The gnat flees from the keen wind: what, then, should the gnat know of the (delicious) savour of the winds?
پشه بگریزد ز باد با دها ** پس چه داند پشه ذوق بادها
When the Eternal comes, the temporal is made vain: what, then, should the temporal know of Eternity?
چون قدیم آید حدث گردد عبث ** پس کجا داند قدیمی را حدث
When Eternity comes in contact with the temporal, it strikes it dumb; when it has naughted it, it makes it homogeneous (with itself).
بر حدث چون زد قدم دنگش کند ** چونک کردش نیست هم‌رنگش کند
You can find a hundred parallels (of this sort) if you wish, but I do not care (to supply them), O dervish.1315
گر بخواهی تو بیایی صد نظیر ** لیک من پروا ندارم ای فقیر
This Alif-Lám-Mím and Há-Mím—these Letters become, on (real) comprehension (of their meaning), like the rod of Moses.
این الم و حم این حروف ** چون عصای موسی آمد در وقوف
The (other) letters resemble these Letters outwardly but are subject (to them) in respect of the (sublime) attributes of the latter.
حرفها ماند بدین حرف از برون ** لیک باشد در صفات این زبون
A staff that any one takes on trial—how should it be described as being like that staff (Moses' rod)?
هر که گیرد او عصایی ز امتحان ** کی بود چون آن عصا وقت بیان
This Breath is (like the breath) of Jesus (in its effects); it is not (like) any wind and breath that arises from joy or sorrow.
عیسویست این دم نه هر باد و دمی ** که برآید از فرح یا از غمی
This Alif-Lám-Mím and Há-Mím, O father, have come from the presence of the Lord of Mankind.1320
این الم است و حم ای پدر ** آمدست از حضرت مولی البشر
What resemblance has any (other) alif-lám to these? Do not regard them with this (external) eye, if you have a (rational) soul.
هر الف لامی چه می‌ماند بدین ** گر تو جان داری بدین چشمش مبین
Although they are composed of letters, O sire, and resemble the composition of (words used by) the common folk, (yet they are not the same).
گر چه ترکیبش حروفست ای همام ** می‌بماند هم به ترکیب عوام
Mohammed is composed of flesh and skin; (but he is unique) although every body is homogeneous with him in its composition.
هست ترکیب محمد لحم و پوست ** گرچه در ترکیب هر تن جنس اوست
It hath flesh, it hath skin and bone; (yet) has this (ordinary) constitution the same (qualities as his)?
گوشت دارد پوست دارد استخوان ** هیچ این ترکیب را باشد همان
(No); for in that constitution (of Mohammed) there appeared miracles by which all (other) constitutions were vanquished.1325
که اندر آن ترکیب آمد معجزات ** که همه ترکیبها گشتند مات
Likewise, the composition of the (Letters) Há-Mím in the (Holy) Book is exceedingly lofty, while the others are low (in comparison),
هم‌چنان ترکیب حم کتاب ** هست بس بالا و دیگرها نشیب
Because from this composition comes life, like the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection), (to those) in helplessness.
زانک زین ترکیب آید زندگی ** هم‌چو نفخ صور در درماندگی
By the dispensation of God Há-Mím becomes a dragon and cleaves the sea like the rod (of Moses).
اژدها گردد شکافد بحر را ** چون عصا حم از داد خدا
Its external appearance resembles (other) appearances, but the disc (round cake) of bread is very far from (being) the disc of the moon.
ظاهرش ماند به ظاهرها ولیک ** قرص نان از قرص مه دورست نیک
His (the Shaykh's) weeping, his laughter, and his speech are not from him: they are the pure nature of Hú (God).1330
گریه‌ی او خنده‌ی او نطق او ** نیست از وی هست محض خلق هو
Since the foolish took (only) the external appearances (into consideration), and (since) the subtleties (inward aspects) were very much hidden from them,
Necessarily they were debarred from (attaining to) the (real) object; for the subtlety escaped (them) on the occasion when it (the object) presented itself.
