گفت ای قومی به باطل زیسته ** وز شما من پیش حق بگریسته‌‌

He said, “O people that lived in vanity, and on account of you I wept before God!

حق بگفته صبر کن بر جورشان ** پندشان ده بس نماند از دورشان‌‌

God said (to me), ‘Have patience with their iniquity: give them counsel, not much remains of their (allotted) period.’

من بگفته پند شد بند از جفا ** شیر پند از مهر جوشد وز صفا

I said, ‘Counsel is barred by ill-treatment: the milk of counsel gushes forth from love and joy.

بس که کردید از جفا بر جای من ** شیر پند افسرد در رگهای من‌‌

Much ill-treatment have ye bestowed on me, (so that) the milk of counsel is curdled in my veins.’

حق مرا گفته ترا لطفی دهم ** بر سر آن زخمها مرهم نهم‌‌ 2550

God said to me, ‘I will give thee a boon, I will lay a plaster on those wounds (of thine).’

صاف کرده حق دلم را چون سما ** روفته از خاطرم جور شما

God made my heart clear as the sky, He swept your oppression out of my mind.

در نصیحت من شده بار دگر ** گفته امثال و سخنها چون شکر

I went (back) once more to admonition, I spake parables and words (sweet) as sugar,

شیر تازه از شکر انگیخته ** شیر و شهدی با سخن آمیخته‌‌

I produced fresh milk from the sugar, I mingled milk and honey with my words.

در شما چون زهر گشته آن سخن ** ز آن که زهرستان بدید از بیخ و بن‌‌

In you those words became like poison, because ye were filled with poison from the root and foundation.

چون شوم غمگین که غم شد سر نگون ** غم شما بودید ای قوم حرون‌‌ 2555

How should I be grieved that grief is overthrown? Ye were grief (to me), O obstinate people.

هیچ کس بر مرگ غم نوحه کند ** ریش سر چون شد کسی مو بر کند

Does any one lament the death of grief? Does any one tear out his hair when the sore on his head is removed?”

رو به خود کرد و بگفت ای نوحه‌‌گر ** نوحه‌‌ات را می‌‌نیرزد آن نفر

(Then) he turned to himself and said, “O mourner, those folk are not worth thy mourning.”

کژ مخوان ای راست خواننده‌‌ی مبین ** کیف آسی قل لقوم ظالمین‌‌

Do not recite incorrectly, O thou who recitest correctly the perspicuous (Qur'án) “Say, how shall I be grieved for an unjust people?”

باز اندر چشم و دل او گریه یافت ** رحمتی بی‌‌علتی در وی بتافت‌‌

Again he felt a weeping in his eye and heart: an uncaused (involuntary) compassion shone forth in him.

قطره می‌‌بارید و حیران گشته بود ** قطره‌‌ی بی‌‌علت از دریای جود 2560

He was raining drops of water (shedding tears)—and he had become distraught— an uncaused drop from the Ocean of Bounty.

عقل او می‌‌گفت کین گریه ز چیست ** بر چنان افسوسیان شاید گریست‌‌

His intellect was saying, “Wherefore is this weeping? Ought one to weep for such scoffers?

بر چه می‌‌گریی بگو بر فعلشان ** بر سپاه کینه توز بدنشان‌‌

Tell me, what art thou weeping for? For their fraud? For the host of (their) ill-omened exactions of vengeance?

بر دل تاریک پر زنگارشان ** بر زبان زهر همچون مارشان‌‌

For their murky hearts full of rust? For their venomous snake-like tongues?

بر دم و دندان سگسارانه‌‌شان ** بر دهان و چشم کژدم خانه‌‌شان‌‌

For their sagsár-like breath and teeth? For their mouths and eyes teeming with scorpions?

بر ستیز و تسخر و افسوسشان ** شکر کن چون کرد حق محبوسشان‌‌ 2565

For their wrangling and sneering and scoffing? Give thanks, since God has imprisoned (restrained) them.

دستشان کژ پایشان کژ چشم کژ ** مهرشان کژ صلح‌‌شان کژ خشم کژ

Their hands are perverse, their feet perverse, their eyes perverse, their love perverse, their peace perverse, their anger perverse.”

از پی تقلید و معقولات نقل ** پا نهاده بر جمال پیر عقل‌‌

For the sake of blind conformity and (for the sake of following) traditional ideas, they set their feet (trampled) on the camels of Reason, this venerable Guide.

پیر خر نی جمله گشته پیر خر ** از ریای چشم و گوش همدگر

They were not eager for a guide (pír-khar): they all had become (like) an old donkey (pír khar) from paying hypocritical observance to each other's eyes and ears.

از بهشت آورد یزدان بردگان ** تا نمایدشان سقر پروردگان‌‌

God brought the (devout) worshippers from Paradise that He might show unto them the nurslings of Hell-fire.

در معنی آن که مرج البحرين يلتقیان بينهما برزخ لا يبغیان

On the meaning of “He let the two seas go to meet one another: between them is a barrier which they do not seek (to cross).”

