رو به شه آورد چون تشنه به ابر ** آنک بود اندر شب قدر آن بدر
He turned his face to the King as a thirsty man to a cloud— he who on the Night of Power was the Full-moon's own.
چون لسان وجان او بود آن او ** آن او با او بود گستاخ‌گو
Since his tongue and his spirit were His (the King's), (he was not afraid, for) he who is His may converse with Him boldly.
گفت ما گشتیم چون جان بند طین ** آفتاب جان توی در یوم دین
He said, “We have been bound (in chains) like the spirit in its prison of clay: Thou art the Sun (illuminator) of the spirit on the Day of Judgement.
وقت آن شد ای شه مکتوم‌سیر ** کز کرم ریشی بجنبانی به خیر
O King whose course is concealed (from view), the time is come for Thee graciously to make a movement (sign) with Thy beard in clemency.
هر یکی خاصیت خود را نمود ** آن هنرها جمله بدبختی فزود 2910
Each one (of us) has displayed his specialty: all those talents have (only) increased (our) ill-fortune.
آن هنرها گردن ما را ببست ** زان مناصب سرنگوساریم و پست
Those talents have bound our necks, by those high attainments we are (thrown) headlong and (laid) low.
آن هنر فی جیدنا حبل مسد ** روز مردن نیست زان فنها مدد
(Our) talent is a cord of palm-fibre on our neck: there is no help (to be gained) from those accomplishments on the day of death.”
جز همان خاصیت آن خوش‌حواس ** که به شب بد چشم او سلطان‌شناس
(None of them avails) save only the specialty of that man endowed with goodly perceptions whose eye was recognising the Sultan in the (darkness of) night.
آن هنرها جمله غول راه بود ** غیر چشمی کو ز شه آگاه بود
All those talents were (as) ghouls (waylaying travellers) on the road, except (that of) the eye which was aware of the King.
شاه را شرم از وی آمد روز بار ** که به شب بر روی شه بودش نظار 2915
On the day of audience the King was ashamed (to refuse the petition) of him whose gaze was (fixed) on the King's face at night.