Proem سرآغاز

مدتی این مثنوی تاخیر شد
مهلتی بایست تا خون شیر شد
This Mathnawí has been delayed for a while: an interval was needed in order that the blood might turn to milk.
تا نزاید بخت تو فرزند نو
خون، نگردد شیر شیرین خوش شنو
Blood does not become sweet milk until thy fortune gives birth to a new babe. Hearken well (to my words).
چون ضیاء الحق حسام الدین عنان
باز گردانید ز اوج آسمان‏
When the Light of God, Husámu’ddín, drew the reins (of his spirit) back from the zenith of Heaven.
چون به معراج حقایق رفته بود
بی‏بهارش غنچه‏ها نشکفته بود
(For) after he had gone in the ascension to (spiritual) realities, without his (life-giving) springtide the buds (of mystic knowledge) were unburst (in my heart)
چون ز دریا سوی ساحل باز گشت
چنگ شعر مثنوی با ساز گشت‏
When (I say) he returned from the Sea towards the shore, the lyre of the poesy of the Mathnawí became attuned (again).
مثنوی که صیقل ارواح بود
باز گشتش روز استفتاح بود
The Mathnawí, which was the burnisher (purifier) of spirits —his return was the day of (my) seeking (an auspicious) commencement (for it). 
مطلع تاریخ این سودا و سود
سال اندر ششصد و شصت و دو بود
The date of beginning this gainful (spiritual) traffic was in the year six hundred and sixty-two.
بلبلی ز ینجا برفت و باز گشت
بهر صید این معانی باز گشت‏
A nightingale went hence and returned: it became a falcon for hunting these spiritual truths.
ساعد شه مسکن این باز باد
تا ابد بر خلق این در باز باد
May this falcon’s resting-place be the fore-arm of the King! May this gate (to the Truth) be open to (all) the people unto everlasting!
آفت این در هوا و شهوت است
ور نه اینجا شربت اندر شربت است
The bane of this gate is sensuality and lust; else, draught on draught (of spiritual knowledge) is (to be found) here.
این دهان بر بند تا بینی عیان
چشم بند آن جهان حلق و دهان‏
Close this mouth that you may see plainly: gullet and mouth are the eye-bandage (which makes you blind) to yonder world.
ای دهان تو خود دهانه‏ی دوزخی
وی جهان تو بر مثال برزخی‏
O mouth, verily thou art the mouth of Hell; and, O world, thou art like the intermediate state.
نور باقی پهلوی دنیای دون
شیر صافی پهلوی جوهای خون‏
The everlasting light is beside this low world, the pure milk is beside rivers of blood. 
چون در او گامی زنی بی‏احتیاط
شیر تو خون می‏شود از اختلاط
When you take one step in it (the world) without precaution, your milk will be turned to blood through commixture.
یک قدم زد آدم اندر ذوق نفس
شد فراق صدر جنت طوق نفس‏
Adam took one step in sensual pleasure: separation from his high place in Paradise became a collar on the neck of his (fleshly) soul.
همچو دیو از وی فرشته می‏گریخت
بهر نانی چند آب چشم ریخت‏
The angels were fleeing from him as from a devil: how many tears did he shed for the sake of a single loaf!
گر چه یک مو بد گنه کاو جسته بود
لیک آن مو در دو دیده رسته بود
Although the sin which he had compassed was (but) a hair, yet that hair had grown in his eyes.
بود آدم دیده‏ی نور قدیم
موی در دیده بود کوه عظیم‏
Adam was the eye of the Eternal Light: a hair in the eye is a great mountain.
گر در آن آدم بکردی مشورت
در پشیمانی نگفتی معذرت‏
If Adam had taken counsel in that (matter), he would not have uttered excuses in penitence,
ز آن که با عقلی چو عقلی جفت شد
مانع بد فعلی و بد گفت شد
Because when one intellect is joined with another intellect, it prevents evil action and evil speech; 
نفس با نفس دگر چون یار شد
عقل جزوی عاطل و بی‏کار شد
(But) when the fleshly soul is associated with another fleshly soul, the partial (individual) intellect becomes idle and useless.
چون ز تنهایی تو نومیدی شوی
زیر سایه‏ی یار خورشیدی شوی‏
When because of loneliness you fall into despair, you become (bright as) a sun (if you go) under the shadow (protection) of the friend.
رو بجو یار خدایی را تو زود
چون چنان کردی خدا یار تو بود
Go, seek at once the friend of God: when you have done so, God is your friend.
