He replied, “My vision was ineffable; but for the sake of argument I will briefly declare a parable thereof.
گفت بی‌چون دیدم اما بهر قال ** بازگویم مختصر آن را مثال
I beheld Him with a fire on His left, and on the right a stream (like) Kawthar:
دیدمش سوی چپ او آذری ** سوی دست راست جوی کوثری
On His left an exceedingly world-consuming fire, on His right hand a sweet river.
سوی چپش بس جهان‌سوز آتشی ** سوی دست راستش جوی خوشی
One party put forth their hands towards the fire, (while) another party were rejoicing and intoxicated (with desire) for that Kawthar.
سوی آن آتش گروهی برده دست ** بهر آن کوثر گروهی شاد و مست
But ’twas a very topsy-turvy (mystifying) game in the path of every one doomed to perdition or blessed with salvation.425
لیک لعب بازگونه بود سخت ** پیش پای هر شقی و نیکبخت
Whoever went into the fire and sparks was emerging from the midst of the water;
هر که در آتش همی رفت و شرر ** از میان آب بر می‌کرد سر
Whoever went from the middle towards the water, he was at once found to be in the fire;
هر که سوی آب می‌رفت از میان ** او در آتش یافت می‌شد در زمان
Whoever went towards the right (hand) and the limpid water would put forth his head from the fire on the left;
هر که سوی راست شد و آب زلال ** سر ز آتش بر زد از سوی شمال
And he who went towards the fiery left, would emerge on the right.
وانک شد سوی شمال آتشین ** سر برون می‌کرد از سوی یمین
Few were they who hit upon (understood) the mystery of this occult (matter); consequently, seldom would any one go into the fire;430
کم کسی بر سر این مضمر زدی ** لاجرم کم کس در آن آتش شدی
(None would go) except him upon whom felicity was shed, so that he abandoned the water and took refuge in the fire.
جز کسی که بر سرش اقبال ریخت ** کو رها کرد آب و در آتش گریخت
The people made the pleasure that was actually present their object of worship; consequently the people were swindled by this game.
کرده ذوق نقد را معبود خلق ** لاجرم زین لعب مغبون بود خلق
Troop by troop and rank by rank, (they were) on their guard against the fire and fleeing greedily and in haste towards the water.
جوق‌جوق وصف صف از حرص و شتاب ** محترز ز آتش گریزان سوی آب
Of necessity, they lifted up their heads (emerged) from (amidst) the fire. Take warning, take warning, O heedless man!
لاجرم ز آتش برآوردند سر ** اعتبارالاعتبار ای بی‌خبر
The fire was crying, ‘O crazy fools, I am not fire, I am a delectable fountain.435
بانگ می‌زد آتش ای گیجان گول ** من نیم آتش منم چشمه‌ی قبول
A spell has been cast on thine eyes, O sightless one: come into me and never flee from the sparks.
چشم‌بندی کرده‌اند ای بی‌نظر ** در من آی و هیچ مگریز از شرر
O (thou who art as) Khalíl (Abraham), here are no sparks and smoke: ’tis naught but the sorcery and deceit of Nimrod.
ای خلیل اینجا شرار و دود نیست ** جز که سحر و خدعه‌ی نمرود نیست
If, like the Friend of God, thou art wise, the fire is thy water, and thou art the moth.’”
چون خلیل حق اگر فرزانه‌ای ** آتش آب تست و تو پروانه‌ای
The soul of the moth is always crying, “Oh, alas, would that I had a hundred thousand wings,
جان پروانه همی‌دارد ندا ** کای دریغا صد هزارم پر بدی
That they might be consumed without mercy by the fire, to the blindness (confusion) of the eyes and hearts of the profane!440
تا همی سوزید ز آتش بی‌امان ** کوری چشم و دل نامحرمان
The ignorant man pities me from stupidity: I pity him from clairvoyance.
بر من آرد رحم جاهل از خری ** من برو رحم آرم از بینش‌وری
Especially this fire (of Love), which is the soul of (all) waters (delights); (but) the behaviour of the (ignorant) moth is contrary to ours.
خاصه این آتش که جان آبهاست ** کار پروانه به عکس کار ماست
It sees the light and goes into a Fire; the heart (of the mystic) sees the fire and goes into a Light.”
او ببینند نور و در ناری رود ** دل ببیند نار و در نوری شود
Such a (deceptive) game is played by the Glorious God in order that you may see who belongs to the kin of Khalíl (Abraham).
این چنین لعب آمد از رب جلیل ** تا ببینی کیست از آل خلیل
A fire has been given the semblance of water, and in the fire a fountain has been opened.445
آتشی را شکل آبی داده‌اند ** واندر آتش چشمه‌ای بگشاده‌اند
A magician by his art makes a dish of rice (appear to be) a dish full of (tiny) worms in the assembly;
ساحری صحن برنجی را به فن ** صحن پر کرمی کند در انجمن
(Or) by the breath (power) of magic he has caused a room to appear full of scorpions, though in truth there were no scorpions.
خانه را او پر ز کزدمها نمود ** از دم سحر و خود آن کزدم نبود
When sorcery produces a hundred such illusions, how (much greater) must be the cunning of the Creator of sorcery?
