همچو گویی سجده کن بر رو و سر ** جانب آن صدر شد با چشم تر
Prostrating himself on face and head, like a ball, he went with wet eyes towards the Sadr (Prince).
جمله خلقان منتظر سر در هوا ** کش بسوزد یا برآویزد ورا
All the people were waiting, their heads in the air, (to see) whether he would burn or hang him.
این زمان این احمق یک لخت را ** آن نماید که زمان بدبخت را
“Now” (they said) “he will show to this simpleton that which Time (Fortune) shows to the unfortunate.
همچو پروانه شرر را نور دید ** احمقانه در فتاد از جان برید
Like the moth, he (the lover) deemed the (fiery) sparks to be the light: foolishly he fell in and was cut off from (deprived of) life.”
لیک شمع عشق چون آن شمع نیست ** روشن اندر روشن اندر روشنیست3920
But the candle of Love is not like that (external) candle: it is radiance in radiance in radiance.
او به عکس شمعهای آتشیست ** می‌نماید آتش و جمله خوشیست
It is the reverse of the fiery candles: it seems to be fire, while (in reality) it is all sweetness.
صفت آن مسجد کی عاشق‌کش بود و آن عاشق مرگ‌جوی لا ابالی کی درو مهمان شد
Description of the lover-killing mosque and of the death-seeking reckless lover who became a guest there.
یک حکایت گوش کن ای نیک‌پی ** مسجدی بد بر کنار شهر ری
Lend ear to a story, O well-conducted man! There was a mosque on the outskirts of the city of Rayy.
هیچ کس در وی نخفتی شب ز بیم ** که نه فرزندش شدی آن شب یتیم
No one ever slept the night there but on the same night (he died) from terror (and) his children became orphans.
بس که اندر وی غریب عور رفت ** صبحدم چون اختران در گور رفت
Many the naked (destitute) stranger that went into it (at nightfall) and went at dawn, like the stars, into the grave.
خویشتن را نیک ازین آگاه کن ** صبح آمد خواب را کوتاه کن3925
Make thyself very attentive to this (tale)! The dawn is come, cut short thy slumber!
هر کسی گفتی که پریانند تند ** اندرو مهمان کشان با تیغ کند
Every one used to say that in it there were fierce Jinnís who killed the guests with blunt swords.
آن دگر گفتی که سحرست و طلسم ** کین رصد باشد عدو جان و خصم
Another would say, “It is the magic and talisman, for this enchantment is the foe and enemy of life.”
آن دگر گفتی که بر نه نقش فاش ** بر درش کای میهمان اینجا مباش
Another would say, “Put an inscription (notice) conspicuously on its door—‘O guest, do not stay here.
شب مخسپ اینجا اگر جان بایدت ** ورنه مرگ اینجا کمین بگشایدت
Do not sleep the night here, if you want to live; otherwise, death will unmask an ambush for you in this place.’”
وان یکی گفتی که شب قفلی نهید ** غافلی کاید شما کم ره دهید3930
And another would say, “Bolt (the door) at night, (and when) a heedless person comes, do not admit him.”
مهمان آمدن در آن مسجد
How the guest came into the mosque.
تا یکی مهمان در آمد وقت شب ** کو شنیده بود آن صیت عجب
(So it continued) till a guest arrived at nightfall who had heard that marvellous rumour.
از برای آزمون می‌آزمود ** زانک بس مردانه و جان سیر بود
He was testing (it) in order to put (it) to the proof, for he was very valiant and surfeited with life.
گفت کم گیرم سر و اشکمبه‌ای ** رفته گیر از گنج جان یک حبه‌ای
He said (to himself), “I take little account of a (sheep's) head and belly: suppose that one grain is gone from the spirit's treasure, (what does it matter?)
صورت تن گو برو من کیستم ** نقش کم ناید چو من باقیستم
Let the bodily form go: who am I (in reality)? Is not the (bodily) figure of small account when I am enduring for ever?
چون نفخت بودم از لطف خدا ** نفخ حق باشم ز نای تن جدا3935
Since by the grace of God the (Divine) spirit was breathed into me, I am the breath of God (which is) kept apart from the windpipe of the body,
تا نیفتد بانگ نفخش این طرف ** تا رهد آن گوهر از تنگین صدف
To the end that the sound of His breathing should not fall in this direction, and that that (spiritual) pearl should escape from the narrow (bodily) shell.
چون تمنوا موت گفت ای صادقین ** صادقم جان را برافشانم برین
Since God said, ‘Desire death, O ye that are sincere,’ I am sincere: I will lavish my soul upon this (I will sacrifice my life for this object).”
ملامت کردن اهل مسجد مهمان عاشق را از شب خفتن در آنجا و تهدید کردن مرورا
How the people of the mosque blamed the lover-guest for (his intention of) sleeping the night there and threatened him.
قوم گفتندش که هین اینجا مخسپ ** تا نکوبد جانستانت همچو کسپ
The people said to him, “Beware! Do not sleep here, lest the Taker of the soul pound thee like the dregs of sesame-grain,
که غریبی و نمی‌دانی ز حال ** کاندرین جا هر که خفت آمد زوال
For thou art a stranger and ignorant of the fact that any one who sleeps in this place perishes.
اتفاقی نیست این ما بارها ** دیده‌ایم و جمله اصحاب نهی3940
This is not an (accidental) occurrence: we and all those possessed of intelligence have ofttimes witnessed this.
