The life of the everlasting Abode (Paradise) exists in the heart: since it comes not on to my tongue, what is the use (of my attempting to describe it)?
هست در دل زندگی دارالخلود ** در زبانم چون نمی‌آید چه سود
When Solomon went into the Mosque every morning to guide the servants (of God) in the right way,
چون سلیمان در شدی هر بامداد ** مسجد اندر بهر ارشاد عباد
He would give exhortation, sometimes by speech and melody and harmony, sometimes by act—I mean, a bowing or (service of) prayer.
پند دادی گه بگفت و لحن و ساز ** گه به فعل اعنی رکوعی یا نماز
The exhortation of act draws people more powerfully, for it reaches the soul of every one that hath hearing and (also) the deaf.485
پند فعلی خلق را جذاب‌تر ** که رسد در جان هر باگوش و کر
In that (kind of exhortation) the conceit of princedom is less (than in the other kind): the impression made by it upon the (prince’s) followers is strong.
اندر آن وهم امیری کم بود ** در حشم تاثیر آن محکم بود
Story of the beginning of the Caliphate of ‘Uthmán, may God be well-pleased with him, and his sermon expounding that the doer who exhorts by deeds is better than the speaker who exhorts by words.
قصه‌ی آغاز خلافت عثمان رضی الله عنه و خطبه‌ی وی در بیان آنک ناصح فعال به فعل به از ناصح قوال به قول
The story (told) of ‘Uthmán is that he mounted the pulpit: when he obtained the Caliphate, he made hot haste (to mount it).
قصه‌ی عثمان که بر منبر برفت ** چون خلافت یافت بشتابید تفت
(’Twas) the pulpit of the Chief (Mohammed), which had three steps: Abú Bakr went and seated himself on the second step.
منبر مهتر که سه‌پایه بدست ** رفت بوبکر و دوم پایه نشست
‘Umar, in his reign, (sat) on the third step in order to show reverence for Islam and the (true) Religion.
بر سوم پایه عمر در دور خویش ** از برای حرمت اسلام و کیش
(When) the reign of ‘Uthmán arrived, he, that man of praised (blessed) fortune, went up on to the top of the throne (pulpit) and seated himself.490
دور عثمان آمد او بالای تخت ** بر شد و بنشست آن محمودبخت
Then a person given to idle meddling questioned him, saying, “Those two did not sit in the Prophet's place:
پس سالش کرد شخصی بوالفضول ** که آن دو ننشستند بر جای رسول
How, then, hast thou sought to be higher than they, when thou art inferior to them in rank?”
پس تو چون جستی ازیشان برتری ** چون برتبت تو ازیشان کمتری
He replied, “If I tread on the third step, it will be imagined that I resemble ‘Umar;
گفت اگر پایه‌ی سوم را بسپرم ** وهم آید که مثال عمرم
(And if) I seek a seat on the second step, thou wilt say, ‘’Tis (the seat of) Abú Bakr, and (therefore) this one too is like him.’
بر دوم پایه شوم من جای‌جو ** گویی بوبکرست و این هم مثل او
This top (of the pulpit) is the place of Mustafá (Mohammed): no one will imagine that I am like that (spiritual) King.”495
هست این بالا مقام مصطفی ** وهم مثلی نیست با آن شه مرا
Afterwards, (seated) in the preaching-place, that loving man kept silence till near the (time of the) afternoon-prayer.
بعد از آن بر جای خطبه آن ودود ** تا به قرب عصر لب‌خاموش بود
None dared to say “Come now, preach!” or to go forth from the mosque during that time.
زهره نه کس را که گوید هین بخوان ** یا برون آید ز مسجد آن زمان
An awe had settled (descended) on high and low (alike): the court and roof (of the mosque) had become filled with the Light of God.
هیبتی بنشسته بد بر خاص و عام ** پر شده نور خدا آن صحن و بام
Whoever possessed vision was beholding His Light; the blind man too was being heated by that Sun.
هر که بینا ناظر نورش بدی ** کور زان خورشید هم گرم آمدی
Hence, by reason of the heat, the blind man's eye was perceiving that there had arisen a Sun whose strength faileth not.500
پس ز گرمی فهم کردی چشم کور ** که بر آمد آفتابی بی‌فتور
But this heat (unlike the heat of the terrestrial sun) opens the (inward) eye, that it may see the very substance of everything heard.
لیک این گرمی گشاید دیده را ** تا ببیند عین هر بشنیده را
Its heat has (as effect) a grievous agitation and emotion, (but) from that glow there comes to the heart a joyous (sense of) freedom, an expansion.
گرمیش را ضجرتی و حالتی ** زان تبش دل را گشادی فسحتی
When the blind man is heated by the Light of Eternity, from gladness he says, “I have become seeing.”
کور چون شد گرم از نور قدم ** از فرح گوید که من بینا شدم
Thou art mightily well drunken, but, O Bu ’l-Hasan, there is a bit of way (to be traversed ere thou attain) to seeing.
سخت خوش مستی ولی ای بوالحسن ** پاره‌ای راهست تا بینا شدن
This is the blind man's portion from the Sun, (and) a hundred such (portions); and God best knoweth what is right.505
این نصیب کور باشد ز آفتاب ** صد چنین والله اعلم بالصواب
And he that hath vision of that Light—how should the explanation of him (his state) be a task (within the capacity) of Bú Síná?
