تا که بازان جانب سلطان روند ** تا که زاغان سوی گورستان روند
And that the falcons may go to the Sultan and that the crows may go to the graveyard;
که استخوان و اجزاء سرگین هم‌چو نان ** نقل زاغان آمدست اندر جهان 1880
For in this world the dessert of the crows was bones and pieces of dung like bread.
قند حکمت از کجا زاغ از کجا ** کرم سرگین از کجا باغ از کجا
How remote is the sugar of wisdom from the crow! How remote is the dung-beetle from the orchard!
نیست لایق غزو نفس و مرد غر ** نیست لایق عود و مشک و کون خر
It is not suitable for an effeminate man to go to fight against the carnal soul: aloes-wood and musk are not suitable for the arse of an ass.
چون غزا ندهد زنان را هیچ دست ** کی دهد آنک جهاد اکبرست
Since women are not at all adapted for fighting, how should they be adapted for that (fight) which is the greater holy war?
جز بنادر در تن زن رستمی ** گشته باشد خفیه هم‌چون مریمی
A Rustam may (sometimes) have been concealed in a woman's body, as (was the case with) a Mary; (but) only seldom.
آنچنان که در تن مردان زنان ** خفیه‌اند و ماده از ضعف جنان 1885
Similarly, women are (sometimes) concealed in men's bodies, and they (such men) are (virtually) female because of (their) faintness of heart.
آن جهان صورت شود آن مادگی ** هر که در مردی ندید آمادگی
In that world, if any one has not found in his manhood the capacity (for spiritual combat), his feminality takes (visible) shape.
روز عدل و عدل داد در خورست ** کفش آن پا کلاه آن سرست
The Day (of Judgement) is justice, and justice consists in giving (to every one) what is proper: the shoe belongs to the foot, and the cap belongs to the head.
تا به مطلب در رسد هر طالبی ** تا به غرب خود رود هر غاربی
(This is) in order that every seeker may attain to the object of his search, and that everything destined to set may go to its point of setting.
نیست هر مطلوب از طالب دریغ ** جفت تابش شمس و جفت آب میغ
No object of search is withheld from the seeker: the sun is paired with heat and the cloud with water.
هست دنیا قهرخانه‌ی کردگار ** قهر بین چون قهر کردی اختیار 1890
The present world is the Creator's penitentiary: since you have chosen (to incur) punishment, suffer punishment!
استخوان و موی مقهوران نگر ** تیغ قهر افکنده اندر بحر و بر
Contemplate the bones and hair of the punished ones (whom) the sword of (Divine) punishment overthrew on sea and land.
پر و پای مرغ بین بر گرد دام ** شرح قهر حق کننده بی‌کلام
Consider the bird's feathers and feet (lying) around the trap and silently expounding (the nature of) God's punishment.
مرد او بر جای خرپشته نشاند ** وآنک کهنه گشت هم پشته نماند
He (the worldling) dies and leaves a (sepulchral) vault to occupy his place; and (in the case of) one who has lain for ages (in the earth), even the vault has disappeared.
هر کسی را جفت کرده عدل حق ** پیل را با پیل و بق را جنس بق
The justice of God hath mated every one (with one of his own kind)—elephant with elephant and gnat with gnat.
مونس احمد به مجلس چار یار ** مونس بوجهل عتبه و ذوالخمار 1895
The familiar associates of Ahmad (Mohammed) were the Four Friends, (while) the familiars of Bú Jahl were ‘Utba and Dhu ’l-Khimár.
کعبه‌ی جبریل و جانها سدره‌ای ** قبله‌ی عبدالبطون شد سفره‌ای
The Ka‘ba of Gabriel and the (celestial) spirits is a Lotus-tree; the qibla of the belly-slave is a table-cloth (covered with dishes of food).
قبله‌ی عارف بود نور وصال ** قبله‌ی عقل مفلسف شد خیال
The qibla of the gnostic is the light of union (with God); the qibla of the philosopher's intellect is phantasy.
قبله‌ی زاهد بود یزدان بر ** قبله‌ی مطمع بود همیان زر
The qibla of the ascetic is the Gracious God; the qibla of the flatterer is a purse of gold.
قبله‌ی معنی‌وران صبر و درنگ ** قبله‌ی صورت‌پرستان نقش سنگ
The qibla of the spiritual is patience and long-suffering; the qibla of form worshippers is the image of stone.
قبله‌ی باطن‌نشینان ذوالمنن ** قبله‌ی ظاهرپرستان روی زن 1900
The qibla of those who dwell on the inward is the Bounteous One; the qibla of those who worship the outward is a woman's face.
هم‌چنین برمی‌شمر تازه و کهن ** ور ملولی رو تو کار خویش کن
Similarly reckon up new and old (instances); and if you are weary (of doing so), go about your business.
رزق ما در کاس زرین شد عقار ** وآن سگان را آب تتماج و تغار
Our provision (from God) is wine in a golden cup, while those curs have the tutmáj broth and the trough.
لایق آنک بدو خو داده‌ایم ** در خور آن رزق بفرستاده‌ایم
(God says), “To him on whom We have bestowed a (particular) disposition We have sent the appropriate provision accordingly.
