He (the father) gave many injunctions (to his sons) and sowed the seed of exhortation, (but) as their soil was nitrous (barren), ’twas of no avail.1530
بس وصیت کرد و تخم وعظ کاشت ** چون زمین‌شان شوره بد سودی نداشت
Although the admonisher have a hundred appeals, counsel demands a retentive ear.
گرچه ناصح را بود صد داعیه ** پند را اذنی بباید واعیه
You counsel him (the heedless man) with a hundred courtesies, and he turns aside from your counsel.
تو به صد تلطیف پندش می‌دهی ** او ز پندت می‌کند پهلو تهی
A single person who obstinately refuses to listen will baffle a hundred (eloquent) speakers.
یک کس نامستمع ز استیز و رد ** صد کس گوینده را عاجز کند
Who should be more persuasive in counselling and sweeter-tongued than the prophets, whose words made an impression (even) on stones?
ز انبیا ناصح‌تر و خوش لهجه‌تر ** کی بود کی گرفت دمشان در حجر
(Yet) the bonds of the ill-fated (infidel) were not being loosed by that whereby mountain and stone were moved.1535
زانچ کوه و سنگ درکار آمدند ** می‌نشد بدبخت را بگشاده بند
Such hearts as had egoism were described (in the words of the Qur’án) nay, harder (than stone).
آنچنان دلها که بدشان ما و من ** نعتشان شدت بل اشد قسوة
Explaining that the bounty of God and of the (Divine) Omnipotence is not dependent on receptivity, as human bounty is; for in the latter case receptivity is necessary. (In the former case it is not) because (the Divine) bounty is eternal, whereas receptivity is temporal. Bounty is an attribute of the Creator, while receptivity is an attribute of the creature; and the eternal cannot depend on the temporal, otherwise temporality (origination in time) would be absurd.
بیان آنک عطای حق و قدرت موقوف قابلیت نیست هم‌چون داد خلقان کی آن را قابلیت باید زیرا عطا قدیم است و قابلیت حادث عطا صفت حق است و قابلیت صفت مخلوق و قدیم موقوف حادث نباشد و اگر نه حدوث محال باشد
The remedy for such a heart is the gift bestowed by a Transmuter: receptivity is not a necessary condition for His bounty.
چاره‌ی آن دل عطای مبدلیست ** داد او را قابلیت شرط نیست
Nay, His bounty is the necessary condition for receptivity: Bounty is the kernel, and receptivity the husk.
بلک شرط قابلیت داد اوست ** داد لب و قابلیت هست پوست
The change of Moses' rod into a serpent and the shining of his hand like a (resplendent) sun,
اینک موسی را عصا ثعبان شود ** هم‌چو خورشیدی کفش رخشان شود
And a hundred thousand miracles of the prophets which are not comprehended by our mind and understanding—1540
صد هزاران معجزات انبیا ** که آن نگنجد در ضمیر و عقل ما
(These) are not derived from secondary causes but are (under) the (direct) control of God: how can receptivity belong to non-existent things?
نیست از اسباب تصریف خداست ** نیستها را قابلیت از کجاست
If receptivity were a necessary condition for God's action, no non-existent thing would come into existence.
قابلی گر شرط فعل حق بدی ** هیچ معدومی به هستی نامدی
He (God) hath established a (customary) law and causes and means for the sake of those who seek (Him) under this blue veil (of heaven).
سنتی بنهاد و اسباب و طرق ** طالبان را زیر این ازرق تتق
Most happenings come to pass according to the (customary) law, (but) sometimes the (Divine) Power breaks the law.
بیشتر احوال بر سنت رود ** گاه قدرت خارق سنت شود
He hath established a goodly law and custom; then He hath made the (evidentiary) miracle a breach of the custom.1545
سنت و عادت نهاده با مزه ** باز کرده خرق عادت معجزه
If honour does not reach us without a (mediating) cause, (yet) the (Divine) Power is not remote from the removal of the cause.
بی‌سبب گر عز به ما موصول نیست ** قدرت از عزل سبب معزول نیست
O thou who art caught by the cause, do not fly outside (of causation); but (at the same time) do not suppose the removal of the Causer.
ای گرفتار سبب بیرون مپر ** لیک عزل آن مسبب ظن مبر
The Causer brings (into existence) whatsoever He will: the Absolute Power tears up (destroys) the causes;
هر چه خواهد آن مسبب آورد ** قدرت مطلق سببها بر درد
But, for the most part, He lets the execution (of His will) follow the course of causation, in order that a seeker may be able to pursue the object of his desire.
لیک اغلب بر سبب راند نفاذ ** تا بداند طالبی جستن مراد
When there is no cause, what way should the seeker pursue? Therefore he must have a visible cause in the way (that he is pursuing).1550
چون سبب نبود چه ره جوید مرید ** پس سبب در راه می‌باید بدید
These causes are veils on the eyes, for not every eye is worthy of (contemplating) His work.
این سببها بر نظرها پرده‌هاست ** که نه هر دیدار صنعش را سزاست
An eye that can penetrate the cause is needed to extirpate (these) veils from root and bottom,
دیده‌ای باید سبب سوراخ کن ** تا حجب را بر کند از بیخ و بن
So that it may behold the Causer in (the world of) non-spatiality and regard exertion and earnings and shops as (mere) nonsense.