اهل نار و خلد را بین هم دکان ** در میانشان برزخ لا یبغیان‌‌ 2570

Behold the people of (destined for) the Fire and those of Paradise dwelling in the same shop, (yet) between them is a barrier which they do not seek to cross.

اهل نار و اهل نور آمیخته ** در میانشان کوه قاف انگیخته‌‌

He hath mixed the people of the Fire and the people of the Light: between them He hath reared the mountain of Qáf.

همچو در کان خاک و زر کرد اختلاط ** در میانشان صد بیابان و رباط

He hath mixed (them) like earth and gold in the mine: between them are a hundred deserts and caravanserays.

همچنان که عقد در در و شبه ** مختلط چون میهمان یک شبه‌‌

(They are) mixed even as pearls and jet beads in the necklace, (soon to be parted) like guests of a single night.

بحر را نیمیش شیرین چون شکر ** طعم شیرین رنگ روشن چون قمر

One half of the sea is sweet like sugar: the taste sweet, the colour bright as the moon.

نیم دیگر تلخ همچون زهر مار ** طمع تلخ و رنگ مظلم قیروار 2575

The other half is bitter as snake's venom: the taste bitter and the colour dark as pitch.

هر دو بر هم می‌‌زنند از تحت و اوج ** بر مثال آب دریا موج موج‌‌

Both (halves) dash against one another, from beneath and from the top, wave on wave like the water of the sea.

صورت بر هم زدن از جسم تنگ ** اختلاط جانها در صلح و جنگ‌‌

The appearance of collision, (arising) from the narrow body, is (due to) the spirits' being intermingled in peace or war.

موجهای صلح بر هم می‌‌زند ** کینه‌‌ها از سینه‌‌ها بر می‌‌کند

The waves of peace dash against each other and root up hatreds from (men's) breasts.

موجهای جنگ بر شکل دگر ** مهرها را می‌‌کند زیر و زبر

In other form do the waves of war turn (men's) loves upside down (confound and destroy them).

مهر تلخان را به شیرین می‌‌کشد ** ز آن که اصل مهرها باشد رشد 2580

Love is drawing the bitter ones to the sweet, because the foundation of (all) loves is righteousness.

قهر شیرین را به تلخی می‌‌برد ** تلخ با شیرین کجا اندر خورد

Wrath is carrying away the sweet one to bitterness: how should the bitter sort with (be suited to) the sweet?

تلخ و شیرین زین نظر ناید پدید ** از دریچه‌‌ی عاقبت دانند دید

The bitter and the sweet are not visible to this (ocular) sight, (but) they can be seen through the window of the latter end.

چشم آخر بین تواند دید راست ** چشم آخر بین غرور است و خطاست‌‌

The eye that sees the end (ákhir) can see truly; the eye that sees (only) the stable (ákhur) is delusion and error.

ای بسا شیرین که چون شکر بود ** لیک زهر اندر شکر مضمر بود

Oh, many the one that is sweet as sugar, but poison is concealed in the sugar.

آن که زیرک‌‌تر به بو بشناسدش ** و آن دگر چون بر لب و دندان زدش‌‌ 2585

He that is more sagacious (than the rest) will know it by the smell; another (only) when it touches his lips and teeth:

پس لبش ردش کند پیش از گلو ** گر چه نعره می‌‌زند شیطان کلوا

Then his lips will reject it before (it reaches) his throat, although the Devil is shouting, “Eat ye!”

و آن دگر را در گلو پیدا کند ** و آن دگر را در بدن رسوا کند

And to another it will declare (itself) in his throat, while to another it will unmask in his body;

و آن دگر را در حدث سوزش دهد ** ذوق آن زخم جگر دوزش دهد

And to another it will give burning pain in evacuation: its taste will deal him a blow that pierces his liver.

و آن دگر را بعد ایام و شهور ** و آن دگر را بعد مرگ از قعر گور

And to another (it will become manifest) after days and months; and to another after death, from the depth of the grave;

ور دهندش مهلت اندر قعر گور ** لا بد آن پیدا شود یوم النشور 2590

And if he be given a respite in the depth of the grave, (then) it will inevitably become manifest on the Day of Resurrection.

هر نبات و شکری را در جهان ** مهلتی پیداست از دور زمان‌‌

Every piece of candy and sugar (desirable thing) in the world manifestly has a period granted to it from the revolution of Time.

سالها باید که اندر آفتاب ** لعل یابد رنگ و رخشانی و تاب‌‌

Years are needed in order that the ruby in (exposed to the rays of) the sun may obtain (the perfect) tint and splendour and brilliance.

باز تره در دو ماه اندر رسد ** باز تا سالی گل احمر رسد

Vegetables, again, reach maturity in two months, while the red rose comes to perfection in a year.

بهر این فرمود حق عز و جل ** سوره الانعام در ذکر اجل‌‌

For this reason the Almighty and Glorious God in the Súratu ’l-An‘ám has made mention of an appointed term (ajal).

این شنیدی مو به مویت گوش باد ** آب حیوان است خوردی نوش باد 2595

You have heard this (discourse): may the whole of you, hair by hair, be an ear (to receive it)! ’Tis the Water of Life: (if) you have drunk, may it do you good!