Though the drop be small and short of foot, (yet) by it the purity of the ocean’s water is made manifest.
قطره گرچه خرد و کوته‌پا بود ** لطف آب بحر ازو پیدا بود
If you keep the (outer) veil (coat of the inward eye) free from dust, you will see the Tigris in a single drop (of water).
از غبار ار پاک داری کله را ** تو ز یک قطره ببینی دجله را
The parts bear witness to the state of (their) wholes, so that the afterglow of sunset has become an informer concerning the sun.
جزوها بر حال کلها شاهدست ** تا شفق غماز خورشید آمدست
God applied that oath, (namely), His Words Verily (I swear) by the afterglow of sunset, to the body of Ahmad (Mohammad).
آن قسم بر جسم احمد راند حق ** آنچ فرمودست کلا والشفق
Wherefore should the ant have been trembling (in desire) for the grain (of corn), if from that single grain it had known (inferred) the (existence of) the stack?1500
مور بر دانه چرا لرزان بدی ** گر از آن یک دانه خرمن‌دان بدی
Come (now) to the topic (in hand), for the Súfi is distraught (has lost control of his reason) and is making haste to exact redress for the injury (inflicted on him).
بر سر حرف آ که صوفی بی‌دلست ** در مکافات جفا مستعجلست
O thou that has committed deeds of injustice, ho art thou (so) glad at heart? Art thou unaware of the demand (that will be made upon thee) by him who exacts the penalty?
ای تو کرده ظلمها چون خوش‌دلی ** از تقاضای مکافی غافلی
Or hast thou forgotten those deeds of thine, since heedlessness has let down curtains (of oblivion) over thee?
یا فراموشت شدست از کرده‌هات ** که فرو آویخت غفلت پرده‌هات
If there were no litigations pursuing thee the celestial orb would envy thy happiness,
گر نه خصمیهاستی اندر قفات ** جرم گردون رشک بردی بر صفات
But on account of those just claims (against thee) thou art embarrassed. Little by little, (therefore), beg to be excused for thy unrighteousness.1505
لیک محبوسی برای آن حقوق ** اندک اندک عذر می‌خواه از عقوق
Lest the Inspector suddenly arrest thee, now (at once) make thy (turbid) water clear (make full amends and wipe out thy injustice) towards the lover (of God).
تا به یکبارت نگیرد محتسب ** آب خود روشن کن اکنون با محب
The Súfi went to the man who had slapped him, and laid hold of his skirt like a plaintiff.
رفت صوفی سوی آن سیلی‌زنش ** دست زد چون مدعی در دامنش
Haling him along, he brought him to the Cadi, saying, “Mount this asinine miscreant on an ass (and parade him through the streets),
اندر آوردش بر قاضی کشان ** کین خر ادبار را بر خر نشان
Or punish him with blows of the whip, according as thy judgement may deem fitting;
یا به زخم دره او را ده جزا ** آنچنان که رای تو بیند سزا
For (in the case of) one who dies under thy chastisement, no fine is (imposed) on thee in vengeance (for him): that (death) is unpenalised.”1510
کانک از زجر تو میرد در دمار ** بر تو تاوان نیست آن باشد جبار
When any one has died under the punishment and flagellation of the cadi no responsibility lies on the cadi, for he (the cadi) is not a person of small account.
در حد و تعزیر قاضی هر که مرد ** نیست بر قاضی ضمان کو نیست خرد
He is God’s deputy and the shadow of God’s justice, the mirror (that displays the real nature) of every plaintiff and defendant;
نایب حقست و سایه‌ی عدل حق ** آینه‌ی هر مستحق و مستحق
For he inflicts correction for the sake of one who has been wronged, not for the sake of his honour or his anger or his income (profit).
کو ادب از بهر مظلومی کند ** نه برای عرض و خشم و دخل خود
Since it is (done) for the sake of God and the Day (of Judgement) hereafter, if a mistake is made (by him) the blood-wit falls upon the (dead man’s) kinsmen on the father’s side.
چون برای حق و روز آجله‌ست ** گر خطایی شد دیت بر عاقله‌ست
He who strikes (and kills) for his own sake is (held) responsible, while he who strikes (and kills) for God’s sake is secure.1515
آنک بهر خود زند او ضامنست ** وآنک بهر حق زند او آمنست
If a father strikes his son and he (the son) dies, the father must pay the blood-price,
گر پدر زد مر پسر را و بمرد ** آن پدر را خونبها باید شمرد
Because he struck him for his own benefit, (since) it is the duty of the son to serve him (the father).
زانک او را بهر کار خویش زد ** خدمت او هست واجب بر ولد
(But) when a teacher strikes a boy and he (the boy) perishes (is killed by the blows), nothing (in the way of penalty) is (imposed) on the teacher; no fear’
چون معلم زد صبی را شد تلف ** بر معلم نیست چیزی لا تخف
For the teacher is a deputy (of God) and a trustee; and the ease of every trustee is the same as this
کان معلم نایب افتاد و امین ** هر امین را هست حکمش همچنین
It is not his (the boy’s) duty to serve his master (teacher) therefore in chastising him the master was not seeking benefit (for himself),1520
نیست واجب خدمت استا برو ** پس نبود استا به زجرش کارجو
But if his father struck him, he struck for his own sake: consequently he was not freed from (responsibility for) paying the blood-price.
