گفت ای زن تو زنی یا بو الحزن ** فقر فخر آمد مرا بر سر مزن
“O woman,” said he, “art thou a woman or the father of sorrow? Poverty is (my) pride, and do not thou beat me on the head (lash me with thy reproaches).
مال و زر سر را بود همچون کلاه ** کل بود او کز کله سازد پناه
Wealth and gold are as a cap to the head: ’tis the bald man that makes a shelter of his cap,
آن که زلف جعد و رعنا باشدش ** چون کلاهش رفت خوشتر آیدش
(But) he that has curly and beautiful locks is happier when his cap is gone.
مرد حق باشد به مانند بصر ** پس برهنه‌‌ش به که پوشیده نظر2345
The man of God (the saint) resembles the eye: therefore (his) sight is better bare (unveiled) than covered.
وقت عرضه کردن آن برده فروش ** بر کند از بنده جامه‌‌ی عیب پوش
When a slave-dealer offers (slaves) for sale, he removes from the (sound) slave the garment that hides defects.
ور بود عیبی برهنه کی کند ** بل به جامه خدعه‌‌ای با وی کند
But if there be any defect, how should he strip him? Nay, he tricks him (the purchaser) by means of the garment.
گوید این شرمنده است از نیک و بد ** از برهنه کردن او از تو رمد
‘This one,’ says he, ‘is ashamed of good and evil: stripping him would cause him to run away from thee.’
خواجه در عیب است غرقه تا به گوش ** خواجه را مال است و مالش عیب پوش
The (rich) merchant is plunged in vice up to the ears, (but) the merchant has money, and his money covers his vice,
For because of cupidity none that is covetous sees his vice: feelings of cupidity are a bond uniting (men's) hearts;
ور گدا گوید سخن چون زر کان ** ره نیابد کاله‌‌ی او در دکان
And if a beggar speak a word like the (pure) gold of the mine, his wares will not find the way to the shop.
کار درویشی ورای فهم تست ** سوی درویشی بمنگر سست سست
The affair of (spiritual) poverty is beyond thy apprehension: do not look on poverty with contempt,
ز آن که درویشان ورای ملک و مال ** روزیی دارند ژرف از ذو الجلال
Because dervishes are beyond property and wealth: they possess an abundant portion from the Almighty.
حق تعالی عادل است و عادلان ** کی کنند استمگری بر بی‌‌دلان
The High God is just, and how should the just behave tyrannously to the dispirited (poor and weak)?
آن یکی را نعمت و کالا دهند ** وین دگر را بر سر آتش نهند2355
(How should they) give fortune and goods to that one, while they put this one on the fire?
آتشش سوزا که دارد این گمان ** بر خدای خالق هر دو جهان
May the fire consume him, because he hath this (evil) thought about the Lord who created both worlds.
فقر فخری از گزاف است و مجاز ** نی هزاران عز پنهان است و ناز
Is (the saying) ‘Poverty is my pride’ vain and false? No; ’tis thousands of hidden glories and disdains.
از غضب بر من لقبها راندی ** یارگیر و مار گیرم خواندی
Thou in anger hast poured nicknames on me: thou hast called me a catcher (deceiver) of friends and a catcher of snakes.
گر بگیرم بر کنم دندان مار ** تاش از سر کوفتن نبود ضرار
If I catch the snake, I extract its fangs in order that it may not suffer harm by having its head crushed.
ز آن که آن دندان عدوی جان اوست ** من عدو را می‌‌کنم زین علم دوست2360
Because those fangs are an enemy to its life, I am making the enemy a friend by means of this skill.
از طمع هرگز نخوانم من فسون ** این طمع را کرده‌‌ام من سر نگون
Never do I chant my spell from (motives of) cupidity: I have turned this cupidity upside down (I have entirely vanquished it).
حاش لله طمع من از خلق نیست ** از قناعت در دل من عالمی است
God forbid! I desire nothing from created beings: through contentment there is a (whole) world within my heart.
بر سر امرودبن بینی چنان ** ز آن فرود آ تا نماند آن گمان
Thou, (sitting) on the top of the pear-tree, seest (things) like that: come down from it, that the (evil) thought may not continue.
چون که بر گردی و سر گشته شوی ** خانه را گردنده بینی و آن توی
When thou turnest round and round and becomest giddy, thou seest the house turning round, and ’tis thou (thyself) art that (revolving object).
در بیان آن که جنبیدن هر کسی از آن جا که وی است هر کس را از چنبره‌‌ی وجود خود بیند، تابه‌‌ی کبود آفتاب را کبود نماید و سرخ سرخ نماید چون تابه از رنگها بیرون آید سپید شود از همه تابه‌‌های دیگر او راست‌‌گوتر باشد و امام باشد
Explaining how every one's movement (action) proceeds from the place where he is, (so that) he sees every one (else) from the circle of his own self-existence: a blue glass shows the sun as blue, a red glass as red, (but) when the glass escapes from (the sphere of) colour, it becomes white, (and then) it is more truthful than all other glasses and is the Imám (exemplar to them all).
دید احمد را ابو جهل و بگفت ** زشت نقشی کز بنی هاشم شگفت2365
Abú Jahl saw Ahmad (Mohammed) and said, ‘’Tis an ugly figure that has sprung from the sons of Háshim!’
