And that what is (only) a swift's (portion of) food should become the (means of) filling the belly of such an elephant.
آنچ قوت مرغ بابیلی بود ** سیری معده‌ی چنین پیلی شود
Whispering arose amongst the men and women—“That man who has the body of an elephant eats as little as a fly!”
فجفجه افتاد اندر مرد و زن ** قدر پشه می‌خورد آن پیل‌تن
The greed and vanity of unbelief was overthrown: the dragon was satisfied with the food of an ant.
حرص و وهم کافری سرزیر شد ** اژدها از قوت موری سیر شد
The beggar-like greediness of unbelief departed from him: the sweet food of the Faith made him stout and strong.
آن گدا چشمی کفر از وی برفت ** لوت ایمانیش لمتر کرد و زفت
He who was quivering from ravenous hunger beheld, like Mary, the fruit of Paradise.285
آنک از جوع البقر او می‌طپید ** هم‌چو مریم میوه‌ی جنت بدید
The fruit of Paradise sped to his body: his Hell-like belly gained repose.
میوه‌ی جنت سوی چشمش شتافت ** معده‌ی چون دوزخش آرام یافت
The essence of the Faith is a mighty blessing and exceedingly delicious food, O thou who art content with naught of the Faith but the profession!
ذات ایمان نعمت و لوتیست هول ** ای قناعت کرده از ایمان به قول
Explaining that the Light which is the food of the spirit becomes the food of the saint's body, so that it (his body) also becomes friendly with the spirit (according to the saying of the Prophet), “My satan hath accepted Islam at my hands.”
بیان آنک نور که غذای جانست غذای جسم اولیا می‌شود تا او هم یار می‌شود روح را کی اسلم شیطانی علی یدی
Although that (Light) is the food of the spirit and the (spiritual) sight, the body too partakes of it, O son.
گرچه آن مطعوم جانست و نظر ** جسم را هم زان نصیبست ای پسر
If the devilish body had not become fond of eating it, the Prophet would not have said, “The devil accepted Islam.”
گر نگشتی دیو جسم آن را اکول ** اسلم الشیطان نفرمودی رسول
How should the devil become a Moslem until it drink of the sweet food by which the dead is made living?290
دیو زان لوتی که مرده حی شود ** تا نیاشامد مسلمان کی شود
The devil is passionately in love with the world, blind and deaf; (but this) love, no doubt, may be cut off by another love.
دیو بر دنیاست عاشق کور و کر ** عشق را عشقی دگر برد مگر
When it tastes the wine from the cellar of clairvoyance, little by little it will transfer its love thither.
از نهان‌خانه‌ی یقین چون می‌چشد ** اندک‌اندک رخت عشق آنجا کشد
O thou whose belly is greedy, turn away thus (from the world): the only method is change of food.
یا حریص االبطن عرج هکذا ** انما المنهاج تبدیل الغذا
O thou whose heart is sick, turn to the remedy: the entire regimen is change of disposition.
یا مریض القلب عرج للعلاج ** جملة التدبیر تبدیل المزاج
O thou who art kept in pawn to food, thou wilt escape if thou suffer thyself to be weaned.295
ایها المحبوس فی رهن الطعام ** سوف تنجو ان تحملت الفطام
Verily, in hunger there is plenteous food: search after it diligently and cherish the hope (of finding it), O shrinker.
ان فی‌الجوع طعام وافر ** افتقدها وارتج یا نافر
Feed on the Light, be like the eye, be in accord with the angels, O best of mankind.
اغتذ بالنور کن مثل البصر ** وافق الاملاک یا خیر البشر
Like the Angel, make the glorification of God thy food, that like the angels thou mayst be delivered from vexation.
چون ملک تسبیح حق را کن غذا ** تا رهی هم‌چون ملایک از اذا
If Gabriel pays no attention to the carcase, (yet) how should he be inferior in strength to the vulture?
جبرئیل ار سوی جیفه کم تند ** او به قوت کی ز کرکس کم زند
What a goodly table is spread in the world! But it is quite hidden from the eyes of the vile.300
حبذا خوانی نهاده در جهان ** لیک از چشم خسیسان بس نهان
Though the world should become a delightful orchard, still the portion of the mouse and the snake would consist of earth.
گر جهان باغی پر از نعمت شود ** قسم موش و مار هم خاکی بود
How the corporealists ignore the food of the spirit and tremble with anxiety for the vile food.
انکار اهل تن غذای روح را و لرزیدن ایشان بر غذای خسیس
Its (the vile creature's) food is earth, whether in winter or in spring; thou art the lord of creation: how is it thou eatest earth like the snake?
قسم او خاکست گر دی گر بهار ** میر کونی خاک چون نوشی چو مار
The wood-worm in the midst of wood says, “For whom (else) should be such fine sweetmeat?”
در میان چوب گوید کرم چوب ** مر کرا باشد چنین حلوای خوب
The dung-worm amidst (all) that pollution knows no dessert in the world but filth.
کرم سرگین در میان آن حدث ** در جهان نقلی نداند جز خبث
Prayer.
مناجات
O God who art without peer, show favour! Since Thou hast bestowed on (our) ear this discourse as an ear-ring,305
ای خدای بی‌نظیر ایثار کن ** گوش را چون حلقه دادی زین سخن
Take hold of our ear and draw us along to the assembly where the joyous revellers drink of Thy wine.
گوش ما گیر و بدان مجلس کشان ** کز رحیقت می‌خورند آن سرخوشان
Forasmuch as Thou hast caused a waft of its perfume to reach us, do not stopple the head (mouth) of that wine-skin, O Lord of the Judgement!
چون به ما بویی رسانیدی ازین ** سر مبند آن مشک را ای رب دین
Whether they are male or female, they (all Thy creatures) drink from Thee: O Thou whose help is besought, Thou art stintless in giving.
