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1
1500-1549

  • This is the intellectual quest— (but) what (sort of) intellect is that ingenious one? (The object of its quest is) perchance (by its means) a man of weak understanding may find his way to that place (gain some idea of the truth). 1500
  • بحث عقل است این چه عقل آن حیله‌‌گر ** تا ضعیفی ره برد آن جا مگر
  • (Yet) the intellectual quest, though it be (fine as) pearls and coral, is other than the spiritual quest.
  • بحث عقلی گر در و مرجان بود ** آن دگر باشد که بحث جان بود
  • The spiritual quest is on another plane: the spiritual wine has another consistency.
  • بحث جان اندر مقامی دیگر است ** باده‌‌ی جان را قوامی دیگر است‌‌
  • At the time when the intellectual quest was in keeping (with the circumstances), this ‘Umar was intimate with Bu ’l-Hakam,
  • آن زمان که بحث عقلی ساز بود ** این عمر با بو الحکم هم راز بود
  • (But) when ‘Umar went away from intellect towards spirit, Bu ’l-Hakam became Bú Jahl (the father of ignorance) in the case of that (spiritual quest).
  • چون عمر از عقل آمد سوی جان ** بو الحکم بو جهل شد در حکم آن‌‌
  • He is perfect on the side of sense-perception and understanding, though indeed he is ignorant in regard to the spirit. 1505
  • سوی حس و سوی عقل او کامل است ** گر چه خود نسبت به جان او جاهل است‌‌
  • Know that the quest of the intellect and the senses is (concerned with) effects or secondary causes. The spiritual quest is either wonder or the father of wonder (either wonderful or beyond wonder).
  • بحث عقل و حس اثر دان یا سبب ** بحث جانی یا عجب یا بو العجب‌‌
  • The illumination of the spirit comes: (then) there remains not, O thou who seekest illumination, conclusion and premise or that which contradicts (a statement) (or) that which renders (its acceptance) necessary,
  • ضوء جان آمد نماند ای مستضی ** لازم و ملزوم و نافی مقتضی‌‌
  • Because the seer on whom His (God's) Light is dawning is quite independent of the (logical) proof which resembles a (blind man's) staff.
  • ز آن که بینایی که نورش بازغ است ** از دلیل چون عصا بس فارغ است‌‌
  • Commentary on “And He is with you wheresoever ye be.”
  • تفسیر و هو معکم أين ما کنتم
  • Once more we come back to the tale: when, indeed, did we go forth from the tale?
  • بار دیگر ما به قصه آمدیم ** ما از آن قصه برون خود کی شدیم‌‌
  • If we come to ignorance, that is His prison, and if we come to knowledge, that is His palace; 1510
  • گر به جهل آییم آن زندان اوست ** ور به علم آییم آن ایوان اوست‌‌
  • And if we come to sleep, we are His intoxicated ones; and if to wakefulness, we are in His hands;
  • ور به خواب آییم مستان وی‌‌ایم ** ور به بیداری به دستان وی‌‌ایم‌‌
  • And if we weep, we are His cloud shedding rain-drops abundantly; and if we laugh, at that time we are His lightning;
  • ور بگرییم ابر پر زرق وی‌‌ایم ** ور بخندیم آن زمان برق وی‌‌ایم‌‌
  • And if (we come) to wrath and war, ’tis the reflexion of His Might; and if to peace and forgiveness, ’tis the reflexion of His Love.
  • ور به خشم و جنگ عکس قهر اوست ** ور به صلح و عذر عکس مهر اوست‌‌
  • Who are we? In this tangled (complex) world what (thing other than He) indeed hath He (who is single) like alif? Nothing, nothing.
  • ما که‌‌ایم اندر جهان پیچ پیچ ** چون الف او خود چه دارد هیچ هیچ‌‌
  • How the ambassador asked ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, concerning the cause of the tribulation suffered by spirits in this clay of the body.
