Prof Dr. Erkan Türkmen
If your clayish body is filthy and dark
Polish it for it can be polished
Until you turn the unseen into be seen
And watch the nymph and angels there
As a piece of iron is polished and cleaned
And begins to show faces there in.
(M IV / 2473-2474-2474)
19- God created the visible things from the invisible:
هیچ نقاشی نگارد زین نقش بی امید نفع بهر عین نقش
بلک بهر میهمانان و کهان که بفرجه وا رهند از اند هان
هیچ خطاطی نویسد خط بفن بهر عین خط نه بهر خواندن
نقش ظاهر بهر نقش غایبشت و آن برای غا یب دیگر ببست
اول از بهر دوم باشد چنان که شدن بر پایهای نردبان
و آن دوم بهر سوم می دان تمام تا رسی تو پایه پایه تا ببام
Does a painter paint charming picture,
Hoping for no benefits but just for drawing sake?
No, he paints for the young or for the guests
To free them for a while from the worldly frets
Does a calligrapher write a letter only for fun?
No, he does it for reading and not just for fun
The visible form is for the invisible one
Which takes shape for another invisible one
The first one is there because of the second one
And thus they form the steps of the ladder
The second one is for the third one
So you may climb to the top one by one.
(M IV / 2881-2882-2886-2887-2892-2893)
20- Stages of man:
آمده اول باقلیم جماد وز جمادی در نباتی افتار
سالها اندر نباتی عمرکرد وز جمادی یاد نآورد ا ز نبرد
و زنباتی چون بحیوانی فتاد نآمدش حال نباتی هیچ یاد
باز از حیوان سوی انسانیش می کشید آن خالقی که دانیش
He (man) came first to the world of inorganic state
From there he fell to the world of vegetable state
Where he lived for many years
Not remembering the previous struggling state
When he fell from the vegetable state to the animal one
He forget again his previous state
Then the Creator, whom you know well
Lead man to humanity from the animal state.
(M IV / 3637-3638-3646)
Masnevi V
1- The infidels are captive of pictures and shapes:
دختران را لعبت مرده دهند که زلعب زندگان بی آگاه اند
کافران قانع بنقش انبیا که نگارنده ست اندر دیرها
Young girls play with dolls that are dead
Because they don’t know the real game before they wed
Infidels are happy with prophets’ pictures and profiles
Painted on the walls of the temples and the tiles.
(M V / 3597-3599)
2- Kill these four birds:
سر ببر این چار مرغ زنده را سرمدی کن خلق نا پاینده را
بط و طاوس و زاغست و خروس این مثا ل چار خلق اندر نفوس
Cut off these four living birds’ heads
Make them immortal and save them from dust
They are duck of greed, peacock of show
Crow of desires and cock of lust
They are four elements living in people’s heads.
(M V / 42-43)
3- Strengthen your spiritual desire:
جهد کن تا این طلب افزون شود تا دلت زین چاه تن بیرون شود
خلق گوید مرد مسکین آن فلان تو بگوی زنده ام ای فلان
گرتن من همچو تنها خفته است هشت جنت در دلم بشگفته است
جان چو خفته در گل و نسرین بود چه غمست ار تن در آن سرگین بود
Try hard so that the spiritual desire may increase
And your heart from this well-type body may release
People may say that poor fellow is now dead
But you can claim, “I am still alive without dread,
My body may seem to be sleeping quite alone
Yet within me I have eight paradises born”
When a soul sleeps in eglantines or roses
Little it worries if the body in mud or dung reposes.
(M VI / 1735-1736-1737)
4- A bad friend is worst than a snake:
حق ذ ات پاک الله الصمد که بود به مار بد از یار بد
مار بد تنها ترا به جان زند یار بد بر جان و بر ایمان زند
Listen for the Truth and for God’s sake
A bad friend is worse than a snake
For a bad snake can bite your body without desire
A bad friend hurts your body and sets your belief on fire.
