If your scale is balanced and without deficiency, you will see the existence of the Kaaba and the temple of idols as one and the same.
Sa’ib calls for “unity of vision.” The knower whose inner purity (balance) is perfected does not look at outward appearances, but sees the light of truth manifest everywhere.
Unless you close the gateways of your eyes, mouth, and ears (to the world), the spring of life will not burst forth from the depths of your heart.
This is a call to “fasting of the senses.” Being preoccupied with the external world prevents the soul from tasting the water of eternity (the wellspring of life) that lies within.
Weak companions are obstacles on the path of striving; so do not grieve if your teeth fall out in old age.
A person with intact teeth is considered a symbol of material desires (bad companions). Its decline in old age is a liberation of the soul from the burden of worldly gluttony and greed.
For although the bow does not leave its place, its curvature makes the arrow swift; likewise, the curvature of your back in old age makes your soul lighter in traversing the stages of life.
Here is a beautiful “equational method.” The righteous transform the weakness of old age into spiritual strength, where the bent back (like a bow) becomes an instrument for launching the soul towards the Kingdom of Heaven.
Tune up a musical instrument is ultimately a gentle touch that makes it produce distinctive melodies; so do not rebel if time has taught you a lesson.
Trials are a purification of the soul. The trials of time are a preparation for man to bring out the best in him, such as patience and wisdom.
There is no benefit in reading without focus; if you read the Quran with a distracted heart, your heart will be torn into thirty parts (the parts of the Quran) without connection.
Saib emphasizes the importance of “collective understanding.” The Quran should unite what is scattered, not be a mechanical recitation that only increases the fragmentation of the soul.
Your face should flush with shame every moment, because the hem of your garment (your soul) has been stained with the colors of countless sins.
Sin, in the eyes of the righteous, is a “color” that tarnishes the purity of innate nature. And modesty is the first stage of purification and polishing of the soul’s mirror.
The radiant morning has plunged into the twilight’s blood, smiling; let us see what flowers will bloom from your laughing face.
Giving after sacrifice. For morning does not dawn except after the blood of twilight has been shed, and likewise, a person’s inner self does not blossom except through patience in the face of the pains of love.
Even though your teeth have been worn down from overeating, your greedy eye still blinks, coveting more bread.
A critique of worldly greed. The body decays and weakens, but the soul is never satisfied, and this is the ultimate veil from the Truth, the Most High.
You are so arrogant that you brush off any dust that touches your clothes, even though your final destiny is to sleep beneath layers of dust.
Sa’ib mocks this illusory superiority. The person who disdains dust will find dust itself as his shroud at death; this is a call for “forced humility.”
So, O Saeb, if you do not wash your face with tears of repentance, you will reap nothing from your poetry and your collected works but shame and disgrace in the Hereafter.
The conclusion of truth. The poet believes that value lies not in eloquent speech, but in the purity of the heart, and that tears are the “ink” of salvation.
The Ghazal meanings
In this Ghazal, Sa’ib ascends to the station of “self-examination and detachment”; He believes that truth is only revealed when, in the eyes of the servant, withholding and giving are equal (the Kaaba and the idol temple). For him, old age is a journey of detachment from material things, and pain is the polisher of existence that purifies the soul’s melody.
And Ghazal is a cry for awakening from the slumber of hope and greed. He also believes that man should be like a “bow”; The more he bowed (his humility and greatness), the greater his ability to soar towards truth. For life is a table of annihilation, and piety is the only true gain.
