جور و احسان رنج و شادی حادث است ** حادثان میرند و حقشان وارث است‌‌

Wrong-doing and well-doing, grief and joy, are things that come into existence; those who come into existence die; God is their heir.

صبح شد ای صبح را پشت و پناه ** عذر مخدومی حسام الدین بخواه‌‌

’Tis dawn. O Thou who art the Dawn of the dawn and its Refuge, ask pardon (for me) of my Lord Husámu’ddín!

عذر خواه عقل کل و جان تویی ** جان جان و تابش مرجان تویی‌‌

Thou art He who asketh pardon of the Universal Mind and Soul, Thou art the Soul of the soul and the Splendour of the coral.

تافت نور صبح و ما از نور تو ** در صبوحی با می منصور تو

The light of dawn has shone forth, and from Thy light we are engaged in drinking the morning-drink with the wine of Thy Mansúr.

داده‌‌ی تو چون چنین دارد مرا ** باده که بود کاو طرب آرد مرا 1810

Inasmuch as Thy gift keeps me thus (enravished), who (what) is (other) wine that it should bring me rapture?

باده در جوشش گدای جوش ماست ** چرخ در گردش گدای هوش ماست‌‌

Wine in ferment is a beggar suing for our ferment; Heaven in revolution is a beggar suing for our consciousness.

باده از ما مست شد نی ما از او ** قالب از ما هست شد نی ما از او

Wine became intoxicated with us, not we with it; the body came into being from us, not we from it.

ما چو زنبوریم و قالبها چو موم ** خانه خانه کرده قالب را چو موم‌‌

We are as bees, and bodies are as wax (honeycomb): we have made the body, cell by cell, like wax.

رجوع به حکایت خواجه‌‌ی تاجر

Reverting to the tale of the merchant who went to trade (in India).

بس دراز است این حدیث خواجه گو ** تا چه شد احوال آن مرد نکو

This (discourse) is very long. Tell the story of the merchant, that we may see what happened to that good man.

خواجه اندر آتش و درد و حنین ** صد پراکنده همی‌‌گفت این چنین‌‌ 1815

The merchant in fire (burning grief) and anguish and yearning was uttering a hundred distracted phrases like this,

گه تناقض گاه ناز و گه نیاز ** گاه سودای حقیقت گه مجاز

Now self-contradiction, now disdain, now supplication, now passion for reality, now metaphor (unreality).

مرد غرقه گشته جانی می‌‌کند ** دست را در هر گیاهی می‌‌زند

The drowning man suffers an agony of soul and clutches at every straw.

تا کدامش دست گیرد در خطر ** دست و پایی می‌‌زند از بیم سر

For fear of (losing) his head (life), he flings about (both) hand and foot to see whether any one will take his hand (help him) in peril.

دوست دارد یار این آشفتگی ** کوشش بی‌‌هوده به از خفتگی‌‌

The Friend loves this agitation: it is better to struggle vainly than to lie still.

آن که او شاه است او بی‌‌کار نیست ** ناله از وی طرفه کاو بیمار نیست‌‌ 1820

He who is the King (of all) is not idle, (though) complaint from Him would be a marvel, for He is not ill.

بهر این فرمود رحمان ای پسر ** کل يوم هو فی شأن ای پسر

For this reason said the Merciful (God), O son, “Every day He is (busy) in an affair,” O son.

اندر این ره می‌‌تراش و می‌‌خراش ** تا دم آخر دمی فارغ مباش‌‌

In this Way be thou ever scraping and scratching (exerting thyself to the utmost): until thy last breath do not be unoccupied for a moment,

تا دم آخر دمی آخر بود ** که عنایت با تو صاحب سر بود

So that thy last breath may be a last breath in which the (Divine) favour is thy bosom-friend.

هر چه می‌‌کوشند اگر مرد و زن است ** گوش و چشم شاه جان بر روزن است‌‌

Whatsoever they strive (to do), whether man or woman, the ear and eye of the soul's King are at the window.

برون انداختن مرد تاجر طوطی را از قفس و پریدن طوطی مرده‌‌

How the merchant cast the parrot out of the cage and how the dead parrot flew away.

بعد از آنش از قفس بیرون فگند ** طوطیک پرید تا شاخ بلند 1825

After that, he cast her out of the cage. The little parrot flew to a lofty bough.

طوطی مرده چنان پرواز کرد ** کافتاب از چرخ ترکی تاز کرد

The dead parrot made such a (swift) flight as when the orient sun rushed onward.

خواجه حیران گشت اندر کار مرغ ** بی‌‌خبر ناگه بدید اسرار مرغ‌‌

The merchant was amazed at the action of the bird: without understanding he suddenly beheld the mysteries of the bird.

روی بالا کرد و گفت ای عندلیب ** از بیان حال خودمان ده نصیب‌‌

He lifted up his face and said, “O nightingale, give us profit (instruction) by explaining thy case.

او چه کرد آن جا که تو آموختی ** ساختی مکری و ما را سوختی‌‌

What did she (the parrot) do there (in India), that thou didst learn, devise a trick, and burn us (with grief)”?

