Rumi's Masnavi - (Moved) by sorrows (pains of love) they began to make inquiry, saying, “Who in the world, we wonder, is she of whom this is the portrait?”

در تفحص آمدند از اندهان ** صورت کی بود عجب این در جهان
(Moved) by sorrows (pains of love) they began to make inquiry, saying, “Who in the world, we wonder, is she of whom this is the portrait?”

بعد بسیاری تفحص در مسیر ** کشف کرد آن راز را شیخی بصیر
After much inquiry in (the course of their) travel, a Shaykh endowed with insight disclosed the mystery,

نه از طریق گوش بل از وحی هوش ** رازها بد پیش او بی روی‌پوش
Not (verbally) by way of the ear, but (silently) by inspiration (derived) from Reason: to him (all) mysteries were unveiled.

گفت نقش رشک پروینست این ** صورت شه‌زاده‌ی چینست این
He said, “This is the portrait of (her who is) an object of envy to the Pleiades: this is the picture of the Princess of China.

هم‌چو جان و چون جنین پنهانست او ** در مکتم پرده و ایوانست او 3790
She is hidden like the spirit and like the embryo: she is (kept) in a secret bower and palace.

سوی او نه مرد ره دارد نه زن ** شاه پنهان کرد او را از فتن
Neither man nor woman is admitted to her (presence): the King has concealed her on account of her fascinations.

غیرتی دارد ملک بر نام او ** که نپرد مرغ هم بر بام او
The King has a (great) jealousy for her (good) name, so that not even a bird flies above her roof.”

وای آن دل کش چنین سودا فتاد ** هیچ کس را این چنین سودا مباد
Alas for the heart that such an insane passion has stricken: may no one feel a passion like this!

این سزای آنک تخم جهل کاشت ** وآن نصیحت را کساد و سهل داشت
This is the retribution due to him who sowed the seed of ignorance and held light and cheap that (precious) counsel,

اعتمادی کرد بر تدبیر خویش ** که برم من کار خود با عقل پیش 3795
And put a (great) trust in his own management, saying, “By dint of intelligence I will carry my affair to success.”

نیم ذره زان عنایت به بود ** که ز تدبیر خرد سیصد رصد
Half a mite of the (King's) favour is better than three hundred spells (expedients) devised by the intellect.

ترک مکر خویشتن گیر ای امیر ** پا بکش پیش عنایت خوش بمیر
Abandon your own cunning, O Amír: draw back your foot before the (Divine) favour and gladly die.

این به قدر حیله‌ی معدود نیست ** زین حیل تا تو نمیری سود نیست
This is not (to be gained) by a certain amount of contrivance: nothing avails until you die to (all) these contrivings.

حکایت صدر جهان بخارا کی هر سایلی کی به زبان بخواستی از صدقه‌ی عام بی‌دریغ او محروم شدی و آن دانشمند درویش به فراموشی و فرط حرص و تعجیل به زبان بخواست در موکب صدر جهان از وی رو بگردانید و او هر روز حیله‌ی نو ساختی و خود را گاه زن کردی زیر چادر وگاه نابینا کردی و چشم و روی خود بسته به فراستش بشناختی الی آخره
Story of the Sadr-i Jahán of Bukhárá. (It was his custom that) any beggar who begged with his tongue was excluded from his universal and unstinted charity. A certain poor savant, forgetting (this rule) and being excessively eager and in a hurry, begged (alms) with his tongue (while the Sadr was passing) amidst his cavalcade. The Sadr-i Jahán averted his face from him, and (though) he contrived a new trick every day and disguised himself, now as a woman veiled in a chádar and now as a blind man with bandaged eyes and face, he (the Sadr) always had discernment enough to recognize him, etc.

در بخارا خوی آن خواجیم اجل ** بود با خواهندگان حسن عمل
It was the habit of that most noble lord in Bukhárá to deal kindly with beggars.

داد بسیار و عطای بی‌شمار ** تا به شب بودی ز جودش زر نثار 3800
His great bounty and immeasurable munificence were always scattering gold till nightfall.

زر به کاغذپاره‌ها پیچیده بود ** تا وجودش بود می‌افشاند جود
The gold was wrapped in bits of paper: he continued to lavish bounty as long as he lived.

هم‌چو خورشید و چو ماه پاک‌باز ** آنچ گیرند از ضیا بدهند باز
(He was) like the sun and the spendthrift moon; (for) they give back (all) the radiance that they receive (from God).

خاک را زربخش کی بود آفتاب ** زر ازو در کان و گنج اندر خراب
Who bestows gold on the earth? The sun. Through him, gold is in the mine and treasure in the ruin.

هر صباحی یک گره را راتبه ** تا نماند امتی زو خایبه
Every morning an allowance (was distributed) to a (different) set of people, in order that no class should be left disappointed by him.

مبتلایان را بدی روزی عطا ** روز دیگر بیوگان را آن سخا 3805
On one day his gifts were made to those afflicted (by disease); next day the same generosity (was shown) to widows;

روز دیگر بر علویان مقل ** با فقیهان فقیر مشتغل
Next day to impoverished descendants of ‘Alí together with poor jurists engaged in study (of the canon-law);

شرط او آن بود که کس با زبان ** زر نخواهد هیچ نگشاید لبان
His rule (in giving alms) was that no one should beg for gold with his tongue or open his lips at all;

هر که کردی ناگهان با لب سال ** زو نبردی زین گنه یک حبه مال 3810
And any one who suddenly begged with his lips was punished for this offence by not getting from him (even) a mite of money.