از پی توزیع گرد شهر گشت ** از طمع می‌گفت هر جا سرگذشت
He (the bailiff) went round the city to collect subscriptions and everywhere, in hope (of exciting compassion), he told all that had happened;
هیچ ناورد از ره کدیه به دست ** غیر صد دینار آن کدیه‌پرست 3250
(But) that devoted beggar obtained by means of begging no more than a hundred dinars.
پای مرد آمد بدو دستش گرفت ** شد بگور آن کریم بس شگفت
(Then) the bailiff came to him and took his hand and went (with him) to (visit) the grave of that very wonderful generous man.
گفت چون توفیق یابد بنده‌ای ** که کند مهمانی فرخنده‌ای
He said, “When a servant (of God) gains the Divine favour so that he entertains a fortunate man,
مال خود ایثار راه او کند ** جاه خود ایثار جاه او کند
And gives up his own wealth for his sake and sacrifices his own dignity for the sake of (conferring) dignity on him,
شکر او شکر خدا باشد یقین ** چون به احسان کرد توفیقش قرین
Gratitude to him (the benefactor) is certainly (the same as) gratitude to God, since (it was) the Divine favour (that) caused him to show beneficence.
ترک شکرش ترک شکر حق بود ** حق او لا شک به حق ملحق بود 3255
To be ungrateful to him is to be ungrateful to God: beyond doubt his right (to gratitude) is consequent on (that of) God.
شکر می‌کن مر خدا را در نعم ** نیز می‌کن شکر و ذکر خواجه هم
Always give thanks to God for His bounties, and always give thanks and praise to the Khwája (your benefactor) too.
رحمت مادر اگر چه از خداست ** خدمت او هم فریضه‌ست و سزاست
Though a mother's tenderness is (derived) from God, (yet) ’tis a sacred duty and a worthy task to serve her.
زین سبب فرمود حق صلوا علیه ** که محمد بود محتال الیه
For this reason God hath said, ‘Do ye bless him (the Prophet),’ for Mohammed was one to whom (the attributes of Divine Providence) were transferred.
در قیامت بنده را گوید خدا ** هین چه کردی آنچ دادم من ترا
At the Resurrection God will say to His servant, ‘Hark, what have you done with that which I bestowed on you?’
گوید ای رب شکر تو کردم به جان ** چون ز تو بود اصل آن روزی و نان 3260
He will reply, ‘O Lord, I gave thanks to Thee with (all) my soul, since the source of my daily provision and bread was in Thee.’
گویدش حق نه نکردی شکر من ** چون نکردی شکر آن اکرام‌فن
(Then) God will say to him, ‘Nay, you did not give thanks to Me, inasmuch as you did not give thanks to him who made a practice of generosity.
بر کریمی کرده‌ای ظلم و ستم ** نه ز دست او رسیدت نعمتم
You have done wrong and injustice to a generous man: did not My bounty come to you by his hand?’”
چون به گور آن ولی‌نعمت رسید ** گشت گریان زار و آمد در نشید
When he (the debtor) arrived at the tomb of his benefactor, he began to weep bitterly and broke into loud lamentation.
گفت ای پشت و پناه هر نبیل ** مرتجی و غوث ابناء السبیل
He said, “O thou who wert the support and refuge of every noble (righteous) man and the hope and helper of wayfarers,
ای غم ارزاق ما بر خاطرت ** ای چو رزق عام احسان و برت 3265
O thou on whose heart the care for our means of livelihood (lay constantly), O thou whose beneficence and charity were (like) the universal provision of sustenance,
ای فقیران را عشیره و والدین ** در خراج و خرج و در ایفاء دین
O thou who wert (as) kinsfolk and parents to the poor in (paying) their taxes and expenses and in discharging their debts,
ای چو بحر از بهر نزدیکان گهر ** داده و تحفه سوی دوران مطر
O thou who, like the sea, gavest pearls for those near (to thee) and (didst send) rain as a gift to those afar,
پشت ما گرم از تو بود ای آفتاب ** رونق هر قصر و گنج هر خراب
Our backs were warmed by thee, O sun (who wert) the splendour in every palace and the treasure in every ruin.
ای در ابرویت ندیده کس گره ** ای چو میکائیل راد و رزق‌ده
O thou in whose eyebrow none ever saw knots (wrinkles), O thou (who wert) generous and bountiful as (the archangel) Michael,
ای دلت پیوسته با دریای غیب ** ای به قاف مکرمت عنقای غیب 3270
O thou whose heart was connected with the Sea of the Unseen, O thou who wert the invisible ‘Anqá on the Qáf (mountain) of munificence,
یاد ناورده که از مالم چه رفت ** سقف قصد همتت هرگز نکفت
Who never tookest thought how much of thy wealth had gone, and the roof of the azimuth (amplitude) of thy magnanimity was never cloven,
ای من و صد هم‌چو من در ماه و سال ** مر ترا چون نسل تو گشته عیال
O thou to whom in (every) month and year I and a hundred like me had become a family (tenderly cared for) like thine own children,
نقد ما و جنس ما و رخت ما ** نام ما و فخر ما و بخت ما
Thou wert our ready money and our movables and our furniture, our fame and our glory and our fortune.