گفت احمد مر و را که راستی ** راست گفتی گر چه کار افزاستی
Ahmad said to him, ‘Thou art right, thou hast spoken truth, although thou art impertinent.’
دید صدیقش بگفت ای آفتاب ** نی ز شرقی نی ز غربی خوش بتاب
The Siddíq (Abú Bakr) saw him and said, ‘O Sun, thou art neither of East nor of West: shine beauteously!’
گفت احمد راست گفتی ای عزیز ** ای رهیده تو ز دنیای نه چیز
Ahmad said, ‘Thou hast spoken the truth, O dear friend, O thou that hast escaped from this world of nothingness.’
حاضران گفتند ای صدر الوری ** راست گو گفتی دو ضد گو را چرا
They that were present said, ‘O Prince of mankind, why didst thou call both of them truth-tellers when they contradicted each other?’
گفت من آیینه‌‌ام مصقول دست ** ترک و هندو در من آن بیند که هست2370
He replied, ‘I am a mirror polished by the (Divine) hand: Turcoman and Indian behold in me that which exists (in themselves).’
ای زن ار طماع می‌‌بینی مرا ** زین تحری زنانه برتر آ
O wife, if thou deemest me very covetous, rise above this womanish care (for worldly things).
این طمع را ماند و رحمت بود ** کو طمع آن جا که آن نعمت بود
This (state of mine) resembles cupidity and (in reality) it is a (Divine) mercy: where that (spiritual) blessing is, where is cupidity?
امتحان کن فقر را روزی دو تو ** تا به فقر اندر غنا بینی دو تو
Make trial of poverty for a day or two, that thou mayst see (find) in poverty double riches.
صبر کن با فقر و بگذار این ملال ** ز آن که در فقر است عز ذو الجلال
Have patience with poverty and abandon this disgust, because in poverty there is the majesty of the Lord of glory.
سرکه مفروش و هزاران جان ببین ** از قناعت غرق بحر انگبین2375
Do not look sour, and (thou wilt) see thousands of souls plunged, through contentment, in an ocean of honey.
صد هزاران جان تلخی کش نگر ** همچو گل آغشته اندر گل شکر
Behold hundreds of thousands of bitterly suffering souls steeped in rose-syrup, like the rose.
ای دریغا مر ترا گنجا بدی ** تا ز جانم شرح دل پیدا شدی
Oh, alas, would that thou hadst comprehension, so that the unfolded tale of my heart might be shown forth to thee from my soul.
این سخن شیر است در پستان جان ** بی‌‌کشنده خوش نمی‌‌گردد روان
This discourse is milk in the teat of the soul: it will not flow well without some one to suck (the teat).
مستمع چون تشنه و جوینده شد ** واعظ ار مرده بود گوینده شد
When the hearer has become thirsty and craving, the preacher, (even) if he be (as good as) dead, becomes eloquent.
مستمع چون تازه آمد بی‌‌ملال ** صد زبان گردد به گفتن گنگ و لال2380
When the hearer is fresh and without fatigue (not bored), the dumb and mute will find a hundred tongues to speak withal.
چون که نامحرم در آید از درم ** پرده در پنهان شوند اهل حرم
When a stranger comes in at my door, the women of the harem hide themselves in the veil,
ور در آید محرمی دور از گزند ** بر گشایند آن ستیران روی‌‌بند
But if a harmless relative should come in, those covered ones will lift up their face-veils.
هر چه را خوب و خوش و زیبا کنند ** از برای دیده‌‌ی بینا کنند
Everything that is made beautiful and fair and lovely is made (so) for the eye of him that sees.
کی بود آواز چنگ و زیر و بم ** از برای گوش بی‌‌حس اصم
How should the sound of the harp and treble and bass be (made) for the insentient ear of one who is deaf?
مشک را بی‌‌هوده حق خوش دم نکرد ** بهر حس کرد او پی اخشم نکرد2385
Not in vain did God make musk fragrant: He made it (so) for the sense (of smell), He did not make it for one whose nostrils are stopped (by disease).
حق زمین و آسمان بر ساخته ست ** در میان بس نار و نور افراخته ست
God hath fashioned the earth and the sky, He hath raised in the midst much fire and light.
این زمین را از برای خاکیان ** آسمان را مسکن افلاکیان
(He made) this earth for those (created) of clay, (He made) heaven to be the abode of the celestials.
مرد سفلی دشمن بالا بود ** مشتری هر مکان پیدا بود
The low (base) man is the enemy of what is high: the purchaser (seeker) of each place (Heaven or Hell) is manifest (made known by his actions).
ای ستیره هیچ تو برخاستی ** خویشتن را بهر کور آراستی
O chaste woman, hast thou ever risen up and decked thyself for the sake of him that is blind?
گر جهان را پر در مکنون کنم ** روزی تو چون نباشد چون کنم2390
If I should fill the world with hidden pearls (of wisdom), how should I fare (what good would it do me), since they are not thy portion (since thou art unfit to receive them)?
ترک جنگ و ره زنی ای زن بگو ** ور نمی‌‌گویی به ترک من بگو
O wife, take leave of quarrelling and waylaying, and if thou wilt not, (then) take leave of me!