عکس ذوق آن جماعت میزدی ** وین دلم ز آن عکس ذوقی میشدی565
The delight of that company (of Súfís) was casting a reflexion, and this heart of mine was becoming delighted by that reflexion.”
عکس چندان باید از یاران خوش ** که شوی از بحر بیعکس آب کش
The reflexion (cast) from goodly friends is necessary until you become, without (the aid of any) reflexion, a drawer of water from the Sea.
عکس کاول زد تو آن تقلید دان ** چون پیاپی شد شود تحقیق آن
Know that the reflexion first cast is (only) imitation, (but) when it has become successive (continually recurrent) it turns into (direct) realisation (of the truth).
تا نشد تحقیق از یاران مبر ** از صدف مگسل نگشت آن قطره در
Until it has become realisation, do not part from the friends (by whom you are guided); do not break away from the shell: the rain-drop has not (yet) become a pearl.
صاف خواهی چشم و عقل و سمع را ** بر دران تو پردههای طمع را
If you wish eye and understanding and hearing to be pure, tear in pieces the curtains of selfish desire,
ز انکه آن تقلید صوفی از طمع ** عقل او بر بست از نور و لمع570
Because the Súfí's imitation, (which arose) from desire, debarred his understanding from the light and radiance.
طمع لوت و طمع آن ذوق و سماع ** مانع آمد عقل او را ز اطلاع
Desire for the viands and desire for that delight (shown by the Súfís) and for the samá‘ hindered his understanding from (gaining) knowledge (of what had happened).
گر طمع در آینه برخاستی ** در نفاق آن آینه چون ماستی
If desire were to arise in the mirror, that mirror would be like us in (respect of) hypocrisy.
گر ترازو را طمع بودی به مال ** راست کی گفتی ترازو وصف حال
If the balance had desire for riches, how would the balance give a true description of the case?
هر نبیی گفت با قوم از صفا ** من نخواهم مزد پیغام از شما
Every prophet has said in sincerity to his people, “I ask not from you the wages for my message.
من دلیلم حق شما را مشتری ** داد حق دلالیم هر دو سری575
I am (only) a guide; God is your purchaser: God has appointed me to act as broker on both sides.
چیست مزد کار من دیدار یار ** گر چه خود بو بکر بخشد چل هزار
What are the wages for my work? The sight of the Friend (God), even though Abú Bakr give me forty thousand (dirhems).
چل هزار او نباشد مزد من ** کی بود شبه شبه در عدن
My wages are not his forty thousand (dirhems): how should glass beads be like the pearls of Aden?”
یک حکایت گویمت بشنو به هوش ** تا بدانی که طمع شد بند گوش
I will tell you a story: listen to it attentively, that you may know that selfish desire is a plug in the ear.
هر که را باشد طمع الکن شود ** با طمع کی چشم و دل روشن شود
Whosoever hath (such) desire becomes a stammerer (morally confused); with desire (present), how should the (spiritual) eye and the heart become bright?
پیش چشم او خیال جاه و زر ** همچنان باشد که موی اندر بصر580
The fancy of power and wealth before his eye is just as a hair in the eye,
جز مگر مستی که از حق پر بود ** گر چه بدهی گنجها او حر بود
Except, to be sure, (in the case of) the intoxicated (saint) who is filled with God: though you give (him) treasures (vast riches), he is free;
هر که از دیدار برخوردار شد ** این جهان در چشم او مردار شد
(For) when any one enjoys vision (of God), this world becomes carrion in his eyes.
لیک آن صوفی ز مستی دور بود ** لاجرم در حرص او شب کور بود
But that Súfí was far removed from (spiritual) intoxication; consequently he was night-blind (purblind) in (his) greed.
صد حکایت بشنود مدهوش حرص ** در نیاید نکتهای در گوش حرص
The man dazed by greed may hear a hundred stories, (but) not a single point comes into the ear of greed.
تعریف کردن منادیان قاضی مفلسی را گرد شهر
How the criers of the Cadi advertised an insolvent round the town.
بود شخصی مفلسی بیخان و مان ** مانده در زندان وبند بیامان585
There was an insolvent person without house or home, who remained in prison and pitiless bondage.
لقمهی زندانیان خوردی گزاف ** بر دل خلق از طمع چون کوه قاف
He would unconscionably eat the rations of the prisoners; on account of (his) appetite he was (a burden) like Mount Qáf on the hearts of the people (in the gaol).
زهره نه کس را که لقمهی نان خورد ** ز انکه آن لقمهربا کاوش برد
No one had the pluck to eat a mouthful of bread, because that snatcher of portions would carry off his entire meal.
هر که دور از دعوت رحمان بود ** او گدا چشم است اگر سلطان بود
Any one who is far from the feast of the Merciful (God) has the eye of a (low) beggar, though he be a sultan.
مر مروت را نهاده زیر پا ** گشته زندان دوزخی ز آن نان ربا
He (the insolvent) had trodden virtue underfoot; the prison had become a hell on account of that robber of bread.