In the presence of the drunken Turk the minstrel began (to sing of) the mysteries of Alast under the veil of melody—
مطرب آغازید پیش ترک مست ** در حجاب نغمه اسرار الست
“I know not whether Thou art a moon or an idol, I know not what Thou desirest of me.
من ندانم که تو ماهی یا وثن ** من ندانم تا چه می‌خواهی ز من
I know not what service I shall pay Thee, whether I shall keep silence or express Thee in words.705
می‌ندانم که چه خدمت آرمت ** تن زنم یا در عبارت آرمت
’Tis marvellous that Thou art not separate from me, (and yet) where am I, and where Thou, I know not.
این عجب که نیستی از من جدا ** می‌ندانم من کجاام تو کجا
I know not how Thou art drawing me: Thou drawest me now into Thy bosom, now into blood.”
می‌ندانم که مرا چون می‌کشی ** گاه در بر گاه در خون می‌کشی
In this fashion he opened his lips (only) to say “I know not”: he made a tune of “I know not, I know not.”
هم‌چنین لب در ندانم باز کرد ** می‌ندانم می‌ندانم ساز کرد
When (the refrain) “I know not” passed beyond bounds, our Turk was amazed and his heart became sick of this ditty.
چون ز حد شد می‌ندانم از شگفت ** ترک ما را زین حراره دل گرفت
The Turk leaped up and fetched an iron mace to smite the minstrel's head with it on the spot;710
برجهید آن ترک و دبوسی کشید ** تا علیها بر سر مطرب رسید
(But) an officer seized the mace with his hand, saying, “Nay; ’tis wicked to kill the minstrel at this moment.”
گرز را بگرفت سرهنگی بدست ** گفت نه مطرب کشی این دم بدست
He (the Turk) replied, “This endless and countless repetition of his has pounded my nerves: I will pound his head.
گفت این تکرار بی حد و مرش ** کوفت طبعم را بکوبم من سرش
O cuckold, (if) you don't know, don't talk nonsense; and if you do know, play (a tune) to the purpose.
قلتبانا می‌ندانی گه مخور ** ور همی‌دانی بزن مقصود بر
Tell of that which you know, O crazy fool: don't draw out (repeat continually) ‘I know not, I know not.’
آن بگو ای گیج که می‌دانیش ** می‌ندانم می‌ندانم در مکش
(Suppose) I ask, ‘Where do you come from, hypocrite, eh?’ you will say, ‘Not from Balkh, and not from Herát,715
من بپرسم کز کجایی هی مری ** تو بگویی نه ز بلخ و نه از هری
Not from Baghdád and not from Mosul and not from Tiráz’: you will draw out a long journey in (saying) ‘not’ and ‘not.’
نه ز بغداد و نه موصل نه طراز ** در کشی در نی و نی راه دراز
Just say where you come from and escape (from further discussion): in this case it is folly to elaborate the point at issue.
خود بگو من از کجاام باز ره ** هست تنقیح مناط اینجا بله
Or (suppose) I asked, ‘What had you for breakfast?’ you would say, ‘Not wine and not roast-meat,
یا بپرسیدم چه خوردی ناشتاب ** تو بگویی نه شراب و نه کباب
Not qadíd and not tharíd and not lentils’: tell me what you did eat, only (that) and no more.
نه قدید و نه ثرید و نه عدس ** آنچ خوردی آن بگو تنها و بس
Wherefore is this long palaver?” “Because,” said the minstrel, “my object is recondite.720
این سخن‌خایی دراز از بهر چیست ** گفت مطرب زانک مقصودم خفیست
Before (until) you deny (all else), affirmation (of God) evades (you): I denied (everything) in order that you might get a scent of (perceive the means of attaining to) affirmation.
می‌رمد اثبات پیش از نفی تو ** نفی کردم تا بری ز اثبات بو
I play the tune of negation: when you die, death will declare the mystery.
در نوا آرم بنفی این ساز را ** چون بمیری مرگ گوید راز را
[Commentary on his (the Prophet's) saying—peace be upon him!— ‘Die before ye die.’ ‘O friend, die before thy death if thou desirest life; for by so dying Idrís became a dweller in Paradise before (the rest of) us.’]
تفسیر قوله علیه‌السلام موتوا قبل ان تموتوا بمیر ای دوست پیش از مرگ اگر می زندگی خواهی کی ادریس از چنین مردن بهشتی گشت پیش از ما
You have suffered much agony, but you are (still) in the veil, because dying (to self) was the fundamental principle, and you have not fulfilled it.
جان بسی کندی و اندر پرده‌ای ** زانک مردن اصل بد ناورده‌ای
Your agony is not finished till you die: you cannot reach the roof without completing the ladder.
تا نمیری نیست جان کندن تمام ** بی‌کمال نردبان نایی به بام
When two rungs out of a hundred are wanting, the striver will be forbidden to (set foot on) the roof.725
چون ز صد پایه دو پایه کم بود ** بام را کوشنده نامحرم بود
When the rope lacks one ell out of a hundred, how should the water go from the well into the bucket?
چون رسن یک گز ز صد گز کم بود ** آب اندر دلو از چه کی رود
O Amír, you will not experience the wreck of this ship (of self-existence) till you put into it the last mann.
