هرچه خواهد خاطر تو وا مگیر ** تا نگردد صبر و پرهیزت زحیر
Do not withhold anything that your inclination craves, lest your self-restraint and abstinence turn to gripes.
صبر و پرهیز این مرض را دان زیان ** هرچه خواهد دل در آرش در میان 1325
Know that self-restraint and abstinence are injurious to this disease: proffer to your heart whatever it may desire.
این چنین رنجور را گفت ای عمو ** حق تعالی اعملوا ما شتم
O uncle, (it was) in reference to a sick man like this (that) God most High said, ‘Do what ye will.”
گفت رو هین خیر بادت جان عم ** من تماشای لب جو می‌روم
He (the sick man) said, “(Now) go; look you, my dear nephew, I am going for a walk on the bank of the river.”
بر مراد دل همی‌گشت او بر آب ** تا که صحت را بیابد فتح باب
He was strolling beside the water, as his heart desired, in order that he might find the door to health opened to him.
بر لب جو صوفیی بنشسته بود ** دست و رو می‌شست و پاکی می‌فزود
On the river-bank a Súfí was seated, washing his hands and face and cleansing himself more and more.
او قفااش دید چون تخییلیی ** کرد او را آرزوی سیلیی 1330
He saw the nape of his (the Súfí's) neck and, like a crazy man, felt a longing to give it a slap;
بر قفای صوفی حمزه‌پرست ** راست می‌کرد از برای صفع دست
(So) he raised his hand to inflict a blow on the nape of the pottage-worshipping Súfí,
کارزو را گر نرانم تا رود ** آن طبیبم گفت کان علت شود
Saying (to himself), “The physician told me it would make me ill if I would not let my desire have its way.
سیلیش اندر برم در معرکه ** زانک لا تلقوا بایدی تهلکه
I will give him a slap in quarrel, for (God hath said), ‘Do not cast yourselves with your own hands into destruction.’
تهلکه‌ست این صبر و پرهیز ای فلان ** خوش بکوبش تن مزن چون دیگران
O such-and-such, this self-restraint and abstinence is (thy) destruction: give him a good blow, do not keep quiet like the others.”
چون زدش سیلی برآمد یک طراق ** گفت صوفی هی هی ای قواد عاق 1335
When he slapped him, there was the sound of a crack: the Súfí cried, “Hey, hey, O rascally pimp!”
خواست صوفی تا دو سه مشتش زند ** سبلت و ریشش یکایک بر کند
The Súfí was about to give him two or three blows with his fist and tear out his moustache and beard piecemeal (but refrained from doing so).
خلق رنجور دق و بیچاره‌اند ** وز خداع دیو سیلی باره‌اند
Mankind are (like) sufferers from phthisis and without a remedy (for their disease), and through the Devil's deception they are passionately addicted to slapping (each other).
جمله در ایذای بی‌جرمان حریص ** در قفای همدگر جویان نقیص
All (of them) are eager to injure the innocent and are seeking (to find) fault behind each others' backs.
ای زننده بی‌گناهان را قفا ** در قفای خود نمی‌بینی جزا
O you who strike the napes of the guiltless, don't you see the retribution (that is coming) behind you?
ای هوا را طب خود پنداشته ** بر ضعیفان صفع را بگماشته 1340
O you who fancy that (indulgence of) desire is your (right) medicine and inflict slaps on the weak,
بر تو خندید آنک گفتت این دواست ** اوست که آدم را به گندم رهنماست
He who told you that this is the cure (for your disease) mocked at you: ’tis he that guided Adam to the wheat,
که خورید این دانه او دو مستعین ** بهر دارو تا تکونا خالدین
Saying, “O ye twain who implore help, eat this grain as a remedy that ye may abide (in Paradise) for ever.”
اوش لغزانید و او را زد قفا ** آن قفا وا گشت و گشت این را جزا
He caused him (Adam) to stumble and gave him a slap on the nape: that slap recoiled and became a (penal) retribution for him (the Devil).
اوش لغزانید سخت اندر زلق ** لیک پشت و دستگیرش بود حق
He caused him (Adam) to stumble terribly in backsliding, but God was his (Adam's) support and helper.
کوه بود آدم اگر پر مار شد ** کان تریاقست و بی‌اضرار شد 1345
Adam was (like) a mountain: (even) if he was filled with serpents (of sin), he is a mine of the antidote (to snake-poison) and was unhurt.
تو که تریاقی نداری ذره‌ای ** از خلاص خود چرایی غره‌ای
You, who do not possess an atom of the antidote, why are you deluded by your (hope of) deliverance?
آن توکل کو خلیلانه ترا ** وآن کرامت چون کلیمت از کجا
Where, in your case, is trust in God like (the trust of) Khalíl (Abraham), and whence will you get the (Divine) grace like (that bestowed upon) Kalím (Moses),
تا نبرد تیغت اسمعیل را ** تا کنی شه‌راه قعر نیل را
So that your knife should not cut (the throat of) Ismá‘íl (Ishmael) and that you should make the depths of the Nile a (dry) highway?
