In excellence I am inferior to none, that I should stand before my enemy to do him service.
در هنر من از کسی کم نیستم ** تا به خدمت پیش دشمن بیستم
I am born of fire, he of mud: what is the position (rank) of mud compared with fire?1925
من ز آتش زاده‌ام او از وحل ** پیش آتش مر وحل را چه محل
Where was he in the period when I was the Prince of the World and the glory of Time?”
او کجا بود اندر آن دوری که من ** صدر عالم بودم و فخر زمن
(On the words of God) “He created the Jinn from smokeless fire,” and His words concerning Iblís: “verily he was one of the Jinn, and he transgressed.”
خلق الجان من مارج من نار و قوله تعالی فی حق ابلیس انه کان من الجن ففسق
The fire (of pride and jealousy) was flaming in the soul of the fool (Iblís), because he was (born) of fire: the son is (endued with) the inward nature of his father.
شعله می‌زد آتش جان سفیه ** که آتشی بود الولد سر ابیه
No; I have spoken in error; ’twas the compelling might of God: why, (then), adduce any cause (for it)?
نه غلط گفتم که بد قهر خدا ** علتی را پیش آوردن چرا
The causeless action (of God) is quit of (all) causes: it is lasting (without change) and firmly stablished from eternity.
کار بی‌علت مبرا از علل ** مستمر و مستقرست از ازل
In the perfection of the holy work sped on (by Him) what room is there for (any) temporal cause or temporal thing?1930
در کمال صنع پاک مستحث ** علت حادث چه گنجد یا حدث
What is (the real meaning of) “the inward nature of (his) father”? His (God's) work (creative energy) is our father: (His) work is the kernel, and the formal (physical) father is the skin (shell).
سر آب چه بود آب ما صنع اوست ** صنع مغزست و آب صورت چو پوست
O nut-like body, know that Love is thy friend: thy soul (inspired by Love) will seek thy kernel and batter thy shell (to pieces).
عشق دان ای فندق تن دوستت ** جانت جوید مغز و کوبد پوستت
The man doomed to Hell whose skin is his friend—(God who hath said) “We will give them (other) skins in exchange” bestows a (new) skin upon him.
دوزخی که پوست باشد دوستش ** داد بدلنا جلودا پوستش
Thy spiritual principle and kernel is dominant over the Fire, but thy skins (sensual faculties) are fuel for the Fire.
معنی و مغزت بر آتش حاکمست ** لیک آتش را قشورت هیزمست
(In the case of) a wooden pot in which river-water is (contained), the power of fire is entirely (directed) against the vessel containing it.1935
کوزه‌ی چوبین که در وی آب جوست ** قدرت آتش همه بر ظرف اوست
Man's spiritual principle is a ruler over the Fire: when is Málik (the Ruler) of Hell destroyed therein?
معنی انسان بر آتش مالکست ** مالک دوزخ درو کی هالکست
Do not, then, increase (pamper) thy body; increase (cherish and cultivate) thy spiritual principle, in order that thou mayst be the Fire's sovereign, like Málik.
پس میفزا تو بدن معنی فزا ** تا چو مالک باشی آتش را کیا
Thou hast ever been adding skins to thy skin: necessarily thou art (black) as a skin (enveloped) in (layers of) soot.
پوستها بر پوست می‌افزوده‌ای ** لاجرم چون پوست اندر دوده‌ای
Since the Fire hath no fodder (fuel) except the skin, the vengeance of God will tear the skin off that pride (of thine).
زانک آتش را علف جز پوست نیست ** قهر حق آن کبر را پوستین کنیست
This arrogance is a product of the skin; hence power and riches are friends to that pride.1940
این تکبر از نتیجه‌ی پوستست ** جاه و مال آن کبر را زان دوستست
What is this arrogance? (It consists in) being oblivious to the essential principle and frozen (insensible)—like the oblivion of ice to the sun.
این تکبر چیست غفلت از لباب ** منجمد چون غفلت یخ ز آفتاب
When it (the ice) becomes conscious of the sun, the ice does not endure: it becomes soft and warm and moves on rapidly.
چون خبر شد ز آفتابش یخ نماند ** نرم گشت و گرم گشت و تیز راند
From seeing the kernel (essential principle) the whole body becomes (filled with) desire: it becomes miserable and passionately in love, for “Wretched is he who desires.”
شد ز دید لب جمله‌ی تن طمع ** خوار و عاشق شد که ذل من طمع
When it does not see the kernel, it is content with the skin: (then) the bondage of “Glorious is he who is content” is its prison.
چون نبیند مغز قانع شد به پوست ** بند عز من قنع زندان اوست
Here glory is infidelity, and wretchedness is (true) religion: until the stone became naughted, when did it become the gem set in a ring?1945
عزت اینجا گبریست و ذل دین ** سنگ تا فانی نشد کی شد نگین
(To remain) in the state of stoniness and then (to say) “I” (is absurd): ’tis time for thee to become lowly and naughted (dead to self).
در مقام سنگی آنگاهی انا ** وقت مسکین گشتن تست وفنا
Pride always seeks power and riches because the bath-furnace derives its perfection from dung;
کبر زان جوید همیشه جاه و مال ** که ز سرگینست گلحن را کمال
For these two nurses increase (foster) the skin: they stuff it with fat and flesh and pride and arrogance.
کین دو دایه پوست را افزون کنند ** شحم و لحم و کبر و نخوت آکنند
They have not raised their eyes to the kernel of the kernel: on that account they have deemed the skin to be the kernel.
