O thou who art the desire of every one who (wilfully) follows his own desire (for God), thou to whom there is (coming) at every moment a message and letter from the Unseen,
ای تو کام جان هر خودکامه‌ای ** هر دم از غیبت پیام و نامه‌ای
Thou to whose (spiritual) organ of smell there is coming at every moment, as to Jacob, balm from a Joseph,1815
هر دمی یعقوب‌وار از یوسفی ** می‌رسد اندر مشام تو شفا
Spill upon us one drop from that pitcher, give us one word that smells of that garden.
قطره‌ای بر ریز بر ما زان سبو ** شمه‌ای زان گلستان با ما بگو
We are not accustomed, O (thou who art the) beauty of (spiritual) majesty, that thou shouldst drink alone while our lips are dry.
خو نداریم ای جمال مهتری ** که لب ما خشک و تو تنها خوری
O nimble, nimbly-rising traverser of Heaven, spill upon us one draught of that which thou hast drunk.
ای فلک‌پیمای چست چست‌خیز ** زانچ خوردی جرعه‌ای بر ما بریز
There is no other Master of the Revels in the world except thee: O king, look (with favour) on the boon-companions!
میر مجلس نیست در دوران دگر ** جز تو ای شه در حریفان در نگر
How is it possible to quaff this wine underhand (in secret)? Certainly wine is the exposer of man.1820
کی توان نوشید این می زیردست ** می یقین مر مرد را رسواگرست
He may disguise and conceal the scent, (but) how will he hide his intoxicated eye?
بوی را پوشیده و مکنون کند ** چشم مست خویشتن را چون کند
In sooth this is not a scent that thousands of veils will keep hidden in the world.
خود نه آن بویست این که اندر جهان ** صد هزاران پرده‌اش دارد نهان
The desert and plain are filled with its pungency. What (of the) plain? for it hath passed even beyond the nine spheres (of Heaven).
پر شد از تیزی او صحرا و دشت ** دشت چه کز نه فلک هم در گذشت
Do not daub the head of the jar with mortar, for indeed this naked one does not admit of covering.
این سر خم را به کهگل در مگیر ** کین برهنه نیست خود پوشش‌پذیر
Show kindness: O thou who knowest and canst tell the mystery, declare that which thy falcon (thy spirit) has made its prey.”1825
لطف کن ای رازدان رازگو ** آنچ بازت صید کردش بازگو
He said, “A marvellous scent is come to me, even as (a scent came) for the Prophet's sake from Yemen;
گفت بوی بوالعجب آمد به من ** هم‌چنانک مر نبی را از یمن
For Mohammed said, ‘The scent of God is coming to me from Yemen, (wafted) on the hand of the zephyr.’”
که محمد گفت بر دست صبا ** از یمن می‌آیدم بوی خدا
The scent of Rámín is coming from the soul of Wís; the scent of God, too, is coming from Uways.
بوی رامین می‌رسد از جان ویس ** بوی یزدان می‌رسد هم از اویس
From Uways and from Qaran a wondrous scent made the Prophet drunken and full of rapture.
از اویس و از قرن بوی عجب ** مر نبی را مست کرد و پر طرب
Since Uways had passed away from himself, that earthly one (Uways) had become heavenly.1830
چون اویس از خویش فانی گشته بود ** آن زمینی آسمانی گشته بود
The myrobalan conserved in sugar—its bitter taste is not (retained) any more.
آن هلیله‌ی پروریده در شکر ** چاشنی تلخیش نبود دگر
(Similarly) the (spiritual) myrobalan that is freed from egoism hath (only) the appearance of myrobalan, (but) not the flavour.
آن هلیله‌ی رسته از ما و منی ** نقش دارد از هلیله طعم نی
This topic hath no end. Return (to the story), that (we may see) what that holy man (Báyazíd) said, (moved) by inspiration from the World Unseen.
این سخن پایان ندارد باز گرد ** تا چه گفت از وحی غیب آن شیرمرد
The words of the Prophet, may God bless and save him, "Verily, I feel the Breath of the Merciful (God) from the direction of Yemen."
قول رسول صلی الله علیه و سلم انی لاجد نفس الرحمن من قبل الیمن
He (Báyazíd) said, “The scent of a friend is coming from this quarter, for a (spiritual) monarch is coming into this village.
He described his height and his complexion and his figure and spoke in detail of his locks of hair and his face.
قد او و رنگ او و شکل او ** یک به یک واگفت از گیسو و رو
He also declared his spiritual features—his qualities and the way (he should follow in his religion) and his (spiritual) rank and estate.
حلیه‌های روح او را هم نمود ** از صفات و از طریقه و جا و بود
The bodily features, like the body (itself), are borrowed (transient): set not your heart on them, for they are lasting (only) one hour.1840
حلیه‌ی تن هم‌چو تن عاریتیست ** دل بر آن کم نه که آن یک ساعتیست
The features of the natural (animal) spirit also are perishable: seek the features of that spirit which is above the sky.
