پس فتادم زان کمال مستتم ** از فن زالی به زندان رحم
So by the artfulness of a crone I fell from (a state of) complete perfection into the prison of the womb.
روح را از عرش آرد در حطیم ** لاجرم کید زنان باشد عظیم
She brings the spirit from the highest heaven to the (corporeal) Hatím (enclosure): great must be the craft of women.
اول و آخر هبوط من ز زن ** چونک بودم روح و چون گشتم بدن
(Both) my first and my last fall were caused by woman, since I was spirit—and how have I become body?
بشنو این زاری یوسف در عثار ** یا بر آن یعقوب بی‌دل رحم آر 2800
Hearken to this lament of Joseph in his lapse (from grace), or take pity on that distraught Jacob.
ناله از اخوان کنم یا از زنان ** که فکندندم چو آدم از جنان
Shall I complain of my brethren or of the women who have cast me, like Adam, from the gardens (of Eden)?
زان مثال برگ دی پژمرده‌ام ** کز بهشت وصل گندم خورده‌ام
I am withered like leaves in December because I have eaten the wheat from the Paradise of union.
چون بدیدم لطف و اکرام ترا ** وآن سلام سلم و پیغام ترا
When I saw Thy graciousness and kindness and Thy greeting of peace and Thy message,
من سپند از چشم بد کردم پدید ** در سپندم نیز چشم بد رسید
I produced rue (to burn as a charm) against the evil eye; (but) the evil eye reached even my rue.
دافع هر چشم بد از پیش و پس ** چشم‌های پر خمار تست و بس 2805
(’Tis) only Thy languishing eyes (that) are able to avert every evil eye (whether) in front or behind.
چشم بد را چشم نیکویت شها ** مات و مستاصل کند نعم الدوا
Thy good eye, O King, defeats and extirpates the evil eye: how excellent it is as a remedy!
بل ز چشمت کیمیاها می‌رسد ** چشم بد را چشم نیکو می‌کند
Nay, from Thine eye come (wondrous) alchemies (transmutations): they turn the evil eye into the good eye.
چشم شه بر چشم باز دل زدست ** چشم بازش سخت با همت شدست
The King's eye hath smitten the eye of the falcon-heart, and its falcon-eye hath become mightily aspiring,
تا ز بس همت که یابید از نظر ** می‌نگیرد باز شه جز شیر نر
So that, because of the great aspiration which it has gained from the (King's) look, the royal falcon will (now) catch (hunt) nothing but the fierce lion.
شیر چه کان شاه‌باز معنوی ** هم شکار تست و هم صیدش توی 2810
What (of the) lion? The spiritual royal falcon is Thy quarry and at the same time Thou art its prey.
شد صفیر باز جان در مرج دین ** نعره‌های لا احب الافلین
The call uttered by the falcon-soul in the meadow of devotion is cries of “I love not them that set.”
باز دل را که پی تو می‌پرید ** از عطای بی‌حدت چشمی رسید
From Thy infinite bounty there came an (inward) eye to the falcon-soul that was flying for Thy sake.
یافت بینی بوی و گوش از تو سماع ** هر حسی را قسمتی آمد مشاع
From Thee its nose gained (the inward sense of) smell, and its ear the (inward) hearing: to each sense was allotted a portion (of the spiritual sense that was) distributed (amongst them all).
هر حسی را چون دهی ره سوی غیب ** نبود آن حس را فتور مرگ و شیب
Since Thou givest to each sense the means of access to the Unseen, that (spiritual) sense is not subject to the frailty of death and hoary eld.
مالک الملکی به حس چیزی دهی ** تا که بر حس‌ها کند آن حس شهی 2815
Thou art the Lord of the kingdom: Thou givest to the (spiritual) sense something (peculiar to itself), so that that sense exercises sovereignty over (all) the senses.
حکایت شب دزدان کی سلطان محمود شب در میان ایشان افتاد کی من یکی‌ام از شما و بر احوال ایشان مطلع شدن الی آخره
Story of the night-thieves with whom Sultan Mahmúd fell in during the night (and joined them), saying, “I am one of you”; and how he became acquainted with their affairs, etc.
شب چو شه محمود برمی‌گشت فرد ** با گروهی قوم دزدان باز خورد
While King Mahmúd was roaming about alone at night he encountered a band of thieves.
پس بگفتندش کیی ای بوالوفا ** گفت شه من هم یکی‌ام از شما
Thereupon they said to him, “Who art thou, O honest man?” “I am one of you,” replied the King.
آن یکی گفت ای گروه مکر کیش ** تا بگوید هر یکی فرهنگ خویش
One (of the thieves) said, “O company practised in cunning, let each of us declare his (special) talent;
تا بگوید با حریفان در سمر ** کو چه دارد در جبلت از هنر
Let him tell his comrades in the night-talk what (eminent) skill he possesses in his nature.”
آن یکی گفت ای گروه فن‌فروش ** هست خاصیت مرا اندر دو گوش 2820
One said, “O ye fellows who are exhibiting (your) cleverness, my specialty lies in my two ears.
که بدانم سگ چه می‌گوید به بانگ ** قوم گفتندش ز دیناری دو دانگ
(It is this), that I know what a dog is saying when it barks.” The (rest of the) party replied, “Two dángs of a dínár.”