(M V 2634-)
5- For God’s lovers, He is enough:
عاشقانرا شادمانی و غم اوست دست مزد و اجرت خدمت هم اوست
For lovers of God, He alone is the sorrow and the source of pleasure
He is wages of their labour and the real treasure.
(M V / 586)
6- Death is not fearful for lovers:
تلخ نبود پیش ایشان مرگ تن چون روند از چاه و زندان در چمن
گوید ای یزدان مرا در تن مبر تا درین گلشن کنم من کر و فر
For lovers of God death is not bitter or a burden
Since they pass from this well to a garden
They say “Our Lord don’t put us back in our bodies again
And let us live in your love garden free and without pain”.
(M V / 1713-1723)
7- Let your sorrows attack your body and not your soul:
نعمت حق را بر جان و عقل ده نه بطبع پر ز حیر پر گره
بار کن پیگا ر غم را بر تنت بر دل و جان کم نه آن جان کندنت
Pass the bounty of God to your intellect and souls
But not to your nature inclined to twists and rolls
Let your body receive the arrows of sorrows
Thus save your heart and soul from pains and blows.
(M V / 1092-1093)
8- Only divine love is eternal:
هر چه جز عشقست شد ماکول عشق دو جهان یک دانه پیش نول عشق
Anything other than love,
Is devoured by love,
The two worlds are like a grain,
In the beak of love and pain.
(M V / 2726)
9- Love eliminates infidelity:
هر که اندر عشق یابد زندگی کفر باشد پیش او جز بندگی
For he who finds new life in love,
Anything other than slavery is infidelity
(V / 1666)
10- Why man is after different goals?
قبله جان را چون پنهان کرده اند هر کسی رو جانبی آورده اند
Since the spiritual target has been concealed
People run after the targets and goals revealed.
(M V / 328)
11- Man’s journey:
تو از آن روزی که در هست آمدی آتشی یا باد یا خاکی بدی
گربر آن حالت ترا بودی بقا کی رسیدی مر ترا این ارتقا
ا ز مبدل هستی اول نماند هستی بهتر بجای آن نشاند
از جمادی بی خبر سوی نما وز نما سوی حیات و ابتلا
باز سوی عقل و تمیزات خوش باز سوی خارج این پنج و شش
در فناها این بقارا دیده بر بقای جسم چون چفسیده
هین بده ای زاغ این جان باز باش پیش تبدیل خدا جان باز باش
تازه می گیر و کهن را می سپار که هر امسالت فزونست از سه پار
Ever since you have come to existence
You were fire or wind or dust
If you remained at that state
How could you rise to this height?
The first stage has gone due to the new one
Now a better life you have found
Unaware you went from minerals to vegetation
And from vegetation to real life and worries
Again, towards intelligence and pleasing discriminations
And then out side of all those confusions
So, you have noticed eternity in those mortal lives
Now why are you stuck to this body?
Come on, crow, and give up this life to become a falcon
And be sacrificing in the presence of divine transformations
Chose the fresh life and give up the old one
Every this year is better than the past three years.
(M V / 789-790-791-800-801-807-808-809)
12- The soul and the body:
از این بدن اندر عذابی ای بشر مرغ روحت بسته با جنس دگر
روح بازست و طبایع زاغها دارد از زاغان و چغدان داغها
O man! You are in torment due to this physical body
While the bird of your soul is attached to another kind
Your soul is a falcon but your bodily nature is like crows
It has deep impressions of crows and owls.
(M V / 842-843)
Masnevi VI
1- Our food is nothing else but clay and dust:
این دهن خود خاک خواری آمدست لیک خاکی را که آن رنگین شدست
این کباب و این شراب و این شکر خاک رنگین است و نقشین ای پسر
چونک خوردی و شد آنها لحم و پوست رنگ لحمش داد و این هم خاک کوست
هندو و قفچاق و رومی و حبش جمله یک رنگ اند اندر گور خوش
رنگ با قی صبغته الله است و بس غیر آن بر بسته دان همچون جرس
This mouth has always been eating some kind of earth
Colourful foods of many kinds are also forms of earth
The kebab and wine, and many sweet dishes
My son! Are all different shapes and colours of the earth
When you eat them, they change into flesh and skin
Colours disappear so where is the clay and the earth?
