گر به پیشت امتحان است این هوس ** امتحان را امتحان کن یک نفس2680
If this affection (which I am showing) seems to thee a trial, do thou for one moment put the (supposed) trial (of thee) to the test.
سر مپوشان تا پدید آید سرم ** امر کن تو هر چه بر وی قادرم
Do not hide thy secret (but reveal it), in order that mine may be revealed: command anything that I am able to do.
دل مپوشان تا پدید آید دلم ** تا قبول آرم هر آن چه قابلم
Do not hide thy heart (but reveal it), in order that mine may be revealed and that I may accept whatever I am capable of (performing).
چون کنم در دست من چه چاره است ** در نگر تا جان من چه کاره است
How shall I do? What remedy is in my power? Look what a plight my soul is in.”
تعیین کردن زن طریق طلب روزی کدخدای خود را و قبول کردن او
How the wife specified to her husband the way to earn daily bread and how he accepted (her proposal).
گفت زن یک آفتابی تافته ست ** عالمی زو روشنایی یافته ست
The wife said, “A sun has shone forth, a (whole) world has received light from him—
نایب رحمان خلیفهی کردگار ** شهر بغداد است از وی چون بهار2685
The Vicar of the Merciful (God), the Khalífa of the Creator: through him the city of Baghdád is (gay and happy) as the season of spring.
گر بپیوندی بدان شه شه شوی ** سوی هر ادبار تا کی میروی
If thou gain access to that King, thou wilt become a king: how long wilt thou go after every (kind of) misfortune?”
همنشینی مقبلان چون کیمیاست ** چون نظرشان کیمیایی خود کجاست
Companionship with kings is like the Elixir: indeed, how is an Elixir like (to be compared with) their looks (of favour)?
چشم احمد بر ابو بکری زده ** او ز یک تصدیق صدیق آمده
The eye of Ahmad (Mohammed) was cast upon an Abú Bakr: he by a single act of faith became a Siddíq.
گفت من شه را پذیرا چون شوم ** بیبهانه سوی او من چون روم
Said the husband, “How should I go to meet the King? How should I go to him without a pretext?
نسبتی باید مرا یا حیلتی ** هیچ پیشه راست شد بیآلتی2690
I must have some reference or device: is any handicraft right (possible) without tools?
همچو آن مجنون که بشنید از یکی ** که مرض آمد به لیلی اندکی
As (to mention a similar case) the famous Majnún, when he heard from some one that Laylá was a little unwell,
گفت آوه بیبهانه چون روم ** ور بمانم از عیادت چون شوم
Cried, ‘Ah, how shall I go (to her) without a pretext? And if I fail to visit her when she is ill, how (wretched) shall I be!
لیتنی کنت طبیبا حاذقا ** کنت أمشی نحو لیلی سابقا
Would that I were a skilled physician! I would have gone on foot to Laylá first of all (before any one else).’
قل تعالوا گفت حق ما را بدان ** تا بود شرم اشکنی ما را نشان
God said to us, ‘Say, Come ye,’ in order to signify to us the (means of) vanquishing our feeling of shame.
شب پران را گر نظر و آلت بدی ** روزشان جولان و خوش حالت بدی2695
If bats had sight and means (ability to bear the sunshine), they would fly about and enjoy themselves by day.”
گفت چون شاه کرم میدان رود ** عین هر بیآلتی آلت شود
The wife said, “When the gracious King goes into the field (maydán), the essence of every lack of means (inability) becomes a means (ability),
ز آن که آلت دعوی است و هستی است ** کار در بیآلتی و پستی است
Because the means (ability) is (involves) pretension and self-existence: the (pith of the) matter lies in lack of means (inability) and non-existence.”
گفت کی بیآلتی سودا کنم ** تا نه من بیآلتی پیدا کنم
“How,” said he, “should I do business without means, unless I make it manifest that I (really) have no means?
پس گواهی بایدم بر مفلسی ** تا شهم رحمی کند یا مونسی
Therefore I must needs have attestation of my want of means, that the King who wants naught may take pity on me.
تو گواهی غیر گفتوگو و رنگ ** وانما تا رحم آرد شاه شنگ2700
Do thou produce some attestation besides talk and show, so that the beauteous King may take pity,
کاین گواهی که ز گفت و رنگ بد ** نزد آن قاضی القضاة آن جرح شد
For the testimony that consisted of talk and show was (ever) invalidated before that Supreme Judge.
صدق میخواهد گواه حال او ** تا بتابد نور او بیقال او
He requires truth (veracity) as witness to his (the indigent man's) state, so that his (inner) light shall shine forth (and proclaim his indigence) without any words of his.”
هدیه بردن عرب سبوی آب باران از میان بادیه سوی بغداد به نزد خلیفه بر پنداشت آن که آن جا هم قحط آب است
How the Arab carried a jug of rain-water from the midst of the desert as a gift to the Commander of the Faithful at Baghdád, in the belief that in that town also there was a scarcity of water.
گفت زن صدق آن بود کز بود خویش ** پاک برخیزی تو از مجهود خویش
The wife said, “When with all thy might thou dost (endeavour to) rise up entirely purged of self-existence—that is veracity.
آب باران است ما را در سبو ** ملکت و سرمایه و اسباب تو
We have the rain-water in the jug: ’tis thy property and capital and means.