God's love and the mystery of His dallying with His favourite were the origin of all His veil-making (creation of phenomena).
عشق حق و سر شاهدبازیش ** بود مایه‌ی جمله پرده‌سازیش
(’Twas) on that account, then, (that) in meeting (the Prophet) on the night of the Ascension our (Lord who is) fond of dalliance said, ‘But for thee (I would not have created the heavens).’
پس از آن لولاک گفت اندر لقا ** در شب معراج شاهدباز ما
This (Divine) Destiny rules (everything) good and evil: does not the Witness become the ruler of Destiny?2885
این قضا بر نیک و بد حاکم بود ** بر قضا شاهد نه حاکم می‌شود
The bondsman of Destiny became the Commander of Destiny: hail to thee, O keen-sighted one who art pleasing (to God)!
شد اسیر آن قضا میر قضا ** شاد باش ای چشم‌تیز مرتضی
The knower made many a petition to the Known, saying, ‘O Thou who watchest over us in heat and cold,
عارف از معروف بس درخواست کرد ** کای رقیب ما تو اندر گرم و سرد
O Thou who givest us intimations in weal and woe, (though) our hearts are unaware of Thy intimations,
ای مشیر ما تو اندر خیر و شر ** از اشارتهات دل‌مان بی‌خبر
O (Lord) who daily and nightly seest us and whom we see not, (our) regarding the secondary cause (instead of the Causer) has muffled our eyes.
ای یرانا لانراه روز و شب ** چشم‌بند ما شده دید سبب
My eye has been chosen above (all other) eyes, so that the (Divine) Sun was beheld by me in the night (of material existence).2890
چشم من از چشم‌ها بگزیده شد ** تا که در شب آفتابم دیده شد
That was (through) Thy well-known grace, O Beauteous One; and (as the proverb says), ‘The perfection of kindness consists in making it complete.’
لطف معروف تو بود آن ای بهی ** پس کمال البر فی اتمامه
O Lord, make our light complete in the plain of Resurrection and deliver us from shameful and overwhelming indignities!
یا رب اتمم نورنا فی الساهره ** وانجنا من مفضحات قاهره
Do not let Thy night-companion be banished (from Thy presence) in the daytime, do not inflict farness (separation) on the soul that has experienced nearness (union).
یار شب را روز مهجوری مده ** جان قربت‌دیده را دوری مده
Absence from Thee is a grievous and tormenting death, especially the absence that comes after enjoyment of Thy favour.
بعد تو مرگیست با درد و نکال ** خاصه بعدی که بود بعد الوصال
Do not put him that hath seen Thee in the position of one that hath not seen (Thee): sprinkle water on his verdure that has sprung up.2895
آنک دیدستت مکن نادیده‌اش ** آب زن بر سبزه‌ی بالیده‌اش
I have not acted recklessly (heedlessly) while faring (on Thy Way): do not Thou either act recklessly (ruthlessly) in pricking (inflicting pain upon me).
من نکردم لا ابالی در روش ** تو مکن هم لاابالی در خلش
Oh, do not drive far from Thy face him who once beheld Thy face!
هین مران از روی خود او را بعید ** آنک او یک‌باره آن روی تو دید
To behold the face of any one but Thee is (like the torture of) an iron collar for the throat: everything except God is vain.
دید روی جز تو شد غل گلو ** کل شیء ما سوی الله باطل
They are vain, but they show me the right way because vanity attracts (only) the vain.
باطل‌اند و می‌نمایندم رشد ** زانک باطل باطلان را می‌کشد
Each one of the atoms on atoms which exist in this earth and heaven is like amber (a magnet) for its congener.2900
ذره ذره کاندرین ارض و سماست ** جنس خود را هر یکی چون کهرباست
The belly attracts bread to its resting-place; the heat of the liver attracts water.
معده نان را می‌کشد تا مستقر ** می‌کشد مر آب را تف جگر
The eye is an attractor of beautiful persons from these (different) quarters of the town; the brain (nose) is seeking (to attract) scents from the rose-garden,
Because the sense peculiar to the eye is an attractor of colour, while the brain and nose attract sweet perfumes.
زانک حس چشم آمد رنگ کش ** مغز و بینی می‌کشد بوهای خوش
O Lord who knowest the secret, do Thou preserve us from these attractions by the attraction of Thy grace!
زین کششها ای خدای رازدان ** تو به جذب لطف خودمان ده امان
Thou, O Purchaser, art dominant over (all) attractors: it would be fitting if Thou redeem the helpless.”2905
غالبی بر جاذبان ای مشتری ** شاید ار درماندگان را وا خری
He turned his face to the King as a thirsty man to a cloud— he who on the Night of Power was the Full-moon's own.
رو به شه آورد چون تشنه به ابر ** آنک بود اندر شب قدر آن بدر
Since his tongue and his spirit were His (the King's), (he was not afraid, for) he who is His may converse with Him boldly.
چون لسان وجان او بود آن او ** آن او با او بود گستاخ‌گو
He said, “We have been bound (in chains) like the spirit in its prison of clay: Thou art the Sun (illuminator) of the spirit on the Day of Judgement.
گفت ما گشتیم چون جان بند طین ** آفتاب جان توی در یوم دین
O King whose course is concealed (from view), the time is come for Thee graciously to make a movement (sign) with Thy beard in clemency.