  • سؤال کردن رسول روم از عمر از سبب ابتلای ارواح با این آب و گل اجساد
  • He said, “O ‘Umar, what was the wisdom and mystery of imprisoning that pure one (the spirit) in this dirty place? 1515
  • گفت یا عمر چه حکمت بود و سر ** حبس آن صافی در این جای کدر
  • The pure water has become hidden in mud: the pure spirit has become bound in bodies.”
  • آب صافی در گلی پنهان شده ** جان صافی بسته‌‌ی ابدان شده‌‌
  • He (‘Umar) said, “Thou art making a profound inquiry, thou art confining a meaning in a word.
  • گفت تو بحثی شگرفی می‌‌کنی ** معنیی را بند حرفی می‌‌کنی‌‌
  • Thou hast imprisoned the free (unconditioned) meaning, thou hast bound the wind in a word.
  • حبس کردی معنی آزاد را ** بند حرفی کرده ای تو یاد را
  • This thou hast done for a benefit (good purpose), O thou who thyself art blind to the benefit (good purpose) of God.
  • از برای فایده این کرده‌‌ای ** تو که خود از فایده در پرده‌‌ای‌‌
  • He from whom (every) benefit was born, how should He not see that which was seen by us? 1520
  • آن که از وی فایده زاییده شد ** چون نبیند آن چه ما را دیده شد
  • There are myriads of benefits, and every myriad is (but) a few beside that one.
  • صد هزاران فایده ست و هر یکی ** صد هزاران پیش آن یک اندکی‌‌
  • The breath of thy speech, which is a part of the parts (bodily members), became beneficial: why (then) is the whole of the whole (the universal connexion of spirit and body) devoid (of benefit)?
  • آن دم نطقت که جزو جزوهاست ** فایده شد کل کل خالی چراست‌‌
  • Thou who art a part—thy act (of speaking) is beneficial: why (then) dost thou lift thy hand to assail the whole?
  • تو که جزوی کار تو با فایده ست ** پس چرا در طعن کل آری تو دست‌‌
  • If there is no benefit in speech, do not speak; and if there is, leave off making objections, and endeavour to give thanks.”
  • گفت را گر فایده نبود مگو ** ور بود هل اعتراض و شکر جو
  • Thanksgiving to God is a collar on every neck (every one's duty); it is not (thanksgiving) to dispute and make one's face look sour. 1525
  • شکر یزدان طوق هر گردن بود ** نه جدال و رو ترش کردن بود
  • If thanksgiving is only to look sour, then there is no thanks-giver like vinegar.
  • گر ترش رو بودن آمد شکر و بس ** پس چو سرکه شکر گویی نیست کس‌‌
  • If vinegar wants (to find) the way to the liver, let it become oxymel by (being mixed with) sugar.
  • سرکه را گر راه باید در جگر ** گو بشو سرکنگبین او از شکر
  • The meaning in poetry has no sureness of direction: it is like the sling, it is not under control.
  • معنی اندر شعر جز با خبط نیست ** چون قلاسنگ است اندر ضبط نیست‌‌
  • On the inner sense of “Let him who desires to sit with God sit with the Súfís.”
  • در معنی آن که من أراد أن یجلس مع الله فلیجلس مع أهل التصوف‌‌
  • The ambassador became beside himself from these one or two cups (of spiritual discourse): neither embassage nor message remained in his memory.
  • آن رسول از خود بشد زین یک دو جام ** نه رسالت یاد ماندش نه پیام‌‌
  • He became distraught at the power of God. The ambassador arrived at this place (state) and became a king. 1530
  • واله اندر قدرت الله شد ** آن رسول اینجا رسید و شاه شد
  • When the torrent reached the sea, it became the sea; when the seed reached the cornland, it became the crop of corn.
  • سیل چون آمد به دریا بحر گشت ** دانه چون آمد به مزرع گشت کشت‌‌
  • When the bread attained to connexion with Man, the dead bread became living and endowed with knowledge.
