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
(If) a drop of water gain the favour of God, it becomes a pearl and bears away the palm from gold.3490
قطرهی آبی بیابد لطف حق ** گوهری گردد برد از زر سبق
The body is earth; and when God gave it a spark (of His Light) it became adept, like the moon, in taking possession of the world.
جسم خاکست و چو حق تابیش داد ** در جهانگیری چو مه شد اوستاد
Beware! this (worldly empire) is a talisman and a dead image: its eye hath led the foolish astray from the (right) path.
هین طلسمست این و نقش مرده است ** احمقان را چشمش از ره برده است
It appears to wink: the foolish have made it their support (have put their trust in it).
مینماید او که چشمی میزند ** ابلهان سازیدهاند او را سند
How the Egyptian besought blessing and guidance from the Israelite, and how the Israelite prayed for the Egyptian and received a favourable answer to his prayer from the Most Gracious and Merciful (God).
در خواستن قبطی دعای خیر و هدایت از سبطی و دعا کردن سبطی قبطی را به خیر و مستجاب شدن از اکرم الاکرمین وارحم الراحمین
The Egyptian said, “Do thou offer a prayer (for me), since from blackness of heart I have not the mouth (fit for offering an acceptable prayer),
گفت قبطی تو دعایی کن که من ** از سیاهی دل ندارم آن دهن
For it may be that the lock of this heart will be opened and that a place will be (granted) to this ugly one at the banquet of the beauteous.3495
که بود که قفل این دل وا شود ** زشت را در بزم خوبان جا شود
Through thee the deformed may become endowed with beauty, or an Iblís may again become one of the Cherubim;
مسخی از تو صاحب خوبی شود ** یا بلیسی باز کروبی شود
Or, by the august influence of Mary's hand, the withered bough may acquire the fragrance of musk and freshness and fruit.”
یا بفر دست مریم بوی مشک ** یابد و تری و میوه شاخ خشک
Thereupon the Israelite fell to worship and said, “O God who knowest the manifest and the hidden,
سبطی آن دم در سجود افتاد و گفت ** کای خدای عالم جهر و نهفت
To whom but Thee should Thy servant lift his hand? Both the prayer and the answer (to prayer) are from Thee.
جز تو پیش کی بر آرد بنده دست ** هم دعا و هم اجابت از توست
Thou at first givest the desire for prayer, and Thou at last givest likewise the recompense for prayers.3500
هم ز اول تو دهی میل دعا ** تو دهی آخر دعاها را جزا
Thou art the First and the Last: we between are nothing, a nothing that does not come into (admit of) expression.”
اول و آخر توی ما در میان ** هیچ هیچی که نیاید در بیان
He was speaking in this wise, till he fell into ecstasy and his heart became senseless.
این چنین میگفت تا افتاد طشت ** از سر بام و دلش بیهوش گشت
(Whilst engaged) in prayer, he came back to his senses (and witnessed the effect of his prayer): Man shall have nothing but what he hath wrought.
باز آمد او به هوش اندر دعا ** لیس للانسان الا ما سعی