هر که آن مسجد شبی مسکن شدش ** نیم‌شب مرگ هلاهل آمدش
To whomsoever that mosque gave lodging for a single night, poisonous death came to him at midnight.
از یکی ما تابه صد این دیده‌ایم ** نه به تقلید از کسی بشنیده‌ایم
We have seen this not (only) once but a hundred times: we have not heard it at second-hand from any one.
گفت الدین نصیحه آن رسول ** آن نصیحت در لغت ضد غلول
The Prophet said, ‘The (Mohammedan) religion is (consists in) sincerity (nasíhat)’: that nasíhat etymologically is the opposite of ghulúl (unfaithfulness).
این نصیحت راستی در دوستی ** در غلولی خاین و سگ‌پوستی
This nasíhat is ‘to be true in friendship’: in an act of ghulúl you are treacherous and currish.
بی خیانت این نصیحت از وداد ** می‌نماییمت مگرد از عقل و داد3945
We are showing this sincerity towards thee, without treachery, from (motives of) love: do not turn away from reason and justice!”
جواب گفتن عاشق عاذلان را
The lover's reply to those who chid him.
گفت او ای ناصحان من بی ندم ** از جهان زندگی سیر آمدم
He said, “O sincere advisers, I have become unrepentantly weary of the world of life.
منبلی‌ام زخم جو و زخم‌خواه ** عافیت کم جوی از منبل براه
I am an idle vagabond, seeking blows and desiring blows: do not seek rectitude from the vagabond on the road.
منبلی نی کو بود خود برگ‌جو ** منبلی‌ام لاابالی مرگ‌جو
(I am) not the vagabond who in sooth is a seeker of provender: I am the reckless vagabond (who is) the seeker of death.
منبلی نی کو به کف پول آورد ** منبلی چستی کزین پل بگذرد
(I am) not the vagabond who gets small money into his palm, (but) the nimble vagabond who would cross this bridge (to the world hereafter)—
آن نه کو بر هر دکانی بر زند ** بل جهد از کون و کانی بر زند3950
Not the one who cleaves to every shop; nay, but (the one who) springs away from (phenomenal) existence and strikes upon a mine (of reality).
مرگ شیرین گشت و نقلم زین سرا ** چون قفص هشتن پریدن مرغ را
Death and migration from this (earthly) abode has become as sweet to me as leaving the cage and flying (is sweet) to the (captive) bird—
آن قفص که هست عین باغ در ** مرغ می‌بیند گلستان و شجر
The cage that is in the very midst of the garden, (so that) the bird beholds the rose-beds and the trees,
جوق مرغان از برون گرد قفص ** خوش همی‌خوانند ز آزادی قصص
(While) outside, round the cage, a multitude of birds is sweetly chanting tales of liberty:
مرغ را اندر قفص زان سبزه‌زار ** نه خورش ماندست و نه صبر و قرار
At (the sight of) that verdant place neither (desire for) food remains to the bird in the cage, nor patience and rest,
سر ز هر سوراخ بیرون می‌کند ** تا بود کین بند از پا برکند3955
(But) it puts out its head through every hole, that perchance it may tear off this fetter from its leg.
چون دل و جانش چنین بیرون بود ** آن قفص را در گشایی چون بود
Since its heart and soul are (already) outside like this, how will it be when you open the cage?”
نه چنان مرغ قفص در اندهان ** گرد بر گردش به حلقه گربگان
Not such is the bird caged amidst anxieties—cats round about it in a ring:
کی بود او را درین خوف و حزن ** آرزوی از قفص بیرون شدن
How, in this dread and sorrow, should it have the desire to go out of the cage?
او همی‌خواهد کزین ناخوش حصص ** صد قفص باشد بگرد این قفص
It wishes that, (to save it) from this unwelcome plucking (of its feathers), there might be a hundred cages round about this cage (in which it is confined).
عشق جالینوس برین حیات دنیا بود کی هنر او همینجا بکار می‌آید هنری نورزیده است کی در آن بازار بکار آید آنجا خود را به عوام یکسان می‌بیند
The love of (a) Galen is for this present life, for only here does his art avail; he has not practised any art that avails in yonder market: there he sees himself to be the same as the vulgar.
آنچنانک گفت جالینوس راد ** از هوای این جهان و از مراد3960
That is even as wise Galen said on account of (his) passion for this world and because of what he desired (in it)—
راضیم کز من بماند نیم جان ** که ز کون استری بینم جهان
“I am content that (only) half of my vital spirit should remain, so that I may see the world through the arse of a mule.”
گربه می‌بیند بگرد خود قطار ** مرغش آیس گشته بودست از مطار
He sees around him cats in troops: his bird has despaired of flying;
یا عدم دیدست غیر این جهان ** در عدم نادیده او حشری نهان
Or he has deemed all except this world to be non-existence and has not perceived in non-existence a hidden resurrection.
چون جنین کش می‌کشد بیرون کرم ** می‌گریزد او سپس سوی شکم
Like the embryo which (the Divine) Bounty is drawing forth: it is fleeing back towards the belly.
لطف رویش سوی مصدر می‌کند ** او مقر در پشت مادر می‌کند3965
(The Divine) Grace is turning its (the embryo's) face towards the place of exit, (while) it (the embryo) is making its abode in the mother's loins,