نیست زندانی وحش‌تر از رحم ** ناخوش و تاریک و پرخون و وخم
There is no prison more frightful than the womb—noisome and dark and full of blood and unhealthy;
چون گشادت حق دریچه سوی خویش ** در رحم هر دم فزاید تنت بیش
(Yet), when God has opened for you a window in His direction, your body (hidden) in the womb grows more (and more) every moment,
اندر آن زندان ز ذوق بی‌قیاس ** خوش شکفت از غرس جسم تو حواس
And in that prison, from the immeasurable delight (which you feel therein), the senses blossom happily from the plant, your body.
زان رحم بیرون شدن بر تو درشت ** می‌گریزی از زهارش سوی پشت
’Tis grievous to you to go forth from the womb: you are fleeing from her (your mother's) pubes towards her back.
راه لذت از درون دان نه از برون ** ابلهی دان جستن قصر و حصون 3420
Know that the way of (spiritual) pleasure is from within, not from without: know that it is folly to seek palaces and castles.
آن یکی در کنج مسجد مست و شاد ** وآن دگر در باغ ترش و بی‌مراد
One man is enraptured and delighted in the nook of a mosque, while another is morose and disappointed in a garden.
قصر چیزی نیست ویران کن بدن ** گنج در ویرانیست ای میر من
The palace (body) is nothing: ruin your body! The treasure lies in the ruin, O my prince.
این نمی‌بینی که در بزم شراب ** مست آنگه خوش شود کو شد خراب
Don't you see that at the wine-feast the drunkard becomes happy (only) when he becomes ruined (senseless)?
گرچه پر نقش است خانه بر کنش ** گنج جو و از گنج آبادان کنش
Although the (bodily) house is full of pictures, demolish it: seek the treasure, and with the treasure put it (the house) into good repair.
خانه‌ی پر نقش تصویر و خیال ** وین صور چون پرده بر گنج وصال 3425
’Tis a house filled with pictures of imagination and fancy, and these forms (ideas) are as a veil over the treasure of union (with God).
پرتو گنجست و تابش‌های زر ** که درین سینه همی‌جوشد صور
’Tis the radiance of the Treasure and the splendours of the (spiritual) gold that cause the forms (ideas) to surge up in this breast.
هم ز لطف و عکس آب با شرف ** پرده شد بر روی آب اجزای کف
’Tis from the purity and translucence of the noble Water that the particles of foam have veiled the face of the Water.
هم ز لطف و جوش جان با ثمن ** پرده‌ای بر روی جان شد شخص تن
’Tis from the purity and (ceaseless) agitation of the precious Spirit that the bodily figure has veiled the face of the Spirit.
پس مثل بشنو که در افواه خاست ** که اینچ بر ماست ای برادر هم ز ماست
Hearken, then, to the adage that issued from the mouths (of men)—“this which is (cast) upon us, O brother, is (derived) from us.”
زین حجاب این تشنگان کف‌پرست ** ز آب صافی اوفتاده دوردست 3430
Because of this veil, these thirsty ones who are (so) fond of the foam have got out of reach of the pure Water.
آفتابا با چو تو قبله و امام ** شب‌پرستی و خفاشی می‌کنیم
“O (Divine) Sun, notwithstanding (that we have) a qibla (object of adoration) and Imám like Thee, we worship the night and behave in the manner of bats.
سوی خود کن این خفاشان را مطار ** زین خفاشیشان بخر ای مستجار
Make these bats to fly towards Thee and redeem them from this bat-like disposition, O Thou whose protection is implored!
این جوان زین جرم ضالست و مغیر ** که بمن آمد ولی او را مگیر
This youth (the Amír), by (committing) this sin, has gone astray and trespassed (against Thee), for he came to me (for help); but do not chastise him.”
در عماد الملک این اندیشه‌ها ** گشته جوشان چون اسد در بیشه‌ها
In the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk these thoughts were raging like a lion (rushing) through the jungles.
ایستاده پیش سلطان ظاهرش ** در ریاض غیب جان طایرش 3435
His exterior (person) stood before the Sultan, (but) his soaring spirit was in the meadows of the Unseen.
چون ملایک او به اقلیم الست ** هر دمی می‌شد به شرب تازه مست
Like the angels, he was momently being intoxicated with fresh draughts (of spiritual wine) in the realm of Alast;
اندرون سور و برون چون پر غمی ** در تن هم‌چون لحد خوش عالمی
Inwardly (merry as) a wedding-feast, but outwardly like a man filled with sorrow; a delectable world (concealed) in a tomb-like body.
او درین حیرت بد و در انتظار ** تا چه پیدا آید از غیب و سرار
He was in this (state of) bewilderment and waiting to see what would appear from the (world of) things occult and mysterious,
اسپ را اندر کشیدند آن زمان ** پیش خوارمشاه سرهنگان کشان
(When) at that time the officers brought the horse along into the presence of the Khwárizmsháh.
الحق اندر زیر این چرخ کبود ** آن‌چنان کره به قد و تگ نبود 3440
Verily beneath this azure sky there was no (other) colt like that in (tallness and comeliness of) figure and in fleetness.