غرق این کشتی نیابی ای امیر ** تا بننهی اندرو من الاخیر
Know that the last mann is fundamental, for it is (like) the (piercing) star that rises at night: it wrecks the ship of evil suggestion and error.
من آخر اصل دان کو طارقست ** کشتی وسواس و غی را غارقست
The ship of (self-)consciousness, when it is utterly wrecked, becomes (like) the sun in the blue vault (of heaven).
آفتاب گنبد ازرق شود ** کشتی هش چونک مستغرق شود
Inasmuch as you have not died, your agony has been prolonged: be extinguished in the dawn, O candle of Tiráz!730
چون نمردی گشت جان کندن دراز ** مات شو در صبح ای شمع طراز
Know that the Sun of the world is hidden till our stars have become hidden.
تا نگشتند اختران ما نهان ** دانک پنهانست خورشید جهان
Wield the mace against yourself: shatter egoism to pieces, for the bodily eye is (as) cottonwool in the ear.
گرز بر خود زن منی در هم شکن ** زانک پنبه‌ی گوش آمد چشم تن
You are wielding the mace against yourself, O base man: this egoism is the reflexion of yourself in (the mirror of) my actions.
گرز بر خود می‌زنی خود ای دنی ** عکس تست اندر فعالم این منی
You have seen the reflexion of yourself in (the mirror of) my form and have risen in fury to fight with yourself,
عکس خود در صورت من دیده‌ای ** در قتال خویش بر جوشیده‌ای
Like the lion who went down into the well; (for) he fancied that the reflexion of himself was his enemy.”735
هم‌چو آن شیری که در چه شد فرو ** عکس خود را خصم خود پنداشت او
Beyond any doubt, negation (not-being) is the opposite of (real) being, (and this is) in order that by means of the (one) opposite you may gain a little knowledge of the (other) opposite.
نفی ضد هست باشد بی‌شکی ** تا ز ضد ضد را بدانی اندکی
At this time there is no (means of) making (God) known except (by) denying the opposite: in this (earthly) life no moment is without a snare.
این زمان جز نفی ضد اعلام نیست ** اندرین نشات دمی بی‌دام نیست
O you who possess sincerity, (if) you want that (Reality) unveiled, choose death and tear off the veil—
بی‌حجابت باید آن ای ذو لباب ** مرگ را بگزین و بر دران حجاب
Not such a death that you will go into a grave, (but) a death consisting of (spiritual) transformation, so that you will go into a Light.
نه چنان مرگی که در گوری روی ** مرگ تبدیلی که در نوری روی
(When) a man grows up, his childhood dies; (when) he becomes a (fair-complexioned) Greek, he washes out the dye (swarthy colour) of the Ethiopian.740
مرد بالغ گشت آن بچگی بمرد ** رومیی شد صبغت زنگی سترد
(When) earth becomes gold, its earthly aspect remains not; (when) sorrow becomes joy, the thorn of sorrowfulness remains not.
خاک زر شد هیات خاکی نماند ** غم فرج شد خار غمناکی نماند
Hence Mustafá (Mohammed) said, “O seeker of the mysteries, (if) you wish to see a dead man living—
مصطفی زین گفت کای اسرارجو ** مرده را خواهی که بینی زنده تو
Walking on the earth, like living men; (yet he is) dead and his spirit is gone to heaven;
می‌رود چون زندگان بر خاکدان ** مرده و جانش شده بر آسمان
(One) whose spirit hath a dwelling-place on high at this moment, (so that) if he die, his spirit is not translated,
جانش را این دم به بالا مسکنیست ** گر بمیرد روح او را نقل نیست
Because it has been translated before death: this (mystery) is understood (only) by dying, not by (using one's) reason;745
زانک پیش از مرگ او کردست نقل ** این بمردن فهم آید نه به عقل
Translation it is, (but) not like the translation of the spirits of the vulgar: it resembles a removal (during life) from one place to another—
نقل باشد نه چو نقل جان عام ** هم‌چو نقلی از مقامی تا مقام
If any one wish to see a dead man walking thus visibly on the earth,
هرکه خواهد که ببیند بر زمین ** مرده‌ای را می‌رود ظاهر چنین
Let him behold Abú Bakr, the devout, (who) through being a true witness (siddíq) became the Prince of the Resurrected.
مر ابوبکر تقی را گو ببین ** شد ز صدیقی امیرالمحشرین
In this (earthly) life look at the Siddíq (Abú Bakr), that you may believe more firmly in the Resurrection.”
اندرین نشات نگر صدیق را ** تا به حشر افزون کنی تصدیق را
Mohammed, then, was a hundred (spiritual) resurrections here and now, for he was dissolved (naughted) in dying to (temporal) loosing and binding.750
پس محمد صد قیامت بود نقد ** زانک حل شد در فنای حل و عقد
Ahmad (Mohammed) is the twice-born in this world: he was manifestly a hundred resurrections.
زاده‌ی ثانیست احمد در جهان ** صد قیامت بود او اندر عیان
They asked him concerning the Resurrection, saying, “O (thou who art the) Resurrection, how long is the way to the Resurrection?”
زو قیامت را همی‌پرسیده‌اند ** ای قیامت تا قیامت راه چند