(He is) like an ox, his left half black, the other half white as the moon.
هر که این نیمه ببیند رد کند ** هر که آن نیمه ببیند کد کند
Whoever sees the former half spurns (him); whoever sees the latter half seeks (after him).
یوسف اندر چشم اخوان چون ستور ** هم وی اندر چشم یعقوبی چو حور
Joseph was like a beast of burden in the eyes of his brethren; at the same time in the eyes of a Jacob he was like a houri.
از خیال بد مر او را زشت دید ** چشم فرع و چشم اصلی ناپدید610
Through evil fancy the (bodily) derivative eye and the original unseen eye (of the mind) regarded him (Joseph) as ugly.
چشم ظاهر سایهی آن چشم دان ** هر چه آن بیند بگردد این بد آن
Know that the outward eye is the shadow of that (inward) eye: whatever that (inward) eye may see, this (outward) eye turns to that (eye).
تو مکانی اصل تو در لامکان ** این دکان بر بند و بگشا آن دکان
You are of where, (but) your origin is in Nowhere: shut up this shop and open that shop.
شش جهت مگریز زیرا در جهات ** ششدره است و ششدره مات است مات
Do not flee to the (world of the) six directions, because in directions there is the shashdara, and the shashdara is mate, mate.
شکایت کردن اهل زندان پیش وکیل قاضی از دست آن مفلس
How the prisoners laid a complaint of the insolvent's high-handedness before the agent of the Cadi.
با وکیل قاضی ادراکمند ** اهل زندان در شکایت آمدند
The prisoners came to complain to the Cadi's agent, (who was) possessed of discernment,
که سلام ما به قاضی بر کنون ** باز گو آزار ما زین مرد دون615
Saying, “Take now our salutations to the Cadi and relate (to him) the sufferings inflicted on us by this vile man;
کاندر این زندان بماند او مستمر ** یاوه تاز و طبلخوار است و مضر
For he has remained in this prison continuously, and he is an idle gad-about, a lickspittle, and a nuisance.
چون مگس حاضر شود در هر طعام ** از وقاحت بیصلا و بیسلام
Like a fly, he impudently appears at every meal without invitation and without salaam.
پیش او هیچ است لوت شصت کس ** کر کند خود را اگر گوییش بس
To him the food of sixty persons is nothing; he feigns himself deaf if you say to him, ‘Enough!’
مرد زندان را نیاید لقمهای ** ور به صد حیلت گشاید طعمهای
No morsel reaches the (ordinary) man in prison, or if by means of a hundred contrivances he discover some food,
در زمان پیش آید آن دوزخ گلو ** حجتش این که خدا گفتا کلوا620
That hell-throat at once comes forward (with) this (as) his argument, that God has said, ‘Eat ye.’
زین چنین قحط سه ساله داد داد ** ظل مولانا ابد پاینده باد
Justice, justice against such a three years' famine! May the shadow of our lord endure for ever!
یا ز زندان تا رود این گاومیش ** یا وظیفه کن ز وقفی لقمهایش
Either let this buffalo go from prison, or make him a regular allowance of food from a trust-fund.
ای ز تو خوش هم ذکور و هم اناث ** داد کن المستغاث المستغاث
O thou by whom both males and females are (made) happy, do justice! Thy help is invoked and besought.”
سوی قاضی شد وکیل با نمک ** گفت با قاضی شکایت یک به یک
The courteous agent went to the Cadi and related the complaint to him point by point.
خواند او را قاضی از زندان به پیش ** پس تفحص کرد از اعیان خویش625
The Cadi called him (the insolvent) from the prison into his presence, and (then) inquired (about him) from his own officers.
گشت ثابت پیش قاضی آن همه ** که نمودند از شکایت آن رمه
All the complaints which that flock (of prisoners) had set forth were proved to the Cadi.
گفت قاضی خیز از این زندان برو ** سوی خانهی مردهریگ خویش شو
The Cadi said (to him), “Get up and depart from this prison: go to the house which is your inherited property.”
گفت خان و مان من احسان تست ** همچو کافر جنتم زندان تست
He replied, “My house and home consist in thy beneficence; as (in the case of) an infidel, thy prison is my Paradise.
گر ز زندانم برانی تو به رد ** خود بمیرم من ز تقصیری و کد
If thou wilt drive me from the prison and turn me out, verily I shall die of destitution and beggary.”
