آن که بی‌‌همت چه با همت شده ** و آن که با همت چه با نعمت شده
Those without aspiration—how aspiring had they become! and those of high aspiration—to what felicity had they attained!
در بیان آن که چنان که گدا عاشق کرم است و عاشق کریم، کرم کریم هم عاشق گداست اگر گدا را صبر بیش بود کریم بر در او آید و اگر کریم را صبر بیش بود گدا بر در او آید اما صبر گدا کمال گداست و صبر کریم نقصان اوست
Showing that, as the beggar is in love with bounty and in love with the bountiful giver, so the bounty of the bountiful giver is in love with the beggar: if the beggar have the greater patience, the bountiful giver will come to his door; and if the bountiful giver have the greater patience, the beggar will come to his door; but the beggar's patience is a virtue in the beggar, while the patience of the bountiful giver is in him a defect.
بانگ می‌‌آمد که ای طالب بیا ** جود محتاج گدایان چون گدا
A loud call was coming (to his ears): “Come, O seeker! Bounty is in need of beggars: (it is needy) like a beggar.
Bounty is seeking the beggars and the poor, just as fair ones who seek a clear mirror.
روی خوبان ز آینه زیبا شود ** روی احسان از گدا پیدا شود
The face of the fair is made beautiful by the mirror, the face of Beneficence is made visible by the beggar.
پس از این فرمود حق در و الضحی ** بانگ کم زن ای محمد بر گدا
Therefore on this account God said in the Súra Wa’d-Duhá, “O Mohammed, do not shout at (and drive away) the beggar.”
چون گدا آیینه‌‌ی جود است هان ** دم بود بر روی آیینه زیان
Inasmuch as the beggar is the mirror of Bounty, take care! Breath is hurtful to the face of the mirror.
آن یکی جودش گدا آرد پدید ** و آن دگر بخشد گدایان را مزید
In the one case, his (the giver's) bounty makes the beggar manifest (causes him to beg), while in the other case he (the giver), (without being asked), bestows on the beggars more (than they need).
پس گدایان آیت جود حق‌‌اند ** و آن که با حقند جود مطلق‌‌اند2750
Beggars, then, are the evidentiary sign of God's bounty, and they that are with God are (united with) the Absolute Bounty;
و آن که جز این دوست او خود مرده‌‌ای است ** او بر این در نیست نقش پرده‌‌ای است
And every one except those two (types of beggar) is truly a dead man: he is not at this door (the Divine Court), he is (lifeless as) a picture (embroidered) on a curtain.
فرق میان آن که درویش است به خدا و تشنه‌‌ی خدا و میان آن که درویش است از خدا و تشنه‌‌ی غیر است
The difference between one that is poor for (desirous of) God and thirsting for Him and one that is poor of (destitute of) God and thirsting for what is other than He.
نقش درویش است او نی اهل نان ** نقش سگ را تو مینداز استخوان
He (that seeks other than God) is the (mere) picture of a dervish, he is not worthy of bread (Divine bounty): do not throw a bone to the picture of a dog!
فقر لقمه دارد او نی فقر حق ** پیش نقش مرده‌‌ای کم نه طبق
He wants a morsel of food, he does not want God: do not set dishes before a lifeless picture!
ماهی خاکی بود درویش نان ** شکل ماهی لیک از دریا رمان
The dervish that wants bread is a land-fish: (he has) the form of a fish, but (he is) fleeing from the sea.
مرغ خانه ست او نه سیمرغ هوا ** لوت نوشد او ننوشد از خدا2755
He is a domestic fowl, not the Símurgh of the air: he swallows sweet morsels (of food), he does not eat from God.
عاشق حق است او بهر نوال ** نیست جانش عاشق حسن و جمال
He loves God for the sake of gain: his soul is not in love with (God's) excellence and beauty.
گر توهم می‌‌کند او عشق ذات ** ذات نبود وهم اسما و صفات
If he conceives that he is in love with the Essence (of God), conception of the (Divine) names and attributes is not the Essence.
وهم مخلوق است و مولود آمده ست ** حق نزاییده ست او لم یولد است
Conception is created; it has been begotten: God is not begotten, He is lam yúlad.
عاشق تصویر و وهم خویشتن ** کی بود از عاشقان ذو المنن
How should he that is in love with his own imagination and conception be one of them that love the Lord of bounties?
عاشق آن وهم اگر صادق بود ** آن مجاز او حقیقت کش شود2760
If the lover of that (false) conception be sincere, that metaphor (unreal judgement) will lead him to the reality.
شرح می‌‌خواهد بیان این سخن ** لیک می‌‌ترسم ز افهام کهن
The exposition of this saying demands a commentary, but I am afraid of senile (feeble) minds.
فهم‌‌های کهنه‌‌ی کوته نظر ** صد خیال بد در آرد در فکر
Senile and short-sighted minds bring a hundred evil fancies into their thoughts.
بر سماع راست هر کس چیر نیست ** لقمه‌‌ی هر مرغکی انجیر نیست
Not every one is able to hear rightly: the fig is not a morsel for every little bird,
خاصه مرغی مرده‌‌ای پوسیده‌‌ای ** پر خیالی اعمیی بی‌‌دیده‌‌ای
Especially a bird that is dead, putrid; a blind, eyeless (fellow) filled with vain fancy.
نقش ماهی را چه دریا و چه خاک ** رنگ هندو را چه صابون و چه زاک2765
To the picture of a fish what is the difference between sea and land? To the colour of a Hindoo what is the difference between soap and black vitriol?