Hindu, Qifchaq, the Anatolian and the Black
In grave they all lay as one, happy under the earth.
The everlasting colour is the colour of God’s names
All the rest of colours are like visionary bells hung for games.
(M VI / 4705- 4706- 4707-4709-4711)
2- Love is the cash of the other world:
مایه در بازار این دنیا زرست مایه آنجا عشق و دو چشم ترست
Gold is the cash of this world’s bazaar to pay off the price
The cash of the other world is the tears of two crying eyes.
( M VI / 839).
3- Open the eyes of the heart to see the secrets:
آنک او را چشم دل شد دیدبان دید خواهد چشم او عین العیان
He whose eyes of the heart begin to see
His physical eyes begin to see everything openly.
(M VI /4405)
4-God’s attribute is love:
توبه کرم و عشق همچون ا ژ دها توبه وصف حلق و آن وصف خدا
Repentance is like a worm,
And love is like a dragon,
Repentance belongs to man,
And love belongs to God.
(M VI / 970)
5- Titles and ranks are source of worries and destruction:
نام میری و وزری و شهی در نهانش مرگ و درد و جان دهی
بنده باش و بر زمین رو چو سمند چون جنازه نه که بر گردن برند
These worldly titles “Prince”, “Vizier”, and “Royalty”
Have these concealed meaning: “Death”, “Pains” and “Mortality”
So be a slave (of God) and walk on earth like a horse
Not like a coffin to be carried on peoples’ shoulders.
(M VI / 323-324)
6- There is a secret you within you:
توی تو در دیگری آمد دفین من غلا م مرد خود بینی چنین
Your real you is buried in another you
I am slave of that who knows the real you.
(M VI / 3776)
7- Don’t be afraid of death but of your body:
از وجودی ترس کاکنون در وی آن خیالت لا شی و تو لا شی
لا شی بر لا شی عاشق شدست هییچ نی مر هیچ نی را ره زدست
چون برون شد این خیالات از میان گشت نامعقول تو بر تو عیان
Be afraid of the body in which you are living
It’s your illusion and it is, in fact, nothing
Nothing has fallen in love with nothing
Nothing has thus waylaid your nothing
When you lose this kind of feeling
Your intellect perceives the real revealing.
(M VI / 1447-1448-1449)
8- The celestial mill gives you nothing if you have no grains:
همچو مرغ خاک کآید در بحار زآن چه یابد جز هلاک و جز خسار
آسیای چرخ بر بی گندمان مو سپیدی بخشد و ضعف میان
When a land-bird happens falls into sea
What can it gain except a loss and injury?
This celestial mill offers nothing but whiteness of hair
To those who have no wheat and nothing to prepare.
(M VI / 4430-4432)
9- Conflict in this world is due to opposites:
این جهان جنگ است کل چون بنگری ذره با ذره چو ن دین با کا فری
ذره کآن محو شد در آفتاب جنگ او بیرون شد از وصف و حساب
آن جهان جز باقی و آباد نیست ز آنکه آن ترکیب از اضداد نیست
این تفانی از ضد آید ضد را چون نباشد ضد نبود جز بقا
When you look closely, you find this world all at war
Mote fights with a mote, and an infidel with a believer
But when a mote is lost in the sun light
The war is over and the atoms stop to fight
The other world is eternal and everlasting
Because there are no opposite elements for struggling
The devastation is born of opposites’ fighting
If there are no opposites, there the peace starts abiding.
