The life-giving verdure which Sámirí put into the (golden) calf, so that it became endowed with the (vital) essence.
سبزه‌ی جان‌بخش که آن را سامری ** کرد در گوساله تا شد گوهری
From that verdure it took life and bellowed—such a bellowing as confounded the foe.
جان گرفت و بانگ زد زان سبزه او ** آنچنان بانگی که شد فتنه‌ی عدو
If ye come loyally to the possessors of the mystery, ye will be freed from the hood, like a falcon—3335
گر امین آیید سوی اهل راز ** وا رهید از سر کله مانند باز
The hood that binds eye and ear, whereby the falcon is (made) wretched and abject.
سر کلاه چشم‌بند گوش‌بند ** که ازو بازست مسکین و نژند
The hood is (placed as) a blind on the eyes of falcons because its (the falcon's) whole desire is for its own kind.
زان کله مر چشم بازان را سدست ** که همه میلش سوی جنس خودست
When it has been severed from its kind, it associates with the king: the falconer unveils its eye.
چون برید از جنس با شه گشت یار ** بر گشاید چشم او را بازدار
God drove the devils from His place of watch, (He drove) the particular intellect from its autonomy,
راند دیوان را حق از مرصاد خویش ** عقل جزوی را ز استبداد خویش
Saying, “Do not domineer: thou art not autonomous; nay, thou art the pupil of the heart and predisposed (to learn from it).3340
که سری کم کن نه‌ای تو مستبد ** بلک شاگرد دلی و مستعد
Go to the heart, go, for thou art a part of the heart: take heed, for thou art a slave of the just King.”
رو بر دل رو که تو جزو دلی ** هین که بنده‌ی پادشاه عادلی
To be His slave is better than being a sovereign, for “I am better” is the word of Satan.
بندگی او به از سلطانیست ** که انا خیر دم شیطانیست
Do thou see the distinction and pick out (choose by preference), O prisoner, the slavery of Adam from the pride of Iblís.
فرق بین و برگزین تو ای حبیس ** بندگی آدم از کبر بلیس
He who is the Sun of the Way uttered the saying, “Good (túbá) betide every one whose carnal soul is abased!”
گفت آنک هست خورشید ره او ** حرف طوبی هر که ذلت نفسه
Behold the shade of Túbá (the tree in Paradise) and sleep well; lay thy head in the shade and sleep without lifting thy head (haughtily).3345
سایه‌ی طوبی ببین وخوش بخسپ ** سر بنه در سایه بی‌سرکش بخسپ
The shade of (one) “whose carnal soul is abased” is a pleasant place for reclining: it is a (good) sleeping-place for him that is predisposed to that (spiritual) purity.
ظل ذلت نفسه خوش مضجعیست ** مستعد آن صفا و مهجعیست
If thou go from this shade towards egoism, thou wilt soon become disobedient (to God) and lose the way.
گر ازین سایه روی سوی منی ** زود طاغی گردی و ره گم کنی
Explaining (the Verse), "O ye that believe, do not put (yourselves) forward in the presence of God and His Apostle." Since thou art not the Prophet, be one of the religious community; since thou art not the sovereign, be a subject.
بیان آنک یا ایها الذین آمنوا لا تقدموا بین یدی الله و رسوله چون نبی نیستی ز امت باش چونک سلطان نه‌ای رعیت باش پس رو خاموش باش از خود زحمتی و رایی متراش
Go therefore, be silent in submission beneath the shade of the command of the Shaykh and Master;
پس برو خاموش باش از انقیاد ** زیر ظل امر شیخ و اوستاد
Otherwise, though thou art predisposed and capable, thou wilt become deformed through boasting of (thy) perfection.
ورنه گر چه مستعد و قابلی ** مسخ گردی تو ز لاف کاملی
Thou wilt be deprived even of (thy good) predisposition, if thou rebel against the Master of the mystery who is endowed with knowledge.3350
هم ز استعداد وا مانی اگر ** سر کشی ز استاد راز و با خبر
Do thou still have patience in cobbling; for if thou be impatient, thou wilt become a rag-stitcher.
صبر کن در موزه دوزی تو هنوز ** ور بوی بی‌صبر گردی پاره‌دوز
If the stitchers of old clothes had patience and forbearance, all of them too would become stitchers of new garments through (acquisition of) knowledge.
کهنه‌دوزان گر بدیشان صبر و حلم ** جمله نودوزان شدندی هم به علم
Thou strivest much, and at last even thou thyself sayest in weariness that the intellect is a fetter,
بس بکوشی و بخر از کلال ** هم تو گویی خویش کالعقل عقال
Like the philosopher (who) on the day of his death perceived his intellect to be very poor and feeble,
هم‌چو آن مرد مفلسف روز مرگ ** عقل را می‌دید بس بی‌بال و برگ
And in that hour disinterestedly confessed (the truth), saying, “(Impelled) by acuteness of mind we galloped in vain.3355
بی‌غرض می‌کرد آن دم اعتراف ** کز ذکاوت راندیم اسپ از گزاف
In delusion we drew (scornfully) away from the holy men, we swam in the sea of phantasy.”
