Though the world is filled with the sun's light, how should that splendour of beauteous flame be despicable?
گر جهان پر شد ز نور آفتاب ** کی بود خوار آن تف خوش‌التهاب
But, notwithstanding all this, mount higher, since God's earth is spacious and delightful.635
لیک با این جمله بالاتر خرام ** چونک ارض الله واسع بود و رام
Although this intoxication is (excellent) like the white falcon, (yet) in the earth of (Divine) Transcendence there is (something) superior to it.
گرچه این مستی چو باز اشهبست ** برتر از وی در زمین قدس هست
Go, become an Isráfíl (Seraphiel) in (your) distinction (pre-eminence)— (become) an inspirer of spirituality and intoxicated and an intoxicator (of others).
رو سرافیلی شو اندر امتیاز ** در دمنده‌ی روح و مست و مست‌ساز
Since the intoxicated man's heart is occupied with thoughts of merriment, it has become his practice (to say repeatedly) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that.”
مست را چون دل مزاح اندیشه شد ** این ندانم و آن ندانم پیشه شد
What is the purpose of (saying) “I don't know this” and “I don't know that”? (It is) in order that you may say who He is whom we know.
این ندانم وان ندانم بهر چیست ** تا بگویی آنک می‌دانیم کیست
In discourse negation is (employed) for the purpose of affirmation: cease from negating and begin to affirm.640
نفی بهر ثبت باشد در سخن ** نفی بگذار و ز ثبت آغاز کن
Come, leave off (saying) “this is not” and “that is not”: bring forward that One who is Real Being.
نیست این و نیست آن هین واگذار ** آنک آن هستست آن را پیش آر
Leave negation and worship only that Real Being: learn this, O father, from (the story of) the drunken Turk.
نفی بگذار و همان هستی پرست ** این در آموز ای پدر زان ترک مست
How a drunken Turkish Amír summoned a minstrel at the hour of the morning-drink; and a commentary on the Tradition, “Verily, God most High hath a wine that He prepared for His friends: when they drink it they become intoxicated, and when they become intoxicated they are purified,” to the end of the Tradition. “The wine is bubbling in the jars of the mysteries in order that any one who is denuded (of self-existence) may drink of that wine.” God most High hath said, “Lo, the righteous shall drink.” “This wine that thou drinkest is forbidden; we drink none but a lawful wine.” “Endeavour through non-existence (of self) to become (really) existent and to be intoxicated with God's wine.”
استدعاء امیر ترک مخمور مطرب را بوقت صبوح و تفسیر این حدیث کی ان لله تعالی شرابا اعده لاولیائه اذا شربوا سکروا و اذا سکروا طابوا الی آخر الحدیث می در خم اسرار بدان می‌جوشد تا هر که مجردست از آن می نوشد قال الله تعالی ان الابرار یشربون این می که تو می‌خوری حرامست ما می نخوریم جز حلالی «جهد کن تا ز نیست هست شوی وز شراب خدای مست شوی»
A barbarian Turk came to his senses at dawn and, (suffering) from crop-sickness caused by wine, desired the minstrel (to divert him).
اعجمی ترکی سحر آگاه شد ** وز خمار خمر مطرب‌خواه شد
The spiritual minstrel is the bosom-friend of those intoxicated (with God): he is the dessert and food and strength of the drunken.
مطرب جان مونس مستان بود ** نقل و قوت و قوت مست آن بود
The minstrel led them on to intoxication; then again, he (the intoxicated one) quaffed intoxication from the song of the minstrel.645
مطرب ایشان را سوی مستی کشید ** باز مستی از دم مطرب چشید
That one (the mystic) fetches God's wine (to drink) because of that (spiritual) minstrel, while this one (the sensualist) imbibes the bodily wine from this (sensual) minstrel.
آن شراب حق بدان مطرب برد ** وین شراب تن ازین مطرب چرد
Though both (minstrels) have one name in discourse, yet there is a vast difference between this Hasan and that Hasan.
