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 زاک‌‌ 2765

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 جامهاست‌‌ 2770

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 سؤال‌‌ 2775

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 آمده‌‌ 2780

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 بدید 2785

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 شده‌‌ 2790

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);

پس ز مکتب آن یکی صدری شده ** ماهگانه داده و بدری شده‌‌

Then, by (going to) school, that child rose to the top, paid monthly fees (to his teacher), and became perfect (in knowledge).

آمده عباس حرب از بهر کین ** بهر قمع احمد و استیز دین‌‌

‘Abbás had come to war for vengeance’ sake, for the purpose of subduing Ahmad (Mohammed) and opposing the (true) religion:

گشته دین را تا قیامت پشت و رو ** در خلافت او و فرزندان او 2795

He and his descendants in the Caliphate became a back and front (complete support) to the (true) religion until the Resurrection.

من بر این در طالب چیز آمدم ** صدر گشتم چون به دهلیز آمدم‌‌

“I came to this court in quest of wealth: as soon as I entered the portico I became (a spiritual) chief.

آب آوردم به تحفه بهر نان ** بوی نانم برد تا صدر جنان‌‌

I brought water as a gift for the sake of (getting) bread: hope of bread led me to the highest place in Paradise.

نان برون راند آدمی را از بهشت ** نان مرا اندر بهشتی در سرشت‌‌

Bread drove an Adam forth from Paradise: bread caused me to mix (made me consort) with those who belong to Paradise.

رستم از آب و ز نان همچون ملک ** بی‌‌غرض گردم بر این در چون فلک‌‌

I have been freed, like the angels, from water and bread (materiality): without (any worldly) object of desire I move round this court, like the (revolving) sphere of heaven.”

بی‌‌غرض نبود به گردش در جهان ** غیر جسم و غیر جان عاشقان‌‌ 2800

Nothing in the world is without object (disinterested) in its movement (activity) except the bodies and the souls of (God's) lovers.

در بیان آن که عاشق دنیا بر مثال عاشق دیواری است که بر او تاب آفتاب زند و جهد و جهاد نکرد تا فهم کند که آن تاب و رونق از دیوار نیست از قرص آفتاب است در آسمان چهارم لاجرم کلی دل بر دیوار نهاد چون پرتو آفتاب به آفتاب پیوست او محروم ماند ابدا و حیل بينهم و بين ما يشتهون

Showing that the lover of this world is like the lover of a wall on which the sunbeams strike, who makes no effort and exertion to perceive that the radiance and splendour do not proceed from the wall, but from the orb of the sun in the Fourth Heaven; consequently he sets his whole heart on the wall, and when the sunbeams rejoin the sun (at sunset), he is left for ever in despair: “and a bar is placed between them and that which they desire.”

عاشقان کل نه این عشاق جزو ** ماند از کل آن که شد مشتاق جزو

The lovers of the Whole are not those who love the part: he that longed for the part failed to attain unto the Whole.

چون که جزوی عاشق جزوی شود ** زود معشوقش به کل خود رود

When a part falls in love with a part, the object of its love soon goes (returns) to its own whole.

ریش گاو بنده‌‌ی غیر آمد او ** غرقه شد کف در ضعیفی در زد او

He (the lover of the particular) became the laughing-stock of another's slave: he became (like a man who was) drowning and clung to some one weak (and powerless to help him).

نیست حاکم تا کند تیمار او ** کار خواجه‌‌ی خود کند یا کار او

He (the loved slave) possesses no authority, that he should care for him: shall he do his own master's business or his (the lover's)?

مثل عرب إذا زنیت فازن بالحرة و إذا سرقت فاسرق الدرة

The Arabic proverb, “If you commit fornication, commit it with a free woman, and if you steal, steal a pearl.”

فازن بالحرة پی این شد مثل ** فاسرق الدرة بدین شد منتقل‌‌ 2805

Hence (the saying), “Commit fornication with a free woman,” became proverbial; (and the words) “steal a pearl” were transferred (metaphorically) to this (meaning).

بنده سوی خواجه شد او ماند زار ** بوی گل شد سوی گل او ماند خار

The slave (the loved one) went away to his master: he (the lover) was left in misery. The scent of the rose went (back) to the rose: he remained as the thorn.

او بمانده دور از مطلوب خویش ** سعی ضایع رنج باطل پای ریش‌‌

He was left far from the object of his desire—his labour lost, his toil useless, his foot wounded,

همچو صیادی که گیرد سایه‌‌ای ** سایه کی گردد و را سرمایه‌‌ای‌‌

Like the hunter who catches a shadow—how should the shadow become his property?

سایه‌‌ی مرغی گرفته مرد سخت ** مرغ حیران گشته بر شاخ درخت‌‌

The man has grasped tightly the shadow of a bird, (while) the bird on the branch of the tree is fallen into amazement,

کاین مدمغ بر که می‌‌خندد عجب ** اینت باطل اینت پوسیده سبب‌‌ 2810

(Thinking), “I wonder who this crack-brained fellow is laughing at? Here's folly for you, here's a rotten cause!”