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
Though the world hath no visible crevice (means of exit), (yet) one must run (to and fro) recklessly, like Joseph,
گر چه رخنه نیست عالم را پدید ** خیره یوسف‌وار می‌باید دوید
In order that the lock may open and the doorway become clear, and the region of non-spatiality become your dwelling-place.
تا گشاید قفل و در پیدا شود ** سوی بی‌جایی شما را جا شود
Thou camest into the world, O afflicted one: dost thou ever see the way of thy coming?
آمدی اندر جهان ای ممتحن ** هیچ می‌بینی طریق آمدن
Thou camest from a certain place and abode: dost thou know the way of thy coming? Nay.1110
تو ز جایی آمدی وز موطنی ** آمدن را راه دانی هیچ نی
If thou knowest (it) not, (yet) beware of saying that there is no way: by this wayless way we (all) shall depart.
گر ندانی تا نگویی راه نیست ** زین ره بی‌راهه ما را رفتنیست
In dreams thou wanderest happily to left and right: hast thou any knowledge where the way is that leads to that arena?
می‌روی در خواب شادان چپ و راست ** هیچ دانی راه آن میدان کجاست
Shut that (sensual) eye and give thyself up: thou wilt find thyself in the ancient City.
تو ببند آن چشم و خود تسلیم کن ** خویش را بینی در آن شهر کهن
How shouldst thou shut thy (sensual) eye when in this direction a hundred inebriated (languishing) eyes are (as) a bandage on thine eye because of (thy) infatuation (with them)?
چشم چون بندی که صد چشم خمار ** بند چشم تست این سو از غرار
From love of (having) a purchaser (admirer) thou art (looking) with four eyes (intently) in the hope of (gaining) eminence and chieftainship.1115
چارچشمی تو ز عشق مشتری ** بر امید مهتری و سروری
And if thou fall asleep thou seest the purchaser in thy dreams: how should the ill-omened owl dream of aught but a wilderness?
ور بخسپی مشتری بینی به خواب ** چغد بد کی خواب بیند جز خراب
At every moment thou wantest a purchaser cringing (before thee): what hast thou to sell? Nothing, nothing.
مشتری خواهی بهر دم پیچ پیچ ** تو چه داری که فروشی هیچ هیچ
If thy heart had any (spiritual) bread or breakfast, it would have been empty of (desire for worldly) purchasers.
گر دلت را نان بدی یا چاشتی ** از خریداران فراغت داشتی
Story of the person who claimed to be a prophet. They said to him, “What hast thou eaten that thou hast become crazy and art talking in vain?” He replied, “If I had found anything to eat, I should not have become crazy and talked in vain”; for whenever they (the prophets and saints) speak goodly words to people unworthy to hear them, they will have talked in vain, although they are (divinely) commanded to talk thus in vain.
قصه‌ی آن شخص کی دعوی پیغامبری می‌کرد گفتندش چه خورده‌ای کی گیج شده‌ای و یاوه می‌گویی گفت اگر چیزی یافتمی کی خوردمی نه گیج شدمی و نه یاوه گفتمی کی هر سخن نیک کی با غیر اهلش گویند یاوه گفته باشند اگر چه در آن یاوه گفتن مامورند
A certain man was saying, “I am a prophet: I am superior to all the prophets.”
آن یکی می‌گفت من پیغامبرم ** از همه پیغامبران فاضلترم
They bound his neck and took him to the king, saying, “This man says he is a prophet sent by God.”1120
گردنش بستند و بردندش به شاه ** کین همی گوید رسولم از اله
The people (were) gathered round him (thick) as ants and locusts, crying, “What deceit and imposture and trap is (this)?
خلق بر وی جمع چون مور و ملخ ** که چه مکرست و چه تزویر و چه فخ
If he that comes from (the realm of) non-existence is a prophet, we all are prophets and grand (in spiritual eminence).
گر رسول آنست که آید از عدم ** ما همه پیغامبریم و محتشم
We (too) came hither as strangers from that place (realm): why shouldst thou be specially endowed (with prophecy), O accomplished one?”
ما از آنجا آمدیم اینجا غریب ** تو چرا مخصوص باشی ای ادیب
(He replied), “Did not ye come like a sleeping child? Ye were ignorant of the way and the destination.
نه شما چون طفل خفته آمدیت ** بی‌خبر از راه وز منزل بدیت
Ye passed through the (different) stages asleep and intoxicated, unconscious of the way and (its) ups and downs;1125
از منازل خفته بگذشتید و مست ** بی‌خبر از راه و از بالا و پست
(But) we (prophets) set out in wakefulness and well (aware) from beyond the five (senses) and the six (directions) to (this world of) the five and six,
ما به بیداری روان گشتیم و خوش ** از ورای پنج و شش تا پنج و شش