حلیه‌ی روح طبیعی هم فناست ** حلیه‌ی آن جان طلب کان بر سماست
Its body is on the earth, like a lamp, (but) its light is above the Seventh Roof (of heaven).
جسم او هم‌چون چراغی بر زمین ** نور او بالای سقف هفتمین
Those rays of the sun are in the house, (but) their orb is in the Fourth Dome (of heaven).
آن شعاع آفتاب اندر وثاق ** قرص او اندر چهارم چارطاق
The form of the rose is (placed) beneath the nose for idle pleasure's sake, (but) the scent of the rose is on the roof and palace of the brain.
نقش گل در زیربینی بهر لاغ ** بوی گل بر سقف و ایوان دماغ
A man asleep sees terror (dreams of something which terrifies him) at Aden: the reflexion thereof appears as sweat on his body.1845
مرد خفته در عدن دیده فرق ** عکس آن بر جسم افتاده عرق
The shirt (of Joseph) was in Egypt in the keeping of one exceedingly careful (of it): (the land of) Canaan was filled with the (sweet) scent of that shirt.
پیرهن در مصر رهن یک حریص ** پر شده کنعان ز بوی آن قمیص
Thereupon they wrote down the (predicted) date: they adorned the spit with the meat for roasting.
بر نبشتند آن زمان تاریخ را ** از کباب آراستند آن سیخ را
When the right time and date arrived, that (spiritual) king was born and played the dice of empire.
چون رسید آن وقت و آن تاریخ راست ** زاده شد آن شاه و نرد ملک باخت
After those years (had passed), Bu ’l-Hasan appeared (in the world) after the death of Báyazíd.
از پس آن سالها آمد پدید ** بوالحسن بعد وفات بایزید
All his dispositions, (whether in the way) of withholding tenaciously or bestowing liberally, proved to be such as that (spiritual) king (Báyazíd) had foretold.1850
جمله‌ی خوهای او ز امساک وجود ** آن‌چنان آمد که آن شه گفته بود
His (Báyazíd's) guide is “the guarded tablet.” From what is it guarded? It is guarded from error.
لوح محفوظ است او را پیشوا ** از چه محفوظست محفوظ از خطا
The inspiration of God is not (like) astrology or geomancy or dreams—and God best knoweth what is right.
نه نجومست و نه رملست و نه خواب ** وحی حق والله اعلم بالصواب
The Súfís in explaining (their doctrine) call it (the Divine inspiration) the inspiration of the heart, in order to disguise (its real nature) from the vulgar.
از پی روپوش عامه در بیان ** وحی دل گویند آن را صوفیان
Take it to be the inspiration of the heart, for it (the heart) is the place where He is seen: how should there be error when the heart is aware of Him?
وحی دل گیرش که منظرگاه اوست ** چون خطا باشد چو دل آگاه اوست
O true believer, thou hast become seeing by the light of God: thou hast become secure from error and inadvertence.1855
مومنا ینظر به نور الله شدی ** از خطا و سهو آمن آمدی
The reduction of the allowance of God’s food for the soul and heart of the Súfí .
نقصان اجرای جان و دل صوفی از طعام الله
How should a Súfí be grieved on account of poverty? The very essence of poverty becomes his nurse and his food,
صوفیی از فقر چون در غم شود ** عین فقرش دایه و مطعم شود
Because Paradise hath grown from things disliked and Mercy is the portion of one who is helpless and broken.
زانک جنت از مکاره رسته است ** رحم قسم عاجزی اشکسته است
He that haughtily breaks the heads (of people), the mercy of God and His creatures cometh not towards him.
آنک سرها بشکند او از علو ** رحم حق و خلق ناید سوی او
This topic hath no end, and that youth (the slave) has been deprived of strength by the reduction of his bread-allowance.
این سخن آخر ندارد وان جوان ** از کمی اجرای نان شد ناتوان
Happy is the Súfí whose daily bread is reduced: his bead becomes a pearl, and he becomes the Sea.1860
شاد آن صوفی که رزقش کم شود ** آن شبه‌ش در گردد و اویم شود
Whosoever has become acquainted with that choice (spiritual) allowance, he has become worthy of approach (to the Presence) and of (Him who is) the Source of (every) allowance.
زان جرای خاص هر که آگاه شد ** او سزای قرب و اجری‌گاه شد
When there is a reduction of that spiritual allowance, his spirit trembles on account of its reduction;
زان جرای روح چون نقصان شود ** جانش از نقصان آن لرزان شود
(For) then he knows that a fault has been committed (by him) which has ruffled the jasmine-bed of (Divine) approbation,
پس بداند که خطایی رفته است ** که سمن‌زار رضا آشفته است