تا مسبب بیند اندر لامکان ** هرزه داند جهد و اکساب و دکان
Everything good or evil comes from the Causer: causes and means, O father, are naught
از مسبب می‌رسد هر خیر و شر ** نیست اسباب و وسایط ای پدر
But a phantom that has materialised on the King's highway in order that the period of heedlessness (the reign of ignorance) may endure for some (little) time.1555
جز خیالی منعقد بر شاه‌راه ** تا بماند دور غفلت چند گاه
On the beginning of the creation of the body of Adam, on whom be peace, when He (God) commanded Gabriel, on whom be peace, saying, “Go, take a handful of clay from this Earth,” or according to another relation, “Take a handful from every region.”
در ابتدای خلقت جسم آدم علیه‌السلام کی جبرئیل علیه‌السلام را اشارت کرد کی برو از زمین مشتی خاک برگیر و به روایتی از هر نواحی مشت مشت بر گیر
When the Maker willed to bring Man into existence for the purpose of probation with good and evil,
چونک صانع خواست ایجاد بشر ** از برای ابتلای خیر و شر
He commanded Gabriel the true, saying, “Go, take a handful of clay from the Earth as a pledge.”
جبرئیل صدق را فرمود رو ** مشت خاکی از زمین بستان گرو
He girt his loins and came to the Earth, that he might execute the command of the Lord of created beings.
او میان بست و بیامد تا زمین ** تا گزارد امر رب‌العالمین
That obedient one moved his hand towards the Earth: the Earth withdrew herself and was afraid.
دست سوی خاک برد آن متمر ** خاک خود را در کشید و شد حذر
Then the Earth loosed her tongue and made supplication, saying, “For the sake of the reverence due to the unique Creator,1560
پس زبان بگشاد خاک و لابه کرد ** کز برای حرمت خلاق فرد
Take leave of me and go! Spare my life! Go, turn aside from me the reins of thy white steed!
ترک من گو و برو جانم ببخش ** رو بتاب از من عنان خنگ رخش
For God's sake, leave me and do not plunge me into the troubles of (moral) obligation and danger.
در کشاکشهای تکلیف و خطر ** بهر لله هل مرا اندر مبر
(I beseech thee) for the sake of the favour by which God chose thee out and revealed to thee the knowledge (written) in the Universal Tablet,
بهر آن لطفی که حقت بر گزید ** کرد بر تو علم لوح کل پدید
So that thou hast become the teacher of the Angels and art conversing with God continually;
تا ملایک را معلم آمدی ** دایما با حق مکلم آمدی
For thou wilt be the messenger sent to the prophets: thou art the life of the inspired spirit, not (the life) of the body.1565
که سفیر انبیا خواهی بدن ** تو حیات جان وحیی نی بدن
Thou (ever) hadst superiority over Seraphiel because he is the body's life, (while) thou art the spirit's.
بر سرافیلت فضیلت بود از آن ** کو حیات تن بود تو آن جان
The blast of his trumpet is (producing) the growth of bodies; thy breath is (producing) the growth of the single heart.
بانگ صورش نشات تن‌ها بود ** نفخ تو نشو دل یکتا بود
The life of the heart is the soul of the soul of the body: therefore thy gift is superior to his.
جان جان تن حیات دل بود ** پس ز دادش داد تو فاضل بود
Again, Michael gives the sustenance (proper) for the body, (but) thy labour gives the sustenance (proper) for the illumined heart.
باز میکائیل رزق تن دهد ** سعی تو رزق دل روشن دهد
He has filled his skirt with gifts (of sustenance dispensed) by measure, (but) thy gifts of sustenance are immeasurable.1570
او بداد کیل پر کردست ذیل ** داد رزق تو نمی‌گنجد به کیل
Moreover, thou art better than Azrael the tyrannous and enraged, even as (Divine) Mercy is prior to Wrath.
هم ز عزرائیل با قهر و عطب ** تو بهی چون سبق رحمت بر غضب
These four (Angels) are the bearers of the (Divine) Throne, and thou (art their) king: thou art the best of all of the four from being (spiritually) awake.
حامل عرش این چهارند و تو شاه ** بهترین هر چهاری ز انتباه
On the Day of the (Last) Congregation thou wilt see that its bearers are eight: at that time also thou wilt be the most excellent of its eight (bearers).”
روز محشر هشت بینی حاملانش ** هم تو باشی افضل هشت آن زمانش
Thus was she (the Earth) enumerating (his qualities) and weeping: she guessed what was the object of this (mission).
هم‌چنین برمی‌شمرد و می‌گریست ** بوی می‌برد او کزین مقصود چیست
Gabriel was a mine of reverence and respect: those adjurations barred the way against him.1575
معدن شرم و حیا بد جبرئیل ** بست آن سوگندها بر وی سبیل
Inasmuch as she entreated and adjured him, he returned and said, “O Lord of Thy servants,
بس که لابه کردش و سوگند داد ** بازگشت و گفت یا رب العباد
(I protest) that I have not been remiss in Thy affair, but Thou knowest what happened better (than I).
که نبودم من به کارت سرسری ** لیک زانچ رفت تو داناتری
She (the Earth) pronounced the Name from awe of which, O All-seeing One, the Seven Heavens would cease from their course.
گفت نامی که ز هولش ای بصیر ** هفت گردون باز ماند از مسیر
(A feeling of) shame came over me, I was abashed by Thy Name; else, ’tis easy to convey a handful of earth,
شرمم آمد گشتم از نامت خجل ** ورنه آسانست نقل مشت گل