دیده را بر لب لب نفراشتند ** پوست را زان روی لب پنداشتند
Iblís was the leader on this way, for he fell a prey to the net (temptation) of power (eminence).1950
پیش‌وا ابلیس بود این راه را ** کو شکار آمد شبیکه‌ی جاه را
Riches are like a snake, and power is a dragon: the shadow (protection and guidance) of (holy) men is the emerald (which is fatal) to them both.
مال چون مارست و آن جاه اژدها ** سایه‌ی مردان زمرد این دو را
At (the sight of) that emerald the snake's eye jumps (out of its head): the snake is blinded and the traveller is delivered (from death).
زان زمرد مار را دیده جهد ** کور گردد مار و ره‌رو وا رهد
When that Prince (Iblís) had laid thorns on this road, every one that was wounded (by them) cried, “Curse Iblís!”
چون برین ره خار بنهاد آن رئیس ** هر که خست او گفته لعنت بر بلیس
Meaning to say, “This pain is (fallen) upon me through his treachery”: he (Iblís) who is taken as a model (by the wicked) was the first to tread the path of treason.
یعنی این غم بر من از غدر ویست ** غدر را آن مقتدا سابق‌پیست
Truly, generation on generation came (into being) after him, and all set their feet on his way (followed his practice).1955
بعد ازو خود قرن بر قرن آمدند ** جملگان بر سنت او پا زدند
Whosoever institutes an evil practice, O youth, in order that people may blindly fall in after him,
هر که بنهد سنت بد ای فتا ** تا در افتد بعد او خلق از عمی
All their guilt is collected (and piled) on him, for he has been (as) a head (to them), while they are (like) the root of the tail.
جمع گردد بر وی آن جمله بزه ** کو سری بودست و ایشان دم‌غزه
But Adam brought forward (and kept in view) the rustic shoon and sheepskin jacket, saying, “I am of clay.”
لیک آدم چارق و آن پوستین ** پیش می‌آورد که هستم ز طین
By him, as by Ayáz, those shoon were (often) visited: consequently he was lauded in the end.
چون ایاز آن چارقش مورود بود ** لاجرم او عاقبت محمود بود
The Absolute Being is a worker in non-existence: what but non-existence is the workshop (working material) of the Maker of existence?1960
هست مطلق کارساز نیستیست ** کارگاه هست‌کن جز نیست چیست
Does one write anything on what is (already) written over, or plant a sapling in a place (already) planted?
بر نوشته هیچ بنویسد کسی ** یا نهاله کارد اندر مغرسی
(No); he seeks a sheet of paper that has not been written on and sows the seed in a place that has not been sown.
کاغذی جوید که آن بنوشته نیست ** تخم کارد موضعی که کشته نیست
Be thou, O brother, a place unsown; be a white paper untouched by writing,
تو برادر موضع ناکشته باش ** کاغذ اسپید نابنوشته باش
That thou mayst be ennobled by Nún wa ’l-Qalam, and that the Gracious One may sow seed within thee.
تا مشرف گردی از نون والقلم ** تا بکارد در تو تخم آن ذوالکرم
Assume, indeed, that thou hast never licked (tasted) this pálúda (honeycake); assume that thou hast never seen the kitchen which thou hast seen,1965
خود ازین پالوه نالیسیده گیر ** مطبخی که دیده‌ای نادیده گیر
Because from this pálúda intoxications arise, and the sheepskin jacket and the shoon depart from thy memory.
زانک ازین پالوده مستیها بود ** پوستین و چارق از یادت رود
When the death-agony comes, thou wilt utter a (great) cry of lamentation: in that hour thou wilt remember thy ragged cloak and clumsy shoon;
چون در آید نزع و مرگ آهی کنی ** ذکر دلق و چارق آنگاهی کنی
(But) until thou art drowning in the waves of an evil plight in which there is no help (to be obtained) from any refuge,
تا نمانی غرق موج زشتیی ** که نباشد از پناهی پشتیی
Thou wilt never call to mind the right ship (for thy voyage): thou wilt never look at thy shoon and sheepskin jacket.
یاد ناری از سفینه‌ی راستین ** ننگری رد چارق و در پوستین
When thou art left helpless in the overwhelming waters of destruction, then thou wilt incessantly make (the words) we have done wrong thy litany;1970
چونک درمانی به غرقاب فنا ** پس ظلمنا ورد سازی بر ولا
(But) the Devil will say, “Look ye at this half-baked (fool)! Cut off the head of this untimely bird (this cock that crows too late)!”
دیو گوید بنگرید این خام را ** سر برید این مرغ بی‌هنگام را
Far from the wisdom of Ayáz is this characteristic, (namely), that his prayer should be uttered without (being a real) prayer.
دور این خصلت ز فرهنگ ایاز ** که پدید آید نمازش بی‌نماز
He has been the cock of Heaven from of old: all his crowings are (taking place) at their (proper) time.
او خروس آسمان بوده ز پیش ** نعره‌های او همه در وقت خویش
On the meaning of this (Tradition), “Show unto us the things as they are (in reality)”; and on the meaning of this (saying), “If the covering were lifted, my certainty would not be increased”; and on his (the poet's) verse: “When thou regardest any one with a malign eye, thou art regarding him from the hoop (narrow circle) of thy (self-)existence.” (Hemistich): “The crooked ladder casts a crooked shadow.”
در معنی این کی ارنا الاشیاء کما هی و معنی این کی لو کشف الغطاء ما از ددت یقینا و قوله در هر که تو از دیده‌ی بد می‌نگری از چنبره‌ی وجود خود می‌نگری پایه‌ی کژ کژ افکند سایه