- I will do according to thy desire, I will rejoice (to serve thee); I will be thy slave, I will act (generously) as a freeman.” 3440
- بر مراد تو روم شادی کنم ** بنده‌ی تو باشم آزادی کنم
- He filled the cup with water from the Nile, put it to his lips, and drank one half (of the water).
- طاس را از نیل او پر آب کرد ** بر دهان بنهاد و نیمی را بخورد
- (Then) he tilted the cup towards him who craved the water, saying, “Drink thou too!” That (water) became black blood.
- طاس را کژ کرد سوی آب‌خواه ** که بخور تو هم شد آن خون سیاه
- Again he tilted it on this side (towards himself): the blood became water (once more). The Egyptian was enraged and incensed.
- باز ازین سو کرد کژ خون آب شد ** قبطی اندر خشم و اندر تاب شد
- He sat down awhile till his anger departed; after that, he said to him, “O mighty sword (of the Faith),
- ساعتی بنشست تا خشمش برفت ** بعد از آن گفتش کای صمصام زفت
- O brother, what is the expedient for (loosing) this knot?” He (the Israelite) said, “(Only) he that is God-fearing drinks this (water).” 3445
- ای برادر این گره را چاره چیست ** گفت این را او خورد کو متقیست
- The God-fearing man is he that has become quit of (has renounced) the way of Pharaoh and has become like unto Moses.
- متقی آنست کو بیزار شد ** از ره فرعون و موسی‌وار شد
- Become (as) the people of Moses and drink this water; make peace with the Moon and behold the moonbeams.
- قوم موسی شو بخور این آب را ** صلح کن با مه ببین مهتاب را
- There are a hundred thousand darknesses in thine eye (which arise) from thy wrath against the servants of God.
- صدهزاران ظلمتست از خشم تو ** بر عبادالله اندر چشم تو
- Extinguish wrath, open the (spiritual) eye, rejoice, take a lesson from (true) friends, become a teacher (of the Truth).
- خشم بنشان چشم بگشا شاد شو ** عبرت از یاران بگیر استاد شو
- How wilt thou become my parasite (follower) in scooping up (the water) when thou hast an unbelief (as great) as Mount Qáf? 3450
- کی طفیل من شوی در اغتراف ** چون ترا کفریست هم‌چون کوه قاف
- How should a mountain go into the cavity (eye) of a needle, unless indeed it become a single thread?
- کوه در سوراخ سوزن کی رود ** جز مگر که آن رشته‌ی یکتا شود
- By asking forgiveness (of God) make the mountain (like) a straw, and (then) take joyously the cup of the forgiven and drain (it) joyously!
- کوه را که کن به استغفار و خوش ** جام مغفوران بگیر و خوش بکش
- Inasmuch as God hath made it unlawful to the unbelievers, how wilt thou drink of it (whilst thou art endued) with this imposture?
- تو بدین تزویر چون نوشی از آن ** چون حرامش کرد حق بر کافران
- How should the Creator of imposture buy (accept) thy imposture, O fabricator of fiction?
- خالق تزویر تزویر ترا ** کی خرد ای مفتری مفترا
- Become (like) the kinsfolk of Moses, for deceit is useless: thy deceit is (like) measuring the empty wind. 3455
- آل موسی شو که حیلت سود نیست ** حیله‌ات باد تهی پیمودنیست
- Will the water dare to turn aside from the command of the Lord and bestow refreshment on the unbelievers?
- زهره دارد آب کز امر صمد ** گردد او با کافران آبی کند
- Or dost thou suppose that thou art eating bread? Thou art eating snake-venom and (that which causes) wasting away of the spirit.
- یا تو پنداری که تو نان می‌خوری ** زهر مار و کاهش جان می‌خوری
- How should bread restore to health the spirit that averts its heart from the command of the Beloved Spirit?
- نان کجا اصلاح آن جانی کند ** کو دل از فرمان جانان بر کند
- Or dost thou suppose that when thou readest the words of the Mathnawí thou hearest them gratis (without giving aught in return)?
- یا تو پنداری که حرف مثنوی ** چون بخوانی رایگانش بشنوی
- Or that the discourse of wisdom and the hidden mystery comes easily into thy ear and mouth? 3460
- یا کلام حکمت و سر نهان ** اندر آید زغبه در گوش و دهان
- It comes in, but, like fables, it shows (only) the husk, not the kernel of the berries,
- اندر آید لیک چون افسانه‌ها ** پوست بنماید نه مغز دانه‌ها
- (As) a sweetheart who has drawn a veil over her head and face and has hidden her face from thine eye.
- در سر و رو در کشیده چادری ** رو نهان کرده ز چشمت دلبری
- By reason of contumacy the Sháhnáma or Kalíla seems to thee just like the Qur’án.