Vocabulary
Sang Kam: Weight deficiency (cheating on the scales)
Rukhnih: A gap or opening
Chashmih Hayawan: A spring of life-giving water (greenery)
Sabuk Jawlan: Swift in movement The graceful one
Goshmal: Ear rubbing (disciplining or tuning the strings)
Sudah Shud: Worn out or eroded
Arabic Translation
إِذَا كَانَ مِيزَانُكَ رَاجِحًا وَلَا نَقْصَ فِيهِ، فَسَتَرَى وجود الكَعْبَةَ وَبَيْتَ الأَصْنَامِ شَيْئًا وَاحِدًا
يَدْعُو صَائِب إِلَى “وَحْدَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ”؛ فالعَارِفُ الذِي أكْتَمَلَ صَفَاءُ بَاطِنِهِ (المِيزَان) لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى الرُّسُومِ الظَّاهِرَةِ، بَلْ يَرَى نُورَ الحَقِّ مُتَجَلِّيًا فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ
مَا لَمْ تُغْلِقْ مَنَافِذَ عَيْنَيْكَ وَفَمِكَ وَأُذُنَيْكَ (عن الدُنيا)، لَنْ يَنْفَجِرَ يَنْبُوعُ الحَيَاةِ مِنْ أَعْمَاقِ قَلْبِكَ
هِيَ دَعْوَةٌ لِـ “صَوْمِ الحَوَاسِّ”؛ فَالانْشِغَالُ بِالعَالَمِ الخَارِجِيِّ يَمْنَعُ الرُّوحَ مِنْ تَذَوُّقِ مَاءِ الخُلُودِ (آبِ حَيَات) الكَامِنِ فِي الدَّاخِلِ
والرُّفَقَاءُ الضُّعَفَاءُ هُمْ عَوَائِقُ فِي طَرِيقِ السَّعْيِ؛ فَلَا تَحْزَنْ إِذَا تَسَاقَطَتْ أَسْنَانُكَ فِي مَشِيبِكَ
يَعْتَبِرُ صَائِب الأَسْنَانَ رَمْزًا لِلشَّهَوَاتِ المَادِّيَّةِ (الرُّفَقَاءُ السُّوء)؛ فَسُقُوطُهَا فِي الشَّيْخُوِخَةِ هُوَ تَحَرُّرٌ لِلرُّوحِ مِنْ ثِقَلِ الأَكْلِ وَالجَشَعِ الدنيوي
فرَغْمَ أَنَّ القَوْسَ لَا يُغَادِرُ مَكَانَهُ، إِلَّا أَنَّ إنْحِنَاءَهُ يَجْعَلُ السَّهْمَ سَرِيعًا؛ وَكَذَلِكَ إنْحِنَاءُ ظَهْرِكَ فِي الشَّيْخُوِخَةِ يَجْعَلُ رُوحَكَ أَخَفَّ فِي طَيِّ المَقَامَاتِ
هنا “أُسْلُوبُ مُعَادَلَةٍ” بَدِيعٌ؛ يُحَوِّلُ صَائِب عَجْزَ الكِبَرِ إِلَى قُوَّةٍ رُوحِيَّةٍ، حَيْثُ يُصْبِحُ الظَّهْرُ المُنْحَنِي (كَالقَوْسِ) أَدَاةً لِإِطْلَاقِ الرُّوحِ نَحْوَ مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَاءِ
فضبطَ الآلَةِ المَوْسِيقِيَّةِ هُوَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ لَمْسَةُ حَنَانٍ تَجْعَلُهَا تُصْدِرُ أَلْحَانًا مَميزة؛ فَلَا تَتَمَرَّدْ إِذَا أَدَّبَكَ الزَّمَانُ
الِابْتِلَاءُ هُوَ “تَصْفِيَةٌ” لِلرُّوحِ؛ فَمِحَنُ الزَّمَانِ هِيَ “تَهْيِئَةٌ” لِلإِنْسَانِ لِيُخْرِجَ أَجْمَلَ مَا فِيهِ مِنْ صَبْرٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ
فلَا فَائِدَةَ مِنَ القِرَاءَةِ دُونَ تَرْكِيزٍ؛ فَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ القُرْآنَ بِقَلْبٍ مُشَتَّتٍ، سَيَتَمَزَّقُ قَلْبُكَ إِلَى ثَلَاثِينَ جُزْءًا (أَجْزَاءُ القُرْآن) دُونَ وَصْلٍ
يُؤَكِّدُ صَائِب عَلَى مَقَامِ “الجَمْعِيَّةِ”؛ فالقُرْآنُ يَجِبُ أَنْ يُوحِّدَ الشَّتَاتَ، لَا أَنْ يَكُونَ قِرَاءَةً آلِيَّةً تزيدُ تَمَزُّقَ النَّفْسِ
