So that I beheld the face of Azrael; (now) again you have brought cunning and plausible suggestion (to bear on me).
تا بدیدم روی عزرائیل را ** باز آوردی فن و تسویل را
Though I am a disgrace to the asses or an ass (myself), (yet) I am possessed of life, I have a vital spirit: how should I purchase (accept and believe) this (palaver)?2625
گرچه من ننگ خرانم یا خرم ** جانورم جان دارم این را کی خرم
If a child had seen the pitiless horror that I saw, it would instantly have become old.
آنچ من دیدم ز هول بی‌امان ** طفل دیدی پیر گشتی در زمان
Deprived of heart and soul by dread of that awful object, I threw myself headlong from the mountain.
بی‌دل و جان از نهیب آن شکوه ** سرنگون خود را در افکندم ز کوه
My legs were tied (paralysed) by terror as soon as I perceived that (cruel) torment without (any) barrier (between it and me).
بسته شد پایم در آن دم از نهیب ** چون بدیدم آن عذاب بی‌حجاب
I made a promise to God, crying, ‘O gracious One, do Thou loose my legs from this bondage,
عهد کردم با خدا کای ذوالمنن ** برگشا زین بستگی تو پای من
So that henceforth I may not listen to any one's temptation: I promise, I vow (that I will not listen), O Helper!’2630
تا ننوشم وسوسه‌ی کس بعد ازین ** عهد کردم نذر کردم ای معین
Thereupon God loosed my legs because of my prayer and humble entreaty and indication (of abasement);
حق گشاده کرد آن دم پای من ** زان دعا و زاری و ایمای من
Else the fierce lion would have overtaken me: how would an ass have fared in the grip of a lion?
ورنه اندر من رسیدی شیر نر ** چون بدی در زیر پنجه‌ی شیر خر
Now the lion of the jungle has sent you to me again for the purpose of deceit, O evil companion that you are!”
باز بفرستادت آن شیر عرین ** سوی من از مکر ای بس القرین
(I swear) by the truth of the Holy Person of Allah, the Lord, that a malign snake is better than a malign friend.
حق ذات پاک الله الصمد ** که بود به مار بد از یار بد
The malign snake takes a soul (life) from the man it has bitten; the malign friend leads him into the everlasting Fire.2635
مار بد جانی ستاند از سلیم ** یار بد آرد سوی نار مقیم
Thy heart secretly steals its disposition from the disposition of thy companion, without speech and talk on his part.
از قرین بی‌قول و گفت و گوی او ** خو بدزدد دل نهان از خوی او
When he casts his shadow over thee, that unprincipled one steals away thy principles from thee.
چونک او افکند بر تو سایه را ** دزدد آن بی‌مایه از تو مایه را
(Even) if thy reason has become (as strong as) a furious dragon, know that the evil companion is an emerald to it.
عقل تو گر اژدهایی گشت مست ** یار بد او را زمرد دان که هست
Through him the eye of thy reason starts out (of the socket): his (vicious) thrusts deliver thee into the hands of pestilence.
The fox said, “There are no dregs in my pure liquor, but the illusions of imagination are not small.2640
گفت روبه صاف ما را درد نیست ** لیک تخییلات وهمی خورد نیست
All this is your imagination, O simpleton, for I bear no malice and rancour against you.
این همه وهم توست ای ساده‌دل ** ورنه بر تو نه غشی دارم نه غل
Do not regard me from (the standpoint of) your evil fancy: wherefore do you cherish ill thoughts against your lovers?
از خیال زشت خود منگر به من ** بر محبان از چه داری س ظن
Think well of the sincere, even though unkindness come from them in appearance.
ظن نیکو بر بر اخوان صفا ** گرچه آید ظاهرا زیشان جفا
When this evil fancy and imagination is manifested, it severs a hundred thousand friends from one another.
این خیال و وهم بد چون شد پدید ** صد هزاران یار را از هم برید
If an affectionate (friend) has behaved unjustly and made a trial (of one's loyalty), understanding is needed to prevent one from thinking ill (of him).2645
مشفقی گر کرد جور و امتحان ** عقل باید که نباشد بدگمان
In particular, I, who have a bad name, was not evil-natured (in regard to you): what you saw was nothing evil, it was (only) a magic spell;
خصاه من بدرگ نبودم زشت‌اسم ** آنک دیدی بد نبد بود آن طلسم
And if, hypothetically, that purpose (of mine) had been evil, (still) friends pardon such a fault.”
ور بدی بد آن سگالش قدرا ** عفو فرمایند یاران زان خطا
The world of imagination and the phantom of hope and fear is a great obstacle to the traveller (on the mystic Way).
عالم وهم و خیال طمع و بیم ** هست ره‌رو را یکی سدی عظیم
The pictures (illusions) of this picture-making phantasy were harmful (even) to one like Khalíl (Abraham), who was (firm as) a mountain.
