O Messenger of God, (even) if the youth is lion-born (heroic), may none but an old man be head of the army!
یا رسول الله جوان ار شیرزاد ** غیر مرد پیر سر لشکر مباد
Thou too hast said, and thy word is (a true) witness, ‘The leader must be old, must be old.’
هم تو گفتستی و گفت تو گوا ** پیر باید پیر باید پیشوا
O Messenger of God, look on this army, (in which) there are so many elders and (persons) superior to him.”2050
یا رسول‌الله درین لشکر نگر ** هست چندین پیر و از وی پیشتر
Do not regard the yellow leaves of this tree, (but) pick its ripe apples.
زین درخت آن برگ زردش را مبین ** سیبهای پخته‌ی او را بچین
How, in sooth, are its yellow leaves void (of worth)? This is the sign of maturity and perfection.
برگهای زرد او خود کی تهیست ** این نشان پختگی و کاملیست
The yellow leaf of the (elder's) beard and his white hair bring tidings of joy on account of his mature intelligence.
برگ زرد ریش و آن موی سپید ** بهر عقل پخته می‌آرد نوید
The newly-arrived green-coloured leaves signify that this fruit is unripe.
برگهای نو رسیده‌ی سبزفام ** شد نشان آنک آن میوه‌ست خام
The provision of leaflessness (spiritual poverty) is the sign of being a gnostic; the yellowness of gold is the (cause of the) money-changer's ruddiness of face (cheerful countenance).2055
برگ بی‌برگی نشان عارفیست ** زردی زر سرخ رویی صارفیست
If he that (still) is rosy-cheeked has fresh down (on his face), (yet) he has just begun to learn writing in the school of knowledge.
آنک او گل عارضست ار نو خطست ** او به مکتب گاه مخبر نوخطست
The letters of his handwriting are very crooked (misshapen): he is a cripple in respect of intelligence, though his body moves with agility.
حرفهای خط او کژمژ بود ** مزمن عقلست اگر تن می‌دود
Although an old man's feet are deprived of rapid movement, his intelligence has gotten two wings and has sped to the zenith.
پای پیر از سرعت ار چه باز ماند ** یافت عقل او دو پر بر اوج راند
If you wish for an example (of this), look at Ja‘far: God gave him wings instead of hands and feet.
گر مثل خواهی به جعفر در نگر ** داد حق بر جای دست و پاش پر
Cease from (speaking of) gold (pallor), for this topic is recondite: this heart of mine has become agitated like quicksilver.2060
بگذر از زر کین سخت شد محتجب ** هم‌چو سیماب این دلم شد مضطرب
From within me a hundred sweet-breathing silent ones put their hands on their lips, signifying, “It is enough.”
ز اندرونم صدخموش خوش‌نفس ** دست بر لب می‌زند یعنی که بس
Silence is the sea, and speech is like the river. The sea is seeking thee: do not seek the river.
خامشی بحرست و گفتن هم‌چو جو ** بحر می‌جوید ترا جو را مجو
Do not turn thy head away from the indications given by the sea: conclude (the subject)—and God best knoweth the right course.
از اشارتهای دریا سر متاب ** ختم کن والله اعلم بالصواب
That irreverent (objector) made no pause in the words (which he poured forth) in this fashion from those cold (insipid) lips (of his) in the presence of the Prophet.
همچنین پیوسته کرد آن بی‌ادب ** پیش پیغامبر سخن زان سرد لب
Words were assisting (did not fail) him, (but) he was ignorant that hearsay (traditional knowledge) is mere babble in the presence of sight (immediate vision).2065
دست می‌دادش سخن او بی‌خبر ** که خبر هرزه بود پیش نظر
Indeed, these matters of hearsay are (only) a substitute for sight: they are not for him who is present, (but) for him who is absent.
این خبرها از نظر خود نایبست ** بهر حاضر نیست بهر غایبست
Whoever has been caused to attain unto sight, before him these matters of hearsay are idle.
هر که او اندر نظر موصول شد ** این خبرها پیش او معزول شد
When you have sat down beside your beloved, after this banish the dallálas (the old women who act as go-betweens).
چونک با معشوق گشتی همنشین ** دفع کن دلالگان را بعد ازین
When any one has passed beyond childhood and has become a man, the letter and the dallála become irksome to him.
هر که از طفلی گذشت و مرد شد ** نامه و دلاله بر وی سرد شد
He reads letters, (but only) for the purpose of teaching (others); he utters words, (but only) for the purpose of making (others) understand.2070
نامه خواند از پی تعلیم را ** حرف گوید از پی تفهیم را
’Tis wrong to speak by hearsay in the presence of those who see (who are endowed with vision), for it is a proof of our heedlessness and deficiency.
