The Nile has learned from God to discriminate, for it opened (the door) for these (Israelites) and shut fast (the door) against those (Egyptians).
نیل تمییز از خدا آموختست ** که گشاد آن را و این را سخت بست
His grace makes the Nile intelligent; His wrath makes Cain foolish.
لطف او عاقل کند مر نیل را ** قهر او ابله کند قابیل را
He, from kindness, created intelligence in lifeless things; He, because of His wrath, cut off intelligence from the intelligent one.2820
در جمادات از کرم عقل آفرید ** عقل از عاقل به قهر خود برید
By (His) grace an intelligence appeared in lifeless matter, and through (His) chastisement knowledge fled from the intelligent.
در جماد از لطف عقلی شد پدید ** وز نکال از عاقلان دانش رمید
There, by (His) command the rain-like intelligence poured down; here, intelligence saw God's anger and took to flight.
عقل چون باران به امر آنجا بریخت ** عقل این سو خشم حق دید و گریخت
Clouds and sun and moon and lofty stars, all come and go according to arrangement.
ابر و خورشید و مه و نجم بلند ** جمله بر ترتیب آیند و روند
None comes but at its appointed hour, so that it neither lags behind the time nor (arrives) before.
هر یکی ناید مگر در وقت خویش ** که نه پس ماند ز هنگام و نه پیش
How hast not thou understood this from the prophets? They brought knowledge into stone and rod,2825
چون نکردی فهم این را ز انبیا ** دانش آوردند در سنگ و عصا
That thou, (judging) by analogy, might’st undoubtingly deem the other lifeless things to be like rod and stone (in this respect).
تا جمادات دگر را بی لباس ** چون عصا و سنگ داری از قیاس
The obedience (to God) of stone and rod is made manifest and gives information concerning the other lifeless things,
طاعت سنگ و عصا ظاهر شود ** وز جمادات دگر مخبر شود
That (they say), “We are cognisant of God and obedient (to Him): we all are (bearing witness to His wisdom) not by chance and in vain.
که ز یزدان آگهیم و طایعیم ** ما همه نی اتفاقی ضایعیم
As (for example) the water of the Nile: thou knowest that at the time of drowning it made a distinction between the two peoples;
هم‌چو آب نیل دانی وقت غرق ** کو میان هر دو امت کرد فرق
(And) as the earth: thou knowest it to be possessed of knowledge, at the time of (its) sinking, in regard to Qárún whom He subdued and swept away;2830
چون زمین دانیش دانا وقت خسف ** در حق قارون که قهرش کرد و نسف
(And) as the moon, which heard the (Divine) command and hastened (to obey) and then became two halves in the sky and split;
چون قمر که امر بشنید و شتافت ** پس دو نیمه گشت بر چرخ و شکافت
(And) as the trees and stones which everywhere overtly made the salaam to Mustafá (Mohammed).
چون درخت و سنگ کاندر هر مقام ** مصطفی را کرده ظاهرالسلام
Reply to the materialist who disbelieves in the Deity and says that the world is eternal.
جواب دهری کی منکر الوهیت است و عالم را قدیم می‌گوید
Yesterday some one was saying, “The world is originated in time: this heaven is passing away, and God is its inheritor.”
دی یکی می‌گفت عالم حادثست ** فانیست این چرخ و حقش وارثست
A philosopher said, “How do you know (its) temporal origin? How should the rain know the temporality of the cloud?
فلسفیی گفت چون دانی حدوث ** حادثی ابر چون داند غیوث
You are not even a mote of the (celestial) revolution: how should you know the temporality of the sun?2835
ذره‌ای خود نیستی از انقلاب ** تو چه می‌دانی حدوث آفتاب
The little worm that is buried in filth—how should it know the end and beginning of the earth?
کرمکی کاندر حدث باشد دفین ** کی بداند آخر و بدو زمین
You have heard this by rote from your father: through foolishness you have become involved in this (belief).
این به تقلید از پدر بشنیده‌ای ** از حماقت اندرین پیچیده‌ای
What is the demonstrative argument for its temporality? Tell (me) or else keep silence and do not seek (indulge in) excessive talk.”
چیست برهان بر حدوث این بگو ** ورنه خامش کن فزون گویی مجو
He said, “One day I saw two parties searching in this deep sea,
گفت دیدم اندرین بحث عمیق ** بحث می‌کردند روزی دو فریق
(Engaged) in disputation and controversy and desperate battle: a crowd gathered round those two persons.2840
در جدال و در خصام و در ستوه ** گشت هنگامه بر آن دو کس گروه
I went towards the crowded multitude and took notice of their (the disputants') affair.
من به سوی جمع هنگامه شدم ** اطلاع از حال ایشان بستدم
One was saying, ‘The sky will pass away: without any doubt, this edifice hath a builder.’
