اتصالی که نگنجد در کلام ** گفتنش تکلیف باشد والسلام 880
A unitedness that is not containable in words—to speak of it were a vain task, so farewell.
صد جوال زر بیاری ای غنی ** حق بگوید دل بیار ای منحنی
O rich man, (if) thou bring a hundred sacks of gold, God will say, “Bring the Heart, O thou that art bent (in devotion).
گر ز تو راضیست دل من راضیم ** ور ز تو معرض بود اعراضیم
If the Heart be pleased with thee, I am pleased; and if it be averse to thee, I am averse.
ننگرم در تو در آن دل بنگرم ** تحفه او را آر ای جان بر درم
I do not regard thee, I regard that Heart: bring it, O soul, as a gift to My door!
با تو او چونست هستم من چنان ** زیر پای مادران باشد جنان
According as it is in relation to thee, so am I: Paradise is under the feet of mothers.”
مادر و بابا و اصل خلق اوست ** ای خنک آنکس که داند دل ز پوست 885
It (the Heart) is the mother and father and origin of (all) the creatures: oh, blest is that one who knows the Heart from the skin.
تو بگویی نک دل آوردم به تو ** گویدت پرست ازین دلها قتو
Thou wilt say, “Lo, I have brought unto Thee a heart”: He (God) will say to thee, “Qutú is full of these hearts.
آن دلی آور که قطب عالم اوست ** جان جان جان جان آدم اوست
Bring the Heart that is the Qutb (Pole) of the world and the soul of the soul of the soul of the soul of Adam.”
از برای آن دل پر نور و بر ** هست آن سلطان دلها منتظر
The Sultan of (all) hearts is waiting expectantly for that Heart full of light and goodness.
تو بگردی روزها در سبزوار ** آنچنان دل را نیابی ز اعتبار
Thou mayst wander (many) days in Sabzawár, (but) thou wilt not find (there) a Heart like that by (the most) careful observation.
پس دل پژمرده‌ی پوسیده‌جان ** بر سر تخته نهی آن سو کشان 890
Then thou wilt lay upon a bier the corrupt heart, whose soul is rotten, to carry (it) Yonder,
که دل آوردم ترا ای شهریار ** به ازین دل نبود اندر سبزوار
And say, “I bring Thee a heart, O King: there is no better heart than this in Sabzawár.”
گویدت این گورخانه‌ست ای جری ** که دل مرده بدینجا آوری
He (God) will answer thee, saying, “O audacious man, is this a graveyard that thou shouldst bring a dead heart hither?
رو بیاور آن دلی کو شاه‌خوست ** که امان سبزوار کون ازوست
Go, bring the Heart that is kingly, from which is (derived) the security of the Sabzawár of (mundane) existence.”
گویی آن دل زین جهان پنهان بود ** زانک ظلمت با ضیا ضدان بود
You may say that that Heart is hidden from this world, because darkness and light are opposites.
دشمنی آن دل از روز الست ** سبزوار طبع را میراثی است 895
From the Day of Alast there is an hereditary enmity of that Heart to the Sabzawár of the carnal nature;
زانک او بازست و دنیا شهر زاغ ** دیدن ناجنس بر ناجنس داغ
For it is a falcon, while this world is the city of the crow: the sight of one who is uncongenial inflicts pain upon him who is not his congener;
ور کند نرمی نفاقی می‌کند ** ز استمالت ارتفاقی می‌کند
And if he (the worldling) behave with mildness (complaisance), he is acting hypocritically: he is seeking an advantage for himself by conciliating (the owner of the Heart).
می‌کند آری نه از بهر نیاز ** تا که ناصح کم کند نصح دراز
He assents, not on account of sincere feeling, (but) in order that the admonisher may curtail his long admonition;
زانک این زاغ خس مردارجو ** صد هزاران مکر دارد تو به تو
For this vile carrion-seeking crow hath a hundred thousand manifold tricks.
گر پذیرند آن نفاقش را رهید ** شد نفاقش عین صدق مستفید 900
If they (the saints) accept his hypocrisy, he is saved: his hypocrisy becomes identical with the sincerity of him who benefits by instruction,
زانک آن صاحب دل با کر و فر ** هست در بازار ما معیوب‌خر
Because the august owner of the Heart is a buyer of damaged goods in our bazaar.