وآنک او آن نور را بینا بود ** شرح او کی کار بوسینا بود
(Even) if it be hundredfold, who (what) is this tongue that it should move with its hand the veil of (mystical) clairvoyance?
ور شود صد تو که باشد این زبان ** که بجنباند به کف پرده‌ی عیان
Woe to it if it touch the veil! The Divine sword severs its hand.
وای بر وی گر بساید پرده را ** تیغ اللهی کند دستش جدا
What of the hand? It (the sword) rends off even its (the tongue's) head—the head that from ignorance puts forth many a head (of pride and self-conceit).
دست چه بود خود سرش را بر کند ** آن سری کز جهل سرها می‌کند
I have said this to you, speaking hypothetically; otherwise, indeed, how far is its hand from being able to do that!510
این به تقدیر سخن گفتم ترا ** ورنه خود دستش کجا و آن کجا
Materterae si testiculi essent, ea avunculus esset: this is hypothetical—“if there were.” [(If) in regard to a maternal aunt there were testicles, she would would be a maternal uncle: this is hypothetical—“if there were.”]
خاله را خایه بدی خالو شدی ** این به تقدیر آمدست ار او بدی
(If) I say that between the tongue and the eye that is free from doubt there is a hundred thousand years' (journey), ’tis little (in comparison with the reality).
از زبان تا چشم کو پاک از شکست ** صد هزاران ساله گویم اندکست
Now come, do not despair! When God wills, light arrives from heaven in a single moment.
هین مشو نومید نور از آسمان ** حق چو خواهد می‌رسد در یک زمان
At every instant His power causes a hundred influences from the stars to reach the (subterranean) mines.
صد اثر در کانها از اختران ** می‌رساند قدرتش در هر زمان
The star (planet) of heaven deletes the darkness; the star of God is fixed in His Attributes.515
اختر گردون ظلم را ناسخست ** اختر حق در صفاتش راسخست
O thou that seekest help, the celestial sphere, (at a distance) of five hundred years' journey, is in effect nigh unto the earth.
چرخ پانصد ساله راه ای مستعین ** در اثر نزدیک آمد با زمین
’Tis (a journey of) three thousand five hundred years to Saturn; (yet) his special property acts incessantly (upon the earth).
سه هزاران سال و پانصد تا زحل ** دم بدم خاصیتش آرد عمل
He (God) rolls it up like a shadow at the return (of the sun): in the sun's presence what is (what avails) the length of the shadow?
در همش آرد چو سایه در ایاب ** طول سایه چیست پیش آفتاب
And from the pure star like souls replenishment is ever coming to the stars of heaven.
وز نفوس پاک اختروش مدد ** سوی اخترهای گردون می‌رسد
The outward (aspect) of those stars is our ruler, (but) our inward (essence) has become the ruler of the sky.520
ظاهر آن اختران قوام ما ** باطن ما گشته قوام سما
Explaining that (while) philosophers say that Man is the microcosm, theosophists say that Man is the macrocosm, the reason being that philosophy is confined to the phenomenal form of Man, whereas theosophy is connected with the essential truth of his true nature.
در بیان آنک حکما گویند آدمی عالم صغریست و حکمای اللهی گویند آدمی عالم کبریست زیرا آن علم حکما بر صورت آدمی مقصور بود و علم این حکما در حقیقت حقیقت آدمی موصول بود
Therefore in form thou art the microcosm, therefore in reality thou art the macrocosm.
پس به صورت عالم اصغر توی ** پس به معنی عالم اکبر توی
Externally the branch is the origin of the fruit; intrinsically the branch came into existence for the sake of the fruit.
ظاهر آن شاخ اصل میوه است ** باطنا بهر ثمر شد شاخ هست
If there had not been desire and hope of the fruit, how should the gardener have planted the root of the tree?
گر نبودی میل و اومید ثمر ** کی نشاندی باغبان بیخ شجر
Therefore in reality the tree was born of the fruit, (even) if in appearance it (the fruit) was generated by the tree.
پس به معنی آن شجر از میوه زاد ** گر به صورت از شجر بودش ولاد
Hence Mustafá (Mohammed) said, “Adam and the (other) prophets are (following) behind me under (my) banner.”525
مصطفی زین گفت که آدم و انبیا ** خلف من باشند در زیر لوا
For this reason that master of (all) sorts of knowledge has uttered the allegorical saying, “We are the last and the foremost.”
بهر این فرموده است آن ذو فنون ** رمز نحن اخرون السابقون
(That is to say), “If in appearance I am born of Adam, in reality I am the forefather of (every) forefather,
گر بصورت من ز آدم زاده‌ام ** من به معنی جد جد افتاده‌ام
Since the worship of the angels was (rendered) to him for my sake, and he ascended to the Seventh Heaven on my account.
کز برای من بدش سجده‌ی ملک ** وز پی من رفت بر هفتم فلک
Therefore in reality the Father (Adam) was born of me, therefore in reality the tree was born of the fruit.”
پس ز من زایید در معنی پدر ** پس ز میوه زاد در معنی شجر
The thought (idea), which is first, comes last into actuality, in particular the thought that is eternal.530
اول فکر آخر آمد در عمل ** خاصه فکری کو بود وصف ازل
To sum up, in a single moment the caravan is going from Heaven and coming here.
حاصل اندر یک زمان از آسمان ** می‌رود می‌آید ایدر کاروان