صد هزاران مرغ مطرب خوش‌صدا ** اندر آن روضه فکنده صد نوا

صد هزاران مرغ مطرب خوش‌صدا ** اندر آن روضه فکنده صد نوا 4810

Myriads of melodious singing-birds poured forth a hundred songs in that garden.

پسترش کردم ز برگ نسترن ** کرده او را آمن از صدمه‌ی فتن

I made for him a couch of wild-rose leaves; I made him secure from the shock of afflictions.

گفته من خورشید را کو را مگز ** باد را گفته برو آهسته وز

I told the sun not to scorch him; I told the wind to blow on him gently;

ابر را گفته برو باران مریز ** برق را گفته برو مگرای تیز

I told the clouds not to rain upon him; I told the lightning not to dart at him.

زین چمن ای دی مبران اعتدال ** پنجه ای بهمن برین روضه ممال

I said, ‘O December, do not cut off the mild weather from this orchard; O November, do not let thy fist fall on this garden.’”

کرامات شیخ شیبان راعی قدس الله روحه العزیز

The miracles of Shaybán Rá‘í, may God sanctify his venerable spirit!

هم‌چو آن شیبان که از گرگ عنید ** وقت جمعه بر رعا خط می‌کشید 4815

Just as Shaybán Rá‘í (the shepherd), because of the froward wolf, used to draw a line round his flock at the hour of the Friday prayers,

تا برون ناید از آن خط گوسفند ** نه در آید گرگ و دزد با گزند

In order that no sheep should go beyond that line, and that no wolf or mischievous robber should come inside.

بر مثال دایره‌ی تعویذ هود ** که اندر آن صرصر امان آل بود

’Twas on the model of Húd's circle of refuge, in which his followers were safe from the sarsar wind.

هشت روزی اندرین خط تن زنید ** وز برون مثله تماشا می‌کنید

(Húd said to them), “Stay quietly within this line for eight days and view the terrible mutilation (which is being inflicted) outside.”

بر هوا بردی فکندی بر حجر ** تا دریدی لحم و عظم از هم‌دگر

It (the wind) lifted (the unbelievers) into the air and flung them on the stones, so that flesh and bone were torn asunder.

یک گره را بر هوا درهم زدی ** تا چو خشخاش استخوان ریزان شدی 4820

One party it hurled against each other in the air, so that their bones crumbled like poppy-seed.

آن سیاست را که لرزید آسمان ** مثنوی اندر نگنجد شرح آن

There is no room in the Mathnawí to describe fully that chastisement whereat Heaven trembled.

گر به طبع این می‌کنی ای باد سرد ** گرد خط و دایره‌ی آن هود گرد

If, O icy wind, thou art doing this by (thine own) nature, (then) try to invade the line and circle drawn by Húd!

ای طبیعی فوق طبع این ملک بین ** یا بیا و محو کن از مصحف این

O natural philosopher, perceive that this kingdom (of God) is above Nature, or else come and (if thou canst) wipe out this (narrative) from the Holy Book!

مقریان را منع کن بندی بنه ** یا معلم را به مال و سهم ده

Prohibit those who recite the Qur’án (professionally) and impose a ban (upon them), or punish the teacher and put terror into him!

عاجزی و خیره کن عجز از کجاست ** عجز تو تابی از آن روز جزاست 4825

Thou art helpless and unable to understand the cause of this helplessness: thy helplessness is a reflexion (foretaste) of the Day of Retribution.

عجزها داری تو در پیش ای لجوج ** وقت شد پنهانیان را نک خروج

O perverse man, thou hast many a helpless plight before thee: (when) the hour comes, lo, the hide-aways will emerge!

خرم آن کین عجز و حیرت قوت اوست ** در دو عالم خفته اندر ظل دوست

Happy is he whose (spiritual) food is this helplessness and bewilderment and who in both worlds is sleeping in the shadow (protection) of the Beloved.

هم در آخر عجز خود را او بدید ** مرده شد دین عجایز را گزید

He (such an one) is conscious of being helpless both in the stable (of the present life) and in the last (future) state: he is dead (to self), he has adopted “the old women's religion.”

چون زلیخا یوسفش بر وی بتافت ** از عجوزی در جوانی راه یافت

(He is) like Zalíkhá, (who), when Joseph beamed upon her, found the way from decrepitude to youth.

زندگی در مردن و در محنتست ** آب حیوان در درون ظلمتست 4830

Life depends on dying (to self) and on suffering tribulation: the Water of Life is in the (Land of) Darkness.

رجوع کردن به قصه‌ی پروردن حق تعالی نمرود را بی‌واسطه‌ی مادر و دایه در طفلی

Resuming the Story of the most High God's bringing up Nimrod in his childhood without the intervention of mother and nurse.

حاصل آن روضه چو باغ عارفان ** از سموم صرصر آمد در امان

“In short, that garden, like the (spiritual) orchard of gnostics, was secure from the simoom and the sarsar wind.

یک پلنگی طفلکان نو زاده بود ** گفتم او را شیر ده طاعت نمود

A leopardess (there) had newly given birth to cubs: I bade her give milk to him (Nimrod), and she obeyed.

پس بدادش شیر و خدمتهاش کرد ** تا که بالغ گشت و زفت و شیرمرد

So she gave him milk and tended him till he grew up and became strong and valiant.

چون فطامش شد بگفتم با پری ** تا در آموزید نطق و داوری

When he was weaned, I told the peris (Jinn) to teach him how to discourse and deal justice.