If I am slapping an orphan, while a mild-natured person may put halwá (sweetmeat) in his hand,
گر طبانجه میزنم من بر یتیم ** ور دهد حلوا به دستش آن حلیم
Those slaps (of mine) are better (for him) than the other's halwá; and if he be beguiled by the halwá, woe to him!
این طبانجه خوشتر از حلوای او ** ور شود غره به حلوا وای او
My heart is burning at thy lamentable cry, but God is teaching me (to know) a (great) kindness—
بر نفیر تو جگر میسوزدم ** لیک حق لطفی همیآموزدم
The kindness concealed amidst cruelties, the priceless cornelian hidden in filth.1665
لطف مخفی در میان قهرها ** در حدث پنهان عقیق بیبها
The cruelty done by God is better than a hundred clemencies of mine: to withhold the soul from God is agony to the soul.
قهر حق بهتر ز صد حلم منست ** منع کردن جان ز حق جان کندنست
His worst cruelty is better than the clemency of both worlds: how excellent is the Lord of created beings and how excellent (His) help!
بترین قهرش به از حلم دو کون ** نعم ربالعالمین و نعم عون
In His cruelty there are secret kindnesses: to surrender the soul for His sake increases (the life of) the soul.
لطفهای مضمر اندر قهر او ** جان سپردن جان فزاید بهر او
Hark, dismiss suspicion and error: make thy head a foot (to hasten towards Him) since He hath bidden thee come.
هین رها کن بدگمانی و ضلال ** سر قدم کن چونک فرمودت تعال
His ‘Come’ will give (thee) exaltations; it will give (thee) intoxication and (spiritual) brides and couches.1670
آن تعال او تعالیها دهد ** مستی و جفت و نهالیها دهد
In short, never, never can I weaken (the force of) that sublime command and complicate it (by prevarication).”
باری آن امر سنی را هیچ هیچ ** من نیارم کرد وهن و پیچ پیچ
The wretched Earth heard all this (counsel), (but) in her ear was a plug arising from that evil suspicion.
این همه بشنید آن خاک نژند ** زان گمان بد بدش در گوش بند
Once more in another fashion the lowly Earth made entreaty and prostrated herself, like a drunken man.
باز از نوعی دگر آن خاک پست ** لابه و سجده همیکرد او چو مست
He said, “Nay, arise! There is no loss (to thee) from this (thing), I lay my head and life as a pledge and guarantee.
گفت نه برخیز نبود زین زیان ** من سر و جان مینهم رهن و ضمان
Do not think of entreating (me), do not make further entreaty except to that merciful and justice-dealing King.1675
لابه مندیش و مکن لابه دگر ** جز بدان شاه رحیم دادگر
I am a slave to (His) command, I dare not neglect His command which raised dust from the sea.
بنده فرمانم نیارم ترک کرد ** امر او کز بحر انگیزید گرد
Save from the Creator of ear and eye and head I will hear (accept) neither good nor evil—not even from my own soul.
جز از آن خلاق گوش و چشم و سر ** نشنوم از جان خود هم خیر و شر
My ear is deaf to all words but His: He is dearer to me than my sweet soul.
گوش من از گفت غیر او کرست ** او مرا از جان شیرین جانترست
The soul came from Him, not He from the soul: He bestows a hundred thousand souls free of cost.
جان ازو آمد نیامد او ز جان ** صدهزاران جان دهم او رایگان
Who is the soul that I should prefer her to the Gracious (God)? What is a flea that I should burn the blanket on account of it?1680
جان کی باشد کش گزینم بر کریم ** کیک چه بود که بسوزم زو گلیم
I know no good but His good: I am deaf and dumb and blind to all but Him.
من ندانم خیر الا خیر او ** صم و بکم و عمی من از غیر او
My ear is deaf to those who make lamentation, for I am as the spear in His hand.
گوش من کرست از زاریکنان ** که منم در کف او همچون سنان
[Explaining that when injury befalls you from a creature of God, he in reality is like an instrument. The gnostic is he that refers (all action) to God, not to the instrument; and if he refer it to the instrument formally, he does so not in ignorance but for a purpose. Thus Abú Yazíd, may God sanctify his spirit, said, “During all these years I have never spoken to any creature or heard any creature speak to me; but people fancy that I am speaking and listening to them, because they do not see the Most Great Speaker, of whom they in relation to me are (only) the echo.” The intelligent hearer pays no heed to the echo. There is a well-known proverb to this effect, (namely), “The wall said to the nail, ‘Why are you splitting me?’ The nail replied, ‘Look at him who is hitting me.’”]
بیان آنک مخلوقی کر ترا ازو ظلمی رسد به حقیقت او همچون آلتیست عارف آن بود کی بحق رجوع کند نه به آلت و اگر به آلت رجوع کند به ظاهر نه از جهل کند بلک برای مصلحتی چنانک ابایزید قدس الله سره گفت کی چندین سالست کی من با مخلوق سخن نگفتهام و از مخلوق سخن نشنیدهام ولیکن خلق چنین پندارند کی با ایشان سخن میگویم و ازیشان میشنوم زیرا ایشان مخاطب اکبر را نمیبینند کی ایشان چون صدااند او را نسبت به حال من التفات مستمع عاقل به صدا نباشد چنانک مثل است معروف قال الجدار للوتد لم تشقنی قال الوتد انظر الی من یدقنی
Do not foolishly beg the spear for mercy: beg (mercy) of the King in whose hand it (the spear) is (held).
احمقانه از سنان رحمت مجو ** زان شهی جو کان بود در دست او
How shouldst thou supplicate the spear and sword which are captives in the hand of that Exalted One?
