When (spiritual) contraction comes, behold expansion therein: be fresh (cheerful) and do not let wrinkles fall on your brow.
چونک قبض آید تو در وی بسط بین ** تازه باش و چین میفکن در جبین
Children are laughing, and sages are sour: sorrow appertains to the liver, and joy arises from the lungs.3740
کودکان خندان و دانایان ترش ** غم جگر را باشد و شادی ز شش
The eye of the child, like (that of) the ass, is (fixed) on the stall; the eye of the wise man is (engaged) in reckoning the end.
چشم کودک همچو خر در آخرست ** چشم عاقل در حساب آخرست
He (the child) sees the rich fodder in the stall, while this (wise man) sees his ultimate end to be death by (the hand of) the Butcher.
او در آخر چرب میبیند علف ** وین ز قصاب آخرش بیند تلف
That fodder is bitter (in the end), for this Butcher gave it: He set up a pair of scales for our flesh.
آن علف تلخست کین قصاب داد ** بهر لحم ما ترازویی نهاد
Go, eat the fodder of wisdom which God hath given (us) disinterestedly from pure bounty.
رو ز حکمت خور علف کان را خدا ** بی غرض دادست از محض عطا
O slave (to your lusts), you have understood bread, not wisdom, (to be meant) in that (text) which God hath spoken unto you—Eat ye of His provision.3745
فهم نان کردی نه حکمت ای رهی ** زانچ حق گفتت کلوا من رزقه
God's provision in the (present) stage (of your existence) is wisdom that will not choke you at the last (in the world hereafter).
رزق حق حکمت بود در مرتبت ** کان گلوگیرت نباشد عاقبت
(If) you have closed this (bodily) mouth, another mouth is opened, which becomes an eater of the morsels of (spiritual) mysteries.
این دهان بستی دهانی باز شد ** کو خورندهی لقمههای راز شد
If you cut off your body from the Devil's milk, by (thus) weaning it you will enjoy much felicity.
گر ز شیر دیو تن را وابری ** در فطام اوبسی نعمت خوردی
I have given a half-raw (imperfect) explanation of it, (like) the Turcomans' ill-boiled meat: hear (it) in full from the Sage of Ghazna.
ترکجوشش شرح کردم نیمخام ** از حکیم غزنوی بشنو تمام
In the Iláhí-náma that Sage of the Unseen and Glory of them that know (God) explains this (matter).3750
در الهینامه گوید شرح این ** آن حکیم غیب و فخرالعارفین
(He says), “Eat (feel) sorrow, and do not eat the bread of those who increase (your) sorrow (hereafter), for the wise man eats sorrow, the child (eats) sugar (rejoices).”
When you see (spiritual) sorrow, embrace it with passionate love: look on Damascus from the top of Rubwa.
غم چو بینی در کنارش کش به عشق ** از سر ربوه نظر کن در دمشق
The wise man is seeing the wine in the grape, the lover (of God) is seeing the thing (entity) in the non-existent.
عاقل از انگور می بیند همی ** عاشق از معدوم شی بیند همی
The day before yesterday the porters were quarrelling (and crying), “Don't you lift (it), let me lift his load (and carry it off) like a lion!”3755
جنگ میکردند حمالان پریر ** تو مکش تا من کشم حملش چو شیر
Since they were seeing profit in that toil, each one was snatching the load from the other.
زانک زان رنجش همیدیدند سود ** حمل را هر یک ز دیگر میربود
What comparison is there between God's reward and the reward given by that worthless creature? The former gives you a treasure as your reward, and the latter a groat.
مزد حق کو مزد آن بیمایه کو ** این دهد گنجیت مزد و آن تسو
(God gives you) a golden treasure that remains with you when you lie (buried) under the sand and is not left as a heritage.
گنج زری که چو خسپی زیر ریگ ** با تو باشد ان نباشد مردریگ
It runs before your hearse and becomes your companion in the tomb and in the state where all is strange.
پیش پیش آن جنازهت میدود ** مونس گور و غریبی میشود
For the sake of your death-day be dead (to self), now, so that you may be (united) with everlasting Love, O fellow-servant.3760
بهر روز مرگ این دم مرده باش ** تا شوی با عشق سرمد خواجهتاش
Through the curtain of the struggle (against self) renunciation sees the face like a pomegranate-flower and the two tresses of the Desired One.
صبر میبیند ز پردهی اجتهاد ** روی چون گلنار و زلفین مراد
Sorrow is as a mirror before the struggler, for in this contrary there appears the face of the (other) contrary.
غم چو آیینهست پیش مجتهد ** کاندرین ضد مینماید روی ضد
After the (one) contrary, (which is) pain, the other contrary, that is, gladness and triumph, shows its face.
بعد ضد رنج آن ضد دگر ** رو دهد یعنی گشاد و کر و فر
Observe these two qualities (contraction and expansion) in the fingers of your hand: assuredly after the closing of the fist comes the opening.
