Seek the pearl in the oyster-shell, my brother, and seek technical skill from the craftsmen.
اطلب الدر اخی وسط الصدف ** واطلب الفن من ارباب الحرف
If ye see sincere (spiritual) advisers, deal fairly (with them) and be eager to learn: do not show disdain.
ان رایتم ناصحین انصفوا ** بادروا التعلیم لا تستنکفوا
If the man (engaged) in tanning wore a threadbare garment, that did not diminish the master's mastery (of his trade);
در دباغی گر خلق پوشید مرد ** خواجگی خواجه را آن کم نکرد
If the ironsmith wore a patched frock when blowing the bellows, his reputation was not impaired in the eyes of the people.1060
وقت دم آهنگر ار پوشید دلق ** احتشام او نشد کم پیش خلق
Therefore strip the raiment of pride from thy body: in learning, put on the garment of humility.
پس لباس کبر بیرون کن ز تن ** ملبس ذل پوش در آموختن
If thou wouldst learn (theoretical) knowledge, the way of (acquiring) it is oral; if thou wouldst learn a craft, the way of (acquiring) it is practical (by practice).
علم آموزی طریقش قولی است ** حرفت آموزی طریقش فعلی است
If thou desire (spiritual) poverty, that depends on companionship (with a Shaykh): neither thy tongue nor thy hand avails.
فقر خواهی آن به صحبت قایمست ** نه زبانت کار می‌آید نه دست
Soul receives from soul the knowledge thereof, not by way of book nor from tongue.
دانش آن را ستاند جان ز جان ** نه ز راه دفتر و نه از زبان
If those mysteries (of spiritual poverty) are in the traveller's heart, knowledge of the mystery is not yet possessed by the traveller.1065
در دل سالک اگر هست آن رموز ** رمزدانی نیست سالک را هنوز
(Let him wait) until the expansion (illumination) of his heart shall make it (full of) the Light: then God saith, “Did not We expand …?
تا دلش را شرح آن سازد ضیا ** پس الم نشرح بفرماید خدا
For We have given thee the expansion (illumination) within thy breast, We have put the expansion into thy breast.”
که درون سینه شرحت داده‌ایم ** شرح اندر سینه‌ات بنهاده‌ایم
Thou art still seeking it from outside; thou art a source of milk: how art thou a milker of others?
تو هنوز از خارج آن را طالبی ** محلبی از دیگران چون حالبی
There is an illimitable fountain of milk within thee: why art thou seeking milk from the pail?
چشمه‌ی شیرست در تو بی‌کنار ** تو چرا می‌شیر جویی از تغار
O lake, thou hast a channel to the Sea: be ashamed to seek water from the pool;1070
منفذی داری به بحر ای آبگیر ** ننگ دار از آب جستن از غدیر
For did not We expand…? Again, hast not thou the expansion? How art thou become a seeker of the expansion and a mendicant?
که الم نشرح نه شرحت هست باز ** چون شدی تو شرح‌جو و کدیه‌ساز
Contemplate the expansion of the heart within (thee), lest there come the reproach, Do not ye see?
در نگر در شرح دل در اندرون ** تا نیاید طعنه‌ی لا تبصرون
Commentary on “And He is with you.”
تفسیر و هو معکم
There is a basket full of loaves on the crown of thy head, and thou art begging a crust of bread from door to door.
یک سپد پر نان ترا بی‌فرق سر ** تو همی خواهی لب نان در به در
Attend to thine own head, abandon giddy-headedness; go, knock at the door of thy heart: why art thou (knocking) at every door?
در سر خود پیچ هل خیره‌سری ** رو در دل زن چرا بر هر دری
Whilst thou art up to the knee in the river-water, thou art heedless of thyself and art seeking water from this one and that one.1075
تا بزانویی میان آب‌جو ** غافل از خود زین و آن تو آب جو
Water in front; and behind, too, an unfailing supply of water; (but) before thine eyes is a barrier and behind them a barrier.
پیش آب و پس هم آب با مدد ** چشمها را پیش سد و خلف سد
The horse is under the (rider's) thigh, and the rider is seeking the horse. (When asked), “What is this?” he says, “A horse, but where is the horse?”
اسپ زیر ران و فارس اسپ‌جو ** چیست این گفت اسپ لیکن اسپ کو
“Eh, is not this a horse under thee, plain to see?” “Yes,” says he, “but who ever saw a horse?”
هی نه اسپست این به زیر تو پدید ** گفت آری لیک خود اسپی که دید
He (such a one) is mad with thirst for the water, and it (the water) is before his face: he is in the water and unconscious of the running water.
مست آب و پیش روی اوست آن ** اندر آب و بی‌خبر ز آب روان
Like the pearl in the sea, he says, “Where is the sea?” and that shell-like phantasy is his wall.1080
چون گهر در بحر گوید بحر کو ** وآن خیال چون صدف دیوار او
His saying “Where?” becomes for him a screen: it becomes for him a cloud over the radiance of the sun.
گفتن آن کو حجابش می‌شود ** ابر تاب آفتابش می‌شود
His bad (sensual) eye is a bandage on his (inward) eye: his very (awareness of) removing the barrier has become a barrier for him.
