You eat the flesh of God's servants: you backbite them, you will suffer retribution.
هان که بویای دهانتان خالقست ** کی برد جان غیر آن کو صادقست
Beware, for he that smells your mouths is the Creator: how shall any one save his life except him that is true (to God)?
وای آن افسوسیی کش بوی‌گیر ** باشد اندر گور منکر یا نکیر
Woe to the scoffer whose smell shall be tested in the grave by Munkar or Nakír!
نه دهان دزدیدن امکان زان مهان ** نه دهان خوش کردن از دارودهان110
There is no possibility of withdrawing the mouth from those mighty ones, nor of sweetening the mouth with medicinal ointments.
آب و روغن نیست مر روپوش را ** راه حیلت نیست عقل و هوش را
(In the grave) there is no water and oil to cover the face, there is no way of evasion (open) to intelligence and sagacity.
چند کوبد زخمهای گرزشان ** بر سر هر ژاژخا و مرزشان
How many a time will the blows of their maces beat upon the head and rump of every vain gabbler!
گرز عزرائیل را بنگر اثر ** گر نبینی چوب و آهن در صور
Look at the effect of the mace of ‘Azrá’íl, (even) if you do not see the wood and iron in (their material) forms.
هم بصورت می‌نماید گه گهی ** زان همان رنجور باشد آگهی
Sometimes too they appear in (material) form: the patient (himself) is aware thereof.
گوید آن رنجور ای یاران من ** چیست این شمشیر بر ساران من115
The patient says, “O my friends, what is this sword over my head?”
ما نمی‌بینیم باشد این خیال ** چه خیالست این که این هست ارتحال
(They reply), “We do not see it; this must be fancy.” What fancy is this? (Nay), for it is (the hour of) departure (to the other world).
چه خیالست این که این چرخ نگون ** از نهیب این خیالی شد کنون
What fancy is this, from terror of which this inverted sphere (the sky) has now become (as insubstantial as) a phantom?
گرزها و تیغها محسوس شد ** پیش بیمار و سرش منکوس شد
To the sick man the maces and swords became perceptible (visible), and his head dropped down.
او همی‌بیند که آن از بهر اوست ** چشم دشمن بسته زان و چشم دوست
He sees that that (vision) is for his sake: the eye of foe and friend (alike) is barred from it.
حرص دنیا رفت و چشمش تیز شد ** چشم او روشن گه خون‌ریز شد120
Worldly greed vanished, his eye became keen: his eye became illumined at the moment of bloodshed (death).
مرغ بی‌هنگام شد آن چشم او ** از نتیجه‌ی کبر او و خشم او
That eye of his, from the result of his pride and his anger, became (like) the cock that crows unseasonably.
سر بریدن واجب آید مرغ را ** کو بغیر وقت جنباند درا
It is necessary to cut off the head of the bird that rings the bell (crows) at the wrong time.
هر زمان نزعیست جزو جانت را ** بنگر اندر نزع جان ایمانت را
At every moment thy particular spirit is struggling with death: in thy spirit's death-struggle look to thy faith!
عمر تو مانند همیان زرست ** روز و شب مانند دینار اشمرست
Thy life is like a purse of gold: day and night are like him who counts the gold coins (the money-changer).
می‌شمارد می‌دهد زر بی وقوف ** تا که خالی گردد و آید خسوف125
He (Time) counts and gives the gold without stopping, until it (the purse) is emptied and there comes the eclipse (death).
گر ز که بستانی و ننهی بجای ** اندر آید کوه زان دادن ز پای
If you take away from a mountain and do not put (anything) in the place (of what you have taken), the mountain will be demolished by that giving.
پس بنه بر جای هر دم را عوض ** تا ز واسجد واقترب یابی غرض
Therefore, for every breath (that you give out), put an equivalent in its place, so that by (acting in accordance with the text) and fall to worship and draw nigh you may gain your object.
در تمامی کارها چندین مکوش ** جز به کاری که بود در دین مکوش
Do not strive so much to complete (your worldly) affairs: do not strive in any affair that is not religious.
عاقبت تو رفت خواهی ناتمام ** کارهاات ابتر و نان تو خام
(Otherwise) at the end you will depart incomplete, your (spiritual) affairs marred and your bread unbaked.
وان عمارت کردن گور و لحد ** نه به سنگست و به چوب و نه لبد130
And the beautifying of your grave and sepulchre is not (done) by means of stone and wood and plaster;
بلک خود را در صفا گوری کنی ** در منی او کنی دفن منی
Nay, but by digging for yourself a grave in (spiritual) purity and burying (your) egoism in His egoism,