گفت طوطی کاو به فعلم پند داد ** که رها کن لطف آواز و وداد 1830

The parrot said, “She by her act counselled me—‘Abandon thy charm of voice and thy affection (for thy master),

ز آن که آوازت ترا در بند کرد ** خویشتن مرده پی این پند کرد

Because thy voice has brought thee into bondage’: she feigned herself dead for the sake of (giving me) this counsel,

یعنی ای مطرب شده با عام و خاص ** مرده شو چون من که تا یابی خلاص‌‌

Meaning (to say), ‘O thou who hast become a singer to high and low, become dead like me, that thou mayst gain release.’”

دانه باشی مرغکانت بر چنند ** غنچه باشی کودکانت بر کنند

If you are a grain, the little birds will peck you up; if you are a bud, the children will pluck you off.

دانه پنهان کن بکلی دام شو ** غنچه پنهان کن گیاه بام شو

Hide the grain (bait), become wholly a snare; hide the bud, become the grass on the roof.

هر که داد او حسن خود را در مزاد ** صد قضای بد سوی او رو نهاد 1835

Any one who offers his beauty to auction, a hundred evil fates set out towards him (and overtake him).

چشمها و خشمها و رشکها ** بر سرش ریزد چو آب از مشکها

(Evil) eyes and angers and envies pour upon his head, like water from waterskins.

دشمنان او را ز غیرت می‌‌درند ** دوستان هم روزگارش می‌‌برند

Foes tear him to pieces from jealousy; even friends take his lifetime away.

آن که غافل بود از کشت بهار ** او چه داند قیمت این روزگار

He that was heedless of the sowing and the springtide, how should he know the value of this lifetime?

در پناه لطف حق باید گریخت ** کاو هزاران لطف بر ارواح ریخت‌‌

You must flee to the shelter of God's grace, who shed thousand fold grace upon (our) spirits,

تا پناهی یابی آن گه چون پناه ** آب و آتش مر ترا گردد سپاه‌‌ 1840

That you may find a shelter. Then how (will you lack) shelter? Water and fire will become your army.

نوح و موسی را نه دریا یار شد ** نه بر اعداشان به کین قهار شد

Did not the sea become a friend to Noah and Moses? Did it not become overbearing in vengeance against their enemies?

آتش ابراهیم را نی قلعه بود ** تا بر آورد از دل نمرود دود

Was not the fire a fortress for Abraham, so that it raised smoke (sighs of despair) from the heart of Nimrod?

کوه یحیی را نه سوی خویش خواند ** قاصدانش را به زخم سنگ راند

Did not the mountain call Yahyá (John the Baptist) to itself and drive off his pursuers with blows of stone?

گفت ای یحیی بیا در من گریز ** تا پناهت باشم از شمشیر تیز

“O Yahyá,” it said, “come, take refuge in me, that I may be thy shelter from the sharp sword.”

وداع کردن طوطی خواجه را و پریدن‌‌

How the parrot bade farewell to the merchant and flew away.

یک دو پندش داد طوطی بی‌‌نفاق ** بعد از آن گفتش سلام الفراق‌‌ 1845

The parrot gave him one or two counsels devoid of hypocrisy and after that bade him the farewell of parting.

خواجه گفتش فی أمان الله برو ** مر مرا اکنون نمودی راه نو

The merchant said to her, “Go, God protect thee! Just now thou hast shown to me a new Way.”

خواجه با خود گفت کاین پند من است ** راه او گیرم که این ره روشن است‌‌

Said the merchant to himself, “This is the counsel for me; I will take her Way, for this Way is shining with light.

جان من کمتر ز طوطی کی بود ** جان چنین باید که نیکو پی بود

How should my soul be meaner than the parrot? The soul ought to follow a good track like this.”

مضرت تعظیم خلق و انگشت نمای شدن‌‌

The harmfulness of being honoured by the people and of becoming conspicuous.

تن قفس شکل است تن شد خار جان ** در فریب داخلان و خارجان‌‌

The body is cage-like: the body, amidst the cajoleries of those who come in and go out, became a thorn to the soul.

اینش گوید من شوم هم راز تو ** و آنش گوید نی منم انباز تو 1850

This one says to him, “I will be thy confidant,” and that one says, “Nay, I am thy partner.”

اینش گوید نیست چون تو در وجود ** در جمال و فضل و در احسان و جود

This one says to him, “There is none in existence like thee for beauty and eminence and for kindness and liberality.”

آنش گوید هر دو عالم آن تست ** جمله جانهامان طفیل جان تست‌‌

That one says to him, “Both the worlds are thine, all our souls are thy soul's parasites.”

او چو بیند خلق را سر مست خویش ** از تکبر می‌‌رود از دست خویش‌‌

When he sees the people intoxicated with (desire for) him, because of arrogance he loses self-control.

او نداند که هزاران را چو او ** دیو افکنده ست اندر آب جو

He does not know that the Devil has cast thousands like him into the water of the river (of destruction).

لطف و سالوس جهان خوش لقمه‌‌ای است ** کمترش خور کان پر آتش لقمه‌‌ای است‌‌ 1855

The world's flattery and hypocrisy is a sweet morsel: eat less of it (eat it not), for it is a morsel full of fire.