خوی آن را عاشق نان کرده‌ایم ** خوی این را مست جانان کرده‌ایم
We have made it that one's disposition to be passionately fond of bread, We have made it this one's disposition to be intoxicated with the Beloved.”
چون به خوی خود خوشی و خرمی ** پس چه از درخورد خویت می‌رمی 1905
Since you are pleased and happy with your disposition, then why are you fleeing from that which is appropriate to your disposition?
(If) feminality pleases you, get a chádar; (if) the prowess of Rustam pleases you, get a dagger.
این سخن پایان ندارد وآن فقیر ** گشته است از زخم درویشی عقیر
This topic hath no end, and (meanwhile) the fakir has been sorely wounded by the blows of penury.
قصه‌ی آن گنج‌نامه کی پهلوی قبه‌ای روی به قبله کن و تیر در کمان نه بینداز آنجا کی افتد گنجست
Story of the treasure-scroll (in which it was written), “Beside a certain domed building turn your face towards the qibla (Mecca) and put an arrow to the bow and shoot: the treasure is (buried) at the spot where it falls.”
دید در خواب او شبی و خواب کو ** واقعه‌ی بی‌خواب صوفی‌راست خو
One night he dreamed—but where was sleep? The vision without sleep is familiar to the Súfí—
هاتفی گفتش کای دیده تعب ** رقعه‌ای در مشق وراقان طلب
(That) a heavenly voice said to him, “O you who have seen trouble, search among the (loose) leaves of handwriting sold (as models) by stationers for a certain scroll.
خفیه زان وراق کت همسایه است ** سوی کاغذپاره‌هاش آور تو دست 1910
Unobserved by the stationer who is your neighbour, bring your hand into touch with his papers.
رقعه‌ای شکلش چنین رنگش چنین ** بس بخوان آن را به خلوت ای حزین
It is a scroll of such a shape and such a colour: then (as soon as possible) read it in privacy, O sorrowful one.
چون بدزدی آن ز وراق ای پسر ** پس برون رو ز انبهی و شور و شر
When you steal it from the stationer, my lad, then go out of the crowd and the noise and turmoil,
تو بخوان آن را به خود در خلوتی ** هین مجو در خواندن آن شرکتی
And read it by yourself in some lonely place: beware, do not seek any partnership in reading it.
ور شود آن فاش هم غمگین مشو ** که نیابد غیر تو زان نیم جو
But even if it (the secret) be divulged, do not be anxious, for none but you will get (so much as) half a barley-corn thereof.
ور کشد آن دیر هان زنهار تو ** ورد خود کن دم به دم لاتقنطوا 1915
And if it (the affair) be long drawn out, beware and take heed! Make (the text) do not ye despair your litany at every moment.”
این بگفت و دست خود آن مژده‌ور ** بر دل او زد که رو زحمت ببر
The (heavenly) announcer of the good news said this and put his hand on his (the fakir's) heart, saying, “Go, endure the toil.”
چون به خویش آمد ز غیبت آن جوان ** می‌نگنجید از فرح اندر جهان
When the youth came back to himself after the absence, on account of his joy he could not be contained in the world.
زهره‌ی او بر دریدی از قلق ** گر نبودی رفق و حفظ و لطف حق
Had it not been for the tender care and protection and favour of God, his gallbladder would have burst from agitation.
یک فرح آن کز پس شصد حجاب ** گوش او بشنید از حضرت جواب
One (cause of) joy was this, that after (having passed through) six hundred veils his ear had heard the answer (to his prayer) from the (Divine) Presence.
از حجب چون حس سمعش در گذشت ** شد سرافراز و ز گردون بر گذشت 1920
When his auditory sense had pierced through the veils, he raised his head aloft and passed beyond the skies,
که بود کان حس چشمش ز اعتبار ** زان حجاب غیب هم یابد گذار
(Thinking) that maybe, by taking the lesson to heart, his sense of sight would also find a passage through the veil of the Unseen,
چون گذاره شد حواسش از حجاب ** پس پیاپی گرددش دید و خطاب
And that when (both) his senses had passed through the veil, his vision and allocution (from God) would then be continuous.
جانب دکان وراق آمد او ** دست می‌برد او به مشقش سو به سو
(So) he came to the stationer's shop and (for some time) was laying his hand here and there on his (the stationer's) models for writing.
پیش چشمش آمد آن مکتوب زود ** با علاماتی که هاتف گفته بود
Suddenly that piece of script, with the distinctive marks which the heavenly voice had mentioned, caught his eye.
در بغل زد گفت خواجه خیر باد ** این زمان وا می‌رسم ای اوستاد 1925
He slipped it under his arm and said, “Good-bye, Khwája: I will come back presently, O master.”
رفت کنج خلوتی و آن را بخواند ** وز تحیر واله و حیران بماند
He went into a solitary nook and read it and remained lost in bewilderment and amazement,
که بدین سان گنج‌نامه‌ی بی‌بها ** چون فتاده ماند اندر مشقها
(Wondering) how a priceless treasure-scroll of this sort had fallen and been left among the (stationer's) papers.
باز اندر خاطرش این فکر جست ** کز پی هر چیز یزدان حافظست
(Then) again the thought darted into his mind, that God is the guardian for everything,