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آن که غافل بود از کشت بهار ** او چه داند قیمت این روزگار
- He that was heedless of the sowing and the springtide, how should he know the value of this lifetime?
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در پناه لطف حق باید گریخت ** کاو هزاران لطف بر ارواح ریخت
- You must flee to the shelter of God's grace, who shed thousand fold grace upon (our) spirits,
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تا پناهی یابی آن گه چون پناه ** آب و آتش مر ترا گردد سپاه 1840
- That you may find a shelter. Then how (will you lack) shelter? Water and fire will become your army.
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نوح و موسی را نه دریا یار شد ** نه بر اعداشان به کین قهار شد
- Did not the sea become a friend to Noah and Moses? Did it not become overbearing in vengeance against their enemies?
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آتش ابراهیم را نی قلعه بود ** تا بر آورد از دل نمرود دود
- Was not the fire a fortress for Abraham, so that it raised smoke (sighs of despair) from the heart of Nimrod?
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کوه یحیی را نه سوی خویش خواند ** قاصدانش را به زخم سنگ راند
- Did not the mountain call Yahyá (John the Baptist) to itself and drive off his pursuers with blows of stone?
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گفت ای یحیی بیا در من گریز ** تا پناهت باشم از شمشیر تیز
- “O Yahyá,” it said, “come, take refuge in me, that I may be thy shelter from the sharp sword.”
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وداع کردن طوطی خواجه را و پریدن
- How the parrot bade farewell to the merchant and flew away.
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یک دو پندش داد طوطی بینفاق ** بعد از آن گفتش سلام الفراق 1845
- The parrot gave him one or two counsels devoid of hypocrisy and after that bade him the farewell of parting.
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خواجه گفتش فی أمان الله برو ** مر مرا اکنون نمودی راه نو
- The merchant said to her, “Go, God protect thee! Just now thou hast shown to me a new Way.”
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خواجه با خود گفت کاین پند من است ** راه او گیرم که این ره روشن است
- Said the merchant to himself, “This is the counsel for me; I will take her Way, for this Way is shining with light.
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جان من کمتر ز طوطی کی بود ** جان چنین باید که نیکو پی بود
- How should my soul be meaner than the parrot? The soul ought to follow a good track like this.”
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مضرت تعظیم خلق و انگشت نمای شدن
- The harmfulness of being honoured by the people and of becoming conspicuous.
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تن قفس شکل است تن شد خار جان ** در فریب داخلان و خارجان
- The body is cage-like: the body, amidst the cajoleries of those who come in and go out, became a thorn to the soul.
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اینش گوید من شوم هم راز تو ** و آنش گوید نی منم انباز تو 1850
- This one says to him, “I will be thy confidant,” and that one says, “Nay, I am thy partner.”
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اینش گوید نیست چون تو در وجود ** در جمال و فضل و در احسان و جود
- This one says to him, “There is none in existence like thee for beauty and eminence and for kindness and liberality.”
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آنش گوید هر دو عالم آن تست ** جمله جانهامان طفیل جان تست
- That one says to him, “Both the worlds are thine, all our souls are thy soul's parasites.”
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او چو بیند خلق را سر مست خویش ** از تکبر میرود از دست خویش
- When he sees the people intoxicated with (desire for) him, because of arrogance he loses self-control.
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او نداند که هزاران را چو او ** دیو افکنده ست اندر آب جو
- He does not know that the Devil has cast thousands like him into the water of the river (of destruction).
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لطف و سالوس جهان خوش لقمهای است ** کمترش خور کان پر آتش لقمهای است 1855
- The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it (eat it not), for it is a morsel full of fire.
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آتشش پنهان و ذوقش آشکار ** دود او ظاهر شود پایان کار
- Its fire is hidden and its taste is manifest: its smoke becomes visible in the end.
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تو مگو آن مدح را من کی خورم ** از طمع میگوید او پی میبرم
- Do not say, “How should I swallow that praise? He is speaking from desire (for reward): I am on his track (and see quite well what he is after).”
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مادحت گر هجو گوید بر ملا ** روزها سوزد دلت ز آن سوزها
- If your belauder should satirise you in public, your heart would burn for (many) days on account of those scorches (of vituperation).
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گر چه دانی کاو ز حرمان گفت آن ** کان طمع که داشت از تو شد زیان
- Although you know that he (only) said it in disappointment because the hopes he had of you brought him no gain,
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آن اثر میماندت در اندرون ** در مدیح این حالتت هست آزمون 1860
- (Yet) the effect thereof is remaining within you. The same experience happens to you in the case of praise.
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آن اثر هم روزها باقی بود ** مایهی کبر و خداع جان شود
- The effect of that too lasts for many days and becomes a source of arrogance and deception of the soul,
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لیک ننماید چو شیرین است مدح ** بد نماید ز آن که تلخ افتاد قدح
- But it does not show itself, because praise is sweet; (in the case of blame) the evil shows itself, because blame is bitter.