1Cademy - (۹) حکایت شبلی با ابلیس در عرفات / (9) The Tale of Shibli with Iblis in Arafat

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Elahi Nameh

Poem

(۹) حکایت شبلی با ابلیس در عرفات / (9) The Tale of Shibli with Iblis in Arafat

Original content

مگر شبلی امام عالم افروز
گذر می کرد در عرفات یک روز

فتادش چشم بر ابلیس ناگاه
بدو گفتا که ای ملعون درگاه

چو نه اسلام داری ونه طاعت
چرا گردی میان این جماعت ؟

بگو چون شد ازین تاریک روزت ؟
امیدی می بود از حق هنوزت؟

چو بشنید این سخن ابلیس پر غم
زبان بگشاد و گفت ای شیخ عالم

چو حق را صدهزاران سال جاوید
پرستیدم میان خوف و امید

ملایک را به حضرت ره نمودم
بهر سرگشتهٔ او در گشودم

دلی پر داشتم از عزت او
مقر بودم به وحدانیت او

اگر بی علتی با این همه کار
براند از درگه خویشم به یکبار

که کس زهره نداشت از خلق درگاه
که گوید: از چه رد کردیش ناگاه؟

اگر بی علتی بپذیردم باز
عجب نبود که نتوان داد آواز

چو بی علت شدستم راندهٔ او
شوم بی علتی هم خواندهٔ او

چو در کار خدا چون و چرا نیست
امید از حق بریدن هم روا نیست

چو قهرش حکم کرد و راندم آغاز
عجب نبود که لطفش خواندم باز

نمی دانم نمی دانم الهی
تو دانی و تو دانی تا چه خواهی

یکی را خوانده ای با صد نوازش
یکی را رانده ای با صد گدازش

نه زین یک طاعتی نه زان گناهی
به سر تو کسی را نیست راهی

به حق آنکه تو کس را نمانی
که آن ساعت که تو کس را نمانی

ز جرم و ناکسی من گذر کن
به فضلت در من ناکس نظر کن

مکش در پای پیل قهر زارم
که من خود طاقت موری ندارم

مرا چون پهلوی یک مور نبود
به پیش پیل قهرت زور نبود

من غم کشته را دلشاد گردان
مکش وین گردنم آزاد گردان

اگر کردم بدی با خویش کردم
نه از فضل تو من بد بیش کردم

اگر نیک و اگر بد کرده ام من
تو می دانی که با خود کرده ام من

چو از نیک و بد ما بی نیازی
ز هر دو بگذری کارم بسازی

اگرچه بستهٔ نیک و بدم لیک
نمی گویم ز نیک و بد بد و نیک

چو بی علت بسی دولت دهی تو
کنون هم نیز بی علت دهی تو

چو بی علت عطا دادی وجودم
همی بی علتی کن غرق جودم

چو نیست از رنج من آسایش تو
که علت نیست در بخشایش تو

مدر از کردهٔ من پردهٔ من
خطی درکش به گرد کردهٔ من

نه آن کافر که او دیندار گردد
در اول روز مرد کار گردد؟

ز چندین ساله کفرش از شهادت
دهد غسل دلش عین سعادت

خدایا گرچه در خون آمدم من
همان انگار که اکنون آمدم من

چو آن کافر پشیمانیم انگار
همی چون نو مسلمانیم انگار

English translation

Perhaps Shibli, the world-illuminating master, Was passing through Arafat one day. Suddenly his gaze fell upon Iblis; He said to him, 'O accursed one of the divine court, Since you possess neither Islam nor obedience, Why do you wander among this congregation? Tell me, what has become of this dark day of yours? Do you still have any hope in God?' When the sorrowful Iblis heard this speech, He opened his mouth and said, 'O master of the world, Since I worshipped God for a hundred thousand eternal years, Between fear and hope, I showed the angels the way to His Presence, And opened the door for every wanderer of His. I had a heart full of His glory, And I confessed His absolute Oneness. If, without any external cause, despite all this service, He drove me from His court all at once, So that no one of the court's creation had the courage To ask, 'Why did You reject him so suddenly?' If, without any cause, He accepts me again, It would not be strange, for no one can raise their voice. Since I was banished by Him without cause, I might also be summoned by Him without cause. Since there is no 'how' and 'why' in the work of God, To sever hope from God is also not proper. Since His wrath decreed and drove me away at first, It would not be strange if His grace calls me back. I do not know, I do not know, O Lord! You know, and You know whatever You will. One You have called with a hundred caresses, One You have driven away with a hundred meltings. Neither did this one perform obedience, nor did that one commit sin; No one has a path to Your secret. By the truth that You resemble no one, And at that hour when You do not let anyone remain, Overlook my sin and worthlessness, And look upon me, a worthless one, with Your grace. Do not crush me miserably under the foot of the elephant of Your wrath, For I myself do not have even the strength of an ant. Since my frame is not even like that of an ant, I have no strength before the elephant of Your wrath. Make me, who am slain by grief, happy of heart; Do not slay me, and set this neck of mine free. If I did evil, I did it to myself; I did not make my evil exceed Your grace. Whether I did good or evil, You know that I did it to myself. Since You are free of need from our good and evil, Pass over both and set my affairs right. Although I am bound to good and evil, I do not speak of good and evil as bad or good. Since without cause You bestow much fortune, Now, also, bestow it without cause. Since without cause You granted me existence, Drown me in Your generosity without cause. Since my suffering does not bring You ease, For there is no external cause in Your forgiveness, Do not tear my veil because of my actions; Draw a line around my deeds. Does not that infidel who becomes a believer Become a man of action on the very first day? From his many years of disbelief, through the testimony of faith, The essence of bliss washes his heart. My God, although I have come drenched in blood, Consider it as though I have just arrived now. Consider me regretful like that infidel, And consider me like a new convert to Islam.'

Updated 2026-07-03

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