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
For this (present) life seemed to him like a (state of) death: in his view the thing had become reversed.
کین حیات او را چو مرگی می‌نمود ** کار پیشش بازگونه گشته بود
He was begging death (as a gift) from the Unseen, he was crying, “Verily, my life is in my death.”2675
موت را از غیب می‌کرد او کدی ** ان فی موتی حیاتی می‌زدی
He had embraced death as (other people embrace) life, he had become in full accord with the destruction of his life.
موت را چون زندگی قابل شده ** با هلاک جان خود یک دل شده
As (with) ‘Alí, the sword and dagger were his sweet basil, the narcissus and eglantine were his soul's enemies.
سیف و خنجر چون علی ریحان او ** نرگس و نسرین عدوی جان او
A Voice came (to his ear), “Go from the desert to the city”— a wondrous Voice transcending the occult and the manifest.
بانگ آمد رو ز صحرا سوی شهر ** بانگ طرفه از ورای سر و جهر
He cried, “O Thou that knowest my secret, hair by hair, tell me, what service am I to do in the city?”
گفت ای دانای رازم مو به مو ** چه کنم در شهر از خدمت بگو
It (the Voice) said, “The service is this, that for the purpose of self abasement thou shouldst make thyself (like) ‘Abbás (the seller) of date-syrup.2680
گفت خدمت آنک بهر ذل نفس ** خویش را سازی تو چون عباس دبس
For a while take money from the rich and then deliver it to the lowly poor.
مدتی از اغنیا زر می‌ستان ** پس به درویشان مسکین می‌رسان
This is the service thou must do for some time.” He replied, “To hear is to obey, O Thou who art my soul's refuge.”
خدمتت اینست تا یک چند گاه ** گفت سمعا طاعة ای جان‌پناه