یک دو گامی رو تکلف ساز خوش ** عشق گیرد گوش تو آنگاه کش 2515
Advance one or two paces, make a good endeavour: Love will lay hold of your ear and then draw (you onward).
غالب شدن حیله‌ی روباه بر استعصام و تعفف خر و کشیدن روبه خر را سوی شیر به بیشه
How the cunning of the fox prevailed over the desire of the ass to preserve and restrain himself (from yielding to temptation), and how the fox led the ass to the lion in the jungle.
روبه اندر حیله پای خود فشرد ** ریش خر بگرفت و آن خر را ببرد
The fox embarked on the plot: he seized the ass's beard and led him away.
مطرب آن خانقه کو تا که تفت ** دف زند که خر برفت و خر برفت
Where is the musician of that Súfí monastery, that he may quickly play the tambourine (and sing), “The ass is gone, the ass is gone”?
چونک خرگوشی برد شیری به چاه ** چون نیارد روبهی خر تا گیاه
Since a hare brings a lion to the well, how should not a fox lead an ass to the grass?
گوش را بر بند و افسونها مخور ** جز فسون آن ولی دادگر
Shut thine ear and do not swallow (beguiling) spells: (swallow naught) but the spell of the righteous saint—
آن فسون خوشتر از حلوای او ** آنک صد حلواست خاک پای او 2520
That spell of his, (which is) sweeter than halwá, that (spell) of whose feet a hundred halwá’s are (only) the dust.
خنبهای خسروانی پر ز می ** مایه برده از می لبهای وی
The imperial jars full of the wine (of mystical knowledge) have drawn their stock from the wine of his lips.
عاشق می باشد آن جان بعید ** کو می لبهای لعلش را ندید
(Only) that alien soul which has never seen the wine of his ruby lips is a lover of the wine (of conventional knowledge).
آب شیرین چون نبیند مرغ کور ** چون نگردد گرد چشمه‌ی آب شور
Since the blind bird does not see the sweet water, how should not it circle round the brackish water?
موسی جان سینه را سینا کند ** طوطیان کور را بینا کند
The spiritual Moses makes the breast a Sinai: he makes the blind parrots able to see.
خسرو شیرین جان نوبت زدست ** لاجرم در شهر قند ارزان شدست 2525
The Khusraw (who is the lover) of the spiritual Shírín has beaten the drum (of sovereignty); consequently sugar has become cheap in the city.
یوسفان غیب لشکر می‌کشند ** تنگهای قند و شکر می‌کشند
The Josephs of the unseen world are marching: they are bringing bales of candy and sugar.
اشتران مصر را رو سوی ما ** بشنوید ای طوطیان بانگ درا
The faces of the camels of Egypt are (turned) towards us: hearken, O parrots, to the sound of the (camel-)bell.
شهر ما فردا پر از شکر شود ** شکر ارزانست ارزان‌تر شود
To-morrow our city will be filled with sugar; sugar is cheap (to-day): (tomorrow) it will be cheaper.
در شکر غلطید ای حلواییان ** هم‌چو طوطی کوری صفراییان
O confectioners, wallow in sugar, like the parrot, in despite of the bilious ones.
نیشکر کوبید کار اینست و بس ** جان بر افشانید یار اینست و بس 2530
Pound the sugar-cane: this is the only work (of importance); lavish your souls (on him): this is the only Beloved.
یک ترش در شهر ما اکنون نماند ** چونکه شیرین خسروان را بر نشاند
Now not a single sour one is left in our city, since Shírín has seated the Khusraws on the throne (of Love).
نقل بر نقلست و می بر می هلا ** بر مناره رو بزن بانگ صلا
’Tis dessert on dessert and wine on wine! Ho, go up on the minaret and proclaim that all are welcome (to the feast).
سرکه‌ی نه ساله شیرین می‌شود ** سنگ و مرمر لعل و زرین می‌شود
The nine years old vinegar is becoming sweet; the stone and marble are becoming ruby(-like) and golden.
آفتاب اندر فلک دستک‌زنان ** ذره‌ها چون عاشقان بازی‌کنان
The sun in heaven is clapping his hands: the motes are dancing like lovers.
چشمها مخمور شد از سبزه‌زار ** گل شکوفه می‌کند بر شاخسار 2535
(All) eyes are intoxicated with the orchard abounding in greenery, (where) the blossoms are budding on the boughs.
چشم دولت سحر مطلق می‌کند ** روح شد منصور انا الحق می‌زند
The eye of blessedness works absolute magic: the spirit is made victorious (mansúr), crying “I am God.”
گر خری را می‌برد روبه ز سر ** گو ببر تو خر مباش و غم مخور
If the fox is seducing an ass, let him seduce (him)! Do not thou be an ass, and be not troubled.
حکایت آن شخص کی از ترس خویشتن را در خانه‌ای انداخت رخها زرد چون زعفران لبها کبود چون نیل دست لرزان چون برگ درخت خداوند خانه پرسید کی خیرست چه واقعه است گفت بیرون خر می‌گیرند به سخره گفت مبارک خر می‌گیرند تو خر نیستی چه می‌ترسی گفت خر به جد می‌گیرند تمییز برخاسته است امروز ترسم کی مرا خر گیرند
Story of the person who rushed into a house in terror, with cheeks yellow (pale) as saffron, lips blue as indigo, and hands trembling like the leaves of a tree. The master of the house asked, “Is all well (with you)? What is the matter?” He replied, “Outside they are taking asses by force.” “Bless you!” cried the other; “they are taking asses, (but) you are not an ass: what are you afraid of?” He said, “They are taking (them) in a great hurry: (all) discrimination has ceased. To-day I am afraid they will take me for an ass.”