از غروری سر کشیدیم از رجال ** آشنا کردیم در بحر خیال
In the spiritual Sea swimming is naught (of no avail): here is no resource but the ship (ark) of Noah.
آشنا هیچست اندر بحر روح ** نیست اینجا چاره جز کشتی نوح
Thus said that king of the prophets, “I am the ship in this universal Sea,
این چنین فرمود این شاه رسل ** که منم کشتی درین دریای کل
Or that person who, in respect of my (inward) clairvoyances, has become a true vicegerent in my stead.”
یا کسی کو در بصیرتهای من ** شد خلیفه‌ی راستی بر جای من
We (saints) are the ship (ark) of Noah in the Sea, in order that thou mayst not turn thy face away from the ship, O youth.3360
کشتی نوحیم در دریا که تا ** رو نگردانی ز کشتی ای فتی
Go not, like Canaan, to every mountain: hear from the Qur’án (the warning), “There is naught that will protect (thee) to-day.”
هم‌چو کنعان سوی هر کوهی مرو ** از نبی لا عاصم الیوم شنو
This ship, because of the bandage (on thy vision), seems to thee low, (while) the mountain of (intellectual) thought seems very high.
می‌نماید پست این کشتی ز بند ** می‌نماید کوه فکرت بس بلند
Beware, beware! Do not regard this “low” with contempt: regard the grace of God that is attached (to it).
پست منگر هان و هان این پست را ** بنگر آن فضل حق پیوست را
Do not regard the height of the mountain of thought, for a single wave turns it upside down.
در علو کوه فکرت کم نگر ** که یکی موجش کند زیر و زبر
If thou art (like) Canaan, thou wilt not believe me though I foster (for thy sake) two hundred times as many counsels.3365
گر تو کنعانی نداری باورم ** گر دو صد چندین نصیحت پرورم
How should Canaan's ear accept these words? for God's seal and signet is upon it.
گوش کنعان کی پذیرد این کلام ** که برو مهر خدایست و ختام
How should admonition pass through God's seal? How should the new (admonition) avert the (eternal) pre-ordainment?
کی گذارد موعظه بر مهر حق ** کی بگرداند حدث حکم سبق
But I am telling the news of good fortune in the hope that thou art not (like) Canaan.
لیک می‌گویم حدیث خوش‌پیی ** بر امید آنک تو کنعان نه‌ای
Thou wilt make this confession at last. Hark, from the first day do thou behold the last!
آخر این اقرار خواهی کرد هین ** هم ز اول روز آخر را ببین
Thou canst see the end: do not make blind and old thine eye that sees the end.3370
می‌توانی دید آخر را مکن ** چشم آخربینت را کور کهن
Whosoever is blessedly a seer of the end will never stumble in wayfaring.
هر که آخربین بود مسعودوار ** نبودش هر دم ز ره رفتن عثار
Unless thou desire this incessant lying down and rising up (this stumbling on the way), sharpen thine eye with the dust on the foot of a holy man.
گر نخواهی هر دمی این خفت‌خیز ** کن ز خاک پایی مردی چشم تیز
Make the dust of his foot collyrium for thine eye, that thou mayst strike off the head of the blackguards;
کحل دیده ساز خاک پاش را ** تا بیندازی سر اوباش را
For through this pupilage and this poverty (of spirit), (though) thou be (as) a needle, thou wilt become (a trenchant sword like) Dhu ’l-faqár.
که ازین شاگردی و زین افتقار ** سوزنی باشی شوی تو ذوالفقار
Use the dust of every elect one as collyrium: it will both burn the eye and do it good.3375
سرمه کن تو خاک هر بگزیده را ** هم بسوزد هم بسازد دیده را
The eye of the camel is very luminous because he (the camel) eats thorns for the sake of (increasing) the light of his eye.
چشم اشتر زان بود بس نوربار ** کو خورد از بهر نور چشم خار
Story of the mule's complaining to the camel (and saying), "I often fall on my face when going along, while you seldom do so: why is this?" and the camel's answer to him.
قصه‌ی شکایت استر با شتر کی من بسیار در رو می‌افتم در راه رفتن تو کم در روی می‌آیی این چراست و جواب گفتن شتر او را
One day a mule saw a camel, since he had been put into a stable with him.
اشتری را دید روزی استری ** چونک با او جمع شد در آخری
He (the mule) said, “I often fall on my face in hill and road and in market and street.
گفت من بسیار می‌افتم برو ** در گریوه و راه و در بازار و کو
Particularly (in descending) from the top of the mountain to the bottom I come down on my head every moment from terror.
خاصه از بالای که تا زیر کوه ** در سر آیم هر زمانی از شکوه
Thou dost not fall on thy face: why is it? Or maybe in sooth thy pure spirit is destined to felicity.3380
کم همی‌افتی تو در رو بهر چیست ** یا مگر خود جان پاکت دولتیست
I come down on my head every instant and strike my knees (on the ground): by that slipping I make muzzle and knees all bloody.
در سر آیم هر دم و زانو زنم ** پوز و زانو زان خطا پر خون کنم