پیش بینایان خبر گفتن خطاست ** کان دلیل غفلت و نقصان ماست
In the presence of the seer silence is to your advantage: on this account came (from God) the allocution, Be ye silent.
پیش بینا شد خموشی نفع تو ** بهر این آمد خطاب انصتوا
If he (the seer) bid you speak, speak gladly, but say little and do not draw out (your words) to length;
And if he bid you draw them out to length, speak with the same modesty (as before) and comply with his command,
ور بفرماید که اندر کش دراز ** هم‌چنان شرمین بگو با امر ساز
Even as I (am complying) now, in this goodly enchantment (this enchanting poem), with (the command of) Ziyá’u ’l-Haqq (the Radiance of God) Husámu’ddín.2075
همچنین که من درین زیبا فسون ** با ضیاء الحق حسام‌الدین کنون
When I am cutting short (my discourse) concerning (the Way of) righteousness, he draws me on to speak by a hundred kinds (of contrivance).
چونک کوته می‌کنم من از رشد ** او به صد نوعم بگفتن می‌کشد
O Husámu’ddín, Radiance of the Almighty, inasmuch as thou art seeing, why dost thou seek speech (from me)?
ای حسام‌الدین ضیاء ذوالجلال ** چونک می‌بینی چه می‌جویی مقال
Perchance this demand (on thy part) may arise from (thy) love for the Desired One, (as the poet said), “Give me wine to drink and tell me that it is (wine).”
این مگر باشد ز حب مشتهی ** اسقنی خمرا و قل لی انها
At this moment His cup is at thy mouth, (but thy) ear says, “Where is the ear's portion?”
بر دهان تست این دم جام او ** گوش می‌گوید که قسم گوش کو
(O ear), thy portion is the heat (of love): lo, thou art heated and intoxicated. It replied, “My greed is greater than this.”2080
قسم تو گرمیست نک گرمی و مست ** گفت حرص من ازین افزون‌ترست
How Mustafá, on whom be peace, answered the objector.
جواب گفتن مصطفی علیه‌السلام اعتراض کننده را
When that Arab carried disputation beyond bounds in the presence of sweettempered Mustafá,
در حضور مصطفای قندخو ** چون ز حد برد آن عرب از گفت و گو
That king of Wa ’l-Najm and that sultan of ‘Abas bit his lip (in anger) and said to the silly prater, “Enough!”
آن شه والنجم و سلطان عبس ** لب گزید آن سرد دم را گفت بس
He was putting his hand on his (the objector's) mouth to prevent him, (as though to say), “How long wilt thou speak in the presence of one who knows the occult?”
دست می‌زند بهر منعش بر دهان ** چند گویی پیش دانای نهان
Thou hast brought dry ordure to one endowed with vision, saying, “Buy this instead of a musk-bag.”
پیش بینا برده‌ای سرگین خشک ** که بخر این را به جای ناف مشک
O thou of stinking brain and stinking marrow, thou placest camel's dung beneath thy nose and sayest, “Oh, delicious!”2085
بعر را ای گنده‌مغز گنده‌مخ ** زیر بینی بنهی و گویی که اخ
O squinting crazy fool, thou hast exclaimed in delight, “Oh, oh,” that thy bad wares may find a ready sale,
اخ اخی برداشتی ای گیج گاج ** تا که کالای بدت یابد رواج
And that thou mayst deceive that pure organ of (spiritual) smell, that which pastures in the celestial rose-garden.
تا فریبی آن مشام پاک را ** آن چریده‌ی گلشن افلاک را
Though his (the saint's) forbearance has feigned to be stupid, one must know one's self a little.
حلم او خود را اگر چه گول ساخت ** خویشتن را اندکی باید شناخت
If to-night the mouth of the cooking-pot is left open, yet the cat must have discretion.
دیگ را گر باز ماند امشب دهن ** گربه را هم شرم باید داشتن
If that glorious one (the saint) has feigned to be asleep, he is (really) very much awake: do not carry off his turban.2090
خویشتن گر خفته کرد آن خوب فر ** سخت بیدارست دستارش مبر
How long, O contumacious man devoid of (spiritual) excellence, wilt thou utter these Devil's enchantments in the presence of God's elect one?
چند گویی ای لجوج بی‌صفا ** این فسون دیو پیش مصطفی
This company (of the elect) have a hundred thousand forbearances, every one of which is (immovable) as a hundred mountains.
صد هزاران حلم دارند این گروه ** هر یکی حلمی از آنها صد چو کوه
Their forbearance makes a fool of the wary and causes the keen-witted man with a hundred eyes to lose his way.
حلمشان بیدار را ابله کند ** زیرک صد چشم را گمره کند
Their forbearance, like fine choice wine, mounts by nice degrees up to the brain.