The prince in the presence of the King was bewildered by this (mystery): he beheld the Seven Heavens in a handful of clay.
شاه‌زاده پیش شه حیران این ** هفت گردون دیده در یک مشت طین
Nowise was it possible (for him) to open his lips in discussion, but never for a moment did soul cease to converse with soul.4590
هیچ ممکن نه ببحثی لب گشود ** لیک جان با جان دمی خامش نبود
It came into his mind that ’twas exceedingly mysterious— “all this is reality: whence, then, comes the form (appearance)?”
آمده در خاطرش کین بس خفیست ** این همه معنیست پس صورت ز چیست
(’Tis) a form that frees thee from (the illusion of) form, a sleeper that awakens every one who is asleep (to the Truth).
صورتی از صورتت بیزار کن ** خفته‌ای هر خفته را بیدار کن
The words (spoken by him) deliver (thee) from words (of idle disputation), and the sickness (of love inspired by him) lets thee escape from the sickness (of sensuality).
آن کلامت می‌رهاند از کلام ** وان سقامت می‌جهاند از سقام
Therefore the sickness of love is the (very) soul of health: its pains are the envy of every pleasure.
پس سقام عشق جان صحتست ** رنجهااش حسرت هر راحتست
O body, now wash thy hands of this (animal) soul, or if thou wilt not wash (thy hands of it), seek another soul than this!4595
ای تن اکنون دست خود زین جان بشو ** ور نمی‌شویی جز این جانی بجو
In short, the King cherished him (the prince) fondly, and in (the beams of) that Sun he was melting away like the moon.
حاصل آن شه نیک او را می‌نواخت ** او از آن خورشید چون مه می‌گداخت
The melting (wasting) away of lovers is (the cause of their spiritual) growth: like the moon, he (the lover) hath a fresh (shining) face whilst he is melting away.
آن گداز عاشقان باشد نمو ** هم‌چو مه اندر گدازش تازه‌رو
All the sick hope to be cured, but this sick one sobs, crying, “Increase my sickness!
جمله رنجوران دوا دارند امید ** نالد این رنجور کم افزون کنید
I have found no drink sweeter than this poison: no state of health can be sweeter than this disease.
خوش‌تر از این سم ندیدم شربتی ** زین مرض خوش‌تر نباشد صحتی
No act of piety can be better than this sin: years in comparison with this moment are (but) an hour.”4600
In this fashion he remained with this King for a long while, his heart (roasted like) kabáb and his soul laid on the tray (of self-devotion).
مدتی بد پیش این شه زین نسق ** دل کباب و جان نهاده بر طبق
He said, “The King beheads every one once, (but) I am sacrificed anew by the King at every instant.
گفت شه از هر کسی یک سر برید ** من ز شه هر لحظه قربانم جدید
I am poor in gold, but rich in heads (lives): my head (life) hath a hundred heads to take its place.
من فقیرم از زر از سر محتشم ** صد هزاران سر خلف دارد سرم
No one can run in (the path of) Love with two feet: no one can play (the game of) Love with one head;
با دو پا در عشق نتوان تاختن ** با یکی سر عشق نتوان باختن
Yet every one has two feet and one head: the body with thousands of feet and heads is a rarity.”4605
هر کسی را خود دو پا و یک‌سرست ** با هزاران پا و سر تن نادرست
On this account all (other) combats are (fought) in vain, (while) this combat (of Love) grows hotter every moment.
زین سبب هنگامه‌ها شد کل هدر ** هست این هنگامه هر دم گرم‌تر
The source of its heat lies beyond the realm of space: the seven Hells are (but) a smoke (rising) from the sparks of its fire.
معدن گرمیست اندر لامکان ** هفت دوزخ از شرارش یک دخان
Setting forth how Hell will say, when the Bridge Sirát is (laid) over it (at the Resurrection), “O believer, pass more quickly across the Sirát! Quick, make haste, lest the greatness of thy light put out my fire,” (according to the Tradition), “Pass, O believer, for lo, thy light hath extinguished my fire.”
در بیان آنک دوزخ گوید کی قنطره‌ی صراط بر سر اوست ای مومن از صراط زودتر بگذر زود بشتاب تا عظمت نور تو آتش ما را نکشد جز یا مومن فان نورک اطفاء ناری
For this reason, O sincere man, Hell is enfeebled and extinguished by the fire of Love.
زآتش عاشق ازین رو ای صفی ** می‌شود دوزخ ضعیف و منطقی
It says to him (the believer), “Pass speedily, O respected one, or else my fire will be destroyed by thy flames.”
گویدش بگذر سبک ای محتشم ** ورنه ز آتش‌های تو مرد آتشم
Behold how this breath (of Love) dissolves infidelity, which alone is the brimstone of Hell!4610
کفر که کبریت دوزخ اوست و بس ** بین که می‌پخساند او را این نفس
Quickly entrust thy brimstone to this passion (of Love), in order that neither Hell nor (even) its sparks may assail thee.
زود کبریت بدین سودا سپار ** تا نه دوزخ بر تو تازد نه شرار
Paradise (too) says to him, “Pass like the wind, or else all that I possess will become unsalable;
گویدش جنت گذر کن هم‌چو باد ** ورنه گردد هر چه من دارم کساد
For thou art the owner of the (whole) stack, (while) I am (but) a gleaner: I am (but) an idol, (while) thou art (all) the provinces of China.”
که تو صاحب‌خرمنی من خوشه‌چین ** من بتی‌ام تو ولایت‌های چین
Both Hell and Paradise are trembling in fear of him (the believer): neither the one nor the other feels safe from him.
