چون زره دان این تن پر حیف را ** نی شتا را شاید و نه صیف را
Know that this iniquitous body is like a coat of mail: it serves neither for winter nor summer.
یار بد نیکوست بهر صبر را ** که گشاید صبر کردن صدر را
(Yet) the bad associate is good (for you) because of the patience (which you must show in overcoming its desires), for the exercise of patience expands the heart (with spiritual peace).
صبر مه با شب منور داردش ** صبر گل با خار اذفر داردش
The patience shown by the moon to the (dark) night keeps it illumined; the patience shown by the rose to the thorn keeps it fragrant.
صبر شیر اندر میان فرث و خون ** کرده او را ناعش ابن اللبون
The patience shown by the milk (chyle) betwixt the faeces (in the intestine) and the blood enables it to rear the camel-foal till he has entered on his third year.
صبر جمله‌ی انبیا با منکران ** کردشان خاص حق و صاحب‌قران 1410
The patience shown by all the prophets to the unbelievers made them the elect of God and lords of the planetary conjunction.
هر که را بینی یکی جامه درست ** دانک او آن را به صبر و کسب جست
When you see any one wearing goodly raiment, know that he has gained it by patience and work.
هرکه را دیدی برهنه و بی‌نوا ** هست بر بی‌صبری او آن گوا
If you have seen any one naked and destitute, that is a testimony of his lack of patience.
هرکه مستوحش بود پر غصه جان ** کرده باشد با دغایی اقتران
Any one who feels lonely and whose soul is full of anguish must have associated with an impostor.
صبر اگر کردی و الف با وفا ** ار فراق او نخوردی این قفا
If he had shown patience and loyal friendship (to God), he would not have suffered this affliction through being separated from Him.
خوی با حق نساختی چون انگبین ** با لبن که لا احب الافلین 1415
He would have consorted with God as honey with milk, saying, “I love not them that set.”
لاجرم تنها نماندی هم‌چنان ** که آتشی مانده به راه از کاروان
(Then) assuredly he would not have remained alone, even as a fire left on the road by caravaneers.
چون ز بی‌صبری قرین غیر شد ** در فراقش پر غم و بی‌خیر شد
(But) since from lack of patience he associated himself with others (than God), in separation from Him he became sorrowful and deprived of good.
صحبتت چون هست زر ده‌دهی ** پیش خاین چون امانت می‌نهی
Since your friendship is (precious) as pure gold, how are you placing it in trust with a traitor?
خوی با او کن که امانتهای تو ** آمن آید از افول و از عتو
Consort with Him with whom your trusts are safe from loss and violation.
خوی با او کن که خو را آفرید ** خویهای انبیا را پرورید 1420
Consort with Him who created (human) nature and fostered the natures of the prophets.
بره‌ای بدهی رمه بازت دهد ** پرورنده‌ی هر صفت خود رب بود
(If) you give (Him) a lamb, He will give you back a (whole) flock (of sheep): verily the Lord is the fosterer of every (good) quality.
بره پیش گرگ امانت می‌نهی ** گرگ و یوسف را مفرما همرهی
Will you entrust the lamb to the wolf? (Nay), do not tell the wolf and Joseph to travel in company with each other.
گرگ اگر با تو نماید روبهی ** هین مکن باور که ناید زو بهی
If the wolf show foxiness towards you (fawn upon you), beware, do not believe (him), for no goodness comes from him.
جاهل ار با تو نماید هم‌دلی ** عاقبت زحمت زند از جاهلی
If a churl show sympathy towards you, (yet) in the end he will inflict blows upon you because of his churlishness.
او دو آلت دارد و خنثی بود ** فعل هر دو بی‌گمان پیدا شود 1425
Ille duo instrumenta habet et androgynus est: amborum effectus sine dubio apparet. [He has two organs and is a hermaphrodite: the operation of both is obvious, without doubt.]
او ذکر را از زنان پنهان کند ** تا که خود را خواهر ایشان کند
Penem oculis feminarum subtrahit ut sese earum sororem faciat. [He hides (his) penis from women in order to make himself (seem like) their sister.]
شله از مردان به کف پنهان کند ** تا که خود را جنس آن مردان کند
Vulvam ne viri videant manu obtegit, ut sese de genere virorum faciat. [He hides (his) vulva from men with (his) hand in order to make himself (seem like) the (same) gender as the men.]
گفت یزدان زان کس مکتوم او ** شله‌ای سازیم بر خرطوم او
Dixit Deus, “Ex ejus cunno occulto scissuram in naso ejus faciemus, [God said, “Because of that hidden vulva of his, We will make a slit on his nose,]
تا که بینایان ما زان ذو دلال ** در نیایند از فن او در جوال
In order that Our seers may not be entrapped by the artfulness of that ogler.”
حاصل آنک از هر ذکر ناید نری ** هین ز جاهل ترس اگر دانش‌وری 1430
The gist (of the matter) is that masculinity does not come from every male: beware of the ignorant man if you are wise.