آن یکی در خانه‌ای در می‌گریخت ** زرد رو و لب کبود و رنگ ریخت
A certain man took refuge in a house: his face was yellow, his lips blue, and his colour had ebbed away.
صاحب خانه بگفتش خیر هست ** که همی لرزد ترا چون پیر دست
The master of the house said to him, “Is it well (with you)? for your hand is trembling like (that of) an old man.
واقعه چونست چون بگریختی ** رنگ رخساره چنین چون ریختی 2540
What has happened? Why have you taken refuge (here)? How have you lost the colour of your face so (entirely)?”
گفت بهر سخره‌ی شاه حرون ** خر همی‌گیرند امروز از برون
“To-day,” said he, “they are seizing asses outside (in the streets) to do forced labour for the tyrannical king.”
گفت می‌گیرند کو خر جان عم ** چون نه‌ای خر رو ترا زین چیست غم
He (the householder) replied, “O beloved of your uncle, they are taking it because it is an ass: since you are not an ass, go (your way): why are you troubled at this?”
گفت بس جدند و گرم اندر گرفت ** گر خرم گیرند هم نبود شگفت
He answered, “They are very urgent and furious in taking (them): ’twill be no wonder if they take me too for an ass.
بهر خرگیری بر آوردند دست ** جدجد تمییز هم برخاستست
They have put their hands with all their might to (the job of) taking asses: accordingly discrimination has ceased.”
چونک بی‌تمییزیان‌مان سرورند ** صاحب خر را به جای خر برند 2545
Since undiscriminating persons are our rulers, they carry off the owner of the ass instead of the ass.
نیست شاه شهر ما بیهوده گیر ** هست تمییزش سمیعست و بصیر
(But) the King of our city is not one who takes at random: He has discrimination, He is hearing and seeing.
آدمی باش و ز خرگیران مترس ** خر نه‌ای ای عیسی دوران مترس
Be a man and do not be afraid of those who take the asses: thou art not an ass: be not afraid, O Jesus of the (world of) Time.
چرخ چارم هم ز نور تو پرست ** حاش لله که مقامت آخرست
The Fourth Heaven, moreover, is filled with thy light: God forbid (that I should say) that the Stable is thy abode.
تو ز چرخ و اختران هم برتری ** گرچه بهر مصلحت در آخری
Thou art higher even than the sky and the stars, though for a good reason thou art (temporarily) in the Stable.
میر آخر دیگر و خر دیگرست ** نه هر آنک اندر آخر شد خرست 2550
The Master of the Stable is one thing and the ass another: not every one who has entered the Stable is an ass.
چه در افتادیم در دنبال خر ** از گلستان گوی و از گلهای تر
Why have we fallen in behind the ass? Tell of the Rose-garden and the fresh roses,
از انار و از ترنج و شاخ سیب ** وز شراب و شاهدان بی‌حساب
And of the pomegranate and the citron and the apple-bough, and of the wine and the fair youths innumerable,
یا از آن دریا که موجش گوهرست ** گوهرش گوینده و بیناورست
Or of the Sea whose waves are pearls and whose pearls are speaking and seeing,
یا از آن مرغان که گل‌چین می‌کنند ** بیضه‌ها زرین و سیمین می‌کنند
Or of the Birds which pick roses and lay eggs of silver and gold,
یا از آن بازان که کبکان پرورند ** هم نگون اشکم هم استان می‌پرند 2555
Or of the Falcons which foster the partridges and fly both with their bellies turned downward and also on their backs.
نردبانهاییست پنهان در جهان ** پایه پایه تا عنان آسمان
In the world there are invisible ladders, (leading) step by step up to the summit of heaven.
هر گره را نردبانی دیگرست ** هر روش را آسمانی دیگرست
There is a different ladder for every class, there is a different heaven for every (traveller's) way.
هر یکی از حال دیگر بی‌خبر ** ملک با پهنا و بی‌پایان و سر
Every one is ignorant of another's condition (in) the kingdom (which is) wide and without end or beginning.
این در آن حیران که او از چیست خوش ** وآن درین خیره که حیرت چیستش
This one is amazed at that one and asks wherefore he is happy, while that one is astounded at this one and asks why he is amazed.
صحن ارض الله واسع آمده ** هر درختی از زمینی سر زده 2560
The area of God's earth is spacious: every tree springs up from a certain soil.
بر درختان شکر گویان برگ و شاخ ** که زهی ملک و زهی عرصه‌ی فراخ
The leaves and boughs on the trees are giving thanks (to God), crying, “Oh, what a fine kingdom! Oh, what a broad expanse!”
بلبلان گرد شکوفه‌ی پر گره ** که از آنچ می‌خوری ما را بده
The nightingales are (flying) round the knobby blossom, saying, “Give us some of that which thou drinkest.”
این سخن پایان ندارد کن رجوع ** سوی آن روباه و شیر و سقم و جوع
This discourse hath no end: return to the fox and the lion and the (lion's) sickness and hunger.
بردن روبه خر را پیش شیر و جستن خر از شیر و عتاب کردن روباه با شیر کی هنوز خر دور بود تعجیل کردی و عذر گفتن شیر و لابه کردن روبه را شیر کی برو بار دگرش به فریب
How the fox brought the ass to the lion, and how the ass jumped away from the lion, and how the fox reproached the lion, saying, “The ass was still far off: you were too hasty”; and how the lion made excuses and entreated the fox to go and trick him a second time.
چونک بر کوهش بسوی مرج برد ** تا کند شیرش به حمله خرد و مرد
When he (the fox) brought him (the ass) up the hill towards the meadow, in order that the lion might pulverise him with a (sudden) charge,