Consider the lowness of the earth and the loftiness of the sky: without these two (attributes) its (the sky's) revolution is not (possible), O such-and-such.
خفض ارضی بین و رفع آسمان ** بی ازین دو نیست دورانش ای فلان
The lowness and loftiness of this earth are of another sort: for one half of the year it is barren and for (the other) half (it is) green and fresh.
خفض و رفع این زمین نوعی دگر ** نیم سالی شوره نیمی سبز و تر
The lowness and loftiness of distressful Time are of another sort: one half day and (the other) half night.1850
خفض و رفع روزگار با کرب ** نوع دیگر نیم روز و نیم شب
The lowness and loftiness of this blended (bodily) temperament (of ours) are now health and now sickness that causes (us) to cry out (in pain).
خفض و رفع این مزاج ممترج ** گاه صحت گاه رنجوری مضج
Know that even so are all the changing conditions of the world—famine and drought and peace and war—(which arise) from (Divine) probation.
هم‌چنین دان جمله احوال جهان ** قحط و جدب و صلح و جنگ از افتتان
By means of these two wings this world is (kept up like a bird) in the air; by means of these twain (all) souls are habitations of fear and hope,
این جهان با این دو پر اندر هواست ** زین دو جانها موطن خوف و رجاست
To the end that the world may be (always) trembling like a leaf in the north wind and simoom of resurrection and death,
تا جهان لرزان بود مانند برگ ** در شمال و در سموم بعث و مرگ
(And) that (ultimately) the vat of the unicolority of our Jesus may destroy the value of the vat containing a hundred dyes;1855
تا خم یک‌رنگی عیسی ما ** بشکند نرخ خم صدرنگ را
For that world (of Unity) is like a salt-mine: whatever has gone thither has become exempt from coloration (dyeing with various colours).
کان جهان هم‌چون نمکسار آمدست ** هر چه آنجا رفت بی‌تلوین شدست
Look at earth: it makes many-coloured (diverse) humankind to be (all) of one colour in their graves.
خاک را بین خلق رنگارنگ را ** می‌کند یک رنگ اندر گورها
This is the salt-mine for visible (material) bodies, (but) in sooth the salt-mine for ideal (supersensible) things is different.
این نمکسار جسوم ظاهرست ** خود نمکسار معانی دیگرست
The salt-mine for ideal things is ideal (spiritual and real): it remains new from eternity unto everlasting.
آن نمکسار معانی معنویست ** از ازل آن تا ابد اندر نویست
This (earthly) newness has oldness as its opposite, but that newness (belonging to the world of Reality) is without opposite or like or number.1860
این نوی را کهنگی ضدش بود ** آن نوی بی ضد و بی ند و عدد
’Tis (even) as by the polishing action of the Light of Mustafá (Mohammed) a hundred thousand sorts of darkness became radiant.
آنچنان که از صقل نور مصطفی ** صد هزاران نوع ظلمت شد ضیا
Jew and polytheist and Christian and Magian—all were made of one colour by that Alp Ulugh (great hero).
از جهود و مشرک و ترسا و مغ ** جملگی یک‌رنگ شد زان الپ الغ
A hundred thousand shadows short and long became one in the light of that Sun of mystery.
صد هزاران سایه کوتاه و دراز ** شد یکی در نور آن خورشید راز
Neither a long (shadow) remained nor a short nor a wide: shadows of every kind were given in pawn to (absorbed in) the Sun.
نه درازی ماند نه کوته نه پهن ** گونه گونه سایه در خورشید رهن
But the unicolority that is (everywhere) at the Resurrection is (then) revealed and (made) manifest to the evil and the good (alike);1865
لیک یک‌رنگی که اندر محشرست ** بر بد و بر نیک کشف و ظاهرست
For in that world ideas are endued with form, and our (visible) shapes become congruous with our (moral and spiritual) qualities.
که معانی آن جهان صورت شود ** نقشهامان در خور خصلت شود
The (secret) thoughts will then become (materialised in) the form of the books (recording good and evil actions): this lining will become the working surface of the garments.
گردد آنگه فکر نقش نامه‌ها ** این بطانه روی کار جامه‌ها
During this (present) time (men's) inward beliefs are (as variegated) as a piebald cow, and in the (different) religious sects the spindle of speech is spinning (threads of) a hundred colours.
این زمان سرها مثال گاو پیس ** دوک نطق اندر ملل صد رنگ ریس
’Tis the turn (reign) of many-colouredness and many-mindedness: how should the one-coloured world become unveiled?
نوبت صدرنگیست و صددلی ** عالم یک رنگ کی گردد جلی
’Tis the turn (reign) of the Ethiopian; the Greek is hidden (from view): this is night, and the sun is in pawn.1870
نوبت زنگست رومی شد نهان ** این شبست و آفتاب اندر رهان
’Tis the turn (reign) of the wolf, and Joseph is at the bottom of the well; ’tis the turn (reign) of the Egyptians, and Pharaoh is king.
نوبت گرگست و یوسف زیر چاه ** نوبت قبطست و فرعونست شاه
(Such is the Divine purpose), in order that for a few days these curs may have their allotted portion of the unstinted and deluding (worldly) provision.
