تو بگردی روزها در سبزوار ** آنچنان دل را نیابی ز اعتبار
Thou mayst wander (many) days in Sabzawár, (but) thou wilt not find (there) a Heart like that by (the most) careful observation.
پس دل پژمرده‌ی پوسیده‌جان ** بر سر تخته نهی آن سو کشان 890
Then thou wilt lay upon a bier the corrupt heart, whose soul is rotten, to carry (it) Yonder,
که دل آوردم ترا ای شهریار ** به ازین دل نبود اندر سبزوار
And say, “I bring Thee a heart, O King: there is no better heart than this in Sabzawár.”
گویدت این گورخانه‌ست ای جری ** که دل مرده بدینجا آوری
He (God) will answer thee, saying, “O audacious man, is this a graveyard that thou shouldst bring a dead heart hither?
رو بیاور آن دلی کو شاه‌خوست ** که امان سبزوار کون ازوست
Go, bring the Heart that is kingly, from which is (derived) the security of the Sabzawár of (mundane) existence.”
گویی آن دل زین جهان پنهان بود ** زانک ظلمت با ضیا ضدان بود
You may say that that Heart is hidden from this world, because darkness and light are opposites.
دشمنی آن دل از روز الست ** سبزوار طبع را میراثی است 895
From the Day of Alast there is an hereditary enmity of that Heart to the Sabzawár of the carnal nature;
زانک او بازست و دنیا شهر زاغ ** دیدن ناجنس بر ناجنس داغ
For it is a falcon, while this world is the city of the crow: the sight of one who is uncongenial inflicts pain upon him who is not his congener;
ور کند نرمی نفاقی می‌کند ** ز استمالت ارتفاقی می‌کند
And if he (the worldling) behave with mildness (complaisance), he is acting hypocritically: he is seeking an advantage for himself by conciliating (the owner of the Heart).
می‌کند آری نه از بهر نیاز ** تا که ناصح کم کند نصح دراز
He assents, not on account of sincere feeling, (but) in order that the admonisher may curtail his long admonition;
زانک این زاغ خس مردارجو ** صد هزاران مکر دارد تو به تو
For this vile carrion-seeking crow hath a hundred thousand manifold tricks.
گر پذیرند آن نفاقش را رهید ** شد نفاقش عین صدق مستفید 900
If they (the saints) accept his hypocrisy, he is saved: his hypocrisy becomes identical with the sincerity of him who benefits by instruction,
زانک آن صاحب دل با کر و فر ** هست در بازار ما معیوب‌خر
Because the august owner of the Heart is a buyer of damaged goods in our bazaar.
صاحب دل جو اگر بی‌جان نه‌ای ** جنس دل شو گر ضد سلطان نه‌ای
Seek the owner of the Heart, if thou art not soulless: become a congener of the Heart, if thou art not an adversary of the (spiritual) Sultan.
آنک زرق او خوش آید مر ترا ** آن ولی تست نه خاص خدا
(But) that one whose hypocrisy pleases thee, he is (only) thy saint, (he is) not the elect of God.
هر که او بر خو و بر طبع تو زیست ** پیش طبع تو ولی است و نبیست
Whosoever lives in accordance with thy disposition and nature seems to thy (carnal) nature to be a saint and a prophet.
رو هوا بگذار تا بویت شود ** وان مشام خوش عبرجویت شود 905
Go, renounce sensuality in order that the (spiritual) scent may be thine and that the sweet ambergris-seeking organ of smell may be thine.
از هوارانی دماغت فاسدست ** مشک و عنبر پیش مغزت کاسدست
Thy brain (organ of smell) is corrupted by sensual indulgence: to thy (olfactory) sense musk and ambergris are unsalable.
حد ندارد این سخن و آهوی ما ** می‌گریزد اندر آخر جابجا
This discourse hath no bound, and (meanwhile) our gazelle is running to and fro in flight in the stable.
بقیه‌ی قصه‌ی آهو و آخر خران
The remainder of the Story of the gazelle in the donkey-stable.
روزها آن آهوی خوش‌ناف نر ** در شکنجه بود در اصطبل خر
During (many) days the sweet-navelled male gazelle was in torment in the donkey-stable,
مضطرب در نزع چون ماهی ز خشک ** در یکی حقه معذب پشک و مشک
Like a fish wriggling in the death-agony from (being kept on) dry ground, (or like) dung and musk tortured (by being kept) in the same box.
یک خرش گفتی که ها این بوالوحوش ** طبع شاهان دارد و میران خموش 910
One donkey would say to his neighbour, “Ha! this wild fellow has the nature of kings and princes. Hush!”
وآن دگر تسخر زدی کز جر و مد ** گوهر آوردست کی ارزان دهد
And the other would mock, saying, “By (constant) ebb and flow he has gained a pearl: how should he sell cheaply?”
وآن خری گفتی که با این نازکی ** بر سریر شاه شو گو متکی
And another donkey would say, “With this fastidiousness (of his), let him recline on the imperial throne!”
آن خری شد تخمه وز خوردن بماند ** پس برسم دعوت آهو را بخواند
A certain donkey became ill with indigestion and was unable to eat; therefore he gave the gazelle a formal invitation (to dine).