هر دو گر یک نام دارد در سخن ** لیک شتان این حسن تا آن حسن
There is a verbal resemblance in enunciation, but what (real) relation has heaven (ásmán) to a rope (rísmán)?
اشتباهی هست لفظی در بیان ** لیک خود کو آسمان تا ریسمان
The participation of a word (in several meanings) is always obstructive (to the understanding): the participation of the infidel with the true believer is in the body (alone).
اشتراک لفظ دایم ره‌زنست ** اشتراک گبر و مؤمن در تنست
Bodies are like pots with the lids on: look and see what is in each pot.650
جسمها چون کوزه‌های بسته‌سر ** تا که در هر کوزه چه بود آن نگر
The pot of that body is filled with the Water of Life; the pot of this body is filled with the poison of death.
کوزه‌ی آن تن پر از آب حیات ** کوزه‌ی این تن پر از زهر ممات
If you keep your eye fixed on its contents, you are a (spiritual) king; but if you regard its vessel, you are misguided.
گر به مظروفش نظر داری شهی ** ور به ظرفش بنگری تو گم‌رهی
Know that words resemble this body and that their inward meaning resembles the soul.
لفظ را ماننده‌ی این جسم دان ** معنیش را در درون مانند جان
The bodily eye is always seeing the body; the spiritual eye sees the artful (elusive) soul.
دیده‌ی تن دایما تن‌بین بود ** دیده‌ی جان جان پر فن بین بود
Therefore the man of appearance is misled by the form of the expressions used in the Mathnawí, while they guide the man of reality (to the Truth).655
پس ز نقش لفظهای مثنوی ** صورتی ضالست و هادی معنوی
He (God) hath said in the Qur’án, “This Qur’án with all its heart leads some aright and others astray.”
در نبی فرمود کین قرآن ز دل ** هادی بعضی و بعضی را مضل
God, God! When the gnostic speaks of “wine,” how in the gnostic's eyes should the (materially) non-existent be a (material) thing?
الله الله چونک عارف گفت می ** پیش عارف کی بود معدوم شی
Since your understanding is (only of) the Devil's wine, how should you have any conception of the wine of the Merciful (God)?
فهم تو چون باده‌ی شیطان بود ** کی ترا وهم می رحمان بود
These twain—the minstrel and the wine—are partners: this one quickly leads to that, and that one to this.
این دو انبازند مطرب با شراب ** این بدان و آن بدین آرد شتاب
They that are full of crop-sickness feed on the song of the minstrel: the minstrels bring them to the tavern.660
پر خماران از دم مطرب چرند ** مطربانشان سوی میخانه برند
That one (the minstrel) is the beginning of the (lover's) course, and this (tavern) is the end thereof: the witless (lover) is like a ball in (the sway of) his polo-bat.
آن سر میدان و این پایان اوست ** دل شده چون گوی در چوگان اوست
The ear goes (inclines) to that which is in the head: if there is yellow bile in the head, it becomes black bile.
در سر آنچ هست گوش آنجا رود ** در سر ار صفراست آن سودا شود
Afterwards, these twain (the minstrel and the lover) pass into unconsciousness: there the begetter and the begotten become one.
بعد از آن این دو به بیهوشی روند ** والد و مولود آنجا یک شوند
When joy and sorrow made peace (with each other), our Turk awakened the minstrels.
چونک کردند آشتی شادی و درد ** مطربان را ترک ما بیدار کرد
The minstrel began (to sing) a slumberous verse—“Hand me the cup, O Thou whom I see not.665
مطرب آغازید بیتی خوابناک ** که انلنی الکاس یا من لا اراک
Thou art my face: no wonder that I see it not: extreme proximity is a mystifying veil.