(M VI / 36- 40-56-57)
10- Seek in this world no rest and peace:
عاشقان در سیل تند افتاده اند بر قضای عشق دل بناهده اند
همچو سنگ آسیا اندر مدار روز شب گردان و نالان بی قرار
چون قراری نیست گردون را از او ای دل اختر وار آرامی مجو
Lovers have in torrent of love fallen
And it is the fate of love they have chosen
They turn up like the celestial mill-stone
Day and night they cry and moan
Since love has struck the whole universe with tempest
O my heart! Like stars, you too, move on and seek no rest.
(M VI / 910-911-914)
11- The mundane forms are the reflection of the non-dimensional world:
صورت از بی صورت آید در وجود هم چنان کز آتشی زاد است دود
صورت فکر است بر بام مشید و آن عمل چون سایه ارکان پدید
بی نهایت کیشها و پیشها جمله ظل صورت اندیشها
بی جهت دان عالم امر ای صنم بی جهت تر باشد آمر لا جرم
Formlessness gives birth to these worldly forms
Like the smoke that is born out of fires
Forms of ideas are far above the roof of high spots
And their impact acts upon the physical elements
There are countless religions and professions
Those are all shadows of the forms of conceptions
Non-dimensional is the world of command, my brothers!
Naturally, the Commander is more non-dimensional than the others.
(M VI/ 3712-3730-3728- IV 4/ 3693)
12- Every form depends on God’s performance:
فاعل مطلق یقین بی صورت است صورت اندر دست او چون آلتست
تا مدد گیرد از او هر صورتی از کمال و از جمال و قدرتی
Surely the Absolute Performer is formless
And all forms are like tools in His hands
Every form takes help from
His perfection, beauty and power.
(M VI / 3742- 3744)
13- Soul is more sensitive to consciousness than body:
جان چه باشد با خبر از خیر و شر شاد از احسان و گریان از زرر
چون سر و ماهیت جان مخبرست هر که او آگاه تر با جان تر است
روح را تاثر آگاهی بود هر کرا این بیش اللهی بود
What is soul? It’s aware of good and evil
It cries on injuries and pleases with kindness
Since conscience is the inner nature of the soul
The more one is conscious; the closer is he to the soul
Soul is more sensitive to awareness
He who has more awareness is closer to God.
(M VI / 148-149-150)
14- Every thing in the universe is in action; how can man remain inactive?
گر نمی بینی تو تدویر قدر در عناصر جوشش و گردش نگر
ز آنک گردشها آن خاشاک وکف باشد از غلیا ن بحر با شرف
اختران هم خانه خانه می روند مرکب هر سعد و نخسی می شوند
تو که یک جزوی دلا زین صد هزار چون نباشی پیش حکمش بی قرار
If you can’t see the rotation of the fate (Divine decree)
Then look at the revolving and boiling of elements
The whirling of straws and foam
Is due to the storm of the Noble Ocean.
Stars also move from house to house
Telling every bad or good fortune.
You, who are a part of the thousands,
Because of the decree
Should also be in a restless motion.
(M VI / 916- 917- 920- 927)
15- On unity of creation:
این دوی اوصاف دید احولست ورنه اول آ خر آخر اولست
Duality is the characteristic of a squint-eyed
Otherwise the first is the last and the last is the first.
(M VI / 819)
16- For lovers of God prayers do not depend on time:
پنج وقت آمد نماز و رهنمون عاشقانرا فی صلا ة دايمون
نیست زر غبا وظیفه عاشقان سخت مستسقیست جان صادقان
نیست زر غبا وظفیه ماهیان ز آنک بی دریا ندارند انس جان
Five time ritual prayers have been imposed on the believers
But the lovers of God offer prayers continuously
Visiting once a week is not the way of true lovers of God
Their souls have great thirst for the water of love
As fishes have no concept of weekly visiting
Because for them without water life has no meaning.
(M VI / 2669- 2671-2672)
Some Quatrains on Love
Divan 361
عشق آمد و شد چو خونم اندر رگ و پوست تا کرد مرا تهی و بر کرد از دوست
اجزای وجود من همه دوست گرفت نامیست ز من برمن و باقی همه اوست
Love came and settled in me like my blood in skin and veins
And emptied me to fill me with my friend from top toe
All my parts and organs were taken over by my friend
Within me nothing is left except my friend.
