The story of the old harper

The story of the old harper who in the time of ‘Umar, may God be well-pleased with him, on a day when he was starving played the harp for God’s sake in the graveyard داستان پیر چنگی در عهد عمر رضی الله

آن شنیده ستی که در عهد عمر
بود چنگی مطربی با کر و فر
Hast thou heard that in the time of ‘Umar there was a harper, a fine and glorious minstrel?
بلبل از آواز او بی‌‌خود شدی
یک طرب ز آواز خوبش صد شدی‌‌
The nightingale would be made beside herself by his voice: by his beautiful voice one rapture would be turned into a hundred.
مجلس و مجمع دمش آراستی
وز نوای او قیامت خاستی‌‌
His breath was an ornament to assembly and congregation, and at his song the dead would arise. 
همچو اسرافیل کاوازش به فن
مردگان را جان در آرد در بدن‌‌
(He was) like Isráfíl (Seraphiel), whose voice will cunningly bring the souls of the dead into their bodies,
یا رسیلی بود اسرافیل را
کز سماعش پر برستی فیل را
Or he was (like) an accompanist to Isráfíl, for his music would make the elephant grow wings.
سازد اسرافیل روزی ناله را
جان دهد پوسیده‌‌ی صد ساله را
One day Isráfíl will make a shrill sound and will give life to him that has been rotten for a hundred years.
انبیا را در درون هم نغمه‌‌هاست
طالبان را ز آن حیات بی‌‌بهاست‌‌
The prophets also have (spiritual) notes within, whence there comes life beyond price to them that seek (God).
نشنود آن نغمه‌‌ها را گوش حس
کز ستمها گوش حس باشد نجس‌‌
The sensual ear does not hear those notes, for the sensual ear is defiled by iniquities.
نشنود نغمه‌‌ی پری را آدمی
کاو بود ز اسرار پریان اعجمی‌‌
The note of the peri is not heard by man, for he is unable to apprehend the mysteries of the peris, 
گر چه هم نغمه‌‌ی پری زین عالم است
نغمه‌‌ی دل برتر از هر دو دم است‌‌
Although the note of the peri too belongs to this world. The note of the heart is higher than both breaths (notes),
که پری و آدمی زندانی‌‌اند
هر دو در زندان این نادانی‌‌اند
For peri and man (alike) are prisoners: both are (captive) in the prison of this ignorance.
معشر الجن سوره‌‌ی رحمان بخوان
تستطیعوا تنفذوا را باز دان‌‌
Recite O community of Jinn (and men) in the Súratu l’-Rahmán; recognise (the meaning of) if ye be able to pass forth.
نغمه‌‌های اندرون اولیا
اولا گوید که ای اجزای لا
The inward notes of the saints say, at first, “O ye particles of lá (not = not-being),
هین ز لای نفی سرها بر زنید
این خیال و وهم یک سو افکنید
Take heed, lift up your heads from the lá of negation, cast aside this fancy and vain imagining.
ای همه پوسیده در کون و فساد
جان باقیتان نرویید و نزاد
O ye who all are rotten in (the world of) generation and corruption, your everlasting soul neither grew nor came to birth.”
گر بگویم شمه‌‌ای ز آن نغمه‌‌ها
جانها سر بر زنند از دخمه‌‌ها
If I tell (even) a tittle of those (saintly) notes, the souls will lift up their heads from the tombs.
گوش را نزدیک کن کان دور نیست
لیک نقل آن به تو دستور نیست‌‌
Put thine ear close, for that (melody) is not far off, but ’tis not permitted to convey it to thee.
هین که اسرافیل وقت‌‌اند اولیا
مرده را ز یشان حیات است و حیا
Hark! for the saints are the Isráfíls of the (present) time: from them to the dead comes life and freshness.
جان هر یک مرده‌‌ای از گور تن
بر جهد ز آوازشان اندر کفن‌‌
At their voice the soul of every dead one starts up from the body’s grave in their winding sheets.
گوید این آواز ز آوازها جداست
زنده کردن کار آواز خداست‌‌
