دخل از آنجا آمدستش لاجرم ** هم در آنجا می‌کند داد و کرم
His income has come from that place: consequently he bestows (it) in the same place with liberality and generosity.
این زمین و سختیان پرده‌ست و بس ** اصل روزی از خدا دان هر نفس 1490
This soil (that produces crops) and (this) morocco are only a veil (secondary cause): know that at every moment the (real) source of livelihood is in God.
چون بکاری در زمین اصل کار ** تا بروید هر یکی را صد هزار
When you sow, sow in the soil of the Origin, that for every single (seed) a hundred thousand (blessings) may grow.
گیرم اکنون تخم را گر کاشتی ** در زمینی که سبب پنداشتی
If just now (recently) you have sown seed, (as) I will suppose, in a soil which you thought (would be) a means (of producing crops)—
چون دو سه سال آن نروید چون کنی ** جز که در لابه و دعا کف در زنی
When it (the seed) does not grow during two or three years, how can you do aught but put your hand (to your head) in supplication and prayer?
دست بر سر می‌زنی پیش اله ** دست و سر بر دادن رزقش گواه
You will beat your hand on your head in the presence of God: (your) hand and head bear witness to His giving sustenance;
تا بدانی اصل اصل رزق اوست ** تا همو را جوید آنک رزق‌جوست 1495
So that you may know that He is the Source of the source of (all) sustenance, and that the seeker of sustenance may seek only Him.
رزق از وی جو مجو از زید و عمرو ** مستی از وی جو مجو از بنگ و خمر
Seek sustenance from Him, do not seek it from Zayd and ‘Amr: seek intoxication from Him, do not seek it from beng and wine.
توانگری زو خو نه از گنج و مال ** نصرت از وی خواه نه از عم و خال
Desire wealth from Him, not from treasure and possessions: desire aid from Him, not from paternal and maternal uncles.
عاقبت زینها بخواهی ماندن ** هین کرا خواهی در آن دم خواندن
At the last you will be left without (all) these things: hark, unto whom will you call then?
این دم او را خوان و باقی را بمان ** تا تو باشی وارث ملک جهان
Call unto Him now, and leave (all) the rest, that you may inherit the kingdom of the world.
چون یفر المرء آید من اخیه ** یهرب المولود یوما من ابیه 1500
When comes (the Day on which) a man shall flee from his brother and on such a Day the son will flee from his father,
زان شود هر دوست آن ساعت عدو ** که بت تو بود و از ره مانع او
In that hour every friend will become your foe, because (in the world) he was your idol and one who hindered (you) from (following) the (right) Way.
روی از نقاش رو می‌تافتی ** چون ز نقشی انس دل می‌یافتی
You were averting your face from the Painter of the face, since you were gaining heart's delight from a (mere) picture.
این دم ار یارانت با تو ضد شوند ** وز تو برگردند و در خصمی روند
If at this (present) time your friends become hostile to you and turn aside from you and quarrel (with you),
هین بگو نک روز من پیروز شد ** آنچ فردا خواست شد امروز شد
Take heed and say, “Lo, my fortune is triumphant: that which would have happened to-morrow (at the Last Judgement) has happened to-day.
ضد من گشتند اهل این سرا ** تا قیامت عین شد پیشین مرا 1505
The people of this caravanseray (the world) have become my enemies, in order that the Resurrection might be made clearly visible to me beforehand,
پیش از آنک روزگار خود برم ** عمر با ایشان به پایان آورم
Ere I should lose my time and associate with them to the end of my life.
I had bought defective goods: thanks (to God) that I have become aware of their defectiveness in time,
پیش از آن کز دست سرمایه شدی ** عاقبت معیوب بیرون آمدی
Ere the stock-in-trade should go out of my hands and finally come forth (be exposed) as defective.
مال رفته عمر رفته ای نسیب ** ماه و جان داده پی کاله‌ی معیب
My wealth was (all but) gone, my life was (all but) gone, O man of noble lineage: I had (all but) given away my wealth and life for damaged goods.
رخت دادم زر قلبی بستدم ** شاد شادان سوی خانه می‌شدم 1510
I sold my merchandise, I received base gold: I was going home in great jubilation.
شکر کین زر قلب پیدا شد کنون ** پیش از آنک عمر بگذشتی فزون
Thanks (to God) that this gold was shown to be base now, before too much of my life had passed.
قلب ماندی تا ابد در گردنم ** حیف بودی عمر ضایع کردنم
The base coin would have remained (as a shackle) on my neck for ever: to waste my life (thus) would have been an iniquity.
چون بگه‌تر قلبی او رو نمود ** پای خود زو وا کشم من زود زود
Since its (the coin's) baseness has been revealed earlier (in good time), I will step back from it very quickly.”