انت وجهی لا عجب ان لا اراه ** غایة القرب حجاب الاشتباه
Thou art my reason: no wonder if I see Thee not, on account of the abundance of the intricate perplexities (of thought).
انت عقلی لا عجب ان لم ارک ** من وفور الالتباس المشتبک
Thou hast come nearer to me than my neck-artery: how long shall I say ‘Oh’? ‘Oh’ is a call to one who is far off.
جت اقرب انت من حبل الورید ** کم اقل یا یا نداء للبعید
Nay, but I dissemble with them when I call (to Him) in the deserts, in order that I may conceal Him who is beside me from those who excite my jealousy.”
بل اغالطهم انادی فی القفار ** کی اکتم من معی مومن اغار
How a blind man entered the house of Mustafá (Mohammed), on whom be peace, and how ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, fled from the presence of the blind man, and how the Prophet, on whom be peace, asked, “Why art thou running away? He cannot see thee”; and the answer given by ‘Á’isha, may God be pleased with her, to the Prophet—God bless and save him!
در آمدن ضریر در خانه‌ی مصطفی علیه‌السلام و گریختن عایشه رضی الله عنها از پیش ضریر و گفتن رسول علیه‌السلام کی چه می‌گریزی او ترا نمی‌بیند و جواب دادن عایشه رضی الله عنها رسول را صلی الله علیه و سلم
A blind man came into the presence of the Prophet, saying, “O thou who suppliest fuel to every oven of dough,670
اندر آمد پیش پیغامبر ضریر ** کای نوابخش تنور هر خمیر
O thou who art the lord of the Water (of Life), while I am suffering from dropsy—help, help, O giver of drink to me!”
ای تو میر آب و من مستسقیم ** مستغاث المستغاث ای ساقیم
When the blind man came in hastily by the door, ‘Á’isha ran away to conceal herself (from him),
چون در آمد آن ضریر از در شتاب ** عایشه بگریخت بهر احتجاب
Because that chaste lady was aware of the resentfulness of the jealous Prophet.
زانک واقف بود آن خاتون پاک ** از غیوری رسول رشکناک
The more beautiful any one is, the greater his jealousy, for jealousy arises from (the possession of) loveliness, O sons.
هر که زیباتر بود رشکش فزون ** زانک رشک از ناز خیزد یا بنون
Since foul hags are aware of their ugliness and old age, they let their husbands take a concubine.675
گنده‌پیران شوی را قما دهند ** چونک از زشتی و پیری آگهند
When has there (ever) been in the two worlds a beauty like that of Ahmad (Mohammed)? Oh, may the Divine Glory aid him!
چون جمال احمدی در هر دو کون ** کی بدست ای فر یزدانیش عون
To him belong (all) the charms of both worlds: it beseems that hundredfold Sun to be jealous,
نازهای هر دو کون او را رسد ** غیرت آن خورشید صدتو را رسد
Saying, “I have thrown my (resplendent) orb over Saturn: beware, O stars, and cover your faces!
که در افکندم به کیوان گوی را ** در کشید ای اختران هم روی را
Be naughted in my incomparable radiance; else ye will be put to shame before my light.
در شعاع بی‌نظیرم لا شوید ** ورنه پیش نور نم رسوا شوید
For kindness' sake, I disappear every night; (but) how should I depart? I only make a show of departing,680
از کرم من هر شبی غایب شوم ** کی روم الا نمایم که روم
That for a night ye may fly without me like bats, flapping your wings, around this flying-place;
تا شما بی من شبی خفاش‌وار ** پر زنان پرید گرد این مطار
And that, like peacocks, ye may display a (gorgeous) wing, and then become intoxicated and haughty and self-conceited.
هم‌چو طاووسان پری عرضه کنید ** باز مست و سرکش و معجب شوید
Look at your uncouth feet, like the rustic shoon that were (as) a candle to Ayáz.
ننگرید آن پای خود را زشت‌ساز ** هم‌چو چارق کو بود شمع ایاز