He whom thou seekest in thy slumbers, this is He! Open thine eye, (thou wilt see) ’tis that auspicious Moon.
زان بلاها بر عزیزان بیش بود ** کان تجمش یار با خوبان فزود
Tribulations were (laid) more (heavily) upon (His) dear ones because the Beloved showed more coquettishness towards the beauteous (lovers).
لاغ با خوبان کند بر هر رهی ** نیز کوران را بشوراند گهی
He sports with the beauteous ones in every path; sometimes, too, he throws the blind into frenzy.
خویش را یک‌دم برین کوران دهد ** تا غریو از کوی کوران بر جهد 1110
For a moment He gives Himself to the blind, so that a great uproar arises from the street of the blind.
قصه‌ی هلال کی بنده‌ی مخلص بود خدای را صاحب بصیرت بی‌تقلید پنهان شده در بندگی مخلوقان جهت مصلحت نه از عجز چنانک لقمان و یوسف از روی ظاهر و غیر ایشان بنده‌ی سایس بود امیری را و آن امیر مسلمان بود اما چشم بسته داند اعمی که مادری دارد لیک چونی بوهم در نارد اگر با این دانش تعظیم این مادر کند ممکن بود کی از عمی خلاص یابد کی اذا اراد الله به عبد خیرا فتح عینی قلبه لیبصره بهما الغیب این راه ز زندگی دل حاصل کن کین زندگی تن صفت حیوانست
Story of Hilal, who was a devoted servant to God. (He was) possessed of spiritual insight and (in his religion) was not a mere imitator (of others). He had concealed himself in (the disguise of) being a slave to (God's) creatures, not from helplessness but for good reason, as Luqmán and Joseph and others (did, who were slaves) in appearance. He was a groom in the service of a certain Amír, and that Amír was a Moslem, but (spiritually) blind. “The blind man knows that he has a mother, but he cannot conceive what she is like.” If, having this knowledge, he show reverence towards his mother, it is possible that he may gain deliverance from blindness, for (the Prophet has said that) when God wills good unto a servant (of His) He opens the eyes of his heart, that He may let him see the Invisible (World) with them.
چون شنیدی بعضی اوصاف بلال ** بشنو اکنون قصه‌ی ضعف هلال
Since you have heard some of the (excellent) qualities of Bilál, now hear the story of the emaciation of Hilál.
از بلال او بیش بود اندر روش ** خوی بد را بیش کرده بد کشش
He was more advanced than Bilál in the Way (to God): he had mortified his evil nature more.
نه چو تو پس‌رو که هر دم پس‌تری ** سوی سنگی می‌روی از گوهری
(He was) not a backslider like you, for at every moment you are farther back: you are moving away from the state of the (precious) pearl towards the state of the (worthless) stone.
آن‌چنان کان خواجه را مهمان رسید ** خواجه از ایام و سالش بر رسید
’Tis like the case of the guest who came to a certain Khwája: the Khwája inquired concerning his days and years.
گفت عمرت چند سالست ای پسر ** بازگو و در مدزد و بر شمر 1115
He asked, “How many years hast thou lived, my lad? Say (it) out and don't hide (it) away but count up (correctly).”
گفت هجده هفده یا خود شانزده ** یا که پانزده ای برادرخوانده
He replied, “Eighteen, seventeen, or sixteen, or fifteen, O adoptive brother.”
گفت واپس واپس ای خیره سرت ** باز می‌رو تا بکس مادرت
“(Go) backward, backward,” said he, “O giddy-headed one”; “keep going back usque ad cunnum matris tuae!” [“(Go) backward, backward,” said he, “O giddy-headed one”; “keep going back until (you return to) your mother’s vagina!”]
حکایت در تقریر همین سخن
Story in exposition of the same topic.
آن یکی اسپی طلب کرد از امیر ** گفت رو آن اسپ اشهب را بگیر
A certain man begged an Amír to give him a horse: he said, “Go and take that grey horse.”
گفت آن را من نخواهم گفت چون ** گفت او واپس‌روست و بس حرون
He replied, “I don't want that one.” “Why not?” he asked. “It goes backward and is very restive,” said he;
سخت پس پس می‌رود او سوی بن ** گفت دمش را به سوی خانه کن 1120
“It goes back, back very hard in the direction of its rump.” He replied, “Turn its tail towards home!”
دم این استور نفست شهوتست ** زین سبب پس پس رود آن خودپرست
The tail of this beast you are riding, (namely), your carnal soul, is lust; hence that self-worshipper goes back, back.
شهوت او را که دم آمد ز بن ** ای مبدل شهوت عقبیش کن
O changer, make its (carnal) lust, which is the tail, to be entirely lust for the world hereafter.
چون ببندی شهوتش را از رغیف ** سر کند آن شهوت از عقل شریف
When you bind its lust (and debar it) from the loaf, that lust puts forth its head from (is transformed into) noble reason.
هم‌چو شاخی که ببری از درخت ** سر کند قوت ز شاخ نیک‌بخت
As, when you lop off a (superfluous) branch from a tree, vigour is imparted to the well-conditioned branches.
چونک کردی دم او را آن طرف ** گر رود پس پس رود تا مکتنف 1125
When you have turned its (the carnal steed's) tail in that direction, if it goes backward, it goes to the place of shelter.
حبذا اسپان رام پیش‌رو ** نه سپس‌رو نه حرونی را گرو
How excellent are the docile horses which go forward, not backward, and are not given over to restiveness,