تو نمردی ناز و بخت ما بمرد ** عیش ما و رزق مستوفی بمرد
Thou art not dead; (but) our luxury and fortune are dead, our happy life is dead and the sustenance that was provided in full measure.
واحد کالالف در رزم و کرم ** صد چو حاتم گاه ایثار نعم 3275
(Thou wert) a single person like (equivalent to) a thousand in warfare and in generosity; (thou wert) as a hundred Hátims in the hour of lavishing bounties unselfishly.
حاتم ار مرده به مرده می‌دهد ** گردگان‌های شمرده می‌دهد
If Hátim bestows dead (worldly goods) on the (spiritually) dead (worldlings), he (is like one who) bestows a certain number of walnuts (on children).
تو حیاتی می‌دهی در هر نفس ** کز نفیسی می‌نگنجد در نفس
Thou at every moment art bestowing a life that, because of its preciousness, cannot be contained in breath (words).
تو حیاتی می‌دهی بس پایدار ** نقد زر بی‌کساد و بی‌شمار
Thou art bestowing a life exceedingly enduring, real gold coin exempt from depreciation and beyond count.
وارثی نا بوده یک خوی ترا ** ای فلک سجده کنان کوی ترا
There exists no heir (even) to one (noble) disposition of thine, O thou to whose abode Heaven is bowing in worship.
خلق را از گرگ غم لطفت شبان ** چون کلیم الله شبان مهربان 3280
Thy grace is the shepherd of all who have been created, (guarding them) from the wolf of pain—a loving shepherd like God's Kalím (Moses).”
گوسفندی از کلیم الله گریخت ** پای موسی آبله شد نعل ریخت
One sheep fled from God's Kalím: the feet of Moses were blistered (in following it) and his shoes dropped off.
در پی او تا به شب در جست و جو ** وان رمه غایب شده از چشم او
(He continued) searching after it till nightfall, and (meanwhile) the flock had vanished from his sight.
گوسفند از ماندگی شد سست و ماند ** پس کلیم الله گرد از وی فشاند
The (lost) sheep was enfeebled and exhausted by fatigue: then God's Kalím shook the dust off it,
کف همی‌مالید بر پشت و سرش ** می‌نواخت از مهر هم‌چون مادرش
And stroked its back and head with his hand, fondling it lovingly like a mother.
نیم ذره طیرگی و خشم نی ** غیر مهر و رحم و آب چشم نی 3285
Not (even) half a mite of irritation and anger, nothing but love and pity and tears!
گفت گیرم بر منت رحمی نبود ** طبع تو بر خود چرا استم نمود
He said (to the sheep), “I grant you (naturally) had no pity on me, (but) why did your nature show (such) cruelty to itself?”
با ملایک گفت یزدان آن زمان ** که نبوت را نمی‌زیبد فلان
At that moment God said to the angels, “So-and-so is suitable for prophethood.”
مصطفی فرمود خود که هر نبی ** کرد چوپانیش برنا یا صبی
Mustafá (Mohammed) himself has said that every prophet herded sheep as a young man or boy,
بی‌شبانی کردن و آن امتحان ** حق ندادش پیشوایی جهان
(And that) without his having been a shepherd and (having undergone) that trial, God did not bestow on him the leadership of the world.
گفت سایل هم تو نیز ای پهلوان ** گفت من هم بوده‌ام دهری شبان 3290
A questioner said, “Even thou, O man of might?” “I too,” he replied, “was a shepherd for a long while.”
تا شود پیدا وقار و صبرشان ** کردشان پیش از نبوت حق شبان
In order that their (the prophets') calmness and fortitude should be displayed, God made them shepherds before (investing them with) prophethood.
هر امیری کو شبانی بشر ** آنچنان آرد که باشد متمر
Every prince who performs the task of shepherding mankind in such wise that he obeys the Commandments (of God),
حلم موسی‌وار اندر رعی خود ** او به جا آرد به تدبیر و خرد
(And) in tending them with foresight and understanding shows a forbearance like that of Moses,
لاجرم حقش دهد چوپانیی ** بر فراز چرخ مه روحانیی
Inevitably God will bestow on him a spiritual shepherd's office (exalted) above the sphere of the moon,
آنچنان که انبیا را زین رعا ** بر کشید و داد رعی اصفیا 3295
Even as He raised the prophets from this herding (of sheep) and gave them the task of tending the righteous.