خشک می‌آورد او را شهریار ** او مکرر کرد رقعه پنج بار
The king was withholding all favour from him: he (the slave) repeated the letter five times.
گفت حاجب آخر او بنده‌ی شماست ** گر جوابش بر نویسی هم رواست
“After all,” said the chamberlain, “he is your (Majesty’s) slave: if you write a reply to him, tis fitting.
از شهی تو چه کم گردد اگر ** برغلام و بنده اندازی نظر1940
What diminution of your sovereignty will occur if you cast looks (of favour) on your slave and servant?”
گفت این سهلست اما احمقست ** مرد احمق زشت و مردود حقست
He (the king) said, “This is easy; but he is fool: a foolish man is foul and rejected of God.
گرچه آمرزم گناه و زلتش ** هم کند بر من سرایت علتش
Though I pardon his sin and fault, his disease will infect me also.
صد کس از گرگین همه گرگین شوند ** خاصه این گر خبیث ناپسند
From (contact with) an itchy person a whole hundred become itchy, especially (in the case of) this loathsome reprobate itch.
گر کم عقلی مبادا گبر را ** شوم او بی‌آب دارد ابر را
May the itch, lack of intelligence, not befall (even) the infidel His (the fool’s) ill-starredness keeps the cloud rainless.
نم نبارد ابر از شومی او ** شهر شد ویرانه از بومی او1945
On account of his ill-starredness the cloud sheds no moisture: by his owlishness the city is made a desert.
از گر آن احمقان طوفان نوح ** کرد ویران عالمی را در فضوح
Because of the itch of those foolish ones the Flood of Noah devastated a whole world (of people) in disgrace.
گفت پیغامبر که احمق هر که هست ** او عدو ماست و غول ره‌زنست
The Prophet said, ‘Whosoever is foolish, he is our enemy and a ghoul who waylays (the traveller).
هر که او عاقل بود از جان ماست ** روح او و ریح او ریحان ماست
Whoso is intelligent, he is (dear to us as) our soul :his breeze and wind is our sweet basil.’
عقل دشنامم دهد من راضیم ** زانک فیضی دارد از فیاضیم
(If) intelligence revile me, I am well-pleased, because it possesses something that has emanated from my emanative activity.
نبود آن دشنام او بی‌فایده ** نبود آن مهمانیش بی‌مایده1950
Its revilement is not without use, its hospitality is not without a table;
احمق ار حلوا نهد اندر لبم ** من از آن حلوای او اندر تبم
(But) if the fool put sweetmeat on my lip, I am in a fever from (tasting) his sweetmeat.”
این یقین دان گر لطیف و روشنی ** نیست بوسه‌ی کون خر را چاشنی
If you are goodly and enlightened, know this for sure, (that) kissing the arse of an ass hath no (delicious) savour.
سبلتت گنده کند بی‌فایده ** جامه از دیگش سیه بی‌مایده
He (the unsavoury fool) uselessly makes your moustache fetid; your dress is blackened by his kettle without (there being) a table (of food).
مایده عقلست نی نان و شوی ** نور عقلست ای پسر جان را غذی
Intelligence is the table, not bread and roast-meat: the light of intelligence, O son, is the nutriment for the soul.
نیست غیر نور آدم را خورش ** از جز آن جان نیابد پرورش1955
Man hath no food but the light: the soul does not obtain nourishment from aught but that.
زین خورشها اندک اندک باز بر ** کین غذای خر بود نه آن حر
Little by little cut (yourself) off from the (material) foods –– for these are the nutriment of an ass, not that of a free (noble) man ––
تا غذای اصل را قابل شوی ** لقمه‌های نور را آکل شوی
So that you may become capable of (absorbing) the original nutriment and may eat habitually the dainty morsels of the light.
عکس آن نورست کین نان نان شدست ** فیض آن جانست کین جان جان شدست
‘Tis (from) the reflexion of that light that this bread has become bread; ‘tis (from) the overflowing of that (rational) soul that this (animal) soul has become soul.
چون خوری یکبار از ماکول نور ** خاک ریزی بر سر نان و تنور
When you eat once of the light you will pour earth over the (material) bread and oven.
عقل دو عقلست اول مکسبی ** که در آموزی چو در مکتب صبی1960
Intelligence consists of two intelligences; the former is the acquired one which you learn, like a boy at school,
از کتاب و اوستاد و فکر و ذکر ** از معانی وز علوم خوب و بکر
From book and teacher and reflexion and (committing to) memory, and from concepts, and from excellent and virgin (hitherto unstudied) sciences.
عقل تو افزون شود بر دیگران ** لیک تو باشی ز حفظ آن گران
(By this means) your intelligence becomes superior to (that of) others; but through preserving (retaining in your mind) that (knowledge) you are heavily burdened.