هست لرزان زو جحیم و هم جنان ** نه مر این را نه مر آن را زو امان
His (the prince's) life sped away and he found no opportunity to cure (his passion): the waiting consumed him exceedingly and his soul could not endure it.4615
رفت عمرش چاره را فرصت نیافت ** صبر بس سوزان بدت وجان بر نتافت
For a long time, gnashing his teeth, he suffered this (agony): ere he attained, his life reached its end.
مدتی دندان‌کنان این می‌کشید ** نارسیده عمر او آخر رسید
The form (appearance) of the Beloved vanished from him: he died and was united with the reality of the Beloved.
صورت معشوق زو شد در نهفت ** رفت و شد با معنی معشوق جفت
He said (to himself), “Though his raiment was of silk and Shushtar cloth, his unscreened embrace is sweeter.
گفت لبسش گر ز شعر و ششترست ** اعتناق بی‌حجابش خوشترست
(Now) I am denuded of my body, and he of (the veil of) phantasy: I am advancing triumphantly in the consummation of union.”
من شدم عریان ز تن او از خیال ** می‌خرامم در نهایات الوصال
These topics may be discussed up to this point, (but) all that comes after this must be kept hid;4620
این مباحث تا بدین‌جا گفتنیست ** هرچه آید زین سپس بنهفتنیست
And if you would tell it and make a hundred thousand efforts, ’tis fruitless labour, for it will never become clear.
ور بگویی ور بکوشی صد هزار ** هست بیگار و نگردد آشکار
As far as the sea, ’tis a journey on horseback: after this you (must) have a wooden horse.
تا به دریا سیر اسپ و زین بود ** بعد ازینت مرکب چوبین بود
The wooden horse is no good on the dry land: it carries exclusively those who voyage on the sea.
مرکب چوبین به خشکی ابترست ** خاص آن دریاییان را رهبرست
The wooden horse is this (mystical) silence: (this) silence gives instruction to the sea-folk.
این خموشی مرکب چوبین بود ** بحریان را خامشی تلقین بود
Every (such) silent one who wearies you is (really) uttering shrieks of love Yonder.4625
هر خموشی که ملولت می‌کند ** نعره‌های عشق آن سو می‌زند
You say, “I wonder why he is silent”; he says (to himself), “How strange! Where is his ear?
تو همی‌گویی عجب خامش چراست ** او همی‌گوید عجب گوشش کجاست
I am deafened by the shrieks, (yet) he is unaware (of them).” The (apparently) sharp-eared are (in fact) deaf to this (mystical) converse.
من ز نعره کر شدم او بی‌خبر ** تیزگوشان زین سمر هستند کر
(For example), some one cries aloud in his dream and gives a hundred thousand discussions and communications,
آن یکی در خواب نعره می‌زند ** صد هزاران بحث و تلقین می‌کند
(While) this (other), sitting beside him, is unaware (of it): ’tis really he who is asleep and deaf to (all) that turmoil and tumult.
این نشسته پهلوی او بی‌خبر ** خفته خود آنست و کر زان شور و شر
And he whose wooden horse is shattered and sunk in the water (of the sea), he in sooth is the fish.4630
وان کسی کش مرکب چوبین شکست ** غرقه شد در آب او خود ماهیست
He is neither silent nor speaking: he is a marvel: there is no name to describe his state.
نه خموشست و نه گویا نادریست ** حال او را در عبارت نام نیست
He does not belong to these two (categories), (and yet) that prodigy is (really) both: to explain this would transgress the limits of due reverence.
نیست زین دو هر دو هست آن بوالعجب ** شرح این گفتن برونست از ادب
This comparison is poor and unsuccessful, but in the sensible (world) there was none better than this (to be found).
این مثال آمد رکیک و بی‌ورود ** لیک در محسوس ازین بهتر نبود
The death of the eldest prince, and how the middle brother came to his funeral—for the youngest was confined to his bed by illness; and how the King treated the middle brother with great affection, so that he too was crippled (captivated) by his kindness; (and how) he remained with the King, and a hundred thousand spoils (precious gifts), from the unseen and visible worlds, were conferred upon him by the fortune and favour of the King; with an exposition of some part thereof.
متوفی شدن بزرگین از شه‌زادگان و آمدن برادر میانین به جنازه‌ی برادر کی آن کوچکین صاحب‌فراش بود از رنجوری و نواختن پادشاه میانین را تا او هم لنگ احسان شد ماند پیش پادشاه صد هزار از غنایم غیبی و غنی بدو رسید از دولت و نظر آن شاه مع تقریر بعضه
The youngest (brother) was ill, and (so) the middle one came alone to the funeral of the eldest.
کوچکین رنجور بود و آن وسط ** بر جنازه‌ی آن بزرگ آمد فقط
(When) the King espied him, he said with a purpose, “Who is this?—for he is of that sea, and he too is a fish.”4635
شاه دیدش گفت قاصد کین کیست ** که از آن بحرست و این هم ماهیست
Then the announcer said, “He is a son of the same father: this brother is younger than that (deceased) brother.”
پس معرف گفت پور آن پدر ** این برادر زان برادر خردتر
The King greeted him affectionately, saying, “Thou art a keepsake (from thy brother to me)”; and by this enquiry (gracious attention) made him too his prey.
شه نوازیدش که هستی یادگار ** کرد او را هم بدان پرسش شکار
In consequence of the kindness shown (to him) by the King, that wretched man, (who was) roasted (in the fire of love), found in his body a soul other than the (animal) soul.
از نواز شاه آن زار حنیذ ** در تن خود غیر جان جانی بدیذ