Divan 45
در جان توجانیست بجو آن جانرا در کوه تو کانیست بجو آن کانرا
صوفی رونده گر توانی م جوی بیرون تو مجو ز خود بجو تو آ نرا
There is another soul within you, go and seek it
There is another mine within your mountain, go and seek it
O Sufi in search! If you are looking for Him
Don’t look for Him outside, find Him inside you.
Divan 1122
از بلبل سرمست نوای شنوم وز باد سماع دلربای شنوم
در آب همه خیال یاری بینم وزگل همه بوی آشنای بینم
I hear a song of the demented nightingale
And from the wind I hear a charming song
In water I see nothing but the image of my Beloved
And from the roses comes the smell of my familiar friend.
چون صبح ولا ی حق دمیدن گیرد جان در تن زندگان پریدن گیرد
جای برسد مرد که در هر نفسی بی رحمت چشم دوست دیدن گیرد
When in the morning the great light of God begins to shine
Soul in the living body gets ready to fly
Then man reaches a place where in his each breath
Without toil the eye of the Friend begins to behold.
Divan 810
مرا غم عشق تو امان می ندهد وآن کیست که در غم تو جان می ندهد
از هجر تو شد هزار دل گشت خراب وز وصل تو هیچ کس نشان می ندهد
Pain of your love gives me no peace of heart
There is hardly anyone who could find peace being apart
Due to separation many a heart has perished
And none shows a way that leads to conjunction.
Divan 1358
از شبنم عشق خاک آدم گل شد صد فتنه و شور در جهان حاصل شد
صد نشتر عشق بر رگ روح زدند یک قطره از آن چکید و نامش دل شد
Because with the dew of love the clay of Adam was kneaded
There rose many afflictions and cries in the world
Many lancets were applied to the veins of soul
Only one drop fell thereof and was named as heart.
Divan 1821
تو آب نه ای خاک نه ای تو دیگری بیرون ز جهان و گل در سفری
قالب جویست و جان درو آب حیات آنجا که توی از ین دو هم بی خبری
You are neither water nor clay, you are something else
You are traveling beyond this world and clay
Your body is a river and the water running in it is your life
The spot where you really are, you are unaware of these two.
Divan 562
گه ترکم و گه هندو گه رومی و گه زنگی از نقش توست ای جان اقرارم وانکارم
Sometime I am a Turk, and sometime I am a Hindu or sometime I am an Anatolian or even a Negro,
My acceptance or refusal all depends on Your manifestation.
Divan 583
بر گور من آن کو گذرد مست شود ورایست کند تا بابد مست شود
در بحر رود بحر بمد مست شود در خاک رود گور و لحد مست شود
He who passes by my grave becomes drunk
He rises up to the other world and becomes eternally drunk
If he enters the sea; the sea becomes wavy and drunk
If he goes under the ground, his grave and the tomb becomes drunk.
Divan 674
در عشق نه پستی نه بلندی باشد نی بیهشی نه هوشمندی باشد
قرای و شیخی و مریدی نبود قلا شی و کم زنی و رندی باشد
In love there is neither a height nor lowness
In love there is neither unconsciousness nor awareness
There is no teaching, no disciple and no master
Instead there is intoxication, modesty and divine drunkenness.
Divan 712
رو دیده بدوز تا دلت دیده شود زآن دیده جهان دیگرت دیده شود
گر تو ز پسند خویش بیرون آی کارت همه سربسر پسندیده شود
Go and stitch (close) your physical eyes
So that your heart may turn into two other eyes
And through those eyes you may see the other worlds.
If you stop liking and praising your own self
All your deeds will become well praised and right.
