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
And often he would say with mute eloquence, “Does any one ask (me who am) the Resurrection concerning the Resurrection?”
با زبان حال می‌گفتی بسی ** که ز محشر حشر را پرسید کسی
Hence the Messenger of good tidings said, (speaking) symbolically, “Die before ye die, O nobles,
بهر این گفت آن رسول خوش‌پیام ** رمز موتوا قبل موت یا کرام
Even as I have died before death and brought from Yonder this fame and renown.”755
هم‌چنانک مرده‌ام من قبل موت ** زان طرف آورده‌ام این صیت و صوت
Do thou, then, become the (spiritual) resurrection and (thereby) see (experience) the resurrection: this (becoming) is the necessary condition for seeing (knowing and experiencing the real nature of) anything.
پس قیامت شو قیامت را ببین ** دیدن هر چیز را شرطست این
Until thou become it, thou wilt not know it completely, whether it be light or darkness.
تا نگردی او ندانی‌اش تمام ** خواه آن انوار باشد یا ظلام
(If) thou become Reason, thou wilt know Reason perfectly; if thou become Love, thou wilt know Love's (flaming) wick.
عقل گردی عقل را دانی کمال ** عشق گردی عشق را دانی ذبال
I would declare plainly the proof of this assertion, if there were an understanding fit to receive it.
گفتمی برهان این دعوی مبین ** گر بدی ادراک اندر خورد این
Figs are very cheap in this vicinity, if a fig-eating bird should arrive as a guest.760
هست انجیر این طرف بسیار و خوار ** گر رسد مرغی قنق انجیرخوار
(All), whether men or women, in the whole world are continually in the death-agony and are dying.
در همه عالم اگر مرد و زنند ** دم به دم در نزع و اندر مردنند
Regard their words as the (final) injunctions which a father gives at that moment to his son,
آن سخنشان را وصیتها شمر ** که پدر گوید در آن دم با پسر
That thereby consideration and pity may grow (in thy heart), so that the root of hatred and jealousy and enmity may be cut off.
تا بروید عبرت و رحمت بدین ** تا ببرد بیخ بغض و رشک و کین
Look on thy kinsman with that intention, so that thy heart may burn (with pity) for his death-agony.
تو بدان نیت نگر در اقربا ** تا ز نزع او بسوزد دل ترا
“Everything that is coming will come”: deem it (to have come) here and now, deem thy friend to be in the death-agony and in the act of losing (his life).765
کل آت آت آن را نقد دان ** دوست را در نزع و اندر فقد دان
And if (selfish) motives debar (thee) from this insight, cast these motives out of thy bosom;
وز غرضها زین نظر گردد حجاب ** این غرضها را برون افکن ز جیب
And if thou canst not (cast them out), do not stand inertly in a state of incapacity: know that with (every) incapable there is a goodly Incapacitator.
ور نیاری خشک بر عجزی مه‌ایست ** دانک با عاجز گزیده معجزیست
Incapacity is a chain: He laid it upon thee: thou must open thine eye to (behold) Him who lays the chain.
عجز زنجیریست زنجیرت نهاد ** چشم در زنجیرنه باید گشاد
Therefore make humble entreaty, saying, “O Guide (in the ways) of life, I was free, (and now) I have fallen into bondage: what is the cause of this?
پس تضرع کن کای هادی زیست ** باز بودم بسته گشتم این ز چیست
I have planted my foot in evil more firmly (than ever), for through Thy omnipotence verily I am (engaged) in a losing business all the time.770
سخت‌تر افشرده‌ام در شر قدم ** که لفی خسرم ز قهرت دم به دم