لاجرم محجوب گشتند از غرض ** که دقیقه فوت شد در معترض
Story of the maidservant who cum asino herae suae libidinem exercebat et eum tanquam caprum et ursam docuerat libidinem more humano exercere et veretro asini cucurbitam affigebat ne modum excederet. Her mistress discovered it but did not perceive the device of the gourd; making a pretext, she sent the maid away to a distant place and cum asino concubuit sine cucurbita and perished shamefully. The maid came back late and lamented, crying, “O my soul and O light of my eyes, veretrum vidisti, curcurbitam non vidisti; penem vidisti, illud alterum non vidisti.” (According to the Tradition) every deficient one is accursed, i.e. every deficient insight and understanding is accursed; for those deficient in respect of the outward eye are objects of (Divine) mercy and are not accursed. Recite (the Verse), It is no crime in the blind. (In their case) He (God) has removed the crime, He has removed the curse, and He has removed the reproach and the wrath. [Story of the maidservant who indulged (her) lust with (her) mistress’ ass; she had trained it like a goat or a bear to indulge in lust like a man. And she used to put a gourd on the ass’s penis so that it would not exceed the measure (of her vagina). Her mistress discovered it but did not perceive the device of the gourd; making a pretext, she sent the maid away to a distant place and she copulated with the ass without the gourd and perished shamefully. The maid came back late and lamented, crying, “O my soul and O light of my eyes, you saw the cock (but) you did not see the gourd; you saw the penis (but) you did not see that other thing.” (According to the Tradition)…]
داستان آن کنیزک کی با خر خاتون شهوت می‌راند و او را چون بز و خرس آموخته بود شهوت راندن آدمیانه و کدویی در قضیب خر می‌کرد تا از اندازه نگذرد خاتون بر آن وقوف یافت لکن دقیقه‌ی کدو را ندید کنیزک را ببهانه براه کرد جای دور و با خر جمع شد بی‌کدو و هلاک شد بفضیحت کنیزک بیگاه باز آمد و نوحه کرد که ای جانم و ای چشم روشنم کیر دیدی کدو ندیدی ذکر دیدی آن دگر ندیدی کل ناقص ملعون یعنی کل نظر و فهم ناقص ملعون و اگر نه ناقصان ظاهر جسم مرحوم‌اند ملعون نه‌اند بر خوان لیس علی الاعمی حرج نفی حرج کرد و نفی لعنت و نفی عتاب و غضب
Ancilla quaedam ob multam libidinem immodicamque nequitiam asinum super se injecit. [A maidservant (habitually) cast an ass upon herself due to abundant lust and excess (risk) of calamity. ]
یک کنیزک یک خری بر خود فکند ** از وفور شهوت و فرط گزند
Asinum ad coitum assuefecerat; asinus ad concubitum hominis viam invenerat. [The male ass was habituated to copulation; the ass had discovered human sexual intercourse.]
آن خر نر را بگان خو کرده بود ** خر جماع آدمی پی برده بود
Technarum fabricatrici cucurbita erat, quam veretro ejus affigebat ut servaret modum. [(That) fabricator of devices had a gourd (which) she would put on its male organ, according to (a certain) dimension.]1335
یک کدویی بود حیلت‌سازه را ** در نرش کردی پی اندازه را
Cucurbitam peni indiderat illa anus ut trudenti tempore dimidium penis iniret; [That old woman would put the gourd on the penis so that half of the penis would go (into her) at the time of insertion.]
در ذکر کردی کدو را آن عجوز ** تا رود نیم ذکر وقت سپوز
Si totum asini veretrum eam iniret, uterus ejus et viscera diruerentur. [If all of the ass’s cock were to go inside her, (her) womb and intestines would be destroyed.]
گر همه کیر خر اندر وی رود ** آن رحم و آن روده‌ها ویران شود
The ass was becoming lean, and his mistress remained helpless, saying, "Why has his ass become as (thin as) a hair?"
خر همی شد لاغر و خاتون او ** مانده عاجز کز چه شد این خر چو مو
She showed the ass to the shoeing smiths and asked, "What is his ailment of which the result is leanness?"
نعل‌بندان را نمود آن خر که چیست ** علت او که نتیجه‌ش لاغریست
No ailment was discerned in him, no one gave information concerning the secret (cause) thereof.1340
هیچ علت اندرو ظاهر نشد ** هیچ کس از سر او مخبر نشد
(Then) she began to investigate in earnest: she became prepared to investigate at every moment.
