سر به سر گوشست و چشم است این نبی ** تازه زو ما مرضعست او ما صبی
This discourse hath no end. Go back to those who had to do with the elephant, and start at the beginning.
این سخن پایان ندارد باز ران ** سوی اهل پیل و بر آغاز ران
The remainder of the Story of those who molested the young elephants.
بقیه‌ی قصه‌ی متعرضان پیل‌بچگان
“The elephant takes a sniff at every mouth and keeps poking round the belly of every man,105
هر دهان را پیل بویی می‌کند ** گرد معده‌ی هر بشر بر می‌تند
To see where she will find the roasted flesh of her young, so that she may manifest her vengeance and strength.”
تا کجا یابد کباب پور خویش ** تا نماید انتقام و زور خویش
You eat the flesh of God's servants: you backbite them, you will suffer retribution.
گوشتهای بندگان حق خوری ** غیبت ایشان کنی کیفر بری
Beware, for he that smells your mouths is the Creator: how shall any one save his life except him that is true (to God)?
هان که بویای دهانتان خالقست ** کی برد جان غیر آن کو صادقست
Woe to the scoffer whose smell shall be tested in the grave by Munkar or Nakír!
وای آن افسوسیی کش بوی‌گیر ** باشد اندر گور منکر یا نکیر
There is no possibility of withdrawing the mouth from those mighty ones, nor of sweetening the mouth with medicinal ointments.110
نه دهان دزدیدن امکان زان مهان ** نه دهان خوش کردن از دارودهان
(In the grave) there is no water and oil to cover the face, there is no way of evasion (open) to intelligence and sagacity.
آب و روغن نیست مر روپوش را ** راه حیلت نیست عقل و هوش را
How many a time will the blows of their maces beat upon the head and rump of every vain gabbler!
چند کوبد زخمهای گرزشان ** بر سر هر ژاژخا و مرزشان
Look at the effect of the mace of ‘Azrá’íl, (even) if you do not see the wood and iron in (their material) forms.
گرز عزرائیل را بنگر اثر ** گر نبینی چوب و آهن در صور
Sometimes too they appear in (material) form: the patient (himself) is aware thereof.
هم بصورت می‌نماید گه گهی ** زان همان رنجور باشد آگهی
The patient says, “O my friends, what is this sword over my head?”115
گوید آن رنجور ای یاران من ** چیست این شمشیر بر ساران من
(They reply), “We do not see it; this must be fancy.” What fancy is this? (Nay), for it is (the hour of) departure (to the other world).
ما نمی‌بینیم باشد این خیال ** چه خیالست این که این هست ارتحال
What fancy is this, from terror of which this inverted sphere (the sky) has now become (as insubstantial as) a phantom?
چه خیالست این که این چرخ نگون ** از نهیب این خیالی شد کنون
To the sick man the maces and swords became perceptible (visible), and his head dropped down.
گرزها و تیغها محسوس شد ** پیش بیمار و سرش منکوس شد
He sees that that (vision) is for his sake: the eye of foe and friend (alike) is barred from it.
او همی‌بیند که آن از بهر اوست ** چشم دشمن بسته زان و چشم دوست
Worldly greed vanished, his eye became keen: his eye became illumined at the moment of bloodshed (death).120
حرص دنیا رفت و چشمش تیز شد ** چشم او روشن گه خون‌ریز شد
That eye of his, from the result of his pride and his anger, became (like) the cock that crows unseasonably.
مرغ بی‌هنگام شد آن چشم او ** از نتیجه‌ی کبر او و خشم او
It is necessary to cut off the head of the bird that rings the bell (crows) at the wrong time.
سر بریدن واجب آید مرغ را ** کو بغیر وقت جنباند درا
At every moment thy particular spirit is struggling with death: in thy spirit's death-struggle look to thy faith!
هر زمان نزعیست جزو جانت را ** بنگر اندر نزع جان ایمانت را
Thy life is like a purse of gold: day and night are like him who counts the gold coins (the money-changer).
عمر تو مانند همیان زرست ** روز و شب مانند دینار اشمرست
He (Time) counts and gives the gold without stopping, until it (the purse) is emptied and there comes the eclipse (death).125
می‌شمارد می‌دهد زر بی وقوف ** تا که خالی گردد و آید خسوف
If you take away from a mountain and do not put (anything) in the place (of what you have taken), the mountain will be demolished by that giving.
گر ز که بستانی و ننهی بجای ** اندر آید کوه زان دادن ز پای
Therefore, for every breath (that you give out), put an equivalent in its place, so that by (acting in accordance with the text) and fall to worship and draw nigh you may gain your object.
پس بنه بر جای هر دم را عوض ** تا ز واسجد واقترب یابی غرض
Do not strive so much to complete (your worldly) affairs: do not strive in any affair that is not religious.
در تمامی کارها چندین مکوش ** جز به کاری که بود در دین مکوش
(Otherwise) at the end you will depart incomplete, your (spiritual) affairs marred and your bread unbaked.
عاقبت تو رفت خواهی ناتمام ** کارهاات ابتر و نان تو خام