از نوایش مرغ دل پران شدی ** وز صدایش هوش جان حیران شدی
At whose song the bird of the soul would take wing, and at whose note the mind of the spirit would be distraught—
چون بر آمد روزگار و پیر شد ** باز جانش از عجز پشهگیر شد
When time passed and he grew old, from weakness the falcon, his soul, became a catcher of gnats.
پشت او خم گشت همچون پشت خم ** ابروان بر چشم همچون پالدم2075
His back became bent like the back of a wine-jar, the brows over his eyes like a crupper-strap.
گشت آواز لطیف جان فزاش ** زشت و نزد کس نیرزیدی به لاش
His charming soul-refreshing voice became ugly and worth nothing to any one.
آن نوای رشک زهره آمده ** همچو آواز خر پیری شده
The tone that had (once) been the envy of Zuhra (Venus) was now like the bray of an old donkey.
خود کدامین خوش که او ناخوش نشد ** یا کدامین سقف کان مفرش نشد
Truly, what sweet one is there that did not become unsweet, or what roof that did not become a carpet?—
غیر آواز عزیزان در صدور ** که بود از عکس دمشان نفخ صور
Except the voices of holy men in their breasts, from the repercussion of whose breath is the blast of the trumpet (of Resurrection).
اندرونی کاندرونها مست از اوست ** نیستی کاین هستهامان هست از اوست2080
(Theirs is) the heart by which (all) hearts are made drunken, (theirs is) the nonexistence whereby these existences of ours are made existent.
کهربای فکر و هر آواز او ** لذت الهام و وحی و راز او
He (the saint) is the amber (magnet) of (all) thought and of every voice; he is the (inward) delight of revelation and inspiration and (Divine) mystery.
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 توام2085
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 جان2090
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,
خوش بدی جانم در این باغ و بهار ** مست این صحرا و غیبی لالهزار
Happy would be my soul in this garden and springtide, drunken with this (far stretching) plain and mystic anemone-field.
بیپر و بیپا سفر میکردمی ** بیلب و دندان شکر میخوردمی
Without wing or foot I would be journeying, without lip or tooth I would be eating sugar.
ذکر و فکری فارغ از رنج دماغ ** کردمی با ساکنان چرخ لاغ
With a memory and thought free from brain-sickness, I would frolic with the dwellers in Heaven.
چشم بسته عالمی میدیدمی ** ورد و ریحان بیکفی میچیدمی2095
With eye shut I would be seeing a (whole) world, without a hand I would be gathering roses and basil.”
مرغ آبی غرق دریای عسل ** عین ایوبی شراب و مغتسل
The water-bird (his soul) was plunged in a sea of honey— the fountain of Job, to drink and wash in,
که بدو ایوب از پا تا به فرق ** پاک شد از رنجها چون نور شرق
Whereby Job, from his feet to the crown of his head, was purged of afflictions (and made pure) like the light of the sunrise.