در تفحص اندر افتاد او به جد ** شد تفحص را دمادم مستعد
The soul must needs be devoted to earnest endeavour, for the earnest seeker will be a finder.
جد را باید که جان بنده بود ** زانک جد جوینده یابنده بود
Postquam rem asini perscrutata est, ancillulam narcisso similem vidit sub asino cubantem. [When she investigated the ass’s condition, she saw the little narcissus (the maidservant) lying under the ass.]
چون تفحص کرد از حال اشک ** دید خفته زیر خر آن نرگسک
Through a crack in the door she saw what was going on: the old woman marvelled greatly thereat.
از شکاف در بدید آن حال را ** بس عجب آمد از آن آن زال را
(Vidit) asinum futuentem ancillam sicut viri ratione et more (concumbunt) cum feminis. [(She saw) the ass copulating with the maidservant in the manner that men reasonably and customarily (do) with women.]1345
خر همی‌گاید کنیزک را چنان ** که به عقل و رسم مردان با زنان
She became envious and said, “Since this is possible, then I have the best right, for the ass is my property.
در حسد شد گفت چون این ممکنست ** پس نم اولیتر که خر ملک منست
The ass has been perfectly trained and instructed: the table is laid and the lamp is lighted.”
خر مهذب گشته و آموخته ** خوان نهادست و چراغ افروخته
Feigning to have seen nothing, she knocked at the door of the room (stable), saying, “How long will you be sweeping the room, O maid?”
کرد نادیده و در خانه بکوفت ** کای کنیزک چند خواهی خانه روفت
She spoke these words as a blind (and added), “I have come, O maid: open the door.”
از پی روپوش می‌گفت این سخن ** کای کنیزک آمدم در باز کن
(Then) she became silent and said no more to the maid: she concealed the secret for the sake of her own desire.1350
کرد خاموش و کنیزک را نگفت ** راز را از بهر طمع خود نهفت
Thereupon the maid hid all the apparatus of iniquity and came forward and opened the door.
پس کنیزک جمله آلات فساد ** کرد پنهان پیش شد در را گشاد
She made her face sour and her eyes full of moisture (tears) and rubbed her lips (against each other), meaning to say, “I am fasting.”
رو ترش کرد و دو دیده پر ز نم ** لب فرو مالید یعنی صایمم
In her hand was a soft broom, as though to say, “I was sweeping the room in order to clean it.”
در کف او نرمه جاروبی که من ** خانه را می‌روفتم بهر عطن
When, with the broom (in her hand), she opened the door, the mistress said under her breath, “O crafty one,
چونک باع جاروب در را وا گشاد ** گفت خاتون زیر لب کای اوستاد
You have made your face sour and (taken) a broom in your hand; what is (the meaning of) the ass having turned away from his fodder?1355
رو ترش کردی و جاروبی به کف ** چیست آن خر برگسسته از علف
Re semiconfecta, iratus, agitans veretrum: quia te exspectat ideo (sunt) duo oculi ejus ad januam (conversi).” [Half-finished and angry, (its) penis (was still) moving: its (the ass’s) two eyes (were turned) toward the door in expectation of you.”]
نیم کاره و خشمگین جنبان ذکر ** ز انتظار تو دو چشمش سوی در
This she said under her breath and concealed (her thought) from the maid: at that moment she treated her, like innocent persons, honourably.
زیر لب گفت این نهان کرد از کنیز ** داشتش آن دم چو بی‌جرمان عزیز
Afterwards she said to her, “Put the chádar on your head, go and take a message from me to such and such a house.
بعد از آن گفتش که چادر نه به سر ** رو فلان خانه ز من پیغام بر
Say so-and-so and do so-and-so.” I abridge the talk of the women.
این چنین گو وین چنین کن وآنچنان ** مختصر کردم من افسانه‌ی زنان
Take the gist of what is to the purpose. When the discreet old woman had sent her (the maid) away,1360
آنچ مقصودست مغز آن بگیر ** چون براهش کرد آن زال ستیر
Propter ebrietatem libidinis gaudebat: she shut the door, saying meanwhile, [She was happy from the intoxication of (her) lust: she shut the door, saying meanwhile,]
بود از مستی شهوت شادمان ** در فرو بست و همی‌گفت آن زمان