آن که در خلوت نظر بر دوخته ست
آخر آن را هم ز یار آموخته ست‏
He who has fixed his gaze upon seclusion (and made it his object), after all ’tis from the friend (of God) that he has learned that (lesson).
خلوت از اغیار باید نه ز یار
پوستین بهر دی آمد نه بهار
One must seclude one’s self from strangers, (but) not from the friend: the fur-coat is for winter, not for spring.
عقل با عقل دگر دو تا شود
نور افزون گشت و ره پیدا شود
(If) the intellect is paired with another intellect, light increases and the way becomes plain;
نفس با نفس دگر خندان شود
ظلمت افزون گشت و ره پنهان شود
(But if) the fleshly soul makes merry with another fleshly soul, darkness increases, the way becomes hidden.
یار چشم تست ای مرد شکار
از خس و خاشاک او را پاک دار
The friend is thine eye, O huntsman: keep him pure from (unsoiled by) sticks and straws.
هین به جاروب زبان گردی مکن
چشم را از خس ره آوردی مکن‏
Beware! Do not make a dust with thy tongue’s broom, do not make a present of rubbish to thine eye.
چون که مومن آینه‏ی مومن بود
روی او ز آلودگی ایمن بود
Since the true believer is a mirror for the true believer, his face is safe from defilement.
یار آیینه ست جان را در حزن
در رخ آیینه‏ای جان دم مزن‏
The friend is a mirror for the soul in sorrow: breathe not on the face of the mirror, O my soul!
تا نپوشد روی خود را در دمت
دم فرو خوردن بباید هر دمت‏
Lest it cover its face to (conceal itself from) thee at once, thou must swallow (suppress) thy breath at every moment.
کم ز خاکی چون که خاکی یار یافت
از بهاری صد هزار انوار یافت‏
Art thou less than earth? When a plot of earth finds a friend, that is, a springtide, it finds (gains) a hundred thousand flowers.
آن درختی کاو شود با یار جفت
از هوای خوش ز سر تا پا شکفت‏
The tree that is united with a friend, that is, the sweet air (of spring), blossoms from head to foot;
در خزان چون دید او یار خلاف
در کشید او رو و سر زیر لحاف‏
In autumn, when it sees (meets with) a repugnant companion, it withdraws its face and head under the coverlet.
گفت یار بد بلا آشفتن است
چون که او آمد طریقم خفتن است‏
And says, “A bad comrade is (the means of) stirring up trouble: since he has come, my (best) course is to sleep.
پس بخسبم باشم از اصحاب کهف
به ز دقیانوس باشد خواب کهف‏
Therefore I will sleep, I will be (like) one of the Men of the Cave (the Seven Sleepers): that prisoner of woe (that sorely distressed one) is better than Decianus.”
یقظه شان مصروف دقیانوس بود
خوابشان سرمایه‏ی ناموس بود
Their time of waking was expended by (was at the disposal of) Decianus; their sleep was the capital (fundamental source) of their renown.
خواب بیداری ست چون با دانش است
وای بیداری که با نادان نشست‏
Sleep, when it is accompanied by wisdom, is (spiritual) wakefulness; (but) alas for the man awake who consorts with the ignorant!
چون که زاغان خیمه بر بهمن زدند
بلبلان پنهان شدند و تن زدند
When the crows pitch their tents on Bahman (January), the nightingales hide themselves and are mute,
ز آنکه بی‏گل‏زار بلبل خامش است
غیبت خورشید بیداری کش است‏
Because the nightingale is silent without the rose-garden: the absence of the sun kills (the nightingale’s) wakefulness. 
آفتابا ترک این گلشن کنی
تا که تحت الارض را روشن کنی‏
O sun, thou takest leave of this rose-garden (the earth) in order to illumine (the region) below the earth;
آفتاب معرفت را نقل نیست
مشرق او غیر جان و عقل نیست‏
(But) the Sun of Divine knowledge has no motion: its place of rising is naught but the spirit and the intellect;
خاصه خورشید کمالی کان سری ست
روز و شب کردار او روشنگری ست‏
Especially the perfect Sun which is of yonder (world of Reality): day and night its action is (giving) illumination.
مطلع شمس آی گر اسکندری
بعد از آن هر جا روی نیکوفری‏
If thou art an Alexander, come to the Sun’s rising-place: after that, wheresoever thou goest, thou art possessed of goodly splendour.
بعد از آن هر جا روی مشرق شود
شرقها بر مغربت عاشق شود
After that, wheresoever thou goest, ’twill become the place of sunrise: (all) the places of sunrise will be in love with thy place of sunset.