بند چشم اوست هم چشم بدش ** عین رفع سد او گشته سدش
His (self-)consciousness has become the plug of his (inward) ear: keep thy consciousness (directed) towards God (alone), O thou who art bewildered in Him.
بند گوش او شده هم هوش او ** هوش با حق دار ای مدهوش او
Commentary on the saying of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, “Whosoever shall make his cares one care, God will relieve him of all his cares; and whosoever is distracted by his cares, God will not care in what valley He destroys him.”
در تفسیر قول مصطفی علیه‌السلام من جعل الهموم هما واحدا کفاه الله سائر همومه و من تفرقت به الهموم لا یبالی الله فی ای واد اهلکه
Thou hast distributed thy consciousness in (all) directions: those vanities are not worth a cress.
هوش را توزیع کردی بر جهات ** می‌نیرزد تره‌ای آن ترهات
Every thorn-root draws the water of thy consciousness (towards itself): how should the water of thy consciousness reach the fruit?1085
آب هش را می‌کشد هر بیخ خار ** آب هوشت چون رسد سوی ثمار
Hark, smite that evil bough, lop it off: water this goodly bough, refresh it.
هین بزن آن شاخ بد را خو کنش ** آب ده این شاخ خوش را نو کنش
Both are green at this (present) time, (but) look to the end (and see) that this one will come to naught, (while) fruit will grow from that one.
هر دو سبزند این زمان آخر نگر ** کین شود باطل از آن روید ثمر
To this one the water in the orchard is lawful, to that one (it is) unlawful. In the end thou wilt see the difference, and (so) farewell.
آب باغ این را حلال آن را حرام ** فرق را آخر ببینی والسلام
What is justice? Giving water to trees. What is injustice? To give water to thorns.
عدل چه بود آب ده اشجار را ** ظلم چه بود آب دادن خار را
Justice is (consists in) bestowing a bounty in its proper place, not on every root that will absorb water.1090
عدل وضع نعمتی در موضعش ** نه بهر بیخی که باشد آبکش
What is injustice? To bestow (it) in an improper place that can only be a source of calamity.
ظلم چه بود وضع در ناموضعی ** که نباشد جز بلا را منبعی
Bestow the bounty of God on the spirit and reason, not on the (carnal) nature full of disease and complications.
نعمت حق را به جان و عقل ده ** نه به طبع پر زحیر پر گره
Load the conflict of (worldly) cares upon thy body: do not lay thy anxiety upon the heart and spirit.
بار کن بیگار غم را بر تنت ** بر دل و جان کم نه آن جان کندنت
The pack is laid upon the head of Jesus, (while) the ass is frisking in the meadow.
بر سر عیسی نهاده تنگ بار ** خر سکیزه می‌زند در مرغزار
’Tis not right to put collyrium in the ear: ’tis not right to demand from the body the work of the heart (spirit).1095
سرمه را در گوش کردن شرط نیست ** کار دل را جستن از تن شرط نیست
If thou art a (devotee of the) heart, go, scorn (the world), do not suffer contumely (from it); and if thou art a (devotee of the) body, do not eat sugar but taste poison.
گر دلی رو ناز کن خواری مکش ** ور تنی شکر منوش و زهر چش
Poison is beneficial to the body, and sugar noxious: ’tis better that the body should be deprived of supplies.
زهر تن را نافعست و قند بد ** تن همان بهتر که باشد بی‌مدد
The body is fuel for Hell, do thou weaken it; and if it produce a (new) growth of fuel, go, destroy it.
هیزم دوزخ تنست و کم کنش ** ور بروید هیزمی رو بر کنش
Else, O (thou who art) firewood, thou wilt be a carrier of firewood in both worlds, like the wife of Bú Lahab.
ورنه حمال حطب باشی حطب ** در دو عالم هم‌چو جفت بولهب
Know (discriminate) the bough of the Sidra from the firewood, though both are green, O youth.1100
از حطب بشناس شاخ سدره را ** گرچه هر دو سبز باشند ای فتی
The origin of that bough is the Seventh Heaven, the origin of this bough is from fire and smoke.
اصل آن شاخست هفتم آسمان ** اصل این شاخست از نار و دخان
To sense-perception they are similar in appearance, for the eye and habit of sense-perception is seeing falsely;
هست مانندا به صورت پیش حس ** که غلط‌بینست چشم و کیش حس
(But) that (difference) is manifest to the eye of the heart (spirit): exert thyself, advance towards the heart (spirit) with the exertion of one whose means are small.
هست آن پیدا به پیش چشم دل ** جهد کن سوی دل آ جهد المقل
And if thou hast no foot (means), (yet) bestir thyself that thou mayst behold every less and more.
ور نداری پا بجنبان خویش را ** تا ببینی هر کم و هر بیش را
On the meaning of this verse: “If thou fare on the Way, the Way will be revealed to thee; and if thou become nonexistent, (real) existence will be conferred on thee.”
در معنی این بیت «گر راه روی راه برت بگشایند ور نیست شوی بهستیت بگرایند»
Though Zalíkhá shut the doors on every side, still Joseph gained return (to safety) by bestirring himself.1105
گر زلیخا بست درها هر طرف ** یافت یوسف هم ز جنبش منصرف
Lock and door opened, and the way (out) appeared: when Joseph put trust in God, he escaped.
باز شد قفل و در و شد ره پدید ** چون توکل کرد یوسف برجهید