Time is Sword
بخش 18 - الوقت سیف
Toggle stanza 1سبز بادا خاک پاک شافعی
سبز بادا خاک پاک شافعی
عالمی سر خوش ز تاک شافعی
Green be the pure grave of Sháfi‘í, Whose vine hath cheered a whole world!
فکر او کوکب ز گردون چیده است
سیف بران وقت را نامیده است
His thought plucked a star from heaven: He named Time " a cutting sword."
من چه گویم سر این شمشیر چیست
آب او سرمایه دار از زندگیست
How shall I say what is the secret of this sword? All its brilliance is derived from Life.
صاحبش بالاتر از امید و بیم
دست او بیضا تر از دست کلیم
Its owner is exalted above hope and fear, His hand is whiter than the hand of Moses.
سنگ از یک ضربت او تر شود
بحر از محرومی نم بر شود
At one stroke thereof water gushes from the rock And the sea becomes land from dearth of moisture.
در کف موسی همین شمشیر بود
کار او بالاتر از تدبیر بود
Moses held this sword in his hand, Therefore he wrought more than man may contrive.
سینه ی دریای احمر چاک کرد
قلزمی را خشک مثل خاک کرد
He clove the Red Sea asunder And made its waters like dry earth.
پنجه ی حیدر که خیبر گیر بود
قوت او از همین شمشیر بود
The arm of Ali, the conqueror of Khaibar, Drew its strength from this same sword.
گردش گردون گردان دیدنی است
انقلاب روز و شب فهمیدنی است
The revolution of the sky is visible, The change of day and night is perceived.
ای اسیر دوش و فردا در نگر
در دل خود عالم دیگر نگر
Look, O thou enthralled by Yesterday and To-morrow, Behold another world in thine own heart!
در گل خود تخم ظلمت کاشتی
وقت را مثل خطی پنداشتی
Thou hast sown the seed of darkness in thy clay, Thou hast imagined Time as a line.
باز با پیمانه ی لیل و نهار
فکر تو پیمود طول روزگار
Thy thought measures length of Time With the measure of night and day.
ساختی این رشته را زنار دوش
گشته ئی مثل بتان باطل فروش
Thou mak’st this line a girdle on thine infidel waist; Thou art an advertiser of falsehood, like idols.
کیمیا بودی و مشت گل شدی
سر حق زائیدی و باطل شدی
Thou wert the Elixir, and thou hast become a peck of dust; Thou wert born the conscience of Truth, and thou hast become a lie!
مسلمی؟ آزاد این زنار باش
شمع بزم ملت احرار باش
Art thou a Moslem? Then cast off this girdle! Be a candle to the feast of the religion of the free!
تو که از اصل زمان آگه نه ئی
از حیات جاودان آگه نه ئی
Knowing not the origin of Time, Thou art ignorant of everlasting Life.
تا کجا در روز و شب باشی اسیر
رمز وقت از «لی مع الله» یاد گیر
How long wilt thou be a thrall of night and day? Learn the mystery of Time from the words "I have a time with God."
این و آن پیداست از رفتار وقت
زندگی سریست از اسرار وقت
Phenomena arise from the march of Time, Life is a part of the contents of Time's consciousness.
اصل وقت از گردش خورشید نیست
وقت جاوید است و خور جاوید نیست
The cause of Time is not the revolution of the sun: Time is everlasting, but the sun does not last for ever.
عیش و غم عاشور و هم عید است وقت
سر تاب ماه و خورشید است وقت
Time is joy and sorrow, festival and fast; Time is the secret of moonlight and sunlight.
وقت را مثل مکان گسترده ئی
امتیاز دوش و فردا کرده ئی
Thou hast extended Time, like Space, And distinguished Yesterday from To-morrow.
ای چو بو رم کرده از بستان خویش
ساختی از دست خود زندان خویش
Thou hast fled, like a scent, from thine own garden; Thou hast made thy prison with thine own hand.
وقت ما کو اول و آخر ندید
از خیابان ضمیر ما دمید
Our Time, which has neither beginning nor end, Blossoms from the flower-bed of our mind.
زنده از عرفان اصلش زنده تر
هستی او از سحر تابنده تر
To know its root quickens the living with new life: Its being is more splendid than the dawn.
زندگی از دهر و دهر از زندگی است
«لاتسبوالدهر» فرمان نبی است
Life is of Time, and Time is of Life: "Do not abuse Time!" was the command of the Prophet.
Toggle stanza 2نکته ای می گویمت روشن چو در
نکته ای می گویمت روشن چو در
تا شناسی امتیاز عبد و حر
Now I will tell you a point of wisdom as brilliant as a pearl, That you should realize the difference between a slave and a free man!
Translation: Tariq
عبد گردد یاوه در لیل و نهار
در دل حر یاوه گردد روزگار
A slave is lost in the magic of days and nights, But Time, with all its expansion, is lost in the heart of a free man!
Translation: Tariq
عبد از ایام می باند کفن
روز و شب را می تند بر خویشتن
A slave weaves the shroud for himself by his times, And covers himself with the sheet of days and nights!
Translation: Tariq
مرد حر خود را ز گل بر می کند
خویش را بر روزگاران می تند
But a free man keeps himself above the earth And attacks the world with all his might!
Translation: Tariq
عبد چون طایر بدام صبح و شام
لذت پرواز بر جانش حرام
A slave is caught in the snare of days and nights like a bird, And the pleasure of flight is forbidden to his soul!
Translation: Tariq
سینه ی آزاده ی چابک نفس
طایر ایام را گردد قفس
But the quick-breathing breast of a free man Becomes a cage for the Bird of Time!