صاحب دل جو اگر بی‌جان نه‌ای ** جنس دل شو گر ضد سلطان نه‌ای
Seek the owner of the Heart, if thou art not soulless: become a congener of the Heart, if thou art not an adversary of the (spiritual) Sultan.
آنک زرق او خوش آید مر ترا ** آن ولی تست نه خاص خدا
(But) that one whose hypocrisy pleases thee, he is (only) thy saint, (he is) not the elect of God.
هر که او بر خو و بر طبع تو زیست ** پیش طبع تو ولی است و نبیست
Whosoever lives in accordance with thy disposition and nature seems to thy (carnal) nature to be a saint and a prophet.
رو هوا بگذار تا بویت شود ** وان مشام خوش عبرجویت شود 905
Go, renounce sensuality in order that the (spiritual) scent may be thine and that the sweet ambergris-seeking organ of smell may be thine.
از هوارانی دماغت فاسدست ** مشک و عنبر پیش مغزت کاسدست
Thy brain (organ of smell) is corrupted by sensual indulgence: to thy (olfactory) sense musk and ambergris are unsalable.
حد ندارد این سخن و آهوی ما ** می‌گریزد اندر آخر جابجا
This discourse hath no bound, and (meanwhile) our gazelle is running to and fro in flight in the stable.
بقیه‌ی قصه‌ی آهو و آخر خران
The remainder of the Story of the gazelle in the donkey-stable.
روزها آن آهوی خوش‌ناف نر ** در شکنجه بود در اصطبل خر
During (many) days the sweet-navelled male gazelle was in torment in the donkey-stable,
مضطرب در نزع چون ماهی ز خشک ** در یکی حقه معذب پشک و مشک
Like a fish wriggling in the death-agony from (being kept on) dry ground, (or like) dung and musk tortured (by being kept) in the same box.
یک خرش گفتی که ها این بوالوحوش ** طبع شاهان دارد و میران خموش 910
One donkey would say to his neighbour, “Ha! this wild fellow has the nature of kings and princes. Hush!”
وآن دگر تسخر زدی کز جر و مد ** گوهر آوردست کی ارزان دهد
And the other would mock, saying, “By (constant) ebb and flow he has gained a pearl: how should he sell cheaply?”
وآن خری گفتی که با این نازکی ** بر سریر شاه شو گو متکی
And another donkey would say, “With this fastidiousness (of his), let him recline on the imperial throne!”
آن خری شد تخمه وز خوردن بماند ** پس برسم دعوت آهو را بخواند
A certain donkey became ill with indigestion and was unable to eat; therefore he gave the gazelle a formal invitation (to dine).
سر چنین کرد او که نه رو ای فلان ** اشتهاام نیست هستم ناتوان
He (the gazelle) shook his head, (as though to say), “Nay, begone, O such-and such: I have no appetite, I am unwell.”
گفت می‌دانم که نازی می‌کنی ** یا ز ناموس احترازی می‌کنی 915
He (the donkey) replied, “I know that you are showing disdain, or holding aloof in regard for your reputation.”
گفت او با خود که آن طعمه‌ی توست ** که از آن اجزای تو زنده و نوست
He (the gazelle) said to himself, “That (which you offer me) is your food, whereby your limbs are revived and renewed.
من الیف مرغزاری بوده‌ام ** در زلال و روضه‌ها آسوده‌ام
I have been familiar with a (beauteous) pasture, I have reposed amongst (rivulets of) clear water and meadows.
گر قضا انداخت ما را در عذاب ** کی رود آن خو و طبع مستطاب
If Destiny has cast me into torment, (yet) how should that goodly disposition and nature depart (from me)?
گر گدا گشتم گدارو کی شوم ** ور لباسم کهنه گردد من نوم
If I have become a beggar, (yet) how should I have the face (impudence and greed) of a beggar? And if my (bodily) raiment become old, (yet) I am (spiritually) new.
سنبل و لاله و سپرغم نیز هم ** با هزاران ناز و نفرت خورده‌ام 920
I have eaten hyacinth and anemone and sweet basil too with a thousand disdains and disgusts.”