مرغ جانش در قفس چون می‌‌طپید ** داد مال و آن کنیزک را خرید
Forasmuch as the bird, his soul, was fluttering in its cage, he gave money and bought the handmaiden.
چون خرید او را و برخوردار شد ** آن کنیزک از قضا بیمار شد40
After he had bought her and won to his desire, by Divine destiny she sickened.
آن یکی خر داشت، پالانش نبود ** یافت پالان گرگ خر را در ربود
A certain man had an ass but no pack-saddle: (as soon as) he got a saddle, the wolf carried away his ass.
کوزه بودش آب می‌‌نامد به دست ** آب را چون یافت خود کوزه شکست
He had a pitcher, but no water could be obtained: when he found water, the pitcher broke.
شه طبیبان جمع کرد از چپ و راست ** گفت جان هر دو در دست شماست
The king gathered the physicians together from left and right and said to them, “The life of us both is in your hands.
جان من سهل است جان جانم اوست ** دردمند و خسته‌‌ام درمانم اوست
My life is of no account, (but) she is the life of my life. I am in pain and wounded: she is my remedy.
هر که درمان کرد مر جان مرا ** برد گنج و در و مرجان مرا45
Whoever heals her that is my life will bear away with him my treasure and pearls, large and small.”
جمله گفتندش که جان‌‌بازی کنیم ** فهم گرد آریم و انبازی کنیم
They all answered him, saying, “We will hazard our lives and summon all our intelligence and put it into the common stock.
هر یکی از ما مسیح عالمی است ** هر الم را در کف ما مرهمی است
Each of us is a Messiah of a world (of people): in our hands is a medicine for every pain."
گر خدا خواهد نگفتند از بطر ** پس خدا بنمودشان عجز بشر
In their arrogance they did not say, “If God will”; therefore God showed unto them the weakness of Man.
ترک استثنا مرادم قسوتی است ** نی همین گفتن که عارض حالتی است
I mean (a case in which) omission of the saving clause is (due to) a hardness of heart; not the mere saying of these words, for that is a superficial circumstance.
ای بسا ناورده استثنا به گفت ** جان او با جان استثناست جفت50
How many a one has not pronounced the saving clause, and yet his soul is in harmony with the soul of it!
هر چه کردند از علاج و از دوا ** گشت رنج افزون و حاجت ناروا
The more cures and remedies they applied, the more did the illness increase, and the need was not fulfilled.
آن کنیزک از مرض چون موی شد ** چشم شه از اشک خون چون جوی شد
The sick girl became (thin) as a hair, (while) the eyes of the king flowed with tears of blood, like a river.
از قضا سرکنگبین صفرا فزود ** روغن بادام خشکی می‌‌نمود
By Divine destiny, oxymel increased the bile, and oil of almonds was producing dryness.
از هلیله قبض شد اطلاق رفت ** آب آتش را مدد شد همچو نفت
From (giving) myrobalan constipation resulted, relaxation ceased; and water fed the flames, like naphtha.
ظاهر شدن عجز حکیمان از معالجه‌‌ی کنیزک و روی آوردن پادشاه به درگاه خدا و در خواب دیدن او ولی را
How it became manifest that the physicians were unable to cure the handmaiden, and how the king turned his face towards God and dreamed of a holy man.
شه چو عجز آن حکیمان را بدید ** پا برهنه جانب مسجد دوید55
When the king saw the powerlessness of those physicians, he ran bare-footed to the mosque.
رفت در مسجد سوی محراب شد ** سجده گاه از اشک شه پر آب شد
He entered the mosque and advanced to the mihráb (to pray): the prayer-carpet was bathed in the king's tears.
چون به خویش آمد ز غرقاب فنا ** خوش زبان بگشاد در مدح و ثنا
On coming to himself out of the flood of ecstasy (faná) he opened his lips in goodly praise and prayer,
کای کمینه بخششت ملک جهان ** من چه گویم چون تو می‌‌دانی نهان
Saying, “O Thou whose least gift is the empire of the world, what shall I say, in as much as Thou knowest the hidden thing?
ای همیشه حاجت ما را پناه ** بار دیگر ما غلط کردیم راه
O Thou with whom we always take refuge in our need, once again we have missed the way.
لیک گفتی گر چه می‌‌دانم سرت ** زود هم پیدا کنش بر ظاهرت60
But Thou hast said, ‘Albeit I know thy secret, nevertheless declare it forthwith in thine outward act.’”
چون بر آورد از میان جان خروش ** اندر آمد بحر بخشایش به جوش
When from the depths of his soul he raised a cry (of supplication), the sea of Bounty began to surge.
در میان گریه خوابش در ربود ** دید در خواب او که پیری رو نمود
Slumber overtook him in the midst of weeping: he dreamed that an old man appeared