حس خفاشت سوی مغرب دوان
حس در پاشت سوی مشرق روان‏
Thy bat-like senses are running towards the sunset; thy pearl-scattering senses are faring towards the sunrise.
راه حس راه خران است ای سوار
ای خران را تو مزاحم شرم دار
The way of (physical) sense-perception is the way of asses, O rider: have shame, O thou that art jostling (vying) with asses! 
پنج حسی هست جز این پنج حس
آن چو زر سرخ و این حسها چو مس‏
Besides these five (physical) senses there are five (spiritual) senses: those (latter) are like red gold, while these (physical) senses are like copper.
اندر آن بازار کایشان ماهرند
حس مس را چون حس زر کی خرند
In the bazaar where the people of the Last Congregation (on the Day of Judgment) are (purchasers), how should they buy the copper sense like (as though it were) the sense of gold?
حس ابدان قوت ظلمت می‏خورد
حس جان از آفتابی می‏چرد
The bodily sense is eating the food of darkness; the spiritual sense is feeding from a Sun.
ای ببرده رخت حسها سوی غیب
دست چون موسی برون آور ز جیب‏
O thou that hast borne the baggage of thy senses to the Unseen, put forth thy hand, like Moses, from thy bosom.
ای صفاتت آفتاب معرفت
و آفتاب چرخ بند یک صفت‏
O thou whose attributes are (those of) the Sun of Divine knowledge, while the sun in heaven is confined to a single attribute,
گاه خورشید و گهی دریا شوی
گاه کوه قاف و گه عنقا شوی‏
Now thou becomest the Sun, and now the Sea; now the mountain of Qáf, and now the ‘Anqá.
تو نه این باشی نه آن در ذات خویش
ای فزون از وهمها و ز بیش بیش‏
In thine essence thou art neither this nor that, O thou that art greater than (all) imaginations and more than (all) more! 
روح با علم است و با عقل است یار
روح را با تازی و ترکی چه کار
The Spirit is associated (endued) with knowledge and reason: what has the Spirit to do with Arabic and Turkish?
از تو ای بی‏نقش با چندین صور
هم مشبه هم موحد خیره‏سر
Both the muwahhid (who asserts the transcendence of God) and the mushabbih (who asserts His immanence) are bewildered by thee, O thou who, being without image (external appearance), art (appearing) in so many forms.
گه مشبه را موحد می‏کند
گه موحد را صور ره می‏زند
Sometimes He causes the mushabbih (who regards the forms in which God is immanent) to become a muwahhid (who regards God under the aspect of pure transcendance); sometimes (these) forms are waylaying the muwahhid (so that he cannot gain access to God who transcends all forms).
گه ترا گوید ز مستی بو الحسن
یا صغیر السن یا رطب البدن‏
Sometimes Abu ’l-Hasan in drunkenness (ecstasy) says to thee, “O thou whose teeth are small (whose years are few), O thou whose body is tender!”
گاه نقش خویش ویران می‏کند
از پی تنزیه جانان می‏کند
Sometimes he is laying waste (ruining and defacing) his own image: he is doing that in order to assert the transcendence of the Beloved (God).
چشم حس را هست مذهب اعتزال
دیده‏ی عقل است سنی در وصال‏
The doctrine held by the eye of sense is Mu‘tazilism, whereas the eye of Reason is Sunnite (orthodox) in respect of (its) union (vision of God).
سخره‏ی حس‏اند اهل اعتزال
خویش را سنی نمایند از ضلال‏
Those in thrall to sense-perception are Mu‘tazilites, (though) from misguidedness they represent themselves as Sunnites.
هر که در حس ماند او معتزلی ست
گر چه گوید سنیم از جاهلی ست‏
Any one who remains in (bondage to) sense-perception is a Mu‘tazilite; though he may say he is a Sunnite, ’tis from ignorance.
هر که بیرون شد ز حس سنی وی است
اهل بینش چشم عقل خوش پی است‏
Any one who has escaped from (the bondage of) sense-perception is a Sunnite: the man endowed with (spiritual) vision is the eye of sweet-paced (harmonious) Reason.
گر بدیدی حس حیوان شاه را
پس بدیدی گاو و خر الله را
If the animal sense could see the King (God), then the ox and the ass would behold Allah.
