Thou hast mingled thy soul’s love with two old articles (of dress) and hung them both in a chamber.
با دو کهنه مهر جان آمیخته ** هر دو را در حجره‌ای آویخته
How long wilt thou speak new words to (those) two old things and breathe the ancient secret into a substance devoid of life?
چند گویی با دو کهنه نو سخن ** در جمادی می‌دمی سر کهن
Like (the poets among) the Arabs, O Ayáz, thou art drawing out long and lovingly thy converse with the (deserted) abodes and the traces of former habitation.3255
چون عرب با ربع و اطلال ای ایاز ** می‌کشی از عشق گفت خود دراز
Of what Ásaf are thy shoon the abode? One would say that thy sheepskin jacket is the shirt of Joseph.”
چارقت ربع کدامین آصفست ** پوستین گویی که کرته‌ی یوسفست
(This is) like (the case of) the Christian who recounts to his priest a year’s sins––fornication and malice and hypocrisy––
هم‌چو ترسا که شمارد با کشش ** جرم یکساله زنا و غل و غش
In order that the priest may pardon his sins, for he regards his (the priest’s) forgiveness as forgiveness from God.
تا بیامرزد کشش زو آن گناه ** عفو او را عفو داند از اله
The priest has no (real) knowledge of sin and pardon; but love and firm belief are mightily bewitching.
نیست آگه آن کشش از جرم و داد ** لیک بس جادوست عشق و اعتقاد
Love and imagination weave (create) a hundred (forms beautiful as) Joseph: in sooth they are greater sorcerers than Hárút and Márút.3260
دوستی و وهم صد یوسف تند ** اسحر از هاروت و ماروتست خود
They cause a form (of phantasy) to appear in memory of him (your Beloved): the attraction of the form leads you into (conversation with it).
صورتی پیدا کند بر یاد او ** جذب صورت آردت در گفت و گو
You tell a hundred thousand secrets in the form’s presence, just as a friend speaks (intimately) in the presence of a friend.
رازگویی پیش صورت صد هزار ** آن چنان که یار گوید پیش یار
No (material) form or shape is there; (yet) from it proceed a hundred (utterances of the words) “Am not I (thy Beloved)?” and (from you) a hundred “Yeas.”
نه بدانجا صورتی نه هیکلی ** زاده از وی صد الست و صد بلی
(‘Tis) as when a mother, distraught (with grief) beside the grave of a child newly dead,
آن چنان که مادری دل‌برده‌ای ** پیش گور بچه‌ی نومرده‌ای
Utters heart-felt words earnestly and intensely: the inanimate (corpse) seems to her to be alive.3265
رازها گوید به جد و اجتهاد ** می‌نماید زنده او را آن جماد
She regards that dust as living and erect, she regards that rubbish as (having) an eye and an ear.
حی و قایم داند او آن خاک را ** چشم و گوشی داند او خاشاک را
To her, at the moment when she is crazed (with grief), every atom of the earth in the grave seems to have hearing and intelligence.
پیش او هر ذره‌ی آن خاک گور ** گوش دارد هوش دارد وقت شور
She believes with all her might that the earth is hearkening (to her): look well at this Love that works magic!
مستمع داند به جد آن خاک را ** خوش نگر این عشق ساحرناک را
Fondly and with tears she lays her face, time after time, on the fresh earth of the grave in such wise
آنچنان بر خاک گور تازه او ** دم‌بدم خوش می‌نهد با اشک رو
As during his life she never laid her face on the son who was so dear to her;3270
که بوقت زندگی هرگز چنان ** روی ننهادست بر پور چو جان
(But) when some days pass in mourning, the fire of her love sinks to rest.
از عزا چون چند روزی بگذرد ** آتش آن عشق او ساکن شود
Love for the dead is not lasting: keep your love (fixed) on the Living One who increases spiritual life.
عشق بر مرده نباشد پایدار ** عشق را بر حی جان‌افزای دار
Afterwards, indeed, from that grave (nothing) comes to her (but) slumber (indifference and oblivion): from an insensible object is born in her the same insensibility,
بعد از آن زان گور خود خواب آیدش ** از جمادی هم جمادی زایدش
Because Love has carried off his enchantment and gone away: as soon as the fire is sped, (only) ashes remain.
زانک عشق افسون خود بربود و رفت ** ماند خاکستر چو آتش رفت تفت
The (wise) Elder (Pír) beholds in the (iron) brick all that the (ignorant) young man beholds in the mirror.3275
آنچ بیند آن جوان در آینه ** پیر اندر خشت می‌بیند همه
The Elder is thy love, not (the owner of) a white beard. ‘Tis he (Love) that gives a helping hand to thousands who are in despair.
پیر عشق تست نه ریش سپید ** دستگیر صد هزاران ناامید
In (the hour of) separation Love fashions forms (of phantasy); in the hour of union the Formless One puts forth his head,
عشق صورتها بسازد در فراق ** نامصور سر کند وقت تلاق
Saying, “I am the ultimate origin of sobriety and intoxication: the beauty in (all) forms is reflected from Me.