Translation: Tariq
عبد را تحصیل حاصل فطرت است
واردات جان او بی ندرت است
To a slave, Nature is a meaningless word, And there is nothing rare in the impressions of his soul!
Translation: Tariq
از گران خیزی مقام او همان
ناله های صبح و شام او همان
Owing to his heaviness and laziness his abode is always the same, And the cries of his morn and eve are always the same!
Translation: Tariq
دمبدم نو آفرینی کار حر
نغمه پیهم تازه ریزد تار حر
But the attempt of a free man creates new things every moment And his string continuously produces new tunes!
Translation: Tariq
فطرتش زحمت کش تکرار نیست
جاده ی او حلقه ی پرگار نیست
His nature is not obliged to any sort of repetition, Because his path is not like the circle caused by compasses!
Translation: Tariq
عبد را ایام زنجیر است و بس
بر لب او حرف تقدیر است و بس
To a slave Time is but a chain, And he always complains against the fate!
Translation: Tariq
همت حر با قضا گردد مشیر
حادثات از دست او صورت پذیر
But the courage of a free man gives instructions to his fate And the great revolutions of the world are caused by his powerful hand!
Translation: Tariq
رفته و آینده در موجود او
دیرها آسوده اندر زود او
The past the future are dissolved in his preset And all the delayed plans are observed by his quick action!
Translation: Tariq
آمد از صوت و صدا پاک این سخن
در نمی آید به ادراک این سخن
These words of mine are beyond sound, beyond discussion, For their meaning can’t be understood easily!
Translation: Tariq
گفتم و حرفم ز معنی شرمسار
شکوه ی معنی که با حرفم چه کار
Although I have expressed my views about Time yet my shallow words are ashamed of the meaning;— And the meaning itself has a complaint: “What have I to do with the words?”
Translation: Tariq
زنده معنی چون به حرف آمد بمرد
از نفس های تو نار او فسرد
In fact, a living meaning when expressed in words, dies out; Your very breaths extinguish its fire!
Translation: Tariq
نکته ی غیب و حضور اندر دل است
رمز ایام و مرور اندر دل است
Nevertheless, the point of Absence and Presence is in the depth of our heart; The mystery of Time and its motion is in the depth of our heart!
Translation: Tariq
نغمه ی خاموش دارد ساز وقت
غوطه در دل زن که بینی راز وقت
The musical instrument of Time has its own silent tunes: Oh, dive deep into your heart that you may realize the secret of Time!
Translation: Tariq
Toggle stanza 3یاد ایامی که سیف روزگار
یاد ایامی که سیف روزگار
با توانا دستی ما بود یار
Oh, the memory of those days when Timeʹs sword Was allied with the strength of our hands!
تخم دین در کشت دلها کاشتیم
پرده از رخسار حق برداشتیم
We sowed the seed of religion in men's hearts And unveiled the face of Truth.
ناخن ما عقده ی دنیا گشاد
بخت این خاک از سجود ما گشاد
Our nails tore loose the knot of this world, Our bowing in prayer gave blessings to the earth.
از خم حق باده ی گلگون زدیم
بر کهن میخانه ها شبخون زدیم
From the jar of Truth we made rosy wine gush forth, We charged against the ancient taverns.
ای می دیرینه در مینای تو
شیشه آب از گرمی صهبای تو
O thou in whose cup is old wine, A wine so hot that the glass is well-nigh turned to water.
از غرور و نخوت و کبر و منی
طعنه بر ناداری ما میزنی
Wilt thou in thy pride and arrogance and self-conceit Taunt us with our emptiness?
جام ما هم زیب محفل بوده است
سینه ی ما صاحب دل بوده است
Our cup, too, hath graced the symposium; Our breast hath owned a spirit.
عصر نو از جلوه ها آراسته
از غبار پای ما برخاسته
A new age hath been endued with our beauty And hath risen from the dust of our feet.
کشت حق سیراب گشت از خون ما
حق پرستان جهان ممنون ما
Our blood hath watered God's harvest, All worshippers of God are our debtors.
عالم از ما صاحب تکبیر شد
از گل ما کعبه ها تعمیر شد
The takbír was our gift to the world Ka‘bas were built of our clay.
حرف اقرأ حق بما تعلیم کرد
رزق خویش از دست ما تقسیم کرد
By means of us God taught the Koran, From our hand He dispensed His bounty.
گرچه رفت از دست ما تاج و نگین
ما گدایان را بچشم کم مبین
Although crown and signet have passed from us, Do not look with contempt on our beggarliness!
در نگاه تو زیان کاریم ما
کهنه پنداریم ما ، خواریم ما
In thine eyes we are good for nothing, Thinking old thoughts, despicable.
اعتبار از لااله داریم ما
هر دو عالم را نگه داریم ما
We have honour from "There is no god but Allah," We are the preservers of the universe.
از غم امروز و فردا رسته ایم
با کسی عهد محبت بسته ایم
Freed from the vexation of to-day and to-morrow, We have pledged ourselves to love One.
در دل حق سر مکنونیم ما
وارث موسی و هارونیم ما
We are the conscience hidden in God's heart, We are the heirs of Moses and Aaron.
مهر و مه روشن ز تاب ما هنوز
برقها دارد سحاب ما هنوز
Sun and moon are still bright with our radiance, Lightning-flashes still lurk in our cloud.
ذات ما آئینهٔ ذات حق است
هستی مسلم ز آیات حق است
Our essence is the mirror of the Divine essence: The Moslem's being is one of the signs of God.
Sources
Persian text source: Ganjoor