He said: “Feed me, for I am hungry, and make haste, for Time is a cutting sword.
صوفی ابن الوقت باشد ای رفیق ** نیست فردا گفتن از شرط طریق
The Súfí is the son of the (present) time, O comrade: it is not the rule of the Way to say ‘To-morrow.’
تو مگر خود مرد صوفی نیستی ** هست را از نسیه خیزد نیستی
Art not thou indeed a Súfí, then? That which is (in hand) is reduced to naught by postponing the payment.”
گفتمش پوشیده خوشتر سر یار ** خود تو در ضمن حکایت گوش دار135
I said to him: “It is better that the secret of the Friend should be disguised: do thou hearken (to it as implied) in the contents of the tale.
خوشتر آن باشد که سر دلبران ** گفته آید در حدیث دیگران
It is better that the lovers' secret should be told in the talk of others.”
گفت مکشوف و برهنه گوی این ** آشکارا به که پنهان ذکر دین
He said: “Tell this openly and nakedly: talk of religion is better overt than covert.
پرده بردار و برهنه گو که من ** می‌‌نخسبم با صنم با پیرهن
Lift the veil and speak nakedly, for I do not wear a shirt when I sleep with the Adored One.”
گفتم ار عریان شود او در عیان ** نی تو مانی نی کنارت نی میان
I said: “If He should become naked in (thy) vision, neither wilt thou remain nor thy bosom nor thy waist.
آرزو می‌‌خواه لیک اندازه خواه ** بر نتابد کوه را یک برگ کاه140
Ask thy wish, but ask with measure: a blade of straw will not support the mountain.
آفتابی کز وی این عالم فروخت ** اندکی گر پیش آید جمله سوخت
If the Sun, by whom this world is illumined, should approach a little (nearer), all will be burned.
فتنه و آشوب و خون‌‌ریزی مجوی ** بیش از این از شمس تبریزی مگوی
Do not seek trouble and turmoil and bloodshed: say no more concerning the Sun of Tabriz!”
این ندارد آخر از آغاز گوی ** رو تمام این حکایت باز گوی
This (mystery) hath no end: tell of the beginning. Go, relate the conclusion of this tale.
خلوت طلبیدن آن ولی از پادشاه جهت دریافتن رنج کنیزک
How that saint demanded of the king to be alone for the purpose of discovering her malady.
گفت ای شه خلوتی کن خانه را ** دور کن هم خویش و هم بیگانه را
He said: “O king, make the house empty; send away both kinsfolk and strangers.
کس ندارد گوش در دهلیزها ** تا بپرسم زین کنیزک چیزها145
Let no one listen in the entrance-halls, that I may ask certain things of this handmaiden.”
خانه خالی ماند و یک دیار نی ** جز طبیب و جز همان بیمار نی
The house was left empty, and not one inhabitant (remained): nobody save the physician and that sick girl.
نرم نرمک گفت شهر تو کجاست ** که علاج اهل هر شهری جداست
Very gently he said (to her), “Where is thy native town? for the treatment suitable to the people of each town is separate.
و اندر آن شهر از قرابت کیستت ** خویشی و پیوستگی با چیستت
And in that town who is related to thee? With what hast thou kinship and affinity?”
دست بر نبضش نهاد و یک به یک ** باز می‌‌پرسید از جور فلک
He laid his hand on her pulse and put questions, one by one, about the injustice of Heaven.
چون کسی را خار در پایش جهد ** پای خود را بر سر زانو نهد150
When a thorn darts into any one's foot, he sets his foot upon his knee,
وز سر سوزن همی‌‌جوید سرش ** ور نیابد می‌‌کند با لب ترش
And keeps searching for its head with the point of a needle, and if he does not find it, he keeps moistening it (the place) with his lip.
خار در پا شد چنین دشوار یاب ** خار در دل چون بود واده جواب
A thorn in the foot is so hard to find: how (then) is it with a thorn in the heart? Answer (that)!
خار در دل گر بدیدی هر خسی ** دست کی بودی غمان را بر کسی
If every base fellow had seen the thorn in the heart, when would sorrows gain the upper hand over any one?
کس به زیر دم خر خاری نهد ** خر نداند دفع آن بر می‌‌جهد
Somebody sticks a thorn under a donkey's tail: the donkey does not know how to get rid of it: he starts jumping.
بر جهد و ان خار محکمتر زند ** عاقلی باید که خاری بر کند155
He jumps, and the thorn strikes more firmly (pierces deeper): it needs an intelligent person to extract a thorn.
خر ز بهر دفع خار از سوز و درد ** جفته می‌‌انداخت صد جا زخم کرد
In order to get rid of the thorn, the donkey from irritation and pain went on kicking and dealing blows in a hundred places,
آن حکیم خارچین استاد بود ** دست می‌‌زد جا به جا می‌‌آزمود
(But) that thorn-removing physician was an expert: putting his hand on one spot after another, he tested (it).
