And if he is that (spirit), (then) what is this body, my friend? Oh, I wonder which of these twain he is and who?
ور وی آنست این بدن ای دوست چیست ** ای عجب زین دو کدامین است و کیست
Story of the woman who told her husband that the cat had eaten the meat, (whereupon) the husband put the cat in the balance (in order to weigh her). (Finding that) her weight amounted to half a “mann”, he said, “O wife, the meat weighed half a ‘mann’ and more. If this is the meat, where is the cat? Or if this is the cat, where is the meat?”
حکایت آن زن کی گفت شوهر را کی گوشت را گربه خورد شوهر گربه را به ترازو بر کشید گربه نیم من برآمد گفت ای زن گوشت نیم من بود و افزون اگر این گوشتست گربه کو و اگر این گربه است گوشت کو
There was a man, a householder, who had a very sneering, dirty, and rapacious wife.
بود مردی کدخدا او را زنی ** سخت طناز و پلید و ره‌زنی
Whatever (food) he brought (home), his wife would consume it, and the man was forced to keep silence.3410
هرچه آوردی تلف کردیش زن ** مرد مضطر بود اندر تن زدن
(One day) that family man brought home, for a guest, (some) meat (which he had procured) with infinite pains.
بهر مهمان گوشت آورد آن معیل ** سوی خانه با دو صد جهد طویل
His wife ate it up with kabáb and wine: (when) the man came in, she put him off with useless words.
زن بخوردش با کباب و با شراب ** مرد آمد گفت دفع ناصواب
The man said to her, “Where is the meat? The guest has arrived: one must set nice food before a guest.”
مرد گفتش گوشت کو مهمان رسید ** پیش مهمان لوت می‌باید کشید
“This cat has eaten the meat,” she replied: “hey, go and buy some more meat if you can!”
گفت زن این گربه خورد آن گوشت را ** گوشت دیگر خر اگر باشد هلا
He said (to the servant), “O Aybak, fetch the balance: I will weigh the cat.3415
گفت ای ایبک ترازو را بیار ** گربه را من بر کشم اندر عیار
He weighed her. The cat was half a mann. Then the man said, “O deceitful wife,
بر کشیدش بود گربه نیم من ** پس بگفت آن مرد کای محتال زن
The meat was half a mann and one sitír over; the cat is just half a mann, my lady.
گوشت نیم من بود و افزون یک ستیر ** هست گربه نیم‌من هم ای ستیر
If this is the cat, then where is the meat? Or, if this is the meat, where is the cat? Search (for her)!”
این اگر گربه‌ست پس آن گوشت کو ** ور بود این گوشت گربه کو بجو
If Báyazíd is this (body), what is that spirit? And if he is that spirit, who is this (bodily) image?
بایزید ار این بود آن روح چیست ** ور وی آن روحست این تصویر کیست
’Tis bewilderment on bewilderment. O my friend, (the solution of) this (problem) is not your affair, nor is it mine either.3420
حیرت اندر حیرتست ای یار من ** این نه کار تست و نه هم کار من
He is both (spirit and body), but in the corn-crop the grain is fundamental, while the stalk is derivative.
هر دو او باشد ولیک از ریع زرع ** دانه باشد اصل و آن که پره فرع
(The Divine) Wisdom has bound these contraries together: O butcher, this fleshy thigh-bone goes along with the neck.
حکمت این اضداد را با هم ببست ** ای قصاب این گردران با گردنست
The spirit cannot function without the body; your body is frozen (inanimate) and cold (inert) without the spirit.
روح بی‌قالب نداند کار کرد ** قالبت بی‌جان فسرده بود و سرد
Your body is visible, while your spirit is hidden from view: the business of the world is conducted by means of them both.
قالبت پیدا و آن جانت نهان ** راست شد زین هر دو اسباب جهان
If you throw earth at (some one's) head, his head will not be broken; if you throw water at his head, it will not be broken.3425
خاک را بر سر زنی سر نشکند ** آب را بر سر زنی در نشکند
If you wish to break his head, you bring the earth and the water into contact with each other (and make a lump of clay).
گر تو می‌خواهی که سر را بشکنی ** آب را و خاک را بر هم زنی
When you have broken your head, its water (the spirit) returns to its source, and earth returns to earth on the day of separation.
چون شکستی سر رود آبش به اصل ** خاک سوی خاک آید روز فصل
The providential purpose that God had—namely, humble supplication or obstinate contumacy—was fulfilled by means of the marriage (of body and spirit).
حکمتی که بود حق را ز ازدواج ** گشت حاصل از نیاز و از لجاج
Then (afterwards) there are other marriages that no ear hath heard and no eye hath seen.
باشد آنگه ازدواجات دگر ** لا سمع اذن و لا عین بصر
If the ear had heard, how should the ear have remained (in action) or how should it have apprehended words any more?3430
گر شنیدی اذن کی ماندی اذن ** یا کجا کردی دگر ضبط سخن
If the snow and ice were to behold the sun, they would despair of (retaining their) iciness;
گر بدیدی برف و یخ خورشید را ** از یخی برداشتی اومید را
They would become water (formless and) devoid of roots and knobs: the air, David-like, would make of the water a mail-coat (of ripples),
آب گشتی بی‌عروق و بی‌گره ** ز آب داود هوا کردی زره
And then it (the water) would become a life-giving medicine for every tree: every tree (would be made) fortunate by its advent.
پس شدی درمان جان هر درخت ** هر درختی از قدومش نیک‌بخت
(But) the frozen ice that remains (locked) within itself cries to the trees,Touch me not!