فيَتَلَوَّنُ وَجْهُكَ خَجَلًا فِي كُلِّ لَحْظَةٍ، لِأَنَّ أَذْيَالَ رِدَائِكَ (نفسكَ) تَلَطَّخَتْ بِأَلْوَانِ الذُّنُوبِ الكَثِيرَةِ
الذَّنْبُ عِنْدَ صَائِب “لَوْنٌ” يُكَدِّرُ بَيَاضَ الفِطْرَةِ؛ وَالحَيَاءُ هُوَ أَوَّلُ مَرَاحِلِ التَّطْهِيرِ وَالصَّقْلِ لِمِرْآةِ الرُّوحِ
لَقَدْ غَاصَ الصَّبَاحُ المُنْشَرِحُ فِي دِمَاءِ الشَّفَقِ مُبْتَسِمًا؛ لِنَرَى مَا هِيَ الزُّهُورُ التِي سَتَتَفَتَّحُ مِنْ وَجْهِكَ الضَّاحِكِ
العَطَاءُ بَعْدَ التَّضْحِيَةِ؛ فَالصَّبَاحُ لَا يُشْرِقُ إِلَّا بَعْدَ “سَفْكِ” دِمَاءِ الشَّفَقِ، وَكَذَلِكَ الإِنْسَانُ لَا يُزْهِرُ بَاطِنُهُ إِلَّا بِالصَّبْرِ عَلَى آلَامِ العِشْقِ
فرَغْمَ أَنَّ أَسْنَانَكَ قَدْ تَآكَلَتْ مِنْ كَثْرَةِ الأَكْلِ، إِلَّا أَنَّ عَيْنَكَ القَاصِرَةَ لَا تَزَالُ تَرْمُشُ طَمَعًا فِي المَزِيدِ مِنَ الخُبْزِ
إنْتِقَادٌ لِلْحِرْصِ الدُّنْيَوِيِّ؛ فَالجَسَدُ يَفْنَى وَيَضْعُفُ، لَكِنَّ “النَّفْسَ” لَا تَشْبَعُ أَبَدًا، وَهَذَا هُوَ قِمَّةُ الحِجَابِ عَنِ الحَقِّ تعالى
فأَنْتَ مَغْرُورٌ جِدًّا لِدَرَجَةِ أَنَّكَ تَنْفُضُ أَيَّ غُبَارٍ يَمَسُّ ثِيَابَكَ، رَغْمَ أَنَّ مَصِيرَكَ النِّهَائِيَّ هُوَ النَّوْمُ تَحْتَ أطْبَاقِ التُّرَابِ
يَسْخَرُ صَائِب مِنَ التَّعَالِي الوَهْمِيِّ؛ فَالإِنْسَانُ الذِي يَأْنَفُ مِنَ الغُبَارِ سَيَكُونُ الغُبَارُ نَفْسُهُ لِحَافَهُ عند الموتِ، وَهِيَ دَعْوَةٌ لِـ “التَّوَاضُعِ القَسْرِيِّ”
فيَا صَائِب، إِذَا لَمْ تَغْسِلْ وَجْهَكَ بِدُمُوعِ التَّوْبَةِ، فَلَنْ تَجْنِيَ مِنْ أَشْعَارِكَ وَدِيوَانِكَ إِلَّا الخَجَلَ وَسَوَادَ الوَجْهِ في الأخرةِ
خَاتِمَةُ الصِّدْقِ؛ حَيْثُ يَرَى الشَّاعِرُ أَنَّ القِيمَةَ لَيْسَتْ فِي بَلَاغَةِ الـقَوْلِ، بَلْ فِي طَهَارَةِ القَلْبِ، وَأَنَّ الدُّمُوعَ هِيَ “مِدَادُ” الخَلَاصِ
Persian Ghazal
نیست سنگِ کم اگر در پلهٔ میزان تو را
کعبه و بتخانه باشد در نظر یکسان تو را
تا نبندی رخنهٔ چشم و دهان و گوش را
از درونِ دل نجوشد چشمهٔ حیوان تو را
همرهانِ سست در راهِ طلب سنگِ رهند
دل مخور، افتاد در پیری اگر دندان تو را
گرچه نگذارد کمان از خانهٔ خود پا برون
قامتِ خَم ساخت در پیری سبک جولان تو را
گوشمال آخر شود دستِ نوازش ساز را
سر مکش گر گوشمالی میدهد دوران تو را
نیست بیجمعیتِ خاطر تلاوت را ثمر
میشود سی پاره دل در خواندنِ قرآن تو را
از خجالت میشود هر دم به رنگی چهرهات
بس کز الوانِ گنه، آلوده شد دامان تو را
صبح زد از خندهرویی غوطه در خونِ شفق
تا چه گلها بشکفد از چهرهٔ خندان تو را
سوده شد از خوردنِ نان گرچه دندانهای تو
چشمِ کوتهبین پرد باز از برای نان تو را
چون به زیرِ خاک خواهی خفت، کز بس سرکشی
میفشانی گر نشیند گَرد بر دامان تو را
گر نشویی صائب از اشکِ ندامت روی خویش
جز سیهرویی نباشد حاصل از دیوان تو را