یار تو چون دشمنی پیدا کند ** گر حقد و رشک او بیرون زند
When your friend displays enmity (and when) the itch of his hatred and jealousy shoots forth (manifests itself),
تو از آن اعراض او افغان مکن ** خویشتن را ابله و نادان مکن 1515
Do not bewail his aversion, do not make yourself (do not let yourself behave as) a fool and ignoramus;
بلک شکر حق کن و نان بخش کن ** که نگشتی در جوال او کهن
Nay, thank God and give bread (alms), (in gratitude) that you have not become old (and rotten) in his sack,
از جوالش زود بیرون آمدی ** تا بجویی یار صدق سرمدی
(But) have quickly come out of his sack to seek the true Eternal Friend,
نازنین یاری که بعد از مرگ تو ** رشته‌ی یاری او گردد سه تو
The delectable Friend whose friendship's cord becomes threefold (thrice as strong) after thy death.
آن مگر سلطان بود شاه رفیع ** یا بود مقبول سلطان و شفیع
That friend, in sooth, may be the (Divine) Sultan and exalted King, or he may be one accepted of the Sultan and one who intercedes (with Him).
رستی از قلاب و سالوس و دغل ** غر او دیدی عیان پیش از اجل 1520
You are (now) delivered from the false coiner and (his) hypocrisy and fraud: you have seen his tumour (imposture) plainly before death.
این جفای خلق با تو در جهان ** گر بدانی گنج زر آمد نهان
If you understood (aright) this injustice shown towards you by the people in the world, it is a hidden treasure of gold.
خلق را با تو چنین بدخو کنند ** تا ترا ناچار رو آن سو کنند
The people are made to be thus evil-natured towards you, that your face may inevitably be turned Yonder.
این یقین دان که در آخر جمله‌شان ** خصم گردند و عدو و سرکشان
Know this for sure that in the end all of them will become adversaries and foes and rebels.
تو بمانی با فغان اندر لحد ** لا تذرنی فرد خواهان از احد
You will be left in the tomb, lamenting and beseeching the One (God), (and crying), “Do not leave me (here) alone!
ای جفاات به ز عهد وافیان ** هم ز داد تست شهد وافیان 1525
O Thou whose harshness is better than the troth of the faithful, the honey (kindness) of the faithful is also from Thy bounty.”
بشنو از عقل خود ای انباردار ** گندم خود را به ارض الله سپار
Hearken to your own reason, O possessor of a granary, and commit your wheat to the earth of Allah,
تا شود آمن ز دزد و از شپش ** دیو را با دیوچه زوتر بکش
That it may be safe from thieves and weevils. Kill the Devil with the wood-fretter (of reason) as quickly as possible;
کو همی ترساندت هم دم ز فقر ** هم‌چو کبکش صید کن ای نره صقر
For he is always frightening you with (the threat of) poverty: make him your prey like a partridge, O valiant hawk.
باز سلطان عزیزی کامیار ** ننگ باشد که کند کبکش شکار
It would be a shame for the falcon of the mighty and fortunate Sultan to be made a prey by the partridge.
بس وصیت کرد و تخم وعظ کاشت ** چون زمین‌شان شوره بد سودی نداشت 1530
He (the father) gave many injunctions (to his sons) and sowed the seed of exhortation, (but) as their soil was nitrous (barren), ’twas of no avail.
گرچه ناصح را بود صد داعیه ** پند را اذنی بباید واعیه
Although the admonisher have a hundred appeals, counsel demands a retentive ear.
تو به صد تلطیف پندش می‌دهی ** او ز پندت می‌کند پهلو تهی
You counsel him (the heedless man) with a hundred courtesies, and he turns aside from your counsel.
یک کس نامستمع ز استیز و رد ** صد کس گوینده را عاجز کند
A single person who obstinately refuses to listen will baffle a hundred (eloquent) speakers.
ز انبیا ناصح‌تر و خوش لهجه‌تر ** کی بود کی گرفت دمشان در حجر
Who should be more persuasive in counselling and sweeter-tongued than the prophets, whose words made an impression (even) on stones?
زانچ کوه و سنگ درکار آمدند ** می‌نشد بدبخت را بگشاده بند 1535
(Yet) the bonds of the ill-fated (infidel) were not being loosed by that whereby mountain and stone were moved.
آنچنان دلها که بدشان ما و من ** نعتشان شدت بل اشد قسوة
Such hearts as had egoism were described (in the words of the Qur’án) nay, harder (than stone).
بیان آنک عطای حق و قدرت موقوف قابلیت نیست هم‌چون داد خلقان کی آن را قابلیت باید زیرا عطا قدیم است و قابلیت حادث عطا صفت حق است و قابلیت صفت مخلوق و قدیم موقوف حادث نباشد و اگر نه حدوث محال باشد
Explaining that the bounty of God and of the (Divine) Omnipotence is not dependent on receptivity, as human bounty is; for in the latter case receptivity is necessary. (In the former case it is not) because (the Divine) bounty is eternal, whereas receptivity is temporal. Bounty is an attribute of the Creator, while receptivity is an attribute of the creature; and the eternal cannot depend on the temporal, otherwise temporality (origination in time) would be absurd.
چاره‌ی آن دل عطای مبدلیست ** داد او را قابلیت شرط نیست
The remedy for such a heart is the gift bestowed by a Transmuter: receptivity is not a necessary condition for His bounty.
بلک شرط قابلیت داد اوست ** داد لب و قابلیت هست پوست
Nay, His bounty is the necessary condition for receptivity: Bounty is the kernel, and receptivity the husk.