هین چه تقصیر آمد از بحر و سحاب ** تا تو یاری خواهی از ریگ و سراب 3410
Hark, what failure was shown by the sea and the cloud that thou shouldst seek help from the sand and the mirage?
عام اگر خفاش طبعند و مجاز ** یوسفا داری تو آخر چشم باز
If the vulgar are bats by nature and unreal (unspiritual), thou, at least, O Joseph, hast the eye of the falcon.
گر خفاشی رفت در کور و کبود ** باز سلطان دیده را باری چه بود
If a bat went into the blind and blue (the world of darkness and misery), (’tis no wonder, but) after all what ailed the falcon that had seen the Sultan?”
پس ادب کردش بدین جرم اوستاد ** که مساز از چوب پوسیده عماد
Therefore the (Divine) Master punished him for this sin, saying, “Do not make thy prop of rotten wood”;
لیک یوسف را به خود مشغول کرد ** تا نیاید در دلش زان حبس درد
But He caused Joseph to be engrossed with Him, to the end that his heart should not be pained by that imprisonment.
آن‌چنانش انس و مستی داد حق ** که نه زندان ماند پیشش نه غسق 3415
God gave him such intimate joy and rapture that neither the prison nor the mirk (of his dungeon) remained (visible) to him.
نیست زندانی وحش‌تر از رحم ** ناخوش و تاریک و پرخون و وخم
There is no prison more frightful than the womb—noisome and dark and full of blood and unhealthy;
چون گشادت حق دریچه سوی خویش ** در رحم هر دم فزاید تنت بیش
(Yet), when God has opened for you a window in His direction, your body (hidden) in the womb grows more (and more) every moment,
اندر آن زندان ز ذوق بی‌قیاس ** خوش شکفت از غرس جسم تو حواس
And in that prison, from the immeasurable delight (which you feel therein), the senses blossom happily from the plant, your body.
زان رحم بیرون شدن بر تو درشت ** می‌گریزی از زهارش سوی پشت
’Tis grievous to you to go forth from the womb: you are fleeing from her (your mother's) pubes towards her back.
راه لذت از درون دان نه از برون ** ابلهی دان جستن قصر و حصون 3420
Know that the way of (spiritual) pleasure is from within, not from without: know that it is folly to seek palaces and castles.
آن یکی در کنج مسجد مست و شاد ** وآن دگر در باغ ترش و بی‌مراد
One man is enraptured and delighted in the nook of a mosque, while another is morose and disappointed in a garden.
قصر چیزی نیست ویران کن بدن ** گنج در ویرانیست ای میر من
The palace (body) is nothing: ruin your body! The treasure lies in the ruin, O my prince.
این نمی‌بینی که در بزم شراب ** مست آنگه خوش شود کو شد خراب
Don't you see that at the wine-feast the drunkard becomes happy (only) when he becomes ruined (senseless)?
گرچه پر نقش است خانه بر کنش ** گنج جو و از گنج آبادان کنش
Although the (bodily) house is full of pictures, demolish it: seek the treasure, and with the treasure put it (the house) into good repair.
خانه‌ی پر نقش تصویر و خیال ** وین صور چون پرده بر گنج وصال 3425
’Tis a house filled with pictures of imagination and fancy, and these forms (ideas) are as a veil over the treasure of union (with God).
پرتو گنجست و تابش‌های زر ** که درین سینه همی‌جوشد صور
’Tis the radiance of the Treasure and the splendours of the (spiritual) gold that cause the forms (ideas) to surge up in this breast.
هم ز لطف و عکس آب با شرف ** پرده شد بر روی آب اجزای کف
’Tis from the purity and translucence of the noble Water that the particles of foam have veiled the face of the Water.
هم ز لطف و جوش جان با ثمن ** پرده‌ای بر روی جان شد شخص تن
’Tis from the purity and (ceaseless) agitation of the precious Spirit that the bodily figure has veiled the face of the Spirit.
پس مثل بشنو که در افواه خاست ** که اینچ بر ماست ای برادر هم ز ماست
Hearken, then, to the adage that issued from the mouths (of men)—“this which is (cast) upon us, O brother, is (derived) from us.”
زین حجاب این تشنگان کف‌پرست ** ز آب صافی اوفتاده دوردست 3430
Because of this veil, these thirsty ones who are (so) fond of the foam have got out of reach of the pure Water.
آفتابا با چو تو قبله و امام ** شب‌پرستی و خفاشی می‌کنیم
“O (Divine) Sun, notwithstanding (that we have) a qibla (object of adoration) and Imám like Thee, we worship the night and behave in the manner of bats.
سوی خود کن این خفاشان را مطار ** زین خفاشیشان بخر ای مستجار
Make these bats to fly towards Thee and redeem them from this bat-like disposition, O Thou whose protection is implored!
این جوان زین جرم ضالست و مغیر ** که بمن آمد ولی او را مگیر
This youth (the Amír), by (committing) this sin, has gone astray and trespassed (against Thee), for he came to me (for help); but do not chastise him.”
در عماد الملک این اندیشه‌ها ** گشته جوشان چون اسد در بیشه‌ها
In the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk these thoughts were raging like a lion (rushing) through the jungles.