آن یکی می‌گفت گردون فانیست ** بی‌گمانی این بنا را بانیست
The other said, ‘It is eternal and timeless: it hath no builder, or else it is (itself) the builder.’
وان دگر گفت این قدیم و بی کیست ** نیستش بانی و یا بانی ویست
He (his adversary) said, ‘You have denied the Creator, the Producer of day and night and the Giver of sustenance.’
گفت منکر گشته‌ای خلاق را ** روز و شب آرنده و رزاق را
He (the philosopher) said, ‘Without clear evidence, I will not listen to that which an ignoramus has accepted by rote.2845
گفت بی برهان نخواهم من شنید ** آنچ گولی آن به تقلیدی گزید
Come, bring the proof and evidence, for never in the world will I hearken to this without proof.’
هین بیاور حجت و برهان که من ** نشنوم بی حجت این را در زمن
‘The proof,’ he replied, ‘is within my soul: my evidence is hidden within my soul.
گفت حجت در درون جانمست ** در درون جان نهان برهانمست
You, from weakness of eye, are not seeing the new moon: (if) I am seeing it, do not you be angry with me.’
تو نمی‌بینی هلال از ضعف چشم ** من همی بینم مکن بر من تو خشم
There was much debate, and the people became perplexed as to the beginning and end of this well-ordered celestial sphere.
گفت و گو بسیار گشت و خلق گیج ** در سر و پایان این چرخ پسیج
He (the pious man) said, ‘Friend, within me is a (decisive) proof: I have a (manifest) sign indicating the temporal origin of the sky.2850
گفت یارا در درونم حجتیست ** بر حدوث آسمانم آیتیست
I possess the certainty: for him that hath certain knowledge the token thereof is that he will go into the fire.
من یقین دارم نشانش آن بود ** مر یقین‌دان را که در آتش رود
Like the inmost feelings of love in lovers, that proof, (you must) know, does not come (to utterance) on the tongue.
در زبان می‌ناید آن حجت بدان ** هم‌چو حال سر عشق عاشقان
The inmost meaning of my words is not apparent, except (in) the pallor and haggardness of my face.
نیست پیدا سر گفت و گوی من ** جز که زردی و نزاری روی من
Tears and blood roll on my cheeks and become the proof of His (the Beloved's) comeliness and beauty.’
اشک و خون بر رخ روانه می‌دود ** حجت حسن و جمالش می‌شود
He (the philosopher) replied, ‘I do not deem these things to be such a proof as would be a manifest sign to the vulgar.’2855
گفت من اینها ندانم حجتی ** که بود در پیش عامه آیتی
He (the other) said, ‘When a base and a genuine coin boast, saying (to each other), “Thou art base; I am good and valuable,”
گفت چون قلبی و نقدی دم زنند ** که تو قلبی من تکویم ارجمند
Fire is the final test: (the test is) that these two rivals should be dropped into the fire.
هست آتش امتحان آخرین ** کاندر آتش در فتند این دو قرین
(Then) the vulgar and the elect will become acquainted with their (real) state and will advance from opinion and doubt to certain knowledge.
عام و خاص از حالشان عالم شوند ** از گمان و شک سوی ایقان روند
Water and fire, O (dear) soul, are the test for the pure and the base coin that is hidden.
آب و آتش آمد ای جان امتحان ** نقد و قلبی را که آن باشد نهان
Let me and thee, both of us, go into the fire and become a lasting proof for the perplexed.2860
تا من و تو هر دو در آتش رویم ** حجت باقی حیرانان شویم
Let me and thee, both of us, fall into the sea, for thou and I are a sign unto this multitude.’
تا من و تو هر دو در بحر اوفتیم ** که من و تو این کره را آیتیم
Even so they did and entered the fire: both cast themselves upon the heat of the fire.
هم‌چنان کردند و در آتش شدند ** هر دو خود را بر تف آتش زدند
The God-proclaiming man who engaged in controversy was saved, while that bastard (impostor) was burnt in the fire.
از خدا گوینده مرد مدعی ** رست و سوزید اندر آتش آن دعی
Hear from the muezzin this announcement, to the confusion of the foolish transgressors,
از مذن بشنو این اعلام را ** کوری افزون‌روان خام را
That this name (Mohammed) has not been burnt (destroyed) by Death, since its bearer was a prince and most noble.2865
که نسوزیدست این نام از اجل ** کش مسمی صدر بودست و اجل
In the course of time hundreds of thousands of the veils of the unbelievers have been rent by this laying down of stakes.
صد هزاران زین رهان اندر قران ** بر دریده پرده‌های منکران
When they (the devout men and the philosopher) made the wager, the truth prevailed as regards immortality and evidentiary miracles and the answer (given to unbelievers).
چون گرو بستند غالب شد صواب ** در دوام و معجزات و در جواب