چونک جادو می‌نماید صد چنین ** چون بود دستان جادوآفرین
Of necessity, through the magic of God generation after generation have fallen down (been vanquished), like a woman (lying) flat beneath (sub marito). [Of necessity, through the magic of God generation after generation have fallen down (been vanquished), like a woman (lying) flat beneath (under her husband).]
لاجرم از سحر یزدان قرن قرن ** اندر افتادند چون زن زیر پهن
Their magicians were slaves and servants, and fell into the trap (of Divine cunning) like wagtails.450
ساحرانشان بنده بودند و غلام ** اندر افتادند چون صعوه به دام
Hark, read the Qur’án and behold lawful magic (in) the overthrow of plots (huge) as the mountains.
“I am not (like) Pharaoh that I should come to the Nile; I am going towards the fire, like Khalíl (Abraham).
من نیم فرعون کایم سوی نیل ** سوی آتش می‌روم من چون خلیل
’Tis not fire; (in reality) ’tis flowing water, (while) the other, through (Divine) cunning, is water whereof the (real) nature is fire.
نیست آتش هست آن ماء معین ** وآن دگر از مکر آب آتشین
Excellently well said the complaisant Prophet, “A mote of intelligence is better for thee than fasting and performing the ritual prayer,”
پس نکو گفت آن رسول خوش‌جواز ** ذره‌ای عقلت به از صوم و نماز
Because thy intelligence is the substance, (whereas) these two (things) are accidents: these two are made obligatory in (the case of persons who possess) the full complement of it,455
زانک عقلت جوهرست این دو عرض ** این دو در تکمیل آن شد مفترض
In order that the mirror (intelligence) may have (a bright) lustre; for purity comes to the breast (heart) from piety.
تا جلا باشد مر آن آیینه را ** که صفا آید ز طاعت سینه را
But if the mirror is fundamentally depraved, (only) after a long time does the polisher get it back (to purity);
لیک گر آیینه از بن فاسدست ** صیقل او را دیر باز آرد به دست
While (in the case of) the fine mirror, which is (like) a goodly planting-ground, a little polishing is enough for it.
وان گزین آیینه که خوش مغرس است ** اندکی صیقل گری آن را بس است
The diversity of intelligences in their nature as originally created; (a doctrine) opposed to (that of) the Mu‘tazilites, who assert that particular (individual) intelligences are originally equal, and that this superiority and diversity is the result of learning and training and experience.
تفاوت عقول در اصل فطرت خلاف معتزله کی ایشان گویند در اصل عقول جز وی برابرند این افزونی و تفاوت از تعلم است و ریاضت و تجربه
Know well that intelligences differ thus in degree from the earth to the sky.
این تفاوت عقلها را نیک دان ** در مراتب از زمین تا آسمان
There is an intelligence like the orb of the sun; there is an intelligence inferior to (the planet) Venus and the meteor.460
هست عقلی هم‌چو قرص آفتاب ** هست عقلی کمتر از زهره و شهاب
There is an intelligence like a tipsy (flickering) lamp; there is an intelligence like a star of fire,
هست عقلی چون چراغی سرخوشی ** هست عقلی چون ستاره‌ی آتشی
Because, when the cloud is removed from it, it produces intellects that behold the Light of God.
زانک ابر از پیش آن چون وا جهد ** نور یزدان‌بین خردها بر دهد
The particular intelligence has given the (universal) intelligence a bad name: worldly desire has deprived the (worldly) man of his desire (in the world hereafter).
عقل جزوی عقل را بدنام کرد ** کام دنیا مرد را بی‌کام کرد
That (universal intelligence), through being a prey (to God), beheld the beauty of the (Divine) Hunting, while this (particular intelligence), through being a hunter (of worldly goods), suffered the pain of being a prey (to perdition).
آن ز صیدی حسن صیادی بدید ** وین ز صیادی غم صیدی کشید
The former, through service, gained the pride of lordship, while the latter, through lordship, turned from the path of glory.465
آن ز خدمت ناز مخدومی بیافت ** وآن ز مخدومی ز راه عز بتافت
The latter, through being a Pharaoh, was taken captive by the water (of perdition), while the Israelites, through captivity, became (mighty as) a hundred Suhrábs.
آن ز فرعونی اسیر آب شد ** وز اسیری سبط صد سهراب شد
’Tis a topsy-turvy game and a terrible quandary; do not try (to escape by) cunning: ’tis (all) a matter of (Divine) favour and fortune.
لعب معکوسست و فرزین‌بند سخت ** حیله کم کن کار اقبالست و بخت
Do not weave plots in vain imagination and cunning; for the Self-sufficient One does not give way to the contriver.
بر حیال و حیله کم تن تار را ** که غنی ره کم دهد مکار را
Contrive, in the way of (by following the guidance of) one who serves (God) well, that you may gain the position of a prophet in a religious community.
مکر کن در راه نیکو خدمتی ** تا نبوت یابی اندر امتی
Contrive that you may be delivered from your own contrivance; contrive that you may become detached from the body.470
مکر کن تا وا رهی از مکر خود ** مکر کن تا فرد گردی از جسد