منطق‌الطیر سلیمانی بیا ** بانگ هر مرغی که آید می‌سرا
Come, O (master of the) bird-speech of Solomon, sing the song of every bird that comes.
چون به مرغانت فرستادست حق ** لحن هر مرغی بدادستت سبق
Since God hath sent thee to the birds, He hath instructed thee in the note of every bird.
مرغ جبری را زبان جبر گو ** مرغ پر اشکسته را از صبر گو
To the necessitarian bird speak the language of necessitarianism ; to the bird whose wings are broken speak of patience (quietism).
مرغ صابر را تو خوش دار و معاف ** مرغ عنقا را بخوان اوصاف قاف
Keep the patient bird happy and free from harm; to the bird (resembling the) ‘Anqá recite the descriptions of (Mount) Qáf.
مر کبوتر را حذر فرما ز باز ** باز را از حلم گو و احتراز855
Bid the pigeon beware of the falcon; to the falcon speak of forbearance and being on its guard (against acting unjustly).
وان خفاشی را که ماند او بی‌نوا ** می‌کنش با نور جفت و آشنا
And as for the bat that is left destitute (of spiritual illumination), make it to consort and to be familiar with the Light.
کبک جنگی را بیاموزان تو صلح ** مر خروسان را نما اشراط صبح
Cause the warlike partridge to learn peace; to the cocks display the signs of dawn.
هم‌چنان می‌رو ز هدهد تا عقاب ** ره نما والله اعلم بالصواب
Even so proceed from the hoopoe to the eagle, and show the way. And God best knoweth the right course.
آزاد شدن بلقیس از ملک و مست شدن او از شوق ایمان و التفات همت او از همه‌ی ملک منقطع شدن وقت هجرت الا از تخت
How Bilqís was freed from her kingdom and was intoxicated with longing for the Faith, and how at the moment of her (spiritual) emigration the regard of her desire became severed from the whole of her kingdom except from her throne.
چون سلیمان سوی مرغان سبا ** یک صفیری کرد بست آن جمله را
When Solomon uttered a single whistling note to the birds of Sabá he ensnared them all,
جز مگر مرغی که بد بی‌جان و پر ** یا چو ماهی گنگ بود از اصل کر860
Except, maybe, the bird that was without spirit or wings, or was dumb and deaf, like a fish, from the beginning.
نی غلط گفتم که کر گر سر نهد ** پیش وحی کبریا سمعش دهد
Nay, I have spoken wrongly, for if the deaf one lay his head before the inspiration of the Divine Majesty, it will give to him (the power of) hearing.
چونک بلقیس از دل و جان عزم کرد ** بر زمان رفته هم افسوس خورد
When Bilqís set out (from Sabá) with heart and soul, she felt remorse too for the bygone time,
ترک مال و ملک کرد او آن چنان ** که بترک نام و ننگ آن عاشقان
She took leave of her kingdom and riches in the same way as those lovers (of God) take leave of honour and disgrace (reputation).
آن غلامان و کنیزان بناز ** پیش چشمش هم‌چو پوسیده پیاز
Those charming pages and handmaidens (of hers seemed) to her eye (loathly) as a rotten onion.
باغها و قصرها و آب رود ** پیش چشم از عشق گلحن می‌نمود865
For love’s sake, orchards and palaces and river-water seemed to her eye (contemptible as) a dunghill.
عشق در هنگام استیلا و خشم ** زشت گرداند لطیفان را به چشم
Love, in the hour of domination and anger, makes the pleasing ones to become hideous to the eye.
هر زمرد را نماید گندنا ** غیرت عشق این بود معنی لا
Love’s jealousy causes every emerald to appear as a leek: this is the (inner) meaning of Lá.
لااله الا هو اینست ای پناه ** که نماید مه ترا دیگ سیاه
O (thou who givest) protection , (the meaning of) “There is no god but He” is that the moon should seem to thee a black kettle.
هیچ مال و هیچ مخزن هیچ رخت ** می دریغش نامد الا جز که تخت
No wealth, no treasury, and no goods or gear were being grudged by her (Bilqis) except her throne.
پس سلیمان از دلش آگاه شد ** کز دل او تا دل او راه شد870
Then Solomon became aware of (this feeling in) her heart, for the way was open from his heart to hers.
آن کسی که بانگ موران بشنود ** هم فغان سر دوران بشنود
He that hears the voice of ants will also hear the cry from the inmost soul of them that are afar.
آنک گوید راز قالت نملة ** هم بداند راز این طاق کهن
He that declares the mystery of “an ant said” will also know the mystery of this ancient dome.
دید از دورش که آن تسلیم کیش ** تلخش آمد فرقت آن تخت خویش
From afar he (Solomon) discerned that to her (Bilqís) who was following the path of resignation ‘twas bitter to part with her throne.
گر بگویم آن سبب گردد دراز ** که چرا بودش به تخت آن عشق و ساز
If I explain the reason why she had that love and complaisance to her throne, it (the discourse) will become (too) long.
گرچه این کلک قلم خود بی‌حسیست ** نیست جنس کاتب او را مونسیست875
Although this reed-pen is in fact an insensible thing and is not homogeneous with the writer, (yet) it is a familiar friend to him.