الوقت سیف

سبز بادا خاک پاک شافعیعالمی سر خوش ز تاک شافعی

Green be the holy grave of Shafi; whose vine hath cheered a whole world!

فکر او کوکب ز گردون چیدہ استسیف بران وقت را نامیدہ است

His thought plucked a star from heaven: He named time ‘a cutting sword.’

من چہ گویم سر این شمشیر چیستآب او سرمایہ دار از زندگیست

How shall I say what is the secret of this sword? In its flashing edge there is life.

صاحبش بالاتر از امید و بیمدست 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 شودبحر 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 ہمین شمشیر بودکار او بالاتر از تدبیر بود

Moses held this sword in his hand; therefore he wrought more than man may contrive.

سینہ ی دریای احمر چاک کردقلزمی را خشک مثل خاک کرد

He clove the Red Sea asunder and made its waters like dry earth.

پنجہ ی حیدر کہ خیبر گیر بودقوت او از ہمین شمشیر بود

The arm of Ali, the conqueror of Khaibar, drew its strength from this same sword.

گردش گردون گردان دیدنی استانقلاب روز و شب فہمیدنی است

The revolution of the sky is worth seeing; the change of day and night is worth observing.

اے اسیر دوش و فردا در نگردر دل خود عالم دیگر نگر

Look, O thou enthralled by Yesterday and Tomorrow; behold another world in thine own heart!

در گل خود تخم ظلمت کاشتیوقت را مثل خطی پنداشتی

Thou hast sown the seed of darkness in the clay, thou hast imagined Time as a line:

باز با پیمانہ ی لیل و نہارفکر تو پیمود طول روزگار

Thy thought measures length of Time with the measure of night and day.

ساختی این رشتہ را زنار دوشگشتہ 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 شدیسر 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!

مسلمے؟ آزاد این زنار باششمع بزم ملت احرار باش

Art thou a Muslim? Then cast off this girdle! Be a candle to the feast of the religion of the free!

تو کہ از اصل زمان آگہ نہ ئیاز حیات جاودان آگہ نہ ئی

Knowing not the origin of Time, thou art ignorant of everlasting Life.

تا کجا در روز و شب باشی اسیررمز وقت از"لی مع اللہ" 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 وقتزندگی سریست از اسرار وقت

Phenomena arise from the march of Time, life is one of Time's mysteries.

اصل وقت از گردش خورشید نیستوقت 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 ہم عید است وقتسر تاب ماہ و خورشید است وقت

Time is joy and sorrow, festival and fast; Time is the secret of moonlight and sunlight.

وقت را مثل مکان گستردہ ئیامتیاز دوش و فردا کردہ ئی

Thou hast extended Time, like Space; and distinguished Yesterday from Tomorrow.

اے چو بو رم کردہ از بستان خویشساختی 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 ندیداز خیابان ضمیر ما دمید

Our Time, which has neither beginning nor end; blossoms from the flower-bed of our mind.

زندہ از عرفان اصلش زندہ ترہستی او از سحر تابندہ تر

To know its root quickens the living with new life: Its being is more splendid than the dawn.

زندگی از دہر و دہر از زندگی است"لاتسبوالدھر" فرمان نبی است

Life is of Time, and Time is of Life: ‘Do not abuse Time!’ was the command of the Prophet.

نکتہ اے می گویمت روشن چو درتا 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!

عبد گردد یاوہ در لیل و نھاردر دل حر یاوہ 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!

عبد از ایام می باند کفنروز 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!

مرد حر خود را ز گل بر می کندخویش را بر روزگاران می تند

But a free man keeps himself above the earth and attacks the world with all his might!

عبد چون طایر بدام صبح و شاملذت 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!

سینہ ی آزادہ ی چابک نفسطایر ایام را گردد قفس

But the quick-breathing breast of a free man becomes a cage for the Bird of Time!

عبد را تحصیل حاصل فطرت استواردات جان او بے ندرت است

To a slave, Nature is a meaningless word and there is nothing rare in the impressions of his soul!

از گران خیزی مقام او ہماننالہ ہای صبح و شام او ہمان

Owing to his heaviness and laziness his abode is always the same; and the cries of his morn and eve are always the same!