گر نبودی حس دیگر مر ترا
جز حس حیوان ز بیرون هوا
If, besides the animal sense, thou hadst not another sense outside of (unconditioned by) the desire of the flesh,
پس بنی آدم مکرم کی بدی
کی به حس مشترک محرم شدی‏
Then how should the sons of Adam have been honoured? How by means of the common sense should they have become privileged (to know these mysteries)?
نامصور یا مصور گفتنت
باطل آمد بی‏ز صورت رستنت‏
Your calling (God) “formless” (transcending forms) or “formed” (immanent in forms) is vain, without your departure from form (unless you yourself are freed from sense perception).
نامصور یا مصور پیش اوست
کاو همه مغز است و بیرون شد ز پوست‏
(Whether God is) “formless” or “formed,” He is with him that is all kernel and has gone forth from the husk.
گر تو کوری نیست بر اعمی حرج
ور نه رو کالصبر مفتاح الفرج‏
If you are blind, ’tis no crime in the blind; (but) if not, go (persevere in purifying yourself), for patience is the key to success.
پرده‏های دیده را داروی صبر
هم بسوزد هم بسازد شرح صدر
The medicine of patience will burn the veils over your eye and will also effect the opening of your breast (to Divine knowledge).
آینه‏ی دل چون شود صافی و پاک
نقشها بینی برون از آب و خاک‏
When the mirror of your heart becomes clear and pure, you will behold images (which are) outside of (the world of) water and earth.
هم ببینی نقش و هم نقاش را
فرش دولت را و هم فراش را
You will behold both the image and the image-Maker, both the carpet of (spiritual) empire and the carpet-Spreader.
چون خلیل آمد خیال یار من
صورتش بت معنی او بت شکن‏
The phantom (seen in mystical vision) of my Friend seemed (to me) like Khalíl (Abraham) its form an idol, its reality a breaker of idols.
شکر یزدان را که چون شد او پدید
در خیالش جان خیال خود بدید
Thanks be to God that when he appeared, my spirit beheld in his phantom its own phantom (reflected image). 
خاک درگاهت دلم را می‏فریفت
خاک بر وی کاو ز خاکت می‏شکیفت‏
The dust of thy threshold was bewitching my heart: dust (woe) on him that was patient without thy dust!
گفتم ار خوبم پذیرم این از او
ور نه خود خندید بر من زشت رو
I said, “If I am beautiful, I shall receive this (dust of Divine grace and love) from him; and if not, he has indeed laughed at ugly me.
چاره آن باشد که خود را بنگرم
ور نه او خندد مرا من کی خرم‏
The (best) plan is this, that I look at myself (to see whether I am worthy of him); otherwise (if I am not worthy), he will laugh at me (and say), “How should I buy (desire thee)?”
او جمیل است و محب للجمال
کی جوان نو گزیند پیر زال‏
He is beautiful and a lover of beauty: how should a fresh young man choose a decrepit old woman?
خوب خوبی را کند جذب این بدان
طیبات و طیبین بر وی بخوان‏
The Beautiful attracts the beautiful (to itself): know this (for sure). Recite thereon (the text) the good women for the good men.
در جهان هر چیز چیزی جذب کرد
گرم گرمی را کشید و سرد سرد
In this world everything attracts something: the hot draws the hot (to itself) and the cold the cold.
قسم باطل باطلان را می‏کشند
باقیان از باقیان هم سر خوشند
The worthless sort attract the worthless; the lasting (those of lasting worth) are rejoiced by the lasting. 
ناریان مر ناریان را جاذب‏اند
نوریان مر نوریان را طالب‏اند
Those of the Fire attract those of the Fire, those of the Light seek those of the Light.
چشم چون بستی ترا تاسه گرفت
نور چشم از نور روزن کی شکفت‏
When you shut your eye, you have a feeling of anguish: the eye cannot do without the light of the window.
تاسه‏ی تو جذب نور چشم بود
تا بپیوندد به نور روز زود
Your discomfort was (caused by) the light in your eye straining to be joined speedily with the daylight.
چشم باز ار تاسه گیرد مر ترا
دان که چشم دل ببستی بر گشا
If you feel distress (within) while your eyes are unclosed, know that you have shut the eye of your heart, (and) open it.
آن تقاضای دو چشم دل شناس
کاو همی‏جوید ضیای بی‏قیاس‏
Recognise that that (distress) is the craving of the eyes of your heart which is seeking the immeasurable Light.
چون فراق آن دو نور بی‏ثبات
تاسه آوردت گشادی چشمهات‏
Inasmuch as the separation of those two impermanent lights (from each other) brought you discomfort, (so that) you opened your eyes,
پس فراق آن دو نور پایدار
تاسه می‏آرد مر آن را پاس دار
The separation, then, of those two everlasting lights will bring you discomfort: guard them (well)! 