ور پدر زد او برای خود زدست ** لاجرم از خونبها دادن نرست
Behead (your) selfhood, then, O (you who resemble the sword) Dhu ‘l-faqár: become a selfless naughted one like the dervish.
پس خودی را سر ببر ای ذوالفقار ** بی‌خودی شو فانیی درویش‌وار
When you have become selfless, everything that you do (is a case of) thou didst not throw when thou threwest, (and) you are safe.
چون شدی بی‌خود هر آنچ تو کنی ** ما رمیت اذ رمیتی آمنی
The responsibility lies on God, not on the trustee: ‘tis set forth plainly in (books of) jurisprudence.
آن ضمان بر حق بود نه بر امین ** هست تفصیلش به فقه اندر مبین
Every shop has a different (kind of) merchandise: the Mathnawi is the shop for (spiritual) poverty, O son.1525
هر دکانی راست سودایی دگر ** مثنوی دکان فقرست ای پسر
In the shoemaker’s shop there is fine leather: if you see wood (there), it is (only) the mould for the shoe.
در دکان کفشگر چرمست خوب ** قالب کفش است اگر بینی تو چوب
The drapers have (in their shops) silk and dun-coloured cloth: if iron be (there), it is (only to serve) for a yard-measure.
پیش بزازان قز و ادکن بود ** بهر گز باشد اگر آهن بود
Our Mathnawi is the shop for Unity: anything that you see (there) except the One God) is (only) an idol.
مثنوی ما دکان وحدتست ** غیر واحد هرچه بینی آن بتست
Know that to praise an idol for the purpose of ensnaring the vulgar is just like (the Prophet’s reference to) “the most exalted Cranes.”
He recited it those words) quickly in the Súra (entitled) Wa’l-Najm, but it was a temptation (of the Devil), it was not (really) part of the Súra.1530
خواندش در سوره‌ی والنجم زود ** لیک آن فتنه بد از سوره نبود
Thereupon all the infidels prostrated themselves (in worship): ‘twas a mystery (of Divine Wisdom), too, that they knocked their heads upon the door.
جمله کفار آن زمان ساجد شدند ** هم سری بود آنک سر بر در زدند
After this there is a perplexing and abstruse argument stay with Solomon and do not stir up the demons!
بعد ازین حرفیست پیچاپیچ و دور ** با سلیمان باش و دیوان را مشور
Hark, relate the story of the Súfí and the Cadi and the offender who was (so) feeble and wretchedly ill.
هین حدیث صوفی و قاضی بیار ** وان ستمکار ضعیف زار زار
The Cadi said (to the Súfí), “Make the roof firm, O son, in order that I may decorate it with good and evil.
گفت قاضی ثبت العرش ای پسر ** تا برو نقشی کنم از خیر و شر
Where is the assailant? Where is that which is subject to vengeance? This man in (consequence of) sickness has become a (mere) phantom.1535
کو زننده کو محل انتقام ** این خیالی گشته است اندر سقام
The law is for the living and self-sufficient: where (how) is the law (binding) upon the occupants of the graveyard?”
شرع بهر زندگان و اغنیاست ** شرع بر اصحاب گورستان کجاست
The class (of men) who are headless (selfless) because of (their spiritual) poverty are in a hundred respects more naughted than those dead (and buried).
آن گروهی کز فقیری بی‌سرند ** صد جهت زان مردگان فانی‌تراند
The dead man is naughted (only) from one point of view, namely), as regards loss (of bodily life); the Súfís have been naughted in a hundred respects.
مرده از یک روست فانی در گزند ** صوفیان از صد جهت فانی شدند
(Bodily) death is a single killing, while this (spiritual death) is three hundred thousand (killings), for each one of which there is a blood-price beyond reckoning.
مرگ یک قتلست و این سیصد هزار ** هر یکی را خونبهایی بی‌شمار
Though God hath killed these folk many a time, (yet) He hath poured forth (infinite) stores (of grace) in payment of the blood-price.1540
گرچه کشت این قوم را حق بارها ** ریخت بهر خونبها انبارها
Every one (of these martyrs) is inwardly like Jirjís (St George): they have been killed and brought to life (again) sixty times.
هم‌چو جرجیس‌اند هر یک در سرار ** کشته گشته زنده گشته شصت بار
From his delight in (being smitten by) the spear-point of the (Divine) Judge, the killed one is ever burning (in rapture) and crying. Strike another blow!”
کشته از ذوق سنان دادگر ** می‌بسوزد که بزن زخمی دگر
(I swear) by God, from love for the existence that fosters the spirit, the killed one longs (still) more passionately to be killed a second time.
والله از عشق وجود جان‌پرست ** کشته بر قتل دوم عاشق‌ترست
The Cadi said, “I am the cadi for the living: how am I the judge of the occupants of the graveyard?
گفت قاضی من قضادار حیم ** حاکم اصحاب گورستان کیم
If to outward seeming this man is not laid low in the grave, (yet) graves have entered into his household.1545
این به صورت گر نه در گورست پست ** گورها در دودمانش آمدست