Divan 565
این تنهای هزار جان بیش ارزد این آزادی ملک جهان بیش ارزد
در خلوت یکزمانه با حق بودن ازجان و جهان و این و آن بیش ارزد
This loneliness is more precious than thousands of creatures
This freedom is more valuable than the whole properties of the world
To be with God for a while in privacy
Is more precious than life, this world and even all the possessions.
Divan 1
آن دل که شد او قابل انوار خدا پر باشد جان او ز اسرار خد ا
زنهار تن مرا چو تنها مشمر کو جمله نمک شد بنمک زار خدا
The heart that begins to deserve the light of God
His soul is filled with the secrets of his Lord
Never think that our body is all alone
For it has turned into salt in the salt-mine of God.
Divan 25
ای دوست بدوستی قرینیم ترا هر جا که قدم نهی زمینیم ترا
در مذهب عاشقی روا که باشد عالم تو بینیم و نه بینیم ترا
O friend! We are close to you because of your friendship
Wherever you step we become ground under your foot
It is not fair in the sect of love
That we see your world and do not see you.
Divan 28
این آتش عشق می پزاند مارا هر شب بخرابات کشاند ما را
با اهل خرابات نشاند ما را تا غیر خرابات نداند ما را
The fire of love keeps burning in us
Every night to the tavern it draws us
To the company of tavern-haunters it leads us
So that nobody else there but only they know us.
57 Divan
عشقست طریق و راه پیغمبر ما ما زاده عشق و عشق شد مادر ما
اینما در ما نهفته در چادر ما پنهان شده ازطبیت کافر ما
Love is the path and way of our Prophet
We are born of love and love is our mother
The mother is hidden in our tent (body)
To hide herself from our infidel nature.
Divan 106
علمی که ترا گره گشاید بطلب زآن پیش که از تو جان بر آید بطلب
آن نیست که هسست می نماید بگزار آن هست که نیست می نماید بطلب
Ask for the knowledge that unties your knots
Before you die look for the knowledge of those sorts
Don’t ask for the non-existent things that seem to be existent
Ask for those that are existent but look non-existent.
Divan 79
آن لقمه که در دهان نگنجد بطلب و آن علم که در نشان نگنجد بطلب
سریست میان دل مردان خدا جبریل درآ نمیان نگنجد بطلب
Ask for the morsels that cannot be contained in the physical mouth
Ask for the knowledge that cannot be detected by the physical eyes
There are secrets in the hearts of God-loving men
Even the angel Gabriel fails to understand those secrets of men.
Divan 85
اندیشه و غم را نبود هستی و تاب آنجا که شراب و ربابست و کباب
عیش ابدی نوش کنید ای اصحاب چون سبزه و گل نهید لب بر لب آب
Where there are music, kebab and wine
There is no way for worries and woes
Choose the eternal drink gentlemen
Before the mud and freshness of your lips
Join the lips of river and running waters.
Divan 1645
مستم ز می عشق خراب افتاده بر خواسته دل از خور و خواب افتاده
در دریای که پا سر پیدا نیست جان رفته و تن بر سر آب افتاده
I am intoxicated and badly fallen because of love-wine
My heart has no more interest in sleeping or eating
In the ocean that has no boundaries and no end
My soul has drowned but only my body on water is floating.
Divan 1181
بر یاد لبت لعل نگین می بوسم آنم چو بد ست نیست این می بوسم
دستم چو بر آسمان تو می نرسد می آرم سجده و زمین می بو سم
Remembering your lips the red diamond of my ring I kiss
Since I can’t reach your lips, helplessly this I kiss
And when I fail to reach your high sky
I prostate down on the earth, and then the earth I kiss.
Divan 1905
عشق آن نبود که هر زمان بر خیزی و ز زیر دو پای خویش گرد انگیزی
عشق آن باشد که چون در آی بسماع جان در بازی و ز دو جهان بر خیزی
Love does not mean that you should rise up anytime
And raise dust from under your feet every time
Love means that when you begin to perform Sema
You risk your life and rise up from the two worlds.