وقت آن شد ای شه مکتوم‌سیر ** کز کرم ریشی بجنبانی به خیر
Each one (of us) has displayed his specialty: all those talents have (only) increased (our) ill-fortune.2910
هر یکی خاصیت خود را نمود ** آن هنرها جمله بدبختی فزود
Those talents have bound our necks, by those high attainments we are (thrown) headlong and (laid) low.
آن هنرها گردن ما را ببست ** زان مناصب سرنگوساریم و پست
(Our) talent is a cord of palm-fibre on our neck: there is no help (to be gained) from those accomplishments on the day of death.”
آن هنر فی جیدنا حبل مسد ** روز مردن نیست زان فنها مدد
(None of them avails) save only the specialty of that man endowed with goodly perceptions whose eye was recognising the Sultan in the (darkness of) night.
جز همان خاصیت آن خوش‌حواس ** که به شب بد چشم او سلطان‌شناس
All those talents were (as) ghouls (waylaying travellers) on the road, except (that of) the eye which was aware of the King.
آن هنرها جمله غول راه بود ** غیر چشمی کو ز شه آگاه بود
On the day of audience the King was ashamed (to refuse the petition) of him whose gaze was (fixed) on the King's face at night.2915
شاه را شرم از وی آمد روز بار ** که به شب بر روی شه بودش نظار
And the dog that is acquainted with the loving King—even him you must entitle “the Dog of the Cave.”
وان سگ آگاه از شاه وداد ** خود سگ کهفش لقب باید نهاد
Excellent, too, is the specialty (residing) in the ear; for he (who possesses it) by (hearing) the bark of a dog is made aware of the Lion.
خاصیت در گوش هم نیکو بود ** کو به بانگ سگ ز شیر آگه شود
When the dog is awake during the night, like a watchman, he is not ignorant of the nightly vigil of the (spiritual) kings.
Hark, you must not disdain them that have a bad name: you must set your mind on their inward parts (spiritual qualities).
هین ز بدنامان نباید ننگ داشت ** هوش بر اسرارشان باید گماشت
Whoever has once got a bad name must not seek (to win) a (good) name and (thereby) become half-baked.2920
هر که او یک‌بار خود بدنام شد ** خود نباید نام جست و خام شد
Oh, many a (piece of) gold is made (like) black polished iron in order that it may be saved from pillage and calamity.
ای بسا زر که سیه‌تابش کنند ** تا شود آمن ز تاراج و گزند
Story of the sea-cow: how it brings up the royal pearl from the depths of the ocean and at night lays it on the seashore and feeds in the resplendence and lustre thereof; and how the trader comes forth from his hiding-place and, when the cow has gone some distance away from the pearl, covers the pearl with loam and black clay and runs off and climbs a tree; and so on to the end of the story and exposition.
قصه‌ی آنک گاو بحری گوهر کاویان از قعر دریا بر آورد شب بر ساحل دریا نهد در درخش و تاب آن می‌چرد بازرگان از کمین برون آید چون گاو از گوهر دورتر رفته باشد بازرگان به لجم و گل تیره گوهر را بپوشاند و بر درخت گریزد الی آخر القصه و التقریب
The water-cow fetches a pearl out of the sea, lays it on the meadow, and grazes around it.
گاو آبی گوهر از بحر آورد ** بنهد اندر مرج و گردش می‌چرد
In the radiance of the light of the pearl the water-cow feeds hurriedly on hyacinths and lilies.
در شعاع نور گوهر گاو آب ** می‌چرد از سنبل و سوسن شتاب
The excrement of the water-cow is ambergris because its food is narcissus and nenuphar.
زان فکنده‌ی گاو آبی عنبرست ** که غذااش نرگس و نیلوفرست
Any one whose food is the Light of (Divine) Majesty, how should not lawful magic (wondrous eloquence) spring from his lips?2925
هرکه باشد قوت او نور جلال ** چون نزاید از لبش سحر حلال
Any one who, like the bee, has been given (Divine) inspiration as a prize, how should not his house be full of honey?
هرکه چون زنبور وحیستش نفل ** چون نباشد خانه‌ی او پر عسل
The cow grazes in the light of the pearl; (then) suddenly it moves some distance away from the pearl.
می‌چرد در نور گوهر آن بقر ** ناگهان گردد ز گوهر دورتر
A trader (appears and) puts black loam on the pearl, so that the meadow and verdant ground becomes dark.
تاجری بر در نهد لجم سیاه ** تا شود تاریک مرج و سبزه‌گاه
Then the trader takes refuge on a tree, while the cow seeks the man with its hard horn.
پس گریزد مرد تاجر بر درخت ** گاوجویان مرد را با شاخ سخت
Twenty times the cow runs about the meadow, in order to impale its enemy on its horn.2930
بیست بار آن گاو تازد گرد مرج ** تا کند آن خصم را در شاخ درج
When the fierce cow despairs of (finding) him, it comes to the place where the pearl was laid
چون ازو نومید گردد گاو نر ** آید آنجا که نهاده بد گهر
And sees the loam (spread) over the royal pearl; then it runs away from the clay, like Iblís.
لجم بیند فوق در شاه‌وار ** پس ز طین بگریزد او ابلیس‌وار