ماهیان جان در این دریا پرند ** تو نمیبینی که کوری ای نژند
The spiritual Fishes abound in this sea (the world), (but) thou seest them not, for thou art blind, O miserable wretch.
بر تو خود را میزنند آن ماهیان ** چشم بگشا تا ببینیشان عیان
Those Fishes are darting at thee: open thine eye, that thou mayst see them clearly.
ماهیان را گر نمیبینی پدید ** گوش تو تسبیحشان آخر شنید
If thou art not seeing the Fishes plain—after all, thine ear hath heard their glorification (of God).
صبر کردن جان تسبیحات تست ** صبر کن کان است تسبیح درست3145
To practise patience is the soul of thy glorifications: have patience, for that is the true glorification.
هیچ تسبیحی ندارد آن درج ** صبر کن الصبر مفتاح الفرج
No glorification hath such a (high) degree (as patience hath); have patience: patience is the key to relief (from pain).
صبر چون پول صراط آن سو بهشت ** هست با هر خوب یک لالای زشت
Patience is like the bridge Sirát, (with) Paradise on the other side: with every fair (boy) there is an ugly pedagogue.
تا ز لالا میگریزی وصل نیست ** ز انکه لالا را ز شاهد فصل نیست
So long as you flee from the pedagogue, there is no meeting (with the boy), because there is no parting of the handsome boy from the pedagogue.
تو چه دانی ذوق صبر ای شیشه دل ** خاصه صبر از بهر آن نقش چگل
What should you know of the (sweet) savour of patience, O you of brittle heart—especially, of patience for the sake of that Beauty of Chigil?
مرد را ذوق غزا و کر و فر ** مر مخنث را بود ذوقاز ذکر3150
A man’s delight is in campaigns (for Islam) and in the glory and pomp (of war); pathico voluptas e pene est. [A man’s delight is in campaigns (for Islam) and in the glory and pomp (of war); a (passive) catamite’s delight is from the penis.]
جز ذکر نه دین او و ذکر او ** سوی اسفل برد او را فکر او
Nihil est religio et precatio ejus nisi penis: his thought has borne him down to the lowest depth. [His religion and his prayer (is) nothing but the penis: his thought has borne him down to the lowest depth. ]
گر بر آید بر فلک از وی مترس ** کاو بعشق سفل آموزید درس
Though he rise to the sky, be not afraid of him, for (it is only) in love of lowness (degradation) he has studied (and gained eminence).
او بسوی سفل میراند فرس ** گر چه سوی علو جنباند جرس
He gallops his horse towards lowness, albeit he rings the bell (proclaims that he is going) aloft.
از علمهای گدایان ترس چیست ** کان علمها لقمهی نان را رهی است
What is there to fear from the flags of beggars?—for those flags are (but) a means for (getting) a mouthful of bread.
ترسیدن کودک از آن شخص صاحب جثه و گفتن آن شخص که ای کودک مترس که من نامردم
Timet puer quidam hominem corpulentum. “Ne timueris,” inquit, “O puer; ego enim vir non sum.” [About a boy’s fear of the corpulent man and how that person said, “Don’t be afraid, O boy, since I am not manly.”]
کنگ زفتی کودکی را یافت فرد ** زرد شد کودک ز بیم قصد مرد3155
Juvenis robustus puerum deprehendit solum. Palluit timore puer ne forte homo impetum faceret. [A stout youth found a boy alone. The boy turned pale from fear of the man’s intention (to attack).]
گفت ایمن باش ای زیبای من ** که تو خواهی بود بر بالای من
“Securus esto,” inquit, “mi pulcher; tu enim super me eris.” [He (the man) said, “Be secure, O my lovely one, since you will be on top of me. ]
من اگر هولم مخنث دان مرا ** همچو اشتر بر نشین میران مرا
Etiamsi terribilis (aspectu) sum, scito me impotentem esse ad coitum: me sicut camelum conscende, propelle.” [“Although I am dreadful (in appearance), know me (to be an impotent) catamite. Mount me like a camel (and) thrust.”]
صورت مردان و معنی این چنین ** از برون آدم درون دیو لعین
(With) the appearance of men and the reality like this— Adam without, the accursed Devil within—
آن دهل را مانی ای زفت چو عاد ** که بر او آن شاخ را میکوفت باد
O you that are big as the people of ‘Ád, you resemble the drum against which a branch was beaten by the wind.
روبهی اشکار خود را باد داد ** بهر طبلی همچو خیک پر ز باد3160
A fox abandoned his prey for the sake of a drum like a wind-filled leathern bag,
چون ندید اندر دهل او فربهی ** گفت خوکی به ازین خیک تهی
(But) when he found no (real) fatness in the drum, he said, “A hog is better than this empty bag.”
روبهان ترسند ز آواز دهل ** عاقلش چندان زند که لا تقل
Foxes are afraid of the noise of the drum; (but) the wise man beats it ever so much, saying, “Speak not!”
قصهی تیر اندازی و ترسیدن او از سواری که در بیشه میرفت
The story of an archer and his fear of a horseman who was riding in a forest.
یک سواری با سلاح و بس مهیب ** میشد اندر بیشه بر اسبی نجیب
A horseman, armed and very terrible (in appearance), was riding in the forest on a high-bred horse.
تیر اندازی به حکم او را بدید ** پس ز خوف او کمان را در کشید
An expert archer espied him, and then from fear of him drew his bow,
تا زند تیری سوارش بانگ زد ** من ضعیفم گر چه زفت استم جسد3165
To shoot an arrow. The horseman shouted to him, “I am a weakling, though my body is big.
هان و هان منگر تو در زفتی من ** که کمم در وقت جنگ از پیر زن
Take heed! Take heed! Do not regard my bigness, for in the hour of battle I am less than an old woman.”