تا ز رزق بی‌دریغ خیره‌خند ** این سگان را حصه باشد روز چند
(But) within the jungle (of this world) are lions (righteous and holy men), waiting for the command “Come!” to be spread abroad.
در درون بیشه شیران منتظر ** تا شود امر تعالوا منتشر
Then those lions will come forth from the (worldly) pasture, and God will show (unto them) their income and expenditure without any veil (disguise).
پس برون آیند آن شیران ز مرج ** بی‌حجابی حق نماید دخل و خرج
The (spiritual) essence of Man will encompass land and sea, (while) the piebald cattle will be killed as victims on the Day of Slaughter.1875
جوهر انسان بگیرد بر و بحر ** پیسه گاوان بسملان آن روز نحر
The terrible Day of Slaughter at the Resurrection is a festival for the true believers and (the hour of) destruction for the cattle.
روز نحر رستخیز سهمناک ** مومنان را عید و گاوان را هلاک
On that Day of Slaughter all the water-birds (will be) sailing along like ships on the surface of the Sea.
جمله‌ی مرغان آب آن روز نحر ** هم‌چو کشتیها روان بر روی بحر
(This Day is ordained) to the end that they who perish may perish by a clear proof, and that they who are saved and have sure knowledge thereof may be saved (by a clear proof),
تا که یهلک من هلک عن بینه ** تا که ینجو من نجا واستیقنه
And that the falcons may go to the Sultan and that the crows may go to the graveyard;
تا که بازان جانب سلطان روند ** تا که زاغان سوی گورستان روند
For in this world the dessert of the crows was bones and pieces of dung like bread.1880
که استخوان و اجزاء سرگین هم‌چو نان ** نقل زاغان آمدست اندر جهان
How remote is the sugar of wisdom from the crow! How remote is the dung-beetle from the orchard!
قند حکمت از کجا زاغ از کجا ** کرم سرگین از کجا باغ از کجا
It is not suitable for an effeminate man to go to fight against the carnal soul: aloes-wood and musk are not suitable for the arse of an ass.
نیست لایق غزو نفس و مرد غر ** نیست لایق عود و مشک و کون خر
Since women are not at all adapted for fighting, how should they be adapted for that (fight) which is the greater holy war?
چون غزا ندهد زنان را هیچ دست ** کی دهد آنک جهاد اکبرست
A Rustam may (sometimes) have been concealed in a woman's body, as (was the case with) a Mary; (but) only seldom.
جز بنادر در تن زن رستمی ** گشته باشد خفیه هم‌چون مریمی
Similarly, women are (sometimes) concealed in men's bodies, and they (such men) are (virtually) female because of (their) faintness of heart.1885
آنچنان که در تن مردان زنان ** خفیه‌اند و ماده از ضعف جنان
In that world, if any one has not found in his manhood the capacity (for spiritual combat), his feminality takes (visible) shape.
آن جهان صورت شود آن مادگی ** هر که در مردی ندید آمادگی
The Day (of Judgement) is justice, and justice consists in giving (to every one) what is proper: the shoe belongs to the foot, and the cap belongs to the head.
روز عدل و عدل داد در خورست ** کفش آن پا کلاه آن سرست
(This is) in order that every seeker may attain to the object of his search, and that everything destined to set may go to its point of setting.
تا به مطلب در رسد هر طالبی ** تا به غرب خود رود هر غاربی
No object of search is withheld from the seeker: the sun is paired with heat and the cloud with water.
نیست هر مطلوب از طالب دریغ ** جفت تابش شمس و جفت آب میغ
The present world is the Creator's penitentiary: since you have chosen (to incur) punishment, suffer punishment!1890
هست دنیا قهرخانه‌ی کردگار ** قهر بین چون قهر کردی اختیار
Contemplate the bones and hair of the punished ones (whom) the sword of (Divine) punishment overthrew on sea and land.
استخوان و موی مقهوران نگر ** تیغ قهر افکنده اندر بحر و بر
Consider the bird's feathers and feet (lying) around the trap and silently expounding (the nature of) God's punishment.
پر و پای مرغ بین بر گرد دام ** شرح قهر حق کننده بی‌کلام
He (the worldling) dies and leaves a (sepulchral) vault to occupy his place; and (in the case of) one who has lain for ages (in the earth), even the vault has disappeared.
مرد او بر جای خرپشته نشاند ** وآنک کهنه گشت هم پشته نماند
The justice of God hath mated every one (with one of his own kind)—elephant with elephant and gnat with gnat.
هر کسی را جفت کرده عدل حق ** پیل را با پیل و بق را جنس بق
The familiar associates of Ahmad (Mohammed) were the Four Friends, (while) the familiars of Bú Jahl were ‘Utba and Dhu ’l-Khimár.1895
مونس احمد به مجلس چار یار ** مونس بوجهل عتبه و ذوالخمار
The Ka‘ba of Gabriel and the (celestial) spirits is a Lotus-tree; the qibla of the belly-slave is a table-cloth (covered with dishes of food).
کعبه‌ی جبریل و جانها سدره‌ای ** قبله‌ی عبدالبطون شد سفره‌ای
The qibla of the gnostic is the light of union (with God); the qibla of the philosopher's intellect is phantasy.
قبله‌ی عارف بود نور وصال ** قبله‌ی عقل مفلسف شد خیال