این دو وصف از پنجهی دستت ببین ** بعد قبض مشت بسط آید یقین
If the fingers be always closed or entirely (invariably) open, he (their owner) is like an afflicted person.3765
پنجه را گر قبض باشد دایما ** یا همه بسط او بود چون مبتلا
His work and action is regulated by these two qualities: these two conditions are (as) important for him as the bird's wings (to the bird).
زین دو وصفش کار و مکسب منتظم ** چون پر مرغ این دو حال او را مهم
When Mary was all at once dismayed, like those fishes on land,
چونک مریم مضطرب شد یک زمان ** همچنانک بر زمین آن ماهیان
[How the Holy Spirit said to Mary, “I am sent to thee by God: be not agitated and do not hide from me, for this is the (Divine) command.”]
گفتن روح القدس مریم راکی من رسول حقم به تو آشفته مشو و پنهان مشو از من کی فرمان اینست
The Exemplar of (Divine) Bounty cried out to her, “I am the trusted (messenger) of the Lord: be not afraid of me.
بانگ بر وی زد نمودار کرم ** که امین حضرتم از من مرم
Do not turn thy head away from the exalted (favourites) of (Divine) Majesty, do not withdraw thyself from such goodly confidants.”
از سرافرازان عزت سرمکش ** از چنین خوش محرمان خود درمکش
He was saying this, and (meanwhile) from his lips a wick (ray) of pure light was going up to Simák (Arcturus) step by step (uninterruptedly).3770
این همی گفت و ذبالهی نور پاک ** از لبش میشد پیاپی بر سماک
“Thou art fleeing from my existence into non-existence (the Unseen World): in non-existence I am a King and standard-bearer.
از وجودم میگریزی در عدم ** در عدم من شاهم و صاحب علم
Verily, my home and dwelling-place is in non-existence: solely my (outward) form is before the Lady (Mary).
خود بنه و بنگاه من در نیستیست ** یکسواره نقش من پیش ستیست
O Mary, look (well), for I am a difficult form (to apprehend): I am both a new moon and a phantasy in the heart.
مریما بنگر که نقش مشکلم ** هم هلالم هم خیال اندر دلم
When a phantasy comes into thy heart and settles (there), it is (still) with thee wheresoever thou fleest—
چون خیالی در دلت آمد نشست ** هر کجا که میگریزی با توست
Except an unsubstantial and vain phantasy which is one that sinks (and disappears) like the false dawn.3775
جز خیالی عارضی باطلی ** کو بود چون صبح کاذب آفلی
I am of the light of the Lord, like the true dawn, for no night prowls around my day.
من چو صبح صادقم از نور رب ** که نگردد گرد روزم هیچ شب
Hark, do not cry Lá hawl against me, O daughter of ‘Imrán, for I have descended hither from Lá hawl.
هین مکن لاحول عمران زادهام ** که ز لاحول این طرف افتادهام
Lá hawl was my origin and sustenance—the light of that Lá hawl which was prior to the spoken word.
مر مرا اصل و غذا لاحول بود ** نور لاحولی که پیش از قول بود
Thou art taking refuge from me with God: I am in eternity the image of (Him who is) the (only) refuge.
تو همیگیری پناه ازمن به حق ** من نگاریدهی پناهم در سبق
I am the refuge that was oft (the source of) thy deliverance. Thou takest refuge (from me), and I myself am that refuge.3780
آن پناهم من که مخلصهات بوذ ** تو اعوذ آری و من خود آن اعوذ
There is no bane worse than ignorance: thou art with thy Friend and dost not know how to make love.
آفتی نبود بتر از ناشناخت ** تو بر یار و ندانی عشق باخت
Thou art deeming thy Friend a stranger: upon a joy thou hast bestowed the name of a grief.”
یار را اغیار پنداری همی ** شادیی را نام بنهادی غمی
Such a date-palm, which is our Friend's favour—since we are robbers, His date-palm is our gallows.
اینچنین نخلی که لطف یار ماست ** چونک ما دزدیم نخلش دار ماست
Such a musky (fragrant) object, which is the tress of our Prince—since we are demented, this (tress) is our chain.
اینچنین مشکین که زلف میر ماست ** چونک بیعقلیم این زنجیر ماست
Such a (Divine) grace is flowing like a Nile—since we are Pharaohs, it is becoming like blood.3785
اینچنین لطفی چو نیلی میرود ** چونک فرعونیم چون خون میشود
The blood is saying, “I am water. Beware, do not spill (me)! I am (really) Joseph, (but) you make me the wolf, O contentious man.”
خون همیگوید من آبم هین مریز ** یوسفم گرگ از توم ای پر ستیز
Don't you see that a long-suffering friend becomes like a snake when you have grown hostile to him?
تو نمیبینی که یار بردبار ** چونک با او ضد شدی گردد چو مار
His flesh and fat (real nature) is unchanged: (’tis) only in appearance (that) he has become so evil.
لحم او و شحم او دیگر نشد ** او چنان بد جز که از منظر نشد
How that Wakíl, (moved) by love, made up his mind to return to Bukhárá recklessly.
عزم کردن آن وکیل ازعشق کی رجوع کند به بخارا لاابالیوار