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
The qibla of the ascetic is the Gracious God; the qibla of the flatterer is a purse of gold.
قبله‌ی زاهد بود یزدان بر ** قبله‌ی مطمع بود همیان زر
The qibla of the spiritual is patience and long-suffering; the qibla of form worshippers is the image of stone.
قبله‌ی معنی‌وران صبر و درنگ ** قبله‌ی صورت‌پرستان نقش سنگ
The qibla of those who dwell on the inward is the Bounteous One; the qibla of those who worship the outward is a woman's face.1900
قبله‌ی باطن‌نشینان ذوالمنن ** قبله‌ی ظاهرپرستان روی زن
Similarly reckon up new and old (instances); and if you are weary (of doing so), go about your business.
هم‌چنین برمی‌شمر تازه و کهن ** ور ملولی رو تو کار خویش کن
Our provision (from God) is wine in a golden cup, while those curs have the tutmáj broth and the trough.
رزق ما در کاس زرین شد عقار ** وآن سگان را آب تتماج و تغار
(God says), “To him on whom We have bestowed a (particular) disposition We have sent the appropriate provision accordingly.
لایق آنک بدو خو داده‌ایم ** در خور آن رزق بفرستاده‌ایم
We have made it that one's disposition to be passionately fond of bread, We have made it this one's disposition to be intoxicated with the Beloved.”
خوی آن را عاشق نان کرده‌ایم ** خوی این را مست جانان کرده‌ایم
Since you are pleased and happy with your disposition, then why are you fleeing from that which is appropriate to your disposition?1905
چون به خوی خود خوشی و خرمی ** پس چه از درخورد خویت می‌رمی
(If) feminality pleases you, get a chádar; (if) the prowess of Rustam pleases you, get a dagger.
This topic hath no end, and (meanwhile) the fakir has been sorely wounded by the blows of penury.
این سخن پایان ندارد وآن فقیر ** گشته است از زخم درویشی عقیر
Story of the treasure-scroll (in which it was written), “Beside a certain domed building turn your face towards the qibla (Mecca) and put an arrow to the bow and shoot: the treasure is (buried) at the spot where it falls.”
قصه‌ی آن گنج‌نامه کی پهلوی قبه‌ای روی به قبله کن و تیر در کمان نه بینداز آنجا کی افتد گنجست
One night he dreamed—but where was sleep? The vision without sleep is familiar to the Súfí—
دید در خواب او شبی و خواب کو ** واقعه‌ی بی‌خواب صوفی‌راست خو
(That) a heavenly voice said to him, “O you who have seen trouble, search among the (loose) leaves of handwriting sold (as models) by stationers for a certain scroll.
هاتفی گفتش کای دیده تعب ** رقعه‌ای در مشق وراقان طلب
Unobserved by the stationer who is your neighbour, bring your hand into touch with his papers.1910
خفیه زان وراق کت همسایه است ** سوی کاغذپاره‌هاش آور تو دست
It is a scroll of such a shape and such a colour: then (as soon as possible) read it in privacy, O sorrowful one.
رقعه‌ای شکلش چنین رنگش چنین ** بس بخوان آن را به خلوت ای حزین
When you steal it from the stationer, my lad, then go out of the crowd and the noise and turmoil,
چون بدزدی آن ز وراق ای پسر ** پس برون رو ز انبهی و شور و شر
And read it by yourself in some lonely place: beware, do not seek any partnership in reading it.
تو بخوان آن را به خود در خلوتی ** هین مجو در خواندن آن شرکتی
But even if it (the secret) be divulged, do not be anxious, for none but you will get (so much as) half a barley-corn thereof.
ور شود آن فاش هم غمگین مشو ** که نیابد غیر تو زان نیم جو
And if it (the affair) be long drawn out, beware and take heed! Make (the text) do not ye despair your litany at every moment.”1915
ور کشد آن دیر هان زنهار تو ** ورد خود کن دم به دم لاتقنطوا
The (heavenly) announcer of the good news said this and put his hand on his (the fakir's) heart, saying, “Go, endure the toil.”
این بگفت و دست خود آن مژده‌ور ** بر دل او زد که رو زحمت ببر
When the youth came back to himself after the absence, on account of his joy he could not be contained in the world.
چون به خویش آمد ز غیبت آن جوان ** می‌نگنجید از فرح اندر جهان