خان و مان چغد ویرانست و بس ** نشنود اوصاف بغداد و طبس
The wilderness alone is the house and goods of the owl: he (the owl) will not listen to descriptions of Baghdád and Tabas.
گر بیاید باز سلطانی ز راه ** صد خبر آرد بدین چغدان ز شاه 1155
If a royal falcon come from the road and bring to these owls a hundred reports of the King,
شرح دارالملک و باغستان و جو ** پس برو افسوس دارد صد عدو
(With) a full account of the imperial city and the orchards and the rivers—then a hundred enemies will jeer at him,
که چه باز آورد افسانه‌ی کهن ** کز گزاف و لاف می‌بافد سخن
Saying, ‘What has the falcon brought? An old story. He is weaving words of vanity and idle brag.’
کهنه ایشانند و پوسیده‌ی ابد ** ورنه آن دم کهنه را نو می‌کند
(’Tis) they (that) are old and rotten unto everlasting; otherwise (they would know that) that breath (of prophetic inspiration) makes the old new.
مردگان کهنه را جان می‌دهد ** تاج عقل و نور ایمان می‌دهد
It gives life to the old dead (spirits): it gives the crown of reason and the light of faith.
دل مدزد از دلربای روح‌بخش ** که سوارت می‌کند بر پشت رخش 1160
Do not steal thy heart away from the spirit-bestowing heart-ravisher, for he will mount thee on the back of Rakhsh.
سر مدزد از سر فراز تاج‌ده ** کو ز پای دل گشاید صد گره
Do not steal thy head away from the crown-giving one whose head is exalted, for he will untie a hundred knots from the foot of thy heart.
با کی گویم در همه ده زنده کو ** سوی آب زندگی پوینده کو
Whom shall I tell? Where in the village is any (spiritually) living one? Where is any one that runs towards the Water of Life?
تو به یک خواری گریزانی ز عشق ** تو به جز نامی چه می‌دانی ز عشق
Thou art fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation: what dost thou know of Love except the name?
عشق را صد ناز و استکبار هست ** عشق با صد ناز می‌آید به دست
Love hath a hundred disdains and prides: Love is gained by means of a hundred blandishments.
عشق چون وافیست وافی می‌خرد ** در حریف بی‌وفا می‌ننگرد 1165
Since Love is loyal, it purchases (desires) him that is loyal: it does not look at a disloyal comrade.
چون درختست آدمی و بیخ عهد ** بیخ را تیمار می‌باید به جهد
Man resembles a tree, and the root is the covenant (with God): the root must be cherished with all one's might.
عهد فاسد بیخ پوسیده بود ** وز ثمار و لطف ببریده بود
A corrupt (infirm) covenant is a rotten root and is cut off (deprived) of fruit and grace.
شاخ و برگ نخل گر چه سبز بود ** با فساد بیخ سبزی نیست سود
Although the boughs and leaves of the date-palm are green, greenness is no benefit (when conjoined) with corruption of the root;
ور ندارد برگ سبز و بیخ هست ** عاقبت بیرون کند صد برگ دست
And if it (the bough) have no green leaves, while it hath a (good) root, at the last a hundred leaves will put forth their hands.
تو مشو غره به علمش عهد جو ** علم چون قشرست و عهدش مغز او 1170
Be not duped by his (the learned man's) knowledge; seek (to know whether he keeps) the covenant: knowledge is like a husk, and his covenant is its kernel.
در بیان آنک مرد بدکار چون متمکن شود در بدکاری و اثر دولت نیکوکاران ببیند شیطان شود و مانع خیر گردد از حسد هم‌چون شیطان کی خرمن سوخته همه را خرمن سوخته خواهد ارایت الذی ینهی عبدا اذا صلی
Explaining that when the evil-doer becomes settled in evil-doing and sees the effect of the (spiritual) fortune of the doers of righteousness, he from envy becomes a devil and preventer of good, like Satan; for he whose stack is burnt desires that all (others) should have their stacks burnt: ‘hast thou seen him who forbids a servant (of God) when he performs the (ritual) prayer?’
وافیان را چون ببینی کرده سود ** تو چو شیطانی شوی آنجا حسود
When you see that the loyal have profited, thereat you become envious, like a devil.
هرکرا باشد مزاج و طبع سست ** او نخواهد هیچ کس را تن‌درست
Whenever a man's temperament and constitution is feeble, he does not wish any one to be sound in body.
گر نخواهی رشک ابلیسی بیا ** از در دعوی به درگاه وفا
If you dislike (to have) the jealousy of Iblís, come (away) from the door of pretension (and advance) to the portal of loyalty.
چون وفاات نیست باری دم مزن ** که سخن دعویست اغلب ما و من
When thou hast not loyalty, at least do not talk (presumptuously), for words are for the most part self-assertion—‘we’ and ‘I.’
این سخن در سینه دخل مغزهاست ** در خموشی مغز جان را صد نماست 1175
These words, (whilst they stay) in the breast, are an income consisting of (spiritual) kernels: in silence the spiritual kernel grows a hundredfold.
چون بیامد در زبان شد خرج مغز ** خرج کم کن تا بماند مغز نغز
When it (the word) comes on to the tongue, the kernel is expended: refrain from expending, in order that the goodly kernel may remain (with you).
مرد کم گوینده را فکرست زفت ** قشر گفتن چون فزون شد مغز رفت
The man who speaks little hath strong thoughts: when the husk, namely speech, becomes excessive, the kernel goes.
پوست افزون بود لاغر بود مغز ** پوست لاغر شد چو کامل گشت و نغز
(When) the rind is excessive, the kernel is thin: the rind becomes thin when it (the kernel) becomes perfect and goodly.