چون جهان را دید ملکی بی‌قرار ** حازمانه ساخت زان حضرت حصار
Since she deemed the world a kingdom without permanence, she prudently made a fortress of that (Divine) Presence,
تا به گاه مرگ حصنی باشدش ** که نیابد خصم راه مقصدش3710
In order that in the hour of death she should have a stronghold which the Enemy would find no way to attack.
از پناه حق حصاری به ندید ** یورتگه نزدیک آن دز برگزید
She saw no better fortress than the protection of God: she chose her abiding-place near to that castle.
چون بدید آن غمزه‌های عقل‌سوز ** که ازو می‌شد جگرها تیردوز
When she beheld those amorous reason-destroying glances whereby hearts were ever being pierced (as) by arrows—
شاه و لشکر حلقه در گوشش شده ** خسروان هوش بیهوشش شده
King and army are enthralled by Him, the sovereigns of wit (intelligence) are made witless by Him;
صد هزاران شاه مملوکش برق ** صد هزاران بدر را داده به دق
Hundreds of thousands of kings are held in servitude by Him; hundreds of thousands of full-moons He hath given over to (love's) wasting fever;
زهره نی مر زهره را تا دم زند ** عقل کلش چون ببیند کم زند3715
Zuhra hath not the courage to breathe (a word); Universal Reason, when it sees Him, humbles itself.
من چگویم که مرا در دوخته‌ست ** دمگهم را دمگه او سوخته‌ست
What shall I say? for He has sealed my lips: His furnace has consumed the place (channel) of my breath.
دود آن نارم دلیلم من برو ** دور از آن شه باطل ما عبروا
“I am the smoke of that fire, I am the evidence for it”—far from that King be their false interpretation!
خود نباشد آفتابی را دلیل ** جز که نور آفتاب مستطیل
Verily, there is no evidence for a sun except the light of the lofty sun.
سایه کی بود تا دلیل او بود ** این بستش کع ذلیل او بود
Who (what) is the shadow that it should be an evidence for Him? ’Tis enough for it that it should be abased before Him.
این جلالت در دلالت صادقست ** جمله ادراکات پس او سابقست3720
This majesty (which I have attributed to Him) in (the matter of) evidence declares the truth: all perceptions are behind (Him), He is outstripping (them).
جمله ادراکات بر خرهای لنگ ** او سوار باد پران چون خدنگ
All perceptions are (mounted) on lame asses; He is mounted on the wind that flies like an arrow.
گر گریزد کس نیابد گرد شه ** ور گریزند او بگیرد پیش ره
If He flee, none (of them) finds the dust of the King; and if they flee, He bars the way in front (of them).
جمله ادراکات را آرام نی ** وقت میدانست وقت جام نی
All the perceptions are unquiet: it is the time for battle, not the time for the (festal) cup.
آن یکی وهمی چو بازی می‌پرد ** وآن دگر چون تیر معبر می‌درد
One perceptive faculty is flying like a falcon, while another, (swift) as an arrow, is tearing its place of passage;
وان دگر چون کشتی با بادبان ** وآن دگر اندر تراجع هر زمان3725
And another is like a ship with sails, and another is turning back every moment.
چون شکاری می‌نمایدشان ز دور ** جمله حمله می‌فزایند آن طیور
When an object of chase appears to them from afar, all those birds (the perceptions) increase (the speed of) their onset.
چونک ناپیدا شود حیران شوند ** همچو جغدان سوی هر ویران شوند
When it vanishes from sight, they become lost: like owls, they go to every wilderness,
منتظر چشمی به هم یک چشم باز ** تا که پیدا گردد آن صید به ناز
Waiting, with one eye closed and one eye open, that the delectable prey may appear.
چون بماند دیر گویند از ملال ** صید بود آن خود عجب یا خود خیال
When it tarries long, they say (from weariness), “We wonder whether it was a (real) prey or a phantom.”
مصلحت آنست تا یک ساعتی ** قوتی گیرند و زور از راحتی3730
The right course is that, for a short while, they should gather come strength and vigour by (taking) a rest.
گر نبودی شب همه خلقان ز آز ** خویشتن را سوختندی ز اهتزاز
If there were no night, on account of cupidity all people would consume themselves by the agitation (of pursuit).
از هوس وز حرص سود اندوختن ** هر کسی دادی بدن را سوختن
From desire and greed of amassing gain, every one would give his body to be consumed.
شب پدید آید چو گنج رحمتی ** تا رهند ازحرص خود یکساعتی
Night appears, like a treasure of mercy, that they may be delivered from their greed for a short while.
چونک قبضی آیدت ای راه‌رو ** آن صلاح تست آتش دل مشو
When a feeling of (spiritual) contraction comes over you, O traveller, ’tis (for) your good: do not become afire (with grief) in your heart,
زآنک در خرجی در آن بسط و گشاد ** خرج را دخلی بباید زاعتداد3735
For in that (contrary state of) expansion and delight you are spending: the expenditure (of enthusiasm) requires an income of (painful) preparation (to balance it).