آن یخی بفسرده در خود مانده ** لا مساسی با درختان خوانده
Its body makes none its friend nor is it made a friend by any: its portion is naught but miserly selfishness.3435
لیس یالف لیس یلف جسمه ** لیس الا شح نفس قسمه
It is not wasted (entirely), the heart is refreshed by it; but it is not the herald and lord of (the vernal) greenery.
نیست ضایع زو شود تازه جگر ** لیک نبود پیک و سلطان خضر
“O Ayáz, thou art a very exalted star: not every sign of the zodiac is worthy of its transit.
ای ایاز استاره‌ی تو بس بلند ** نیست هر برجی عبورش را پسند
How should thy lofty spirit be satisfied with every loyalty? How should thy pureness choose (to accept) every sincerity?”
هر وفا را کی پسندد همتت ** هر صفا را کی گزیند صفوتت
Story of the Amír who bade his slave fetch some wine: the slave went off and was bringing a jug of wine, (when) an ascetic (who) was on the road admonished him that he should act righteously and threw a stone and smashed the jug; the Amír heard (of this) and resolved to punish the ascetic. That happened in the epoch of the religion of Jesus, on whom be peace, when wine had not yet been declared unlawful; but the ascetic was showing an abhorrence (for worldly pleasure) and preventing (others) from indulging themselves.
حکایت آن امیر کی غلام را گفت کی می بیار غلام رفت و سبوی می آورد در راه زاهدی بود امر معروف کرد زد سنگی و سبو را بشکست امیر بشنید و قصد گوشمال زاهد کرد و این قصد در عهد دین عیسی بود علیه‌السلام کی هنوز می حرام نشده بود ولیکن زاهد تقزیزی می‌کرد و از تنعم منع می‌کرد
There was an Amír of merry heart, exceedingly fond of wine: (he was) the refuge of every drunkard and every resourceless person.
بود امیری خوش دلی می‌باره‌ای ** کهف هر مخمور و هر بیچاره‌ای
(He was) a compassionate man, kind to the poor and just; a jewel (of bounty), gold-lavishing, ocean-hearted;3440
مشفقی مسکین‌نوازی عادلی ** جوهری زربخششی دریادلی
A king of men and commander of the Faithful; a keeper of the Way and a knower of secrets and a discerner of friends.
شاه مردان و امیرالمومنین ** راه‌بان و رازدان و دوست‌بین
’Twas the epoch of Jesus and the days of the Messiah: he (the Amír) was beloved of the people and unoppressive and agreeable.
دور عیسی بود و ایام مسیح ** خلق دلدار و کم‌آزار و ملیح
Suddenly one night, another Amír, a person of good principles (who was) congenial to him, came seeking his hospitality.
آمدش مهمان بناگاهان شبی ** هم امیری جنس او خوش‌مذهبی
They wanted wine in order to enjoy themselves: at that period wine was permissible and lawful;
باده می‌بایستشان در نظم حال ** باده بود آن وقت ماذون و حلال
(But) they had no wine, so he (the Amír) said to his slave, “Go, fill the jug and fetch us wine3445
باده‌شان کم بود و گفتا ای غلام ** رو سبو پر کن به ما آور مدام
From such-and-such a Christian ascetic who has choice wine, that the soul (in us) may win release from high and low.”
از فلان راهب که دارد خمر خاص ** تا ز خاص و عام یابد جان خلاص
One draught from the Christian ascetic's cup has the same effect as thousands of wine-jars and wine-cellars.
جرعه‌ای زان جام راهب آن کند ** که هزاران جره و خمدان کند
In that (Christian's) wine there is a hidden (spiritual) substance, even as (spiritual) sovereignty is (hidden) in the dervish-cloak.
اندر آن می مایه‌ی پنهانی است ** آنچنان که اندر عبا سلطانی است
Do not regard (merely) the tattered cloak, for they have put black on the outside of the gold.
تو بدلق پاره‌پاره کم نگر ** که سیه کردند از بیرون زر
On account of the evil eye he (the dervish) becomes (apparently) reprobate, and that (spiritual) ruby is tarnished with smoke on the outside.3450
از برای چشم بد مردود شد ** وز برون آن لعل دودآلود شد
When are treasures and jewels (exposed to view) in the rooms of a house? Treasures are always (hidden) in ruins.
گنج و گوهر کی میان خانه‌هاست ** گنجها پیوسته در ویرانه‌هاست
Since Adam's treasure was buried in a ruin, his clay became a bandage over the eye of the accursed (Iblís).
گنج آدم چون بویران بد دفین ** گشت طینش چشم‌بند آن لعین
He (Iblís) was regarding the clay with the utmost contempt, (but) the spirit (of Adam) was saying, “My clay is a barrier to thee.”
او نظر می‌کرد در طین سست سست ** جان همی‌گفتش که طینم سد تست
The slave took two jugs and ran with goodwill: (almost) immediately he arrived at the monastery of the Christian monks.
دو سبو بستد غلام و خوش دوید ** در زمان در دیر رهبانان رسید
He paid gold and purchased wine like gold: he gave stones and bought jewels in exchange.3455
زر بداد و باده‌ی چون زر خرید ** سنگ داد و در عوض گوهر خرید
(’Twas) a wine that would fly to the head of kings and put a golden tiara on the crown of the cupbearer's head.
باده‌ای که آن بر سر شاهان جهد ** تاج زر بر تارک ساقی نهد
(By it) troubles and commotions are aroused, slaves and emperors are mingled together;