  • چون تعلق یافت نان با بو البشر ** نان مرده زنده گشت و با خبر
  • When the wax and firewood were devoted to the fire, their dark essence became (filled with) light.
  • موم و هیزم چون فدای نار شد ** ذات ظلمانی او انوار شد
  • When the (powdered) stone of antimony went into the eyes, it turned to sight and there became a scout (one who observes the enemy from some point of vantage).
  • سنگ سرمه چون که شد در دیده‌‌گان ** گشت بینایی شد آن جا دیدبان‌‌
  • Oh, happy is the man who was freed from himself and united with the existence of a living one! 1535
  • ای خنک آن مرد کز خود رسته شد ** در وجود زنده‌‌ای پیوسته شد
  • Alas for the living one who consorted with the dead! He became dead, and life sped away from him.
  • وای آن زنده که با مرده نشست ** مرده گشت و زندگی از وی بجست‌‌
  • When you have fled (for refuge) to the Qur’án of God, you have mingled with the spirit of the prophets.
  • چون تو در قرآن حق بگریختی ** با روان انبیا آمیختی‌‌
  • The Qur’án is (a description of) the states of the prophets, (who are) the fishes of the holy sea of (Divine) Majesty.
  • هست قرآن حالهای انبیا ** ماهیان بحر پاک کبریا
  • And if you read and do not accept (take to heart) the Qur’án, suppose you have seen the prophets and saints (what will that avail you?);
  • ور بخوانی و نه‌‌ای قرآن پذیر ** انبیا و اولیا را دیده گیر
  • But if you are accepting (the Qur’án), when you read the stories (of the prophets), the bird, your soul, will be distressed in its cage. 1540
  • ور پذیرایی چو بر خوانی قصص ** مرغ جانت تنگ آید در قفص‌‌
  • The bird that is a prisoner in a cage, (if it) is not seeking to escape, ’tis from ignorance.
  • مرغ کاو اندر قفس زندانی است ** می‌‌نجوید رستن از نادانی است‌‌
  • The spirits which have escaped from their cages are the prophets, (those) worthy guides.
  • روحهایی کز قفسها رسته‌‌اند ** انبیای رهبر شایسته‌‌اند
  • From without comes their voice, (telling) of religion, (and crying), “This, this is the way of escape for thee.
  • از برون آوازشان آید ز دین ** که ره رستن ترا این است این‌‌
  • By this we escaped from this narrow cage: there is no means of escape from this cage but this way,
  • ما به دین رستیم زین ننگین قفس ** جز که این ره نیست چاره‌‌ی این قفس‌‌
  • (That) thou shouldst make thyself ill, exceedingly wretched, in order that thou mayst be let out from (the cage of) reputation.” 1545
  • خویش را رنجور سازی زار زار ** تا ترا بیرون کنند از اشتهار
  • Worldly reputation is a strong chain: in the Way how is this less than a chain of iron?
  • که اشتهار خلق بند محکم است ** در ره این از بند آهن کی کم است‌‌
  • The story of the merchant to whom the captive parrot gave a message for the parrots of India on the occasion of his going (thither) to trade.
  • قصه‌‌ی بازرگان که طوطی محبوس او او را پیغام داد به طوطیان هندوستان هنگام رفتن به تجارت‌‌
  • There was a merchant, and he had a parrot imprisoned in a cage, a pretty parrot.
  • بود بازرگانی او را طوطیی ** در قفس محبوس زیبا طوطیی‌‌
  • When the merchant made ready for travel and was about to depart to India,
  • چون که بازرگان سفر را ساز کرد ** سوی هندستان شدن آغاز کرد
  • Because of his generosity he said to each male slave and each handmaid, “What shall I bring (home) for you? Tell (me) quickly.”
  • هر غلام و هر کنیزک را ز جود ** گفت بهر تو چه آرم گوی زود