باسنان و تیغ لابه چون کنی ** کو اسیر آمد به دست آن سنی
He is (like) Ázar in craftsmanship, and I am the idol (made by Him): whatever instrument He may make of me, I become that.1685
او به صنعت آزرست و من صنم ** آلتی کو سازدم من آن شوم
If He make me a cup, I become a cup; and if He make me a dagger, I become a dagger.
گر مرا ساغر کند ساغر شوم ** ور مرا خنجر کند خنجر شوم
If He make me a fountain, I give water; and if He make me fire, I give heat.
گر مرا چشمه کند آبی هم ** ور مرا آتش کند تابی دهم
If He make rain of me, I give a cornstack; and if He make an arrow of me, I dart into the body.
گر مرا باران کند خرمن دهم ** ور مرا ناوک کند در تن جهم
If He make me a snake (márí), I emit venom; and if He make me a friend (yárí), I do (kindly) service.
گر مرا ماری کند زهر افکنم ** ور مرا یاری کند خدمت کنم
I am as a pen between His two fingers: I am not a waverer in the ranks of obedience (to Him).”1690
من چو کلکم در میان اصبعین ** نیستم در صف طاعت بین بین
He (Azrael) engaged the Earth in (this) discourse, (and meanwhile) he snatched from the old Earth a handful (of clay).
خاک را مشغول کرد او در سخن ** یک کفی بربود از آن خاک کهن
(Deftly) like a magician he snatched it from the Earth, (whilst) the Earth was absorbed, like those beside themselves, in (listening to) his words.
ساحرانه در ربود از خاکدان ** خاک مشغول سخن چون بیخودان
He brought the inconsiderate clay to God: (he brought) the runaway (back) to school.
برد تا حق تربت بیرای را ** تا به مکتب آن گریزان پای را
God said, “(I swear) by My resplendent knowledge, I will make thee the executioner of these (My) creatures.”
گفت یزدان که به علم روشنم ** که ترا جلاد این خلقان کنم
He replied, “O Lord, Thy creatures will regard me as their enemy when I strangle them at death.1695
گفت یا رب دشمنم گیرند خلق ** چون فشارم خلق را در مرگ حلق
Dost Thou deem it right, O exalted Lord, to make me hated and like a foe in appearance?”
تو روا داری خداوند سنی ** که مرا مبغوض و دشمنرو کنی
He (God) said, “I will bring into clear view certain causes, (such as) fever and dysentery and phrenitis and spear(-wounds);
گفت اسبابی پدید آرم عیان ** از تب و قولنج و سرسام و سنان
For (so) I will turn their attention from thee to the diseases and threefold causes (of death).”
که بگردانم نظرشان را ز تو ** در مرضها و سببهای سه تو
He (Azrael) replied, “O Lord, there are also servants (of Thine) who rend (shatter the illusion of) causes, O Almighty.”
گفت یا رب بندگان هستند نیز ** که سببها را بدرند ای عزیز
Their eye pierces through the cause: by the grace of the Lord, it has passed beyond (all) veils.1700
چشمشان باشد گذاره از سبب ** در گذشته از حجب از فضل رب
It has obtained the collyrium of Unity from the oculist of ecstasy and has been delivered from ailment and infirmity.
سرمهی توحید از کحال حال ** یافته رسته ز علت و اعتلال
They do not look at fever and dysentery and consumption: they do not admit these causes into their heart;
ننگرند اندر تب و قولنج و سل ** راه ندهند این سببها را به دل
For every one of these diseases has its cure: when it becomes incurable, that is the act of the (Divine) Decree.
زانک هر یک زین مرضها را دواست ** چون دوا نپذیرد آن فعل قضاست
Know for certain that every disease has its cure, as (for example) a fur is the cure for the pain of cold;
هر مرض دارد دوا میدان یقین ** چون دوای رنج سرما پوستین
(Yet), when God wills that a man shall be frozen, the cold penetrates even a hundred furs1705
چون خدا خواهد که مردی بفسرد ** سردی از صد پوستین هم بگذرد
And puts into his body a tremor that will not be made better by (wrapping himself in) clothes or by (snuggling in) the house.
در وجودش لرزهای بنهد که آن ** نه به جامه به شود نه از آشیان
When the Decree comes, the physician is made foolish, and the medicine too loses its beneficial effect.
چون قضا آید طبیب ابله شود ** وان دوا در نفع هم گمره شود
How should the perception of the (mystic) seer be veiled by these (secondary) causes, which are a veil to catch the dolt?
کی شود محجوب ادراک بصیر ** زین سببهای حجاب گولگیر
When the eye is quite perfect, it sees the root (origin); when a man is squint-eyed, it sees the branch (derivative).
اصل بیند دیده چون اکمل بود ** فرع بیند چونک مرد احول بود
The (Divine) answer, (namely), “One who does not regard causes and diseases and sword-wounds will likewise pay no regard to thy action, O Azrael, for thou too art a (secondary) cause, although thou art more concealed than those (other) causes.” And maybe it (the real nature of Azrael) is not concealed from the sick (dying) man, for He (God) is nigher to him than ye are, but ye do not see.
جواب آمدن کی آنک نظر او بر اسباب و مرض و زخم تیغ نیاید بر کار تو عزرائیل هم نیاید کی تو هم سببی اگر چه مخفیتری از آن سببها و بود کی بر آن رنجور مخفی نباشد کی و هو اقرب الیه منکم و لکن لا تبصرون
God said, “He who perceives the origin (does not regard the derivative): how, then, should he be conscious of thy intervention?1710
گفت یزدان آنک باشد اصل دان ** پس ترا کی بیند او اندر میان
Although thou hast concealed thyself (thy real nature) from the vulgar, still to the clear-eyed (mystics) thou art (no more than) a veil (instrument).”
گرچه خویش را عامه پنهان کردهای ** پیش روشندیدگان هم پردهای