که منم آن اصل اصل هوش و مست ** بر صور آن حسن عکس ما بدست
At this moment I have removed the veils: I have raised Beauty on high without intermediaries.
پرده‌ها را این زمان برداشتم ** حسن را بی‌واسطه بفراشتم
Because thou hast been much occupied with My reflexion, thou hast gained the power to contemplate My essence denuded (of the forms by which it is veiled).3280
زانک بس با عکس من در بافتی ** قوت تجرید ذاتم یافتی
When My pull is set in motion (begins to be exerted) from this side, he (the Christian) does not see (is not conscious of) the priest intervening (between him and Me).”
چون ازین سو جذبه‌ی من شد روان ** او کشش را می‌نبیند در میان
(At that time) he is craving forgiveness for his sins and trespasses from the grace of God behind the veil.
مغفرت می‌خواهد از جرم و خطا ** از پس آن پرده از لطف خدا
When a fountain gushes from a rock, the rock disappears in the fountain.
چون ز سنگی چشمه‌ای جاری شود ** سنگ اندر چشمه متواری شود
After that, no one calls it “stone,” seeing that such a pure substance has gushed forth from the rock.
کس نخواهد بعد از آن او را حجر ** زانک جاری شد از آن سنگ آن گهر
Know that these forms are (like) bowls and acquire excellence through that which God pours into them.3285
کاسه‌ها دان این صور را واندرو ** آنچ حق ریزد بدان گیرد علو
How the kinsfolk of Majnún said to him, “The beauty of Laylá is limited, it is not so very great: in our city there are many fairer than she. We will show unto thee one or two or ten: take thy choice, and deliver us (from reproach) and thyself (from affliction)”; and how Majnún answered them.
گفتن خویشاوندان مجنون را کی حسن لیلی باندازه‌ایست چندان نیست ازو نغزتر در شهر ما بسیارست یکی و دو و ده بر تو عرضه کنیم اختیار کن ما را و خود را وا رهان و جواب گفتن مجنون ایشان را
The fools in their ignorance said to Majnún, “The beauty of Laylá is not so very great, it is of slight account.
ابلهان گفتند مجنون را ز جهل ** حسن لیلی نیست چندان هست سهل
There are thousands of moon-like sweethearts fairer than she in our city.”
بهتر از وی صد هزاران دلربا ** هست هم‌چون ماه اندر شهر ما
He replied, “The (outward) form is a pot, and beauty is the wine: God is giving me wine from her form.
گفت صورت کوزه است و حسن می ** می خدایم می‌دهد از نقش وی
He gave you vinegar from her pot, lest love of her should pull you by the ears.”
مر شما را سرکه داد از کوزه‌اش ** تا نباشد عشق اوتان گوش کش
The hand of God, the Almighty and Glorious, gives poison or honey to every one from the same pot.3290
از یکی کوزه دهد زهر و عسل ** هر یکی را دست حق عز و جل
Thou seest the pot, but the wine does not show itself to the wrong eye.
کوزه می‌بینی ولیکن آب شراب ** روی ننماید به چشم ناصواب
Spiritual experience is (like) the women who look modestly: it shows no sign but to its possessor.
قاصرات الطرف باشد ذوق جان ** جز به خصم خود بنماید نشان
That wine is (like) the women who look modestly, while these vessels screening it (from view) are like the tents.
قاصرات الطرف آمد آن مدام ** وین حجاب ظرفها هم‌چون خیام
The great river (too) is (like) a tent, wherein is life for the duck, but death for crows.
هست دریا خیمه‌ای در وی حیات ** بط را لیکن کلاغان را ممات
Venom also is the snake's food and provision, (but) its venom is anguish and death to others.3295
زهر باشد مار را هم قوت و برگ ** غیر او را زهر او دردست و مرگ
The form of every blessing and affliction is a Hell to this one, a Paradise to that one.
صورت هر نعمتی و محنتی ** هست این را دوزخ آن را جنتی
Therefore (though) ye see all bodies and things, and there is food and poison in them (all)—ye see (it) not.
پس همه اجسام و اشیا تبصرون ** واندرو قوتست و سم لاتبصرون
Every body resembles a bowl or a pot, wherein is both food and a (cause of) heart-burning.
هست هر جسمی چو کاسه و کوزه‌ای ** اندرو هم قوت و هم دلسوزه‌ای
The bowl is visible, the plenty (contained) in it is hidden: (only) he who tastes it (the contents) knows what he is eating or drinking from it.
کاسه پیدا اندرو پنهان رغد ** طاعمش داند کزان چه می‌خورد
The form of Joseph was like a beauteous cup: from it his father drank a hundred exhilarating wines.3300
صورت یوسف چو جامی بود خوب ** زان پدر می‌خورد صد باده‌ی طروب
Again, to his brethren (the draught they took) from it was poisoned water which was increasing in them anger and hatred.
باز اخوان را از آن زهراب بود ** کان دریشان خشم و کینه می‌فزود
Again, to Zalíkhá (the draught she took) from it was (sweet as) sugar: she was quaffing a different opiate from (the hand of) Love.
باز از وی مر زلیخا را سکر ** می‌کشید از عشق افیونی دگر