نقشهای این خیال نقش‌بند ** چون خلیلی را که که بد شد گزند
The noble Abraham said, “This is my Lord,” when he fell into the world (fell under the sway) of imagination.2650
گفت هذا ربی ابراهیم راد ** چونک اندر عالم وهم اوفتاد
That person who bored the pearl of interpretation, interpreted the mention of the star thus—
ذکر کوکب را چنین تاویل گفت ** آن کسی که گوهر تاویل سفت
(That) the world of imagination and blinding phantasy uprooted such a mountain (of wisdom) from its foundation,
عالم وهم و خیال چشم‌بند ** آنچنان که را ز جای خویش کند
So that the words, “This is my Lord,” were uttered by him: what, (then), must be the case with a goose or an ass?
تا که هذا ربی آمد قال او ** خربط و خر را چه باشد حال او
Understandings (strong) as mountains have been submerged in the seas of imagination and the whirlpools of phantasy.
غرق گشته عقلهای چون جبال ** در بحار وهم و گرداب خیال
Mountains are put to shame by this Flood: where is any safety (to be found) but in the Ship (Ark) of Noah?2655
کوهها را هست زین طوفان فضوح ** کو امانی جز که در کشتی نوح
By this phantasy, which infests the road of Faith like a brigand, the followers of the (true) Religion have become (split into) two and seventy sects.
زین خیال ره‌زن راه یقین ** گشت هفتاد و دو ملت اهل دین
The man of sure faith is delivered from imagination and phantasy: he does not call a hair of the eyebrow the new moon,
مرد ایقان رست از وهم و خیال ** موی ابرو را نمی‌گوید هلال
While he that has not the (spiritual) light of ‘Umar as his support is waylaid (deceived) by a crooked hair of the eyebrow.
وآنک نور عمرش نبود سند ** موی ابروی کژی راهش زند
A hundred thousand awful and terrible ships have been shattered to pieces in the sea of imagination.
صد هزاران کشتی با هول و سهم ** تخته تخته گشته در دریای وهم
The least (of them is) the energetic and ingenious Pharaoh: his moon was eclipsed in the mansion of imagination.2660
کمترین فرعون چست فیلسوف ** ماه او در برج وهمی در خسوف
Nobody knows who is the cuckold, and he that knows has no doubt concerning himself.
کس نداند روسپی‌زن کیست آن ** وانک داند نیستش بر خود گمان
Since thine own imagination keeps thee giddy-headed, wherefore shouldst thou revolve round the imagination of another?
چون ترا وهم تو دارد خیره‌سر ** از چه گردی گرد وهم آن دگر
I am helpless against my own egoism: why hast thou, full of egoism, sat down beside me?
عاجزم من از منی خویشتن ** چه نشستی پر منی تو پیش من
I am seeking with (all) my soul one who is free from egoism, that I may become the ball of that goodly bat.
بی‌من و مایی همی‌جویم به جان ** تا شوم من گوی آن خوش صولجان
In sooth any one who has become without ego is all egos: when he is not loved by himself he becomes loved by (them) all.2665
هر که بی‌من شد همه من‌ها خود اوست ** دوست جمله شد چو خود را نیست دوست
(When) a mirror becomes devoid of images, it gains splendour because (then) it is the reporter (reflector) of all images.
آینه بی‌نقش شد یابد بها ** زانک شد حاکی جمله نقشها
Story of Shaykh Mohammed Sar-razí of Ghazna, may God sanctify his spirit!
حکایت شیخ محمد سررزی غزنوی قدس الله سره
In Ghazna there was an ascetic, abounding in knowledge (of divinity): his name was Mohammed and his title Sar-razí.
زاهدی در غزنی از دانش مزی ** بد محمد نام و کفیت سررزی
Every night he would break his fast with vine-tendrils (sar-i raz): during seven years he was continually (engaged) in one quest.
بود افطارش سر رز هر شبی ** هفت سال او دایم اندر مطلبی
He experienced many marvellous things from the King of existence, but his object was (to behold) the beauty of the King.
بس عجایب دید از شاه وجود ** لیک مقصودش جمال شاه بود
That man who was surfeited with himself went to the top of a mountain and said, “Appear, or I will fall (throw myself) to the bottom.”2670
بر سر که رفت آن از خویش سیر ** گفت بنما یا فتادم من به زیر
He (God) said, “The time for that favour is not (yet) come, and if thou fall down, thou wilt not die: I will not kill thee.”
گفت نامد مهلت آن مکرمت ** ور فرو افتی نمیری نکشمت
He, from love (of God), threw himself down: he fell into the depths of a (piece of) water.
او فرو افکند خود را از وداد ** در میان عمق آبی اوفتاد
When he (found that he) was not dead, on account of the shock (of disappointment) that man who was sick of life made lament over himself for having been parted from death;
چون نمرد از نکس آن جان‌سیر مرد ** از فراق مرگ بر خود نوحه کرد