از تو نوشند ار ذکورند ار اناث ** بی‌دریغی در عطا یا مستغاث
O Thou by whom the unspoken prayer is answered, who bestowest at every moment a hundred bounties on the heart,
ای دعا ناگفته از تو مستجاب ** داده دل را هر دمی صد فتح باب
Thou hast limned some letters of writing: rocks have become (soft) as wax for love of them.310
چند حرفی نقش کردی از رقوم ** سنگها از عشق آن شد هم‌چو موم
Thou hast scribed the nún of the eyebrow, the sád of the eye, and the jím of the ear as a distraction to a hundred minds and understandings.
نون ابرو صاد چشم و جیم گوش ** بر نوشتی فتنه‌ی صد عقل و هوش
By those letters of Thine the intellect is made to weave subtle coils (of perplexity): write on, O accomplished Calligrapher!
زان حروفت شد خرد باریک‌ریس ** نسخ می‌کن ای ادیب خوش‌نویس
At each moment Thou shapest beauteously pictured forms of phantasy, suitable to every thought, upon (the page of) non-existence.
در خور هر فکر بسته بر عدم ** دم به دم نقش خیالی خوش رقم
On the tablet of phantasy Thou inscribest wondrous letters— eye and profile and cheek and mole.
حرفهای طرفه بر لوح خیال ** بر نوشته چشم و عارض خد و خال
I am drunken with desire for non-existence, not for the existent, because the Beloved of (the world of) non-existence is more faithful.315
بر عدم باشم نه بر موجود مست ** زانک معشوق عدم وافی‌ترست
He (God) made the intellect a reader of those figured characters, that thereby He might put an end to its contrivances.
عقل را خط خوان آن اشکال کرد ** تا دهد تدبیرها را زان نورد
Comparison of the Guarded Tablet (the Logos), and the perception there from by every individual's mind of his daily fate and portion and lot, to the daily perception (of the Divine decree) by Gabriel, on whom be peace, from the Most Great Tablet.
تمثیل لوح محفوظ و ادراک عقل هر کسی از آن لوح آنک امر و قسمت و مقدور هر روزه‌ی ویست هم چون ادراک جبرئیل علیه‌السلام هر روزی از لوح اعظم عقل مثال جبرئیلست و نظر او به تفکر به سوی غیبی که معهود اوست در تفکر و اندیشه‌ی کیفیت معاش و بیرون شو کارهای هر روزینه مانند نظر جبرئیلست در لوح و فهم کردن او از لوح
Like the Angel, the intellect receives (reads) every morning its daily lesson from the Guarded Tablet.
چون ملک از لوح محفوظ آن خرد ** هر صباحی درس هر روزه برد
Behold the inscriptions made without (use of) fingers upon non-existence and the amazement of the madmen at the blackness of them.
بر عدم تحریرها بین بی‌بنان ** و از سوادش حیرت سوداییان
Every one is infatuated with some phantasy and digs in corners in mad desire for a (buried) treasure.
هر کسی شد بر خیالی ریش گاو ** گشته در سودای گنجی کنج‌کاو
By a phantasy one person is filled with (desire for) magnificence and turns his face towards the mines (of precious ore) in the mountains;320
از خیالی گشته شخصی پرشکوه ** روی آورده به معدنهای کوه
And, (inspired) by a phantasy, another sets his face with bitter toil towards the sea for the sake of pearls;
وز خیالی آن دگر با جهد مر ** رو نهاده سوی دریا بهر در
And another (goes) into a church to perform religious exercises, while another (betakes himself) to sowing in his greed (for gain).
وآن دگر بهر ترهب در کنشت ** وآن یکی اندر حریصی سوی کشت
Through phantasy that one becomes the waylayer (destroyer) of him who has escaped (unhurt); and through phantasy this (other) becomes the salve (deliverer) of him who has been (sorely) wounded.
از خیال آن ره‌زن رسته شده ** وز خیال این مرهم خسته شده
One loses his soul in the invocation of demons, while another sets his foot upon the stars.
در پری‌خوانی یکی دل کرده گم ** بر نجوم آن دیگری بنهاده سم
He (the observer) sees that these modes of action in the external world are diverse (since they arise) from the various phantasies within.325
این روشها مختلف بیند برون ** زان خیالات ملون ز اندرون
This man (engaged in some occupation) is amazed at that man (occupied with something else) and says, “What is he about?” Every taster denies the other (whose taste is different).
این در آن حیران شده کان بر چیست ** هر چشنده آن دگر را نافیست
Unless those phantasies were incongruous, how did the modes of action become diverse externally?
آن خیالات ار نبد نامتلف ** چون ز بیرون شد روشها مختلف
Since the qibla (the true object) of the soul has been hidden, every one has turned his face to a (different) quarter.
قبله‌ی جان را چو پنهان کرده‌اند ** هر کسی رو جانبی آورده‌اند
Comparison of the different practices and the various aspirations (of mankind) to the disagreement of those who at prayer-time endeavour to find the qibla (direction of Mecca) when it is dark, and to the search of divers (for pearls) at the bottom of the sea.
تمثیل روشهای مختلف و همتهای گوناگون به اختلاف تحری متحریان در وقت نماز قبله را در وقت تاریکی و تحری غواصان در قعر بحر
(They are) like folk trying to find (the direction of the Ka‘ba) and (each) turning in a certain direction which they fancy is the qibla:
هم‌چو قومی که تحری می‌کنند ** بر خیال قبله سویی می‌تنند
When at dawn the Ka‘ba appears, it is discovered who has lost the (right) way;330
چونک کعبه رو نماید صبحگاه ** کشف گردد که کی گم کردست راه