گر هماره فصل تابستان بدی ** سوزش خورشید در بستان شدی
If it were always the season of summer, the blazing heat of the sun would penetrate the garden
منبتش را سوختی از بیخ و بن ** که دگر تازه نگشتی آن کهن
And burn up from root and bottom the soil whence its plants grow, so that the old (withered) ones would never again become fresh.
گر ترش‌رویست آن دی مشفق است ** صیف خندانست اما محرقست
If December is sour-faced, (yet) it is kind; summer is laughing, but (none the less) it is burning (destroying).
چونک قبض آید تو در وی بسط بین ** تازه باش و چین میفکن در جبین
When (spiritual) contraction comes, behold expansion therein: be fresh (cheerful) and do not let wrinkles fall on your brow.
کودکان خندان و دانایان ترش ** غم جگر را باشد و شادی ز شش3740
Children are laughing, and sages are sour: sorrow appertains to the liver, and joy arises from the lungs.
چشم کودک همچو خر در آخرست ** چشم عاقل در حساب آخرست
The eye of the child, like (that of) the ass, is (fixed) on the stall; the eye of the wise man is (engaged) in reckoning the end.
او در آخر چرب می‌بیند علف ** وین ز قصاب آخرش بیند تلف
He (the child) sees the rich fodder in the stall, while this (wise man) sees his ultimate end to be death by (the hand of) the Butcher.
آن علف تلخست کین قصاب داد ** بهر لحم ما ترازویی نهاد
That fodder is bitter (in the end), for this Butcher gave it: He set up a pair of scales for our flesh.
رو ز حکمت خور علف کان را خدا ** بی غرض دادست از محض عطا
Go, eat the fodder of wisdom which God hath given (us) disinterestedly from pure bounty.
فهم نان کردی نه حکمت ای رهی ** زانچ حق گفتت کلوا من رزقه3745
O slave (to your lusts), you have understood bread, not wisdom, (to be meant) in that (text) which God hath spoken unto you—Eat ye of His provision.
رزق حق حکمت بود در مرتبت ** کان گلوگیرت نباشد عاقبت
God's provision in the (present) stage (of your existence) is wisdom that will not choke you at the last (in the world hereafter).
این دهان بستی دهانی باز شد ** کو خورنده‌ی لقمه‌های راز شد
(If) you have closed this (bodily) mouth, another mouth is opened, which becomes an eater of the morsels of (spiritual) mysteries.
گر ز شیر دیو تن را وابری ** در فطام اوبسی نعمت خوردی
If you cut off your body from the Devil's milk, by (thus) weaning it you will enjoy much felicity.
ترک‌جوشش شرح کردم نیم‌خام ** از حکیم غزنوی بشنو تمام
I have given a half-raw (imperfect) explanation of it, (like) the Turcomans' ill-boiled meat: hear (it) in full from the Sage of Ghazna.
در الهی‌نامه گوید شرح این ** آن حکیم غیب و فخرالعارفین3750
In the Iláhí-náma that Sage of the Unseen and Glory of them that know (God) explains this (matter).
(He says), “Eat (feel) sorrow, and do not eat the bread of those who increase (your) sorrow (hereafter), for the wise man eats sorrow, the child (eats) sugar (rejoices).”
The sugar of joy (hereafter) is the fruit of the garden of sorrow (here): this (sensual) joy is the wound and that (spiritual) sorrow is the plaster.
غم چو بینی در کنارش کش به عشق ** از سر ربوه نظر کن در دمشق
When you see (spiritual) sorrow, embrace it with passionate love: look on Damascus from the top of Rubwa.
عاقل از انگور می بیند همی ** عاشق از معدوم شی بیند همی
The wise man is seeing the wine in the grape, the lover (of God) is seeing the thing (entity) in the non-existent.
جنگ می‌کردند حمالان پریر ** تو مکش تا من کشم حملش چو شیر3755
The day before yesterday the porters were quarrelling (and crying), “Don't you lift (it), let me lift his load (and carry it off) like a lion!”
زانک زان رنجش همی‌دیدند سود ** حمل را هر یک ز دیگر می‌ربود
Since they were seeing profit in that toil, each one was snatching the load from the other.
مزد حق کو مزد آن بی‌مایه کو ** این دهد گنجیت مزد و آن تسو
What comparison is there between God's reward and the reward given by that worthless creature? The former gives you a treasure as your reward, and the latter a groat.
گنج زری که چو خسپی زیر ریگ ** با تو باشد ان نباشد مردریگ
(God gives you) a golden treasure that remains with you when you lie (buried) under the sand and is not left as a heritage.