- شاه‌نامه یا کلیله پیش تو ** هم‌چنان باشد که قرآن از عتو
- The difference between truth and falsehood is (visible) at the moment when the collyrium of (Divine) favour opens the eye;
- فرق آنگه باشد از حق و مجاز ** که کند کحل عنایت چشم باز
- Otherwise, dung and musk are both the same to one whose nose is obstructed (by disease), since (in him) there is no sense of smell. 3465
- ورنه پشک و مشک پیش اخشمی ** هر دو یکسانست چون نبود شمی
- His aim is to divert himself from ennui (by reading such books), and neglect the Word of the Almighty,
- خویشتن مشغول کردن از ملال ** باشدش قصد از کلام ذوالجلال
- That by means of that (entertaining) discourse he may quench the fire of distress and anxiety and provide a cure (for his malady).
- کاتش وسواس را و غصه را ** زان سخن بنشاند و سازد دوا
- For the purpose of quenching this amount of fire, pure water and urine are alike in skill (are equally serviceable).
- بهر این مقدار آتش شاندن ** آب پاک و بول یکسان شدن به فن
- Both this urine and (this) water will quench the fire of distress, just as (it is quenched) during sleep.
- آتش وسواس را این بول و آب ** هر دو بنشانند هم‌چون وقت خواب
- But if thou become (really) acquainted with this pure water, which is the Word of God and spiritual, 3470
- لیک گر واقف شوی زین آب پاک ** که کلام ایزدست و روحناک
- All distress will vanish from the soul, and the heart will find its way to the Rose-garden,
- نیست گردد وسوسه کلی ز جان ** دل بیابد ره به سوی گلستان
- Because every one who catches a scent of the mystery of the (Divine) scriptures flies into an orchard with a running brook.
- زانک در باغی و در جویی پرد ** هر که از سر صحف بویی برد
- Or dost thou suppose that we see the face of the Saints as it is (in reality)?
- یا تو پنداری که روی اولیا ** آنچنان که هست می‌بینیم ما
- Hence the Prophet remained in astonishment, saying, “How are the true believers not seeing my face?
- در تعجب مانده پیغامبر از آن ** چون نمی‌بینند رویم مومنان
- How are the people not seeing the light of my face, which has borne away the prize from the orient sun? 3475
- چون نمی‌بینند نور روم خلق ** که سبق بردست بر خورشید شرق
- And if they are seeing (it), wherefore is this perplexity?”— until a revelation came (to him from God), saying, “That face is in concealment.
- ور همی‌بینند این حیرت چراست ** تا که وحی آمد که آن رو در خفاست
- In relation to thee it is the moon, and in relation to the people it is the cloud, in order that the infidel may not see thy face for nothing.
- سوی تو ماهست و سوی خلق ابر ** تا نبیند رایگان روی تو گبر
- In relation to thee it is the bait, and in relation to the people it is the trap, in order that the vulgar may not drink of this chosen wine.”
- سوی تو دانه‌ست و سوی خلق دام ** تا ننوشد زین شراب خاص عام
- God said, “Thou seest them looking,” (but) they are (like) the pictures in a bathhouse: they do not see.
- گفت یزدان که تراهم ینظرون ** نقش حمامند هم لا یبصرون
- The form appears, O worshipper of form, as though its two dead eyes were looking. 3480
- می‌نماید صورت ای صورت‌پرست ** که آن دو چشم مرده‌ی او ناظرست
- Thou art showing reverence before the eye of the image, saying, “I wonder why it pays no regard to me.
- پیش چشم نقش می‌آری ادب ** کو چرا پاسم نمی‌دارد عجب
- Wherefore is this goodly image (so) very irresponsive that it does not say ‘alayk (on thee be peace!) in reply to my salaam?
- از چه پس بی‌پاسخست این نقش نیک ** که نمی‌گوید سلامم را علیک
- It does not nod its head and moustache generously in regard for my having made a hundred prostrations before it.”
- می‌نجنباند سر و سبلت ز جود ** پاس آنک کردمش من صد سجود
- God, though He does not nod the head outwardly, (yet) in regard for that (worship of Him) bestows an inward delight,
- حق اگر چه سر نجنباند برون ** پاس آن ذوقی دهد در اندرون
- Which is worth two hundred noddings of the head: in this fashion, after all, do Intellect and Spirit nod the head. 3485
- که دو صد جنبیدن سر ارزد آن ** سر چنین جنباند آخر عقل و جان
- (If) thou serve Intellect in earnest, the regard of Intellect (for thee) is (shown by this), that it increases (thy) righteousness.
- عقل را خدمت کنی در اجتهاد ** پاس عقل آنست که افزاید رشاد
- God does not nod the head to thee outwardly, but He makes thee a prince over the princes (of the world).
- حق نجنباند به ظاهر سر ترا ** لیک سازد بر سران سرور ترا
- To thee God gives secretly something (of such power) that the people of the world bow down before thee,
- مر ترا چیزی دهد یزدان نهان ** که سجود تو کنند اهل جهان
- Just as He gave to a stone such virtue that it was honoured by His creatures: that is to say, (it became) gold.
- آنچنان که داد سنگی را هنر ** تا عزیز خلق شد یعنی که زر