چون که مطرب پیرتر گشت و ضعیف ** شد ز بی‌‌کسبی رهین یک رغیف‌‌

When the minstrel grew older and feeble, through not earning (anything) he became indebted for a single loaf of bread.

گفت عمر و مهلتم دادی بسی ** لطفها کردی خدایا با خسی‌‌

He said, “Thou hast given me long life and respite: O God, Thou hast bestowed (many) favours on a vile wretch.

معصیت ورزیده‌‌ام هفتاد سال ** باز نگرفتی ز من روزی نوال‌‌

For seventy years I have been committing sin, (yet) not for one day hast Thou withheld Thy bounty from me.

نیست کسب امروز مهمان توام ** چنگ بهر تو زنم آن توام‌‌ 2085

I (can) earn nothing: to-day I am Thy guest, I will play the harp for Thee, I am Thine.”

چنگ را برداشت و شد الله جو ** سوی گورستان یثرب آه گو

He took up his harp and went in search of God to the graveyard of Medina, crying “Alas!”

گفت خواهم از حق ابریشم بها ** کاو به نیکویی پذیرد قلبها

He said, “I crave of God the price of silk (for harpstrings), for He in His kindness accepts adulterated coin.”

چون که زد بسیار و گریان سر نهاد ** چنگ بالین کرد و بر گوری فتاد

When he had played a long while and (then), weeping, laid his head down: he made the harp his pillow and dropped on a tomb.

خواب بردش مرغ جانش از حبس رست ** چنگ و چنگی را رها کرد و بجست‌‌

Sleep overtook him: the bird, his soul, escaped from captivity, it let harp and harper go and darted away.

گشت آزاد از تن و رنج جهان ** در جهان ساده و صحرای جان‌‌ 2090

It became freed from the body and the pain of this world in the simple (purely spiritual) world and the vast region of the soul.

جان او آن جا سرایان ماجرا ** کاندر اینجا گر بماندندی مرا

There his soul was singing what had befallen (it), saying, “If they would but let me stay here,