یا چو ابراهیم مرسل سرخوشی ** خویش را افکند اندر آتشی
Either, like Abraham who was sent (as a prophet), one intoxicated (with love) cast himself into a fire,
یا چو اسمعیل صبار مجید ** پیش عشق و خنجرش حلقی کشید 3985
Or, like the much-enduring and glorious Ismá‘íl (Ishmael), offered a throat to Love and his dagger.
حکایت امرء القیس کی پادشاه عرب بود و به صورت عظیم به جمال بود یوسف وقت خود بود و زنان عرب چون زلیخا مرده‌ی او و او شاعر طبع قفا نبک من ذکری حبیب و منزل چون همه زنان او را به جان می‌جستند ای عجب غزل او و ناله‌ی او بهر چه بود مگر دانست کی این‌ها همه تمثال صورتی‌اند کی بر تخته‌های خاک نقش کرده‌اند عاقبت این امرء القیس را حالی پیدا شد کی نیم‌شب از ملک و فرزند گریخت و خود را در دلقی پنهان کرد و از آن اقلیم به اقلیم دیگر رفت در طلب آن کس کی از اقلیم منزه است یختص برحمته من یشاء الی آخره
Story of Imra’u ’l-Qays, who was the king of the Arabs and exceedingly handsome: he was the Joseph of his time, and the Arab women were desperately in love with him, like Zalíkhá (with Joseph). He had the poetic genius (and composed the ode beginning)— “Halt, let us weep in memory of a beloved and a dwelling-place.” Since all the women desired him with (heart and) soul, one may well wonder what was the object of his love-songs and lamentations. Surely he knew that all these (beauteous forms) are copies of a (unique) picture which have been drawn (by the Artist) on frames of earth. At last there came to this Imra’u ’l-Qays such a (spiritual) experience that in the middle of the night he fled from his kingdom and children and concealed himself in the garb of a dervish and wandered from that clime to another clime in search of Him who transcends all climes: “He chooseth for His mercy whom He will”; and so forth.
امرء القیس از ممالک خشک‌لب ** هم کشیدش عشق از خطه‌ی عرب
Imra’u ’l-Qays was weary of his empire: Love carried him away from the country of the Arabs,
تا بیامد خشت می‌زد در تبوک ** با ملک گفتند شاهی از ملوک
So that he came and worked as a brick-maker at Tabúk. The king was told that a royal personage,
امرء القیس آمدست این‌جا به کد ** در شکار عشق و خشتی می‌زند
Imra’u ’l-Qays (by name), having fallen a prey to Love, had come thither and was making bricks by (his own) labour.
آن ملک برخاست شب شد پیش او ** گفته او را ای ملیک خوب‌رو
The king rose up and went to him at night and said to him, “O king of beauteous countenance,
یوسف وقتی دو ملکت شد کمال ** مر ترا رام از بلاد و از جمال 3990
Thou art the Joseph of the age. Two empires have become entirely subject to thee—(one), of the territories (under thy sway), and (the other), of Beauty.
گشته مردان بندگان از تیغ تو ** وان زنان ملک مه بی‌میغ تو
Men are enslaved by thy sword, while women are the chattels of thy cloudless moon.
پیش ما باشی تو بخت ما بود ** جان ما از وصل تو صد جان شود
(If) thou wilt dwell with me, ’twill be my fortune: by union with thee my soul will be made (equal to) a hundred (enraptured) souls.
هم من و هم ملک من مملوک تو ** ای به همت ملک‌ها متروک تو
Both I (myself) and my kingdom are thine to hold as thine own, O thou who in high aspiration hast abandoned kingdoms!”
فلسفه گفتش بسی و او خموش ** ناگهان وا کرد از سر روی‌پوش
He reasoned with him for a long time, and he (Imra’u ’l-Qays) kept silence, (till) suddenly he unveiled the mystery.
تا چه گفتش او به گوش از عشق و درد ** هم‌چو خود در حال سرگردانش کرد 3995
Think what (secrets) of love and passion he (must have) whispered into his ear! Immediately he made him a crazy wanderer like himself.
دست او بگرفت و با او یار شد ** او هم از تخت و کمر بیزار شد
He (the king of Tabúk) took his hand and accompanied him: he too renounced his throne and (royal) belt.
تا بلاد دور رفتند این دو شه ** عشق یک کرت نکردست این گنه
These two kings went to distant lands: not once (only) has Love committed this crime.
بر بزرگان شهد و بر طفلانست شیر ** او بهر کشتی بود من الاخیر
It (Love) is honey for the grown-up and milk for children: for every boat it is (like) the last bale (which causes the boat to founder).
غیر این دو بس ملوک بی‌شمار ** عشقشان از ملک بربود و تبار
Besides these two, many kings, (kings) beyond number, hath Love torn from their kingdoms and families.
جان این سه شه‌بچه هم گرد چین ** هم‌چو مرغان گشته هر سو دانه‌چین 4000
The souls of these three princes also were roaming around China in every direction, like birds picking up grain.
زهره نی تا لب گشایند از ضمیر ** زانک رازی با خطر بود و خطیر
They durst not open their lips to utter the thoughts hidden (in their hearts), because it was a perilous and grave secret.
صد هزاران سر بپولی آن زمان ** عشق خشم آلوده زه کرده کمان
A hundred thousand heads (go) for a farthing at the moment (when) Love strings his bow in anger.
عشق خود بی‌خشم در وقت خوشی ** خوی دارد دم به دم خیره‌کشی
Even without anger, at the time when he is well-pleased, Love is always accustomed to kill recklessly.
این بود آن لحظه کو خشنود شد ** من چه گویم چونک خشم‌آلود شد
This is (his habit) at the moment when he is contented: how shall I describe (what he does) when he is angered?
لیک مرج جان فدای شیر او ** کش کشد این عشق و این شمشیر او 4005
But may the soul's pasture be the ransom for his (Love's) lion who is killed by this Love and his scimitar!
کشتنی به از هزاران زندگی ** سلطنت‌ها مرده‌ی این بندگی
(’Tis) a killing better than a thousand lives: (all) sovereignties are mortally enamoured of this servitude.
با کنایت رازها با هم‌دگر ** پست گفتندی به صد خوف و حذر
They (the princes) were telling each other their secrets allusively in low tones with a hundred fears and precautions.
راز را غیر خدا محرم نبود ** آه را جز آسمان هم‌دم نبود
None but God was the confidant of their secret, their sighs were breathed to Heaven alone.