He (that is thus awakened) says, “This voice is separate from (all other) voices: to quicken (the dead) is the work of the voice of God.
ما بمردیم و بکلی کاستیم
بانگ حق آمد همه برخاستیم‌‌
We (had) died and were entirely decayed: the call of God came: we all arose.”
بانگ حق اندر حجاب و بی‌‌حجاب
آن دهد کو داد مریم را ز جیب‌‌
The call of God, (whether it be) veiled or unveiled, bestows that which He bestowed on Mary from His bosom.
ای فناتان نیست کرده زیر پوست
باز گردید از عدم ز آواز دوست‌‌
O ye whom death (in your hearts) hath made naught underneath the skin, return from non-existence at the voice of the Friend!
مطلق آن آواز خود از شه بود
گر چه از حلقوم عبد الله بود
Absolutely, indeed, that voice is from the King (God), though it be from the larynx of God’s servant.
گفته او را من زبان و چشم تو
من حواس و من رضا و خشم تو
He (God) has said to him (the saint), “I am thy tongue and eye; I am thy senses and I am thy good pleasure and thy wrath.
رو که بی‌‌یسمع و بی‌‌یبصر تویی
سر تویی چه جای صاحب سر تویی‌‌
Go, for thou art (he of whom God saith), ‘By Me he hears and by Me he sees’: thou art the (Divine) consciousness (itself): what is the occasion (propriety) of (saying), ‘Thou art the possessor of the (Divine) consciousness’?
چون شدی من کان لله از وله
من ترا باشم که کان الله له‌‌
Since thou hast become, through bewilderment, ‘He that belongs to God,’ I am thine, for ‘God shall belong to him.’
گه تویی گویم ترا گاهی منم
هر چه گویم آفتاب روشنم‌‌
Sometimes I say to thee, ‘’Tis thou,’ sometimes, ‘’Tis I’: whatever I say, I am the Sun illuminating (all).
هر کجا تابم ز مشکات دمی
حل شد آن جا مشکلات عالمی‌‌
Wheresoever I shine forth from the lamp-niche of a breath (Divine word), there the difficulties of a (whole) world are resolved.
ظلمتی را کافتابش بر نداشت
از دم ما گردد آن ظلمت چو چاشت‌‌
The darkness which the (earthly) sun did not remove, through My breath that darkness becomes like bright morning.”
آدمی را او به خویش اسما نمود
دیگران را ز آدم اسما می‌‌گشود
To an Adam He in His own person showed the (Divine) Names; to the rest He was revealing the Names by means of Adam.
خواه ز آدم گیر نورش خواه از او
خواه از خم گیر می‌‌خواه از کدو
Do thou receive His light either from Adam or from Himself: take the wine either from the jar or from the gourd (cup),
کاین کدو با خنب پیوسته ست سخت
نی چو تو شاد آن کدوی نیک بخت‌‌
For this gourd is very closely connected with the jar: the blessed gourd is not rejoiced (by the same causes) as thou art.
گفت طوبی من رآنی مصطفا
و الذی یبصر لمن وجهی رأی‌‌
Mustafá (Mohammed) said, “Happy he that has seen me and he that looks at him that saw my face.”
چون چراغی نور شمعی را کشید
هر که دید آن را یقین آن شمع دید
When a lamp has derived (its) light from a candle, every one that sees it (the lamp) certainly sees the candle.
همچنین تا صد چراغ ار نقل شد
دیدن آخر لقای اصل شد
If transmission (of the light) occurs in this way till a hundred lamps (are lighted), the seeing of the last (lamp) becomes a meeting with the original (light).
خواه از نور پسین بستان تو آن
هیچ فرقی نیست خواه از شمع‌‌دان‌‌
Either take it from the hindmost light—there is no difference—or from the candle of the Spirit.
خواه بین نور از چراغ آخرین
خواه بین نورش ز شمع غابرین‌‌
Either behold the light (of God) from the lamp of the last (saints), or behold His light from the candle of those who have gone before.

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