می‌ربودی رنگ او هر دیده را ** مرحب آن از برق و مه زاییده را
Its colour (splendid appearance) dazzled every eye: (all would exclaim), “Hail to the (steed) born of the lightning and the moon!”
هم‌چو مه هم‌چون عطارد تیزرو ** گوییی صرصر علف بودش نه جو
It moved as swiftly as the moon and Mercury: you might say that its fodder was the sarsar wind, not barley.
ماه عرصه‌ی آسمان را در شبی ** می‌برد اندر مسیر و مذهبی
The moon traverses the expanse of heaven in one night during a single journey and course.
چون به یک شب مه برید ابراج را ** از چه منکر می‌شوی معراج را
Since the moon traversed the signs of the zodiac in one night, wherefore wilt thou disbelieve the Ascension (of the Prophet)?
صد چو ماهست آن عجب در یتیم ** که به یک ایماء او شد مه دو نیم 3445
That wondrous orphan Pearl is as a hundred moons, for at a nod from him the moon became (split in) two halves.
آن عجب کو در شکاف مه نمود ** هم به قدر ضعف حس خلق بود
(Even) the marvel which he displayed in splitting the moon was only according to the measure of the weakness of the perception possessed by the (common) people.
کار و بار انبیا و مرسلون ** هست از افلاک و اخترها برون
The work and business of the prophets and (Divine) messengers is beyond the skies and the stars.
تو برون رو هم ز افلاک و دوار ** وانگهان نظاره کن آن کار و بار
Do thou also go beyond (transcend) the skies and the revolving (orb), and then contemplate that work and business.
در میان بیضه‌ای چون فرخ‌ها ** نشنوی تسبیح مرغان هوا
(Whilst) thou art inside the egg, like chicks, thou canst not hear the glorification of God by the birds of the (supermundane) air.
معجزات این‌جا نخواهد شرح گشت ** ز اسپ و خوارمشاه گو و سرگذشت 3450
The miracles (of the Prophet) will not be set forth here: tell of the horse and the Khwárizmsháh and what happened.
آفتاب لطف حق بر هر چه تافت ** از سگ و از اسپ فر کهف یافت
Whatsoever the sun of God's grace shines upon, whether it be dog or horse, gains (is endowed with) the glory of the Cave;
تاب لطفش را تو یکسان هم مدان ** سنگ را و لعل را داد او نشان
Yet deem not the radiance of His grace to be uniform: it has given a sign (distinctive character) to the pebble and the ruby.
لعل را زان هست گنج مقتبس ** سنگ را گرمی و تابانی و بس
From that (radiance) the ruby has a borrowed treasure, (while) the pebble has only heat and brightness.
آنک بر دیوار افتد آفتاب ** آن‌چنان نبود کز آب و اضطراب
(The radiance of) the sun falling on a wall is not the same as (when it is reflected) from water and quivering movement.
چون دمی حیران شد از وی شاه فرد ** روی خود سوی عماد الملک کرد 3455
After the peerless king had been astounded by (gazing at) it (the horse) for a moment, he turned his face to the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk,
کای اچی بس خوب اسپی نیست این ** از بهشتست این مگر نه از زمین
Saying, “O vizier, is not this an exceedingly beautiful horse? Surely it belongs to Paradise, not to the earth.”
پس عماد الملک گفتش ای خدیو ** چون فرشته گردد از میل تو دیو
Thereupon the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk said to him, “O emperor, a demon is made angelic by thy (fond) inclination.
در نظر آنچ آوری گردید نیک ** بس گش و رعناست این مرکب ولیک
That on which thou lookest (fondly) becomes (appears good (to thee). This steed is very handsome and graceful, and yet
هست ناقص آن سر اندر پیکرش ** چون سر گاوست گویی آن سرش
The head is a blemish in its (elegant) form: you might say that its head is like the head of an ox.”
در دل خوارمشه این دم کار کرد ** اسپ را در منظر شه خوار کرد 3460
These words worked on the heart of the Khwárizmsháh and caused the horse to be cheap in the king's sight.
چون غرض دلاله گشت و واصفی ** از سه گز کرباس یابی یوسفی
When prejudice becomes a go-between and describer (of beauty), you may get (buy) a Joseph for three ells of linen.
چونک هنگام فراق جان شود ** دیو دلال در ایمان شود
When the hour arrives for the spirit's parting (from the body), the Devil becomes a broker (depreciator) of the pearl of Faith,
پس فروشد ابله ایمان را شتاب ** اندر آن تنگی به یک ابریق آب
And then in that (moment of) sore distress the fool hastily sells his faith for a jug of water;
وان خیالی باشد و ابریق نی ** قصد آن دلال جز تخریق نی
But ’tis a (mere) phantom and not (really) a jug: the aim of the broker (the Devil) is naught but trickery.
این زمان که تو صحیح و فربهی ** صدق را بهر خیالی می‌دهی 3465
At this (present) time, when you are healthy and fat, you are giving up the Truth for a phantom.