او چو می‏خواند مرا من بنگرم
لایق جذب‏ام و یا بد پیکرم‏
Since He is calling me, I will look to see whether I am worthy to be drawn (to Him) or whether I am ill-favoured.
گر لطیفی زشت را در پی کند
تسخری باشد که او بر وی کند
If a charming person makes an ugly one (follow) at his heels, ’tis (but) a mockery that he makes of him.
کی ببینم روی خود را ای عجب
تا چه رنگم همچو روزم یا چو شب‏
How, I wonder, shall I behold my own face, so as to see what complexion I have and whether I am like day or like night?
نقش جان خویش می‏جستم بسی
هیچ می‏ننمود نقشم از کسی‏
For a long while I was seeking the image of my soul, (but) my image was not displayed (reflected) by any one.
گفتم آخر آینه از بهر چیست
تا بداند هر کسی کاو چیست و کیست‏
“After all,” I said, “what is a mirror for? (The use of it is this), that every one may know what and who he is.”
آینه‏ی آهن برای پوستهاست
آینه‏ی سیمای جان سنگین بهاست‏
The mirror of iron is (only) for husks (external forms); the mirror that shows the aspect of the heart is of great price.
آینه‏ی جان نیست الا روی یار
روی آن یاری که باشد ز آن دیار
The soul’s mirror is naught but the face of the friend, the face of that friend who is of yonder country (the spiritual land). 
گفتم ای دل آینه‏ی کلی بجو
رو به دریا کار برناید به جو
I said, “O heart, seek the Universal Mirror, go to the Sea: the business will not succeed (be successfully accomplished) by means of the river.”
زین طلب بنده به کوی تو رسید
درد مریم را به خرما بن کشید
In this quest thy slave (at last) arrived at thy dwelling-place, (as) the pains (of childbirth) drew Mary to the palm-tree.
دیده‏ی تو چون دلم را دیده شد
این دل نادیده غرق دیده شد
When thine eye became an eye for my heart, my blind heart went and became drowned in vision.
آینه‏ی کلی ترا دیدم ابد
دیدم اندر چشم تو من نقش خود
I saw that thou art the Universal Mirror unto everlasting: I saw my own image in thine eye.
گفتم آخر خویش را من یافتم
در دو چشمش راه روشن یافتم‏
I said, “At last I have found myself: in his eyes I have found the shining Way.”
گفت وهمم کان خیال تست هان
ذات خود را از خیال خود بدان‏
My false instinct said, “Beware! That (image) is (only) thy phantom: distinguish thy essence from thy phantom”;
نقش من از چشم تو آواز داد
که منم تو تو منی در اتحاد
(But) my image gave voice (spoke) from thine eye (and said), “I am thou and thou art I in (perfect) oneness; 
کاندر این چشم منیر بی‏زوال
از حقایق راه کی یابد خیال‏
For how should a phantom find the way into this illumined and changeless eye belonging to the (Divine) realities?”
در دو چشم غیر من تو نقش خود
گر ببینی آن خیالی دان و رد
(Thou saidst), “If you behold your image in the eyes of any other than me, know that ’tis a phantom and reprobate,
ز آن که سرمه‏ی نیستی در می‏کشد
باده از تصویر شیطان می‏چشد
Because he (every one except me) is applying (to his eye) the collyrium of nonexistence (unreality) and is imbibing the wine of Satan’s illusion-making.
چشمشان خانه‏ی خیال است و عدم
نیستها را هست بیند لاجرم‏
Their eye is the home of phantasy and non-existence: necessarily it sees as existent the things which are non-existent;
چشم من چون سرمه دید از ذو الجلال
خانه‏ی هستی است نه خانه‏ی خیال‏
(But) since my eye saw (got) collyrium from the Glorious (God), it is the home of (real) existence, not the home of phantasy.”
تا یکی مو باشد از تو پیش چشم
در خیالت گوهری باشد چو یشم‏
So long as a single hair of you is before your eye, in your phantasy a pearl will be as jasper.
یشم را آن گه شناسی از گهر
کز خیال خود کنی کلی عبر
You will know jasper from pearls (only) at the time when you pass away from (abandon) your phantasy entirely.
یک حکایت بشنو ای گوهر شناس
تا بدانی تو عیان را از قیاس‏
O connoisseur of pearls, listen to a story, that you may distinguish actual seeing from (mere) inference.

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