1Cademy - بخش ۵۹ - فی حُبّ الدُّنیا و صفة اهله / Section 59 - On the Love of the World and the Description of its People

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حدیقة الحقیقه و شریعة الطریقه / Hadiqat al-Haqiqah (The Walled Garden of Truth)
بخش ۵۸ - فی صفة‌الزهد و الزّاهد / Section 58 - On the Description of Asceticism and the Ascetic

Poem

بخش ۵۹ - فی حُبّ الدُّنیا و صفة اهله / Section 59 - On the Love of the World and the Description of its People

Original content

هست شهری بزرگ در حد روم
باز بسیار اندر آن بر و بوم

نام آن شهر شهره فسطاطست
ساحلش تا به حد دمیاطست

اندرو مرغ خانگی نپرد
زانکه باز از هوا ورا شکرد

واندران شهر مرغ نگذارد
زآنکه در ساعتش بیوبارد

همچو فسطاط شد زمانه کنون
علما همچو مرغ خوار و زبون

من به دست آوریدم این بالا
تا شوم ایمن از بد دنیا

گفت دانا که با تو اینجا کیست
بر سر کوهپایه حالت چیست

گفت زاهد که نفس من با من
هست روز و شب اندرین مسکن

گفت دانا که پس نکردی هیچ
بیهده راه زاهدان مپسیچ

گفت زاهد که نفس دوخته اند
در من و زی ویم فروخته اند

نتوانم ز وی جدا گشتن
چکنم چارهٔ رها گشتن

گفت با زاهد آن ستوده حکیم
نفس افعال بد کند تعلیم

گفت زاهد که من بساخته ام
زانکه من نفس را شناخته ام

هست بیمار نفس و من چو طبیب
من کنم روز و شب ورا ترتیب

به مداوای نفس مشغولم
زآنکه گوید همی که معلولم

گه ورا قصد فصد فرمایم
اکحل از دیدگانش بگشایم

چون تصعد کند فرو بارد
فصد تسکینی اندرو آرد

گه ورا مسهلی بفرمایم
علل از جسم او بپالایم

حب دنیا و حقد و بغض و حسد
غل و غشش برون شود ز جسد

گاه نهیش کنم من از شهوات
تا مگر باز ماند از لذات

از خورش خوی خویش باز کند
در شهوت به خود فراز کند

قوتش از باقلی دودانه کنم
خانه بر وی چو گورخانه کنم

ساعتی نفس چون شود در خواب
من کنم یک دو رکعتی بشتاب

پیش از آن کو ز خواب برخیزد
همچو بیمار در من آویزد

یک دو رکعت بی او چو بگذارم
بعد از آن نفس گشت بیدارم

مرد دانا چو این سخن بشنید
جامه بر تن ز وجد آن بدرید

گفت لله درک ای زاهد
بارک الله عمرک ای عابد

این سخن جز ترا مسلم نیست
ملک تو کم ز ملکت جم نیست

هرچت امروز هست آرایش
دان که فردات باشد آلایش

نیست آلوده کز گنه خیزد
آن کز اندوه آه و أه خیزد

زن کند بهر میهمانی پاک
موی ابرو و موی رخ چالاک

دل بدین جا غریب و نادانست
تا به بند چهار ارکانست

خرد اینجا تهی کند جعبه
که تحری بد است در کعبه

پیش کعبه مگر که بوالهوسی
بشنود علم سمت قبله بسی

هرکه در کعبه با تحری مرد
زیرهٔ تر بسوی کرمان برد

در سه زندان غل و حقد و حسد
عقل را بسته ای به بند جسد

پنج حس کز چهار ارکانند
پنج غماز این سه زندانند

دل شده محرم خزانهٔ راز
چکند ننگ منهی و غماز

بی زبانان زبان او گویند
بی نشانان نشان او جویند

هرچه جز دوست آتش اندر زن
آنگه از آب عشق سر بر زن

که نه یارند و یار می بینی
همه زنهارخوار می بینی

گلبن باغ خویشتن بینان
شده چون دلم دلم بدبینان

نیک معلوم کن که در محشر
نشود هیچ حال خلق دگر

پیشش آید هرآنچه بگزیند
هرچه زینجا برد همان بیند

English translation

There is a great city on the borders of Rome, Where many falcons inhabit the land. The name of that famous city is Fustat, And its shore extends to the border of Damietta. No domestic bird flies in it, For the falcon hunts it from the air. And in that city, no bird is left, For the falcon devours it in an instant. Now the times have become like Fustat, And the scholars, like birds, are wretched and abased. I have obtained this high place (mountain-top) So that I may remain safe from the evils of the world. A wise man said: 'Who is here with you? What is your state on this mountain-top?' The ascetic said: 'My lower soul (nafs) is with me, Day and night in this dwelling.' The wise man said: 'Then you have done nothing, Do not travel the futile path of ascetics.' The ascetic said: 'The lower soul is sewn into me, And I am sold unto it. I cannot separate myself from it; What can I do, what is the remedy to escape it?' The praised sage said to the ascetic: 'The lower soul teaches evil deeds.' The ascetic said: 'I have made my peace with it, Because I have recognized the lower soul. The lower soul is sick and I am like a physician, I regulate its affairs day and night. I am busy with curing the lower soul, Because it continually says: I am ill. Sometimes I order phlebotomy (bloodletting) for it, I open the median vein from its eyes. When it rises up, it rains down, The bloodletting brings calming relief to it. Sometimes I order a laxative for it, To purge the illnesses from its body. The love of the world, malice, hatred, and envy— Its deceit and impurity depart from the body. Sometimes I forbid it from desires, So that it may keep away from pleasures. It restrains its habit from eating, And shuts the door of desire upon itself. I make its nourishment only two fava beans, And make its home like a grave-chamber. When the lower soul goes to sleep for an hour, I quickly perform one or two cycles of prayer. Before it wakes up from sleep And clings to me like a sick person, When I perform one or two cycles without it, After that, the lower soul wakes up.' When the wise man heard this speech, He tore his garment out of ecstasy. He said: 'God reward you, O ascetic! May God bless your life, O worshiper! This state is conceded to none but you; Your kingdom is not less than the kingdom of Jamshid. Whatever you have today as adornment, Know that tomorrow it will be your pollution. Pollution does not only arise from sin; Rather, it is that from grief, sighing and groaning arise. A woman, for the sake of a feast, cleans The hair of her eyebrows and the hair of her face swiftly. The heart here is a stranger and ignorant, As long as it is in the bond of the four elements. Intellect empties its quiver here, For investigation (guessing the direction) is bad in the Kaaba. Unless, before the Kaaba, a seeker of desires Hears much of the science of the direction of the Qiblah. Whoever dies in the Kaaba with investigation (trying to determine the Qiblah), Carries green cumin to Kerman. In the three prisons of malice, hatred, and envy, You have bound the intellect to the shackle of the body. The five senses, which are from the four elements, Are five informers of these three prisons. When the heart has become a confidant of the treasury of secrets, What does it care for the shame of the forbidden-prohibitor and the informer? The tongueless ones speak His tongue, The signless ones seek His sign. Set fire to whatever is other than the Friend, Then raise your head from the water of love. For they are not friends, yet you see them as friends; You see them all as covenant-breakers. The rosebush of the garden of the self-conceited Has become like 'my heart, my heart' of the ill-wishing. Know well that in the Resurrection, The state of creation will not change. Before one comes whatever he chooses; Whatever one carries from here, the same shall he see.'

Updated 2026-07-02

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