گر سعیدی از مناره اوفتید ** بادش اندر جامه افتاد و رهید
If a blessed one fell from the minaret (and) was saved by the wind filling his raiment,
چون یقینت نیست آن بخت ای حسن ** تو چرا بر باد دادی خویشتن 1350
Why have you, O good man, committed yourself to the wind when you are not sure of that (same) fortune?
زین مناره صد هزاران هم‌چو عاد ** در فتادند و سر و سر باد داد
From this minaret hundreds of thousands (of peoples) like ‘Ád fell down and gave to the wind (lost) their lives and souls.
سرنگون افتادگان را زین منار ** می‌نگر تو صد هزار اندر هزار
Behold those who have fallen headlong from this minaret, hundreds of thousands on thousands!
تو رسن‌بازی نمیدانی یقین ** شکر پاها گوی و می‌رو بر زمین
(If) you have no sure skill in rope-dancing, give thanks for your feet and walk on the ground.
پر مساز از کاغذ و از که مپر ** که در آن سودا بسی رفتست سر
Don't make wings of paper and fly from the (top of a) mountain, for many a head has gone (to destruction) in this craze.
گرچه آن صوفی پر آتش شد ز خشم ** لیک او بر عاقبت انداخت چشم 1355
Although the Súfí was afire with anger, yet he cast his eye on the consequence.
اول صف بر کسی ماندم به کام ** کو نگیرد دانه بیند بند دام
The highest success belongs permanently to him who does not take the bait and sees (the danger of) imprisonment in the trap.
حبذا دو چشم پایان بین راد ** که نگه دارند تن را از فساد
How excellent are two noble end-discerning eyes that preserve the body from corruption!
آن ز پایان‌دید احمد بود کو ** دید دوزخ را همین‌جا مو به مو
That (foresight) was (derived) from the vision of the end that was seen by Ahmad (Mohammed), who even here (in the present life) saw Hell, hair by hair,
دید عرش و کرسی و جنات را ** تا درید او پرده‌ی غفلات را
And saw the Throne (of God) and the Footstool and the Gardens (of Paradise), so that he rent the veil of (our) forgetfulnesses.
گر همی‌خواهی سلامت از ضرر ** چشم ز اول بند و پایان را نگر 1360
If you desire to be safe from harm, close your eye to the beginning and contemplate the end,
تا عدمها ار ببینی جمله هست ** هستها را بنگری محسوس پست
That you may regard all (apparent) nonentities as (really) existent and look upon (all) entities, (so far as they are) perceived by the senses, as of low degree.
این ببین باری که هر کش عقل هست ** روز و شب در جست و جوی نیستست
At least consider this, that every one who possesses reason is daily and nightly in quest of the (relatively) non-existent.
در گدایی طالب جودی که نیست ** بر دکانها طالب سودی که نیست
In begging, he seeks a munificence that is not in being; in the shops he seeks a profit that is not in being.
در مزارع طالب دخلی که نیست ** در مغارس طالب نخلی که نیست
In the cornfields he seeks an income (crop) that is not in being; in the plantations he seeks a date-palm that is not in being.
در مدارس طالب علمی که نیست ** در صوامع طالب حلمی که نیست 1365
In the colleges he seeks a knowledge that is not in being; in the Christian monasteries he seeks a morality that is not in being.
هستها را سوی پس افکنده‌اند ** نیستها را طالبند و بنده‌اند
They (the intelligent) have thrown the (actually) existent things behind them and are seekers of, and devoted to, the (relatively) non-existent things,
زانک کان و مخزن صنع خدا ** نیست غیر نیستی در انجلا
Because the mine and treasury of God's doing is not other than non-existence in (process of) being brought into manifestation.
پیش ازین رمزی بگفتستیم ازین ** این و آن را تو یکی بین دو مبین
We have previously given some indication of this (matter): regard this (present discourse) and that (former discourse) as one, not as two.
گفته شد که هر صناعت‌گر که رست ** در صناعت جایگاه نیست جست
It was stated (formerly) that every craftsman who appeared (in the world) sought the abode of (relative) non-existence in (exercising) his craft.
جست بنا موضعی ناساخته ** گشته ویران سقفها انداخته 1370
The builder sought an unrepaired place that had become ruined and (where) the roofs (were) fallen in.
جست سقا کوزای کش آب نیست ** وان دروگر خانه‌ای کش باب نیست
The water-carrier sought a pot with no water in it, and the carpenter a house with no door.
وقت صید اندر عدم بد حمله‌شان ** از عدم آنگه گریزان جمله‌شان
At the moment of pursuing (their object) they rushed into (relative) nonexistence; then (afterwards) they all are fleeing from non-existence.
چون امیدت لاست زو پرهیز چیست ** با انیس طمع خود استیز چیست
Since your hope is (in) non-existence, why (this) avoidance of it? Why (this) strife with what is congenial to your desire?