دوستی جاهل شیرین‌سخن ** کم شنو کان هست چون سم کهن
Do not listen to the friendliness of the fair-spoken ignorant man, for it is like old (virulent) poison.
جان مادر چشم روشن گویدت ** جز غم و حسرت از آن نفزویدت
He says to you, “O soul of thy mother! O light of my eye!” (but) from those (endearments) only grief and sorrow are added to you.
مر پدر را گوید آن مادر جهار ** که ز مکتب بچه‌ام شد بس نزار
That (foolish) mother says plainly to your father, “My child has grown very thin because of (going to) school.
از زن دیگر گرش آوردیی ** بر وی این جور و جفا کم کردیی
If thou hadst gotten him by another wife, thou wouldst not have treated him with such cruelty and unkindness.”
از جز تو گر بدی این بچه‌ام ** این فشار آن زن بگفتی نیز هم 1435
(Your father replies), “Had this child of mine been (born) of another (wife), not of thee, that wife too would have talked this (same) nonsense.”
هین بجه زن مادر و تیبای او ** سیلی بابا به از حلوای او
Beware, recoil from this mother and from her blandishments: your father's slaps are better than her sweetmeat.
هست مادر نفس و بابا عقل راد ** اولش تنگی و آخر صد گشاد
The mother is the carnal soul, and the father is noble reason: its beginning is constraint, but its end is a hundred expansions (of the spirit).
ای دهنده‌ی عقلها فریاد رس ** تا نخواهی تو نخواهد هیچ کس
O Giver of (all) understandings, come to my help: none wills (aught) unless Thou will (it).
هم طلب از تست و هم آن نیکوی ** ما کییم اول توی آخر توی
Both the desire (for good) and the good action (itself) proceed from Thee: who are we? Thou art the First, Thou art the Last.
هم بگو تو هم تو بشنو هم تو باش ** ما همه لاشیم با چندین تراش 1440
Do Thou speak and do Thou hear and do Thou be! We are wholly naught notwithstanding all this hewing.
زین حواله رغبت افزا در سجود ** کاهلی جبر مفرست و خمود
Because of this resignation (to Thy will) do Thou increase our desire for worship (of Thee): do not send (upon us) the sloth and stagnation of necessitarianism.
جبر باشد پر و بال کاملان ** جبر هم زندان و بند کاهلان
Necessitarianism is the wing and pinion of the perfect; necessitarianism is also the prison and chains of the slothful.
هم‌چو آب نیل دان این جبر را ** آب مومن را و خون مر گبر را
Know that this necessitarianism is like the water of the Nile— water to the true believer and blood to the infidel.
بال بازان را سوی سلطان برد ** بال زاغان را به گورستان برد
Wings carry falcons to the king; wings carry crows to the graveyard.
باز گرد اکنون تو در شرح عدم ** که چو پازهرست و پنداریش سم 1445
Now return to the description of non-existence, for it (non-existence) is like bezoar, though you think it is poison.
هم‌چو هندوبچه هین ای خواجه‌تاش ** رو ز محمود عدم ترسان مباش
Hark, O fellow-servant, go and, like the Hindú boy, be not afraid of the Mahmúd of non-existence.
از وجودی ترس که اکنون در ویی ** آن خیالت لاشی و تو لا شیی
Be afraid of the existence in which you are now: that phantasy of yours is nothing and you (yourself) are nothing.
لاشیی بر لاشیی عاشق شدست ** هیچ نی مر هیچ نی را ره زدست
One nothing has fallen in love with another nothing: has any naught ever waylaid (and attacked) any other naught?
چون برون شد این خیالات از میان ** گشت نامعقول تو بر تو عیان
When these phantasies have departed from before you, that which your understanding hath not conceived becomes clear to you.
لیس للماضین هم الموت انما لهم حسره الموت
Those who have passed away do not grieve on account of death; their only regret is to have missed the opportunities (of life).
راست گفتست آن سپهدار بشر ** که هر آنک کرد از دنیا گذر 1450
That captain of mankind has said truly that no one who has passed away from this world
نیستش درد و دریغ و غبن موت ** بلک هستش صد دریغ از بهر فوت
Feels sorrow and regret and disappointment on account of death; nay, but he feels a hundred regrets for having missed the opportunity,
که چرا قبله نکردم مرگ را ** مخزن هر دولت و هر برگ را
Saying (to himself), “Why did not I make death my object —(death, which is) the store-house of every fortune and every provision—
قبله کردم من همه عمر از حول ** آن خیالاتی که گم شد در اجل
(And why), through seeing double, did I make the lifelong object of my attention those phantoms that vanished at the fated hour?”
حسرت آن مردگان از مرگ نیست ** زانست کاندر نقشها کردیم ایست
The grief of the dead is not on account of death; it is because (so they say) “we dwelt upon the (phenomenal) forms,
ما ندیدیم این که آن نقش است و کف ** کف ز دریا جنبد و یابد علف 1455
And this we did not perceive, that those are (mere) form and foam, (and that) the foam is moved and fed by the Sea.”