همچو ابلیسی که میگفت ای سلام ** رب أنظرنی إلی یوم القیام630
(He pleaded) like the Devil, who was saying, “O Preserver, O my Lord, grant me a respite till the day of Resurrection;
کاندر این زندان دنیا من خوشم ** تا که دشمن زادگان را میکشم
For I am happy (to be) in the prison of this world, in order that I may be slaying the children of mine enemy,
هر که او را قوت ایمانی بود ** و ز برای زاد ره نانی بود
(And), if any one have some food of faith and a single loaf as provision for the journey (to the life hereafter),
میستانم گه به مکر و گه به ریو ** تا بر آرند از پشیمانی غریو
I may seize it, now by plot and now by guile, so that in repentance they may raise an outcry (of lamentation);
گه به درویشی کنم تهدیدشان ** گه به زلف و خال بندم دیدشان
(And in order that) sometimes I may threaten them with poverty, sometimes bind their eyes with (the spell of) tress and mole.”
قوت ایمانی در این زندان کم است ** وان که هست از قصد این سگ در خم است635
In this prison (the world) the food of faith is scarce, and that which exists is in (danger of being caught in) the noose (of destruction) through the attack of this cur.
از نماز و صوم و صد بیچارگی ** قوت ذوق آید برد یک بارگی
(If) from prayer and fasting and a hundred helplessnesses (utter self-abnegations) the food of spiritual feeling come (to any one), he (the Devil) at once carries it off.
أستعیذ الله من شیطانه ** قد هلکنا آه من طغیانه
I seek refuge with God from His Satan: we have perished, alas, through his overweening disobedience.
یک سگ است و در هزاران میرود ** هر که در وی رفت او او میشود
He is (but) one cur, and he goes into thousands (of people): into whomsoever he goes, he (that person) becomes he (Satan).
هر که سردت کرد میدان کاو در اوست ** دیو پنهان گشته اندر زیر پوست
Whoever makes you cold (damps your spiritual ardour) know that he (Satan) is in him: the Devil has become hidden beneath his skin.
چون نیابد صورت آید در خیال ** تا کشاند آن خیالت در وبال640
When he finds no (bodily) form, he comes into (your) fancy, in order that that fancy may lead you into woe:
گه خیال فرجه و گاهی دکان ** گه خیال علم و گاهی خان و مان
Now the fancy of recreation, now of the shop; now the fancy of knowledge, and now of house and home.
هان بگو لاحولها اندر زمان ** از زبان تنها نه بلک از عین جان
Beware! say at once “God help me!” again and again, not with tongue alone but from your very soul.
تتمه قصه مفلس
The end of the story of the insolvent.
گفت قاضی مفلسی را وانما ** گفت اینک اهل زندانت گوا
The Cadi said, “Show plainly that you are insolvent.” “Here are the prisoners,” he replied, “as thy witnesses.”
گفت ایشان متهم باشند چون ** میگریزند از تو میگریند خون
“They,” said the Cadi, “are suspect, because they are fleeing from you and weeping blood (on account of your ill-treatment of them);
از تو میخواهند هم تا وارهند ** زین غرض باطل گواهی میدهند645
Also, they are suing to be delivered from you: by reason of this self-interest the testimony they give is worthless.”
جمله اهل محکمه گفتند ما ** هم بر ادبار و بر افلاسش گوا
All the people belonging to the court of justice said, “We bear witness both to his (moral) degeneracy and his insolvency.”
هر که را پرسید قاضی حال او ** گفت مولا دست ازین مفلس بشو
Every one whom the Cadi questioned about his condition said, “My lord, wash thy hands of this insolvent.”
گفت قاضی کش بگردانید فاش ** گرد شهر این مفلس است و بس قلاش
The Cadi said, “March him round the city for all to see, (and cry), ‘This man is an insolvent and a great rogue.’
کو به کو او را مناداها زنید ** طبل افلاسش عیان هر جا زنید
Make proclamations concerning him, street by street; beat the drum (as an advertisement) of his insolvency everywhere in open view.
هیچ کس نسیه بنفروشد بدو ** قرض ندهد هیچ کس او را تسو650
Let no one sell to him on credit, let no one lend him a farthing.
هر که دعوی آردش اینجا به فن ** بیش زندانش نخواهم کرد من
Whosoever may bring here a claim against him for fraud, I will not put him in prison any more.
پیش من افلاس او ثابت شده است ** نقد و کالا نیستش چیزی به دست
His insolvency has been proven to me: he has nothing in his possession, (neither) money nor goods.”