نقش اگر غمگین نگاری بر ورق ** او ندارد از غم و شادی سبق
If you depict the portrait on the paper as sorrowful, it has no lesson (learns nothing) of sorrow or joy.
صورتش غمگین و او فارغ از آن ** صورتش خندان و او ز آن بی‌‌نشان
Its appearance is sorrowful, but it is free from that (sorrow); (or) its appearance is smiling, but it has no (inward) impression of that (joy).
وین غم و شادی که اندر دل خفی است ** پیش آن شادی و غم جز نقش نیست
And this (worldly) sorrow and joy which are a lot (received) in the heart (which befall the heart) are naught but a picture in comparison with that (spiritual) joy and sorrow.
صورت خندان نقش از بهر تست ** تا از آن صورت شود معنی درست
The picture's smiling appearance is for your sake, in order that by means of that picture the reality may be established (rightly understood by you).
نقشهایی کاندر این حمامهاست ** از برون جامه کن چون جامهاست2770
The pictures (phenomena) which are in these hot baths (the world), (when viewed) from outside the undressing-room (of self-abandonment), are like clothes.
تا برونی جامه‌‌ها بینی و بس ** جامه بیرون کن در آ ای هم نفس
So long as you are outside, you see only the clothes (phenomena): put off your clothes and enter (the bath of reality), O kindred spirit,
ز آن که با جامه درون سو راه نیست ** تن ز جان جامه ز تن آگاه نیست
Because, with your clothes, there is no way (of getting) inside: the body is ignorant of the soul, the clothes (are ignorant) of the body.
پیش آمدن نقیبان و دربانان خلیفه از بهر اکرام اعرابی و پذیرفتن هدیه‌‌ی او را
How the Caliph's officers and chamberlains came forward to pay their respects to the Bedouin and to receive his gift.
آن عرابی از بیابان بعید ** بر در دار الخلافه چون رسید
When the Bedouin arrived from the remote desert to the gate of the Caliph's palace,
پس نقیبان پیش او باز آمدند ** بس گلاب لطف بر جیبش زدند
The court officers went to meet him: they sprinkled much rose-water of graciousness on his bosom.
حاجت او فهمشان شد بی‌‌مقال ** کار ایشان بد عطا پیش از سؤال2775
Without speech (on his part) they perceived what he wanted: it was their practice to give before being asked.
پس بدو گفتند یا وجه العرب ** از کجایی چونی از راه و تعب
Then they said to him, “O chief of the Arabs, whence dost thou come? How art thou after the journey and fatigue?”
گفت وجهم گر مرا وجهی دهید ** بی‌‌وجوهم چون پس پشتم نهید
He said, “I am a chief, if ye give me any countenance (favour); I am without means (of winning respect) when ye put me behind your backs.
ای که در روتان نشان مهتری ** فرتان خوشتر ز زر جعفری
O ye in whose faces are the marks of eminence, O ye whose splendour is more pleasing than the gold of Ja‘far,
ای که یک دیدارتان دیدارها ** ای نثار دینتان دینارها
O ye, one sight of whom is (worth many) sights, O ye on whose religion pieces of gold are scattered (as largesse),
ای همه ینظر بنور الله شده ** از بر حق بهر بخشش آمده2780
O ye, all of whom have become seeing by the light of God, who have come from the King for the sake of munificence,
تا زنید آن کیمیاهای نظر ** بر سر مسهای اشخاص بشر
That ye may cast the elixir of your looks upon the copper of human individuals,
من غریبم از بیابان آمدم ** بر امید لطف سلطان آمدم
I am a stranger: I have come from the desert: I have come in hope of (gaining) the grace of the Sultan.
بوی لطف او بیابانها گرفت ** ذره‌‌های ریگ هم جانها گرفت
The scent of his grace covered (took entire possession of) the deserts: even the grains of sand were ensouled (thereby).
تا بدین جا بهر دینار آمدم ** چون رسیدم مست دیدار آمدم
I came all the way to this place for the sake of dinars: as soon as I arrived, I became drunken with sight (contemplation).”
بهر نان شخصی سوی نانوا دوید ** داد جان چون حسن نانوا را بدید2785
A person ran to the baker for bread: on seeing the beauty of the baker, he gave up the ghost.
بهر فرجه شد یکی تا گلستان ** فرجه‌‌ی او شد جمال باغبان
A certain man went to the rose-garden to take his pleasure, and found it in the beauty of the gardener,
همچو اعرابی که آب از چه کشید ** آب حیوان از رخ یوسف چشید
Like the desert Arab who drew water from the well and tasted the Water of Life from the (lovely) face of Joseph.
رفت موسی کاتش آرد او به دست ** آتشی دید او که از آتش برست
Moses went to fetch fire: he beheld such a Fire (the Burning Bush) that he escaped from (searching after) fire.
جست عیسی تا رهد از دشمنان ** بردش آن جستن به چارم آسمان
Jesus sprang up, to escape from his enemies: that spring carried him to the Fourth Heaven.
دام آدم خوشه‌‌ی گندم شده ** تا وجودش خوشه‌‌ی مردم شده2790
The ear of wheat became a trap for Adam, so that his existence became the wheat-ear (seed and origin) of mankind.
باز آید سوی دام از بهر خور ** ساعد شه یابد و اقبال و فر
The falcon comes to the snare for food: it finds the fore-arm (wrist) of the King and fortune and glory.
طفل شد مکتب پی کسب هنر ** بر امید مرغ با لطف پدر
The child went to school to acquire knowledge, in hope of (getting) its father's pretty bird (as a prize);