آن طمع زان جا نخواهد شد وفا ** بل ز جای دیگر آید آن عطا
Thy hope will not be fulfilled from there; nay, the bounty will come from another place.
آن طمع را پس چرا در تو نهاد ** چون نخواستت زان طرف آن چیز داد
Why, then, did He implant in thee that hope, since He would not give thee the (desired) thing from that quarter?
از برای حکمتی و صنعتی ** نیز تا باشد دلت در حیرتی
(’Tis) for a wise purpose and contrivance; and also in order that thy heart may be in a state of bewilderment.
تا دلت حیران بود ای مستفید ** که مرادم از کجا خواهد رسد
(’Tis) that thy heart may be bewildered, O learner, (wondering) from where the object of thy desire will come (to thee).
تا بدانی عجز خویش و جهل خویش ** تا شود ایقان تو در غیب بیش 4195
(’Tis) that thou mayst know thy weakness and thy ignorance and that consequently thy faith in the Unseen may be increased;
هم دلت حیران بود در منتجع ** که چه رویاند مصرف زین طمع
And, moreover, that thy heart may be perplexed concerning the source whence the (expected) benefit will arrive, and what (result) the (Divine) Disposer will produce from this hope.
طمع داری روزیی در درزیی ** تا ز خیاطی بی زر تا زیی
Thou hopest (to find) a means of livelihood in tailoring, so that by working as a tailor thou mayst earn money all thy life;
رزق تو در زرگری آرد پدید ** که ز وهمت بود آن مکسب بعید
(But) He causes thy daily bread to come to thee in the goldsmith's craft—a means of gain that was far from (entering) thy imagination.
پس طمع در درزیی بهر چه بود ** چون نخواست آن رزق زان جانب گشود
Wherefore, then, were thy hopes set on tailoring, when He did not intend to let thy daily bread reach thee from that side?
بهر نادر حکمتی در علم حق ** که نبشت آن حکم را در ما سبق 4200
(’Twas) by reason of a marvellous providence in the knowledge of God— an edict which He wrote in the (eternal) past;
نیز تا حیران بود اندیشه‌ات ** تا که حیرانی بود کل پیشه‌ات
And also to the end that thy thoughts should be bewildered, so that bewilderment should be thy whole occupation.
یا وصال یار زین سعیم رسد ** یا ز راهی خارج از سعی جسد
(The eldest prince said), “My union with the Beloved will be achieved either by this effort or by some means outside of bodily effort.
من نگویم زین طریق آید مراد ** می‌طپم تا از کجا خواهد گشاد
I do not assert that my object will be gained in this (particular) way: I am palpitating (restlessly seeking) to ascertain from what quarter it will appear.
سربریده مرغ هر سو می‌فتد ** تا کدامین سو رهد جان از جسد
The decapitated bird tumbles in every direction to see in what direction its (vital) spirit may escape from its body.
یا مراد من برآید زین خروج ** یا ز برجی دیگر از ذات البروج 4205
My desire will be attained either by this going forth (in quest of it) or through (the opening of) some other gateway by (the hand of) Heaven.”
حکایت آن شخص کی خواب دید کی آنچ می‌طلبی از یسار به مصر وفا شود آنجا گنجیست در فلان محله در فلان خانه چون به مصر آمد کسی گفت من خواب دیده‌ایم کی گنجیست به بغداد در فلان محله در فلان خانه نام محله و خانه‌ی این شخص بگفت آن شخص فهم کرد کی آن گنج در مصر گفتن جهت آن بود کی مرا یقین کنند کی در غیر خانه‌ی خود نمی‌باید جستن ولیکن این گنج یقین و محقق جز در مصر حاصل نشود
Story of the person who dreamed that his hopes of opulence would be fulfilled in Cairo, and that there was a treasure (buried) in a certain house in a certain quarter of that city. When he came to Cairo, some one said to him, “I have dreamed of a treasure in such and such a quarter and such and such a house in Baghdád”; and he named the quarter and house in which this person lived. The latter perceived, however, that the information concerning the treasure in Cairo had been given to him (in his dream) in order to make him realise that, (although) he must not seek anywhere but in his own house, this treasure would really and truly be gained only in Cairo.
بود یک میراثی مال و عقار ** جمله را خورد و بماند او عور و زار
There was (once) a man who inherited money and estates: he squandered all and was left destitute and miserable.
مال میراثی ندارد خود وفا ** چون بناکام از گذشته شد جدا
Inherited wealth indeed does not remain constant (to its new owner), since it was parted against its will from the deceased one.
او نداند قدر هم کاسان بیافت ** کو بکد و رنج و کسبش کم شتاف
Just because he (the heir) got it easily, he does not know its value; for he never made haste to work and toil and earn it.
قدر جان زان می‌ندانی ای فلان ** که بدادت حق به بخشش رایگان
O such-and-such, you know not the value of your soul because God bountifully gave it to you for nothing.
نقد رفت و کاله رفته و خانه‌ها ** ماند چون چغدان در آن ویرانه‌ها 4210
His ready money went and his furniture and houses went: he was left (alone) like owls in the deserts.
گفت یا رب برگ دادی رفت برگ ** یا بده برگی و یا بفرست مرگ
He cried, “O Lord, Thou gavest (me) provision: the provision is gone: either give (me) some provision or send death.”
چون تهی شد یاد حق آغاز کرد ** یا رب و یا رب اجرنی ساز کرد
When he became empty, he began to call unto God: he started the tune of “O Lord!” and “O Lord, protect me!”
چون پیمبر گفته مومن مزهرست ** در زمان خالیی ناله گرست
Since the Prophet has said that the true believer is (like) a lute (mizhar), (which) makes music (only) at the time when it is empty—
چون شود پر مطربش بنهد ز دست ** پر مشو که آسیب دست او خوشست
(For) as soon as it is filled, the minstrel lays it down—do not become full, for sweet is the touch of His hand.
تی شو و خوش باش بین اصبعین ** کز می لا این سرمستست این 4215
Become empty and stay happily between (His) two fingers, for “where” is intoxicated with the wine of “nowhere.”