دمبدم نو آفرینی کار حرنغمہ پیہم تازہ ریزد تار حر

But the attempt of a free man creates new things every moment and his string continuously produces new tunes!

فطرتش زحمت کش تکرار نیستجادہ ی او حلقہ ی پرگار نیست

His nature is not obliged to any sort of repetition, because his path is not like the circle caused by compasses!

عبد را ایام زنجیر است و بسبر لب او حرف تقدیر است و بس

To a slave Time is but a chain and he always complains against the fate!

ہمت حر با قضا گردد مشیرحادثات 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!

رفتہ و آیندہ در موجود اودیرہا آسودہ اندر زود او

The past and the future are dissolved in his preset and all the delayed plans are observed by his quick action!

آمد از صوت و صدا پاک این سخندر نمی آید بہ ادراک این سخن

These words of mine are beyond sound, beyond discussion; for their meaning can’t be understood easily!

گفتم و حرفم ز معنی شرمسارشکوہ ی معنی کہ با حرفم چہ 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?‛

زندہ معنی چون بہ حرف آمد بمرداز نفس ہای تو نار او فسرد

In fact, a living meaning when expressed in words dies out; your very breaths extinguish its fire!

نکتہ ی غیب و حضور اندر دل استرمز 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!

نغمہ ی خاموش دارد ساز وقتغوطہ در دل زن کہ 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!

یاد ایامی کہ سیف روزگاربا توانا دستی ما بود یار

Oh, the memory of those days when Time's sword was allied with the strength of our hands!

تخم دین در کشت دلہا کاشتیمپردہ از رخسار حق برداشتیم

We sowed the seed of religion in men's hearts and unveiled the face of Truth;

ناخن ما عقدہ ی دنیا گشادبخت 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 بادہ ی گلگون زدیمبر کہن میخانہ ہا شبخون زدیم

From the jar of Truth we made rosy wine gush forth, we charged against the ancient taverns.

اے می دیرینہ در مینای توشیشہ آب از گرمی صہبای 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 منیطعنہ بر ناداری ما میزنی

Wilt thou in thy pride and arrogance and self-conceit; taunt us with our emptiness?

جام ما ہم زیب محفل بودہ استسینہ ی ما صاحب دل بودہ است

Our cup, too, hath graced the symposium; our breast hath owned a spirit.

عصر نو از جلوہ ہا آراستہاز غبار پای ما برخاستہ

The new age with all its glories hath risen from the dust of our feet.

کشت حق سیراب گشت از خون ماحق پرستان جہان ممنون ما

Our blood hath watered God's harvest; all worshippers of God are our debtors.

عالم از ما صاحب تکبیر شداز گل ما کعبہ ہا تعمیر شد

The takbir was our gift to the world, Ka‘bas were built of our clay.

حرف اقرأ حق بما تعلیم کردرزق خویش از دست ما تقسیم کرد

By means of us God taught the Koran, from our hand He dispensed His bounty.

گرچہ رفت از دست ما تاج و نگینما گدایان را بچشم کم مبین

Although crown and signet have passed from us, do not look with contempt on our beggarliness!

در نگاہ تو زیان کاریم ماکہنہ پنداریم ما، خواریم ما

In thine eyes we are good for nothing, thinking old thoughts, despicable.

اعتبار از لاالہ داریم ماہر دو عالم را نگہ داریم ما

We have honour from ‘There is no god but Allah.’ We are the protectors of the universe.

از غم امروز و فردا رستہ ایمبا کسی عہد محبت بستہ ایم

Freed from the vexation of to-day and tomorrow. We have pledged ourselves to love One.

در دل حق سر مکنونیم ماوارث موسی و ہارونیم ما

We are the conscience hidden in God's heart; we are the heirs of Moses and Aaron,

مہر و مہ روشن ز تاب ما ہنوزبرقہا دارد سحاب ما ہنوز

Sun and moon are still bright with our radiance; lightning-flashes still lurk in our cloud.

ذات ما آئینۂ ذات حق استہستی مسلم ز آیات حق است

In our essence Divinity is mirrored: The Muslim's being is one of the signs of God.