ز ان کنیزک بر طریق داستان ** باز می‌‌پرسید حال دوستان
He inquired of the girl concerning her friends, by way of narrative,
با حکیم او قصه‌‌ها می‌‌گفت فاش ** از مقام و خاجگان و شهر تاش
And she disclosed to the physician (many) circumstances touching her home and (former) masters and town and dwelling.
سوی قصه گفتنش می‌‌داشت گوش ** سوی نبض و جستنش می‌‌داشت هوش160
He listened to her story (while) he continued to observe her pulse and its beating,
تا که نبض از نام کی گردد جهان ** او بود مقصود جانش در جهان‌‌ا ن
So that at whosoever's name her pulse should begin to throb, (he might know that) that person is the object of her soul's desire in the world.
دوستان شهر او را بر شمرد ** بعد از آن شهری دگر را نام برد
He reckoned up the friends and town; then he mentioned another town by name.
گفت چون بیرون شدی از شهر خویش ** در کدامین شهر بوده ستی تو بیش
He said: “When you went forth from your own town, in which town did you live mostly?”
نام شهری گفت وز آن هم در گذشت ** رنگ روی و نبض او دیگر نگشت
She mentioned the name of a certain town and from that too she passed on (to speak of another, and meanwhile) there was no change in the colour of her face or in her pulse.
خواجگان و شهرها را یک به یک ** باز گفت از جای و از نان و نمک165
Masters and towns, one by one, she told of, and about dwelling-place and bread and salt.
شهر شهر و خانه خانه قصه کرد ** نی رگش جنبید و نی رخ گشت زرد
She told stories of many a town and many a house, (and still) no vein of her quivered nor did her cheek grow pale.
نبض او بر حال خود بد بی‌‌گزند ** تا بپرسید از سمرقند چو قند
Her pulse remained in its normal state, unimpaired, till he asked about Samarcand, the (city) sweet as candy.
نبض جست و روی سرخ و زرد شد ** کز سمرقندی زرگر فرد شد
(Thereat) her pulse jumped and her face went red and pale (by turns), for she had been parted from a man of Samarcand, a goldsmith.
چون ز رنجور آن حکیم این راز یافت ** اصل آن درد و بلا را باز یافت
When the physician found out this secret from the sick (girl), he discerned the source of that grief and woe.
گفت کوی او کدام است در گذر ** او سر پل گفت و کوی غاتفر170
He said: “Which is his quarter in passing (through the town)?” “Sar-i Pul (Bridgehead),” she replied, “and Ghátafar street.”
گفت دانستم که رنجت چیست زود ** در خلاصت سحرها خواهم نمود
Said he: “I know what your illness is and I will at once display the arts of magic in delivering you.
شاد باش و فارغ و ایمن که من ** آن کنم با تو که باران با چمن
Be glad and care-free and have no fear, for I will do to you that which rain does to the meadow.
من غم تو می‌‌خورم تو غم مخور ** بر تو من مشفق‌‌ترم از صد پدر
I will be anxious for you, be not you anxious: I am kinder to you than a hundred fathers.
هان و هان این راز را با کس مگو ** گر چه از تو شه کند بس جستجو
Beware! tell not this secret to any one, not though the king should make much inquiry from you.
چون که اسرارت نهان در دل شود ** آن مرادت زودتر حاصل شود175
When your heart becomes the grave of your secret, that desire of yours will be gained more quickly.”
گفت پیغمبر که هر که سر نهفت ** زود گردد با مراد خویش جفت
The Prophet said that any one who hides his inmost thought will soon attain to the object of his desire.
دانه چون اندر زمین پنهان شود ** سر آن سر سبزی بستان شود
When the seed is hidden in the earth, its inward secret becomes the verdure of the garden.
زر و نقره گر نبودندی نهان ** پرورش کی یافتندی زیر کان
If gold and silver were not hidden, how would they get nourishment (grow and ripen) in the mine?
وعده‌‌ها و لطفهای آن حکیم ** کرد آن رنجور را ایمن ز بیم
The promises and soothing words of the physician made the sick (girl) safe (free) from fear.
وعده‌‌ها باشد حقیقی دل پذیر ** وعده‌‌ها باشد مجازی تاسه‌‌گیر180
There are true promises, grateful to the heart; there are false promises, fraught with disquietude.
وعده‌‌ی اهل کرم گنج روان ** وعده‌‌ی نااهل شد رنج روان
The promise of the noble is a flowing (bountiful) treasure; the promise of the unworthy becomes anguish of soul.
دریافتن آن ولی رنج را و عرض کردن رنج او را پیش پادشاه
How the saint, having discovered the (cause of) the illness, laid it before the king.