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دایهای کو طفل شیرآموز را ** تا بنعمت خوش کند پدفوز را
- Where is a nurse for the suckling babe?—that with kindness she may sweeten the inner part of its mouth,
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گر ببندد راه آن پستان برو ** برگشاید راه صد بستان برو
- And, though she bar its way to her teat, may open up for it the way to a hundred gardens (of delight)?—
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زانک پستان شد حجاب آن ضعیف ** از هزاران نعمت و خوان و رغیف
- Because the teat has become to that feeble (infant) a barrier (separating it) from thousands of pleasures and dishes (of food) and loaves (of bread).
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پس حیات ماست موقوف فطام ** اندک اندک جهد کن تم الکلام
- Our life, then, depends on weaning. Endeavour (to wean yourself) little by little. The discourse is (now) complete.
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ون جنین بد آدمی بد خون غذا ** از نجس پاکی برد مومن کذا 50
- When man was an embryo his nourishment was blood: in like fashion the true believer draws purity from filth.
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از فطام خون غذااش شیر شد ** وز فطام شیر لقمهگیر شد
- Through (his) being weaned from blood, his nourishment became milk; and through (his) being weaned from milk, he became a taker of (solid) food.
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وز فطام لقمه لقمانی شود ** طالب اشکار پنهانی شود
- And through (his) being weaned from food he becomes (a sage) like Luqmán; he becomes a seeker (hunter) of the hidden game.
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گر جنین را کس بگفتی در رحم ** هست بیرون عالمی بس منتظم
- If any one were to say to the embryo in the womb, “Outside is a world exceedingly well-ordered,
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یک زمینی خرمی با عرض و طول ** اندرو صد نعمت و چندین اکول
- A pleasant earth, broad and long, wherein are a hundred delights and so many things to eat,
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کوهها و بحرها و دشتها ** بوستانها باغها و کشتها 55
- Mountains and seas and plains, fragrant orchards, gardens and sown fields,
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آسمانی بس بلند و پر ضیا ** آفتاب و ماهتاب و صد سها
- A sky very lofty and full of light, sun and moonbeams and a hundred stars.
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از جنوب و از شمال و از دبور ** باغها دارد عروسیها و سور
- From the south-wind and from the north-wind and from the west-wind the gardens have (the appearance of) wedding-feasts and banquets.
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در صفت ناید عجایبهای آن ** تو درین ظلمت چهای در امتحان
- Its marvels come not into (are beyond) description: why art thou in tribulation in this darkness?
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خون خوری در چارمیخ تنگنا ** در میان حبس و انجاس و عنا
- (Why) dost thou drink blood on the gibbet of this narrow place (the womb) in the midst of confinement and filth and pain?”—
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او بحکم حال خود منکر بدی ** زین رسالت معرض و کافر شدی 60
- It (the embryo), in virtue of its present state, would be incredulous, and would turn away from this message and would disbelieve it,
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کین محالست و فریبست و غرور ** زانک تصویری ندارد وهم کور
- Saying, “This is absurd and is a deceit and delusion,” because the judgement of the blind has no imagination.
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جنس چیزی چون ندید ادراک او ** نشنود ادراک منکرناک او
- Inasmuch as its (the embryo's) perception has not seen anything of the kind, its incredulous perception would not listen (to the truth);
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همچنانک خلق عام اندر جهان ** زان جهان ابدال میگویندشان
- Just as in this world the Abdál speak of that (other) world to the common folk,
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کین جهان چاهیست بس تاریک و تنگ ** هست بیرون عالمی بی بو و رنگ
- Saying, “This world is an exceeding dark and narrow pit; outside is a world without scent or colour”:
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هیچ در گوش کسی زیشان نرفت ** کین طمع آمد حجاب ژرف و زفت 65
- Naught (of their words) entered into the ear of a single one of them, for this (sensual) desire is a barrier huge and stout.
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گوش را بندد طمع از استماع ** چشم را بندد غرض از اطلاع
- Desire closes the ear (and hinders it) from hearing; self-interest closes the eye (and hinders it) from beholding,
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همچنانک آن جنین را طمع خون ** کان غذای اوست در اوطان دون
- Even as, in the case of the embryo, desire for the blood which is its nourishment in the low abodes
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از حدیث این جهان محجوب کرد ** غیر خون او مینداند چاشت خورد
- Debarred it from (hearkening to) the news of this world: it knows no breakfast but blood.
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قصهی خورندگان پیلبچه از حرص و ترک نصیحت ناصح
- Story of those who ate the young elephant from greed and because they neglected the advice of the sincere counsellor.
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آن شنیدی تو که در هندوستان ** دید دانایی گروهی دوستان
- Hast thou heard that in India a sage espied a party of friends?
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گرسنه مانده شده بیبرگ و عور ** میرسیدند از سفر از راه دور 70
- Left hungry, lacking provisions, and naked, they were coming from travel on a far road.