هر صباحی رو نهادی سوی گور ** ایستادی تا ضحی اندر حضور
Every dawn he would set his face towards the grave and stand (there) in attention till the forenoon,
یا مثال شیخ پیشش آمدی ** یا که بی‌گفتی شکالش حل شدی
And either the apparition of the Shaykh would come to him, or without anything spoken his difficulty would be solved,
تا یکی روزی بیامد با سعود ** گورها را برف نو پوشیده بود1930
Till one day he came auspiciously (to visit the grave): the graves were covered with new-fallen snow.
توی بر تو برفها هم‌چون علم ** قبه قبه دیده و شد جانش به غم
He saw the snows, wreath on wreath like flags, mound (piled) on mound; and his soul was grieved.
بانگش آمد از حظیره‌ی شیخ حی ** ها انا ادعوک کی تسعی الی
From the shrine of the (spiritually) living Shaykh came to him a cry, “Hark, I call thee that thou mayst run to me.
هین بیا این سو بر آوازم شتاب ** عالم ار برفست روی از من متاب
Hey, come quickly in this direction, towards my voice: if the world is (full of) snow, (yet) do not turn thy face away from me.”
حال او زان روز شد خوب و بدید ** آن عجایب را که اول می‌شنید
From that day his (spiritual) state became excellent, and he saw (experienced) those wondrous things which at first he was (only) hearing (knowing by hearsay).
رقعه‌ی دیگر نوشتن آن غلام پیش شاه چون جواب آن رقعه‌ی اول نیافت
How the slave wrote another letter to the king when he received no reply to the first letter.
نامه‌ی دیگر نوشت آن بدگمان ** پر ز تشنیع و نفیر و پر فغان1935
That evil-thinking one wrote another letter, full of vituperation and clamour and loud complaint.
که یکی رقعه نبشتم پیش شه ** ای عجب آنجا رسید و یافت ره
He said, “I wrote a letter to the king; oh, I wonder if it arrived there and found its way (to him).”
آن دگر را خواند هم آن خوب‌خد ** هم نداد او را جواب و تن بزد
The fair-cheeked (king) read that second one also, and as before he gave him no reply and kept silence.
خشک می‌آورد او را شهریار ** او مکرر کرد رقعه پنج بار
The king was withholding all favour from him: he (the slave) repeated the letter five times.
گفت حاجب آخر او بنده‌ی شماست ** گر جوابش بر نویسی هم رواست
“After all,” said the chamberlain, “he is your (Majesty’s) slave: if you write a reply to him, tis fitting.
از شهی تو چه کم گردد اگر ** برغلام و بنده اندازی نظر1940
What diminution of your sovereignty will occur if you cast looks (of favour) on your slave and servant?”
گفت این سهلست اما احمقست ** مرد احمق زشت و مردود حقست
He (the king) said, “This is easy; but he is fool: a foolish man is foul and rejected of God.
گرچه آمرزم گناه و زلتش ** هم کند بر من سرایت علتش
Though I pardon his sin and fault, his disease will infect me also.
صد کس از گرگین همه گرگین شوند ** خاصه این گر خبیث ناپسند
From (contact with) an itchy person a whole hundred become itchy, especially (in the case of) this loathsome reprobate itch.
گر کم عقلی مبادا گبر را ** شوم او بی‌آب دارد ابر را
May the itch, lack of intelligence, not befall (even) the infidel His (the fool’s) ill-starredness keeps the cloud rainless.
نم نبارد ابر از شومی او ** شهر شد ویرانه از بومی او1945
On account of his ill-starredness the cloud sheds no moisture: by his owlishness the city is made a desert.
از گر آن احمقان طوفان نوح ** کرد ویران عالمی را در فضوح
Because of the itch of those foolish ones the Flood of Noah devastated a whole world (of people) in disgrace.
گفت پیغامبر که احمق هر که هست ** او عدو ماست و غول ره‌زنست
The Prophet said, ‘Whosoever is foolish, he is our enemy and a ghoul who waylays (the traveller).
هر که او عاقل بود از جان ماست ** روح او و ریح او ریحان ماست
Whoso is intelligent, he is (dear to us as) our soul :his breeze and wind is our sweet basil.’
عقل دشنامم دهد من راضیم ** زانک فیضی دارد از فیاضیم
(If) intelligence revile me, I am well-pleased, because it possesses something that has emanated from my emanative activity.
نبود آن دشنام او بی‌فایده ** نبود آن مهمانیش بی‌مایده1950
Its revilement is not without use, its hospitality is not without a table;
احمق ار حلوا نهد اندر لبم ** من از آن حلوای او اندر تبم
(But) if the fool put sweetmeat on my lip, I am in a fever from (tasting) his sweetmeat.”
این یقین دان گر لطیف و روشنی ** نیست بوسه‌ی کون خر را چاشنی
If you are goodly and enlightened, know this for sure, (that) kissing the arse of an ass hath no (delicious) savour.