گوید او محبوس خنبست این تنم ** چون می اندر بزم خنبک می‌زنم

He says, “This body of mine is imprisoned in the jar, (but) like wine I am clapping hands (making a merry noise) at the banquet.”

گویمش زان پیش که گردی گرو ** تا نیاید آفت مستی برو

I say to Him, “Go ere thou art put in pawn (confinement) lest the bane of intoxication befall (thee).”

گوید از جام لطیف‌آشام من ** یار روزم تا نماز شام من

He says, “I befriend the day with (my) delicious cup until the evening-prayer.

چون بیاید شام و دزدد جام من ** گویمش وا ده که نامد شام من 4740

When evening comes and steals my cup, I will say to it, ‘Give (it) back, for my evening hath not come.’”

زان عرب بنهاد نام می مدام ** زانک سیری نیست می‌خور را مدام

Hence the Arabs applied the name mudám to wine, because the wine-drinker is never sated.

عشق جوشد باده‌ی تحقیق را ** او بود ساقی نهان صدیق را

Love makes the wine of realisation to bubble: He is the cup-bearer to the siddíq (true lover) in secret.

چون بجویی تو بتوفیق حسن ** باده آب جان بود ابریق تن

When you seek (the reality) with good help (from God), the water (essence) of the spirit is the wine, and the body is the flagon.

چون بیفزاید می توفیق را ** قوت می بشکند ابریق را

When He increases the wine of His help, the potency of the wine bursts the flagon.

آب گردد ساقی و هم مست آب ** چون مگو والله اعلم بالصواب 4745

The water (the spirit) becomes the Cup-bearer, and the water (is) also the drunken man. Tell not how! And Go best knoweth the right.

پرتو ساقیست کاندر شیره رفت ** شیره بر جوشید و رقصان گشت و زفت

‘Tis the radiance of the Cup-bearer that entered into the must: the must bubbled up and began to dance and waxed strong.

اندرین معنی بپرس آن خیره را ** که چنین کی دیده بودی شیره را

On this matter, ask the heedless (sceptic), “When did you (ever) see must like this?”

بی تفکر پیش هر داننده هست ** آنک با شوریده شوراننده هست

To every one who hath knowledge it is (self-evident) without reflection, that together with the person disturbed there is a Disturber.

حکایت عاشقی دراز هجرانی بسیار امتحانی

Story of the lover who had been long separated (from his beloved) and had suffered much tribulation.

یک جوانی بر زنی مجنون بدست ** می‌ندادش روزگار وصل دست

A certain youth was madly enamoured of a woman: the fortune of union was not granted to him.

بس شکنجه کرد عشقش بر زمین ** خود چرا دارد ز اول عشق کین 4750

Love tortured him exceedingly on the earth: why, in sooth, does Love bear hatred (to the lover) from the first?

عشق از اول چرا خونی بود ** تا گریزد آنک بیرونی بود

Why is Love murderous from the first, so that he who is an outsider runs away?

چون فرستادی رسولی پیش زن ** آن رسول از رشک گشتی راه‌زن

Whenever he sent a messenger to the woman, the messenger because of jealousy would become a highwayman (barring the way against him);

ور بسوی زن نبشتی کاتبش ** نامه را تصحیف خواندی نایبش

And if his secretary wrote (a letter to be sent) to the woman, his delegate (messenger) would read the letter (to her) with tashíf;

ور صبا را پیک کردی در وفا ** از غباری تیره گشتی آن صبا

And if in good faith he made the zephyr his envoy, that zephyr would be darkened by a (cloud of) dust.

رقعه گر بر پر مرغی دوختی ** پر مرغ از تف رقعه سوختی 4755

If he sewed the letter on the wing of a bird, the bird's wing would be burnt by the ardour of the letter.

راههای چاره را غیرت ببست ** لشکر اندیشه را رایت شکست

The (Divine) jealousy barred (all) the ways of device and broke the banner of the army of cogitation.

بود اول مونس غم انتظار ** آخرش بشکست کی هم انتظار

At first, expectation was the comforting friend of (his) sorrow; at last, there broke him—who? Even (the same) expectation.

گاه گفتی کین بلای بی‌دواست ** گاه گفتی نه حیات جان ماست

Sometimes he would say, “This is an irremediable affliction”; sometimes he would say, “No, it is the life of my spirit.”

گاه هستی زو بر آوردی سری ** گاه او از نیستی خوردی بری

Sometimes (self-) existence would lift up a head from him (appear in him); sometimes he would eat of the fruit of non-existence.

چونک بر وی سرد گشتی این نهاد ** جوش کردی گرم چشمه‌ی اتحاد 4760

When this (bodily) nature became cold (irksome and useless) to him, the fountain of union (with the beloved) would boil hotly.

چونک با بی‌برگی غربت بساخت ** برگ بی‌برگی به سوی او بتاخت

When he put up with (contented himself with) the unprovidedness of exile, the provision of unprovidedness hastened towards him.

خوشه‌های فکرتش بی‌کاه شد ** شب‌روان را رهنما چون ماه شد

The wheat-ears of his thought were purged of chaff: he became, like the moon, a guide to the night-travellers.

ای بسا طوطی گویای خمش ** ای بسا شیرین‌روان رو ترش

Oh, there is many a parrot that speaks though it is mute; oh, there is many a sweet-spirited one whose face is sour.

رو به گورستان دمی خامش نشین ** آن خموشان سخن‌گو را ببین

Go to the graveyard, sit awhile in silence, and behold those eloquent silent ones;

لیک اگر یکرنگ بینی خاکشان ** نیست یکسان حالت چالاکشان 4765

But, if you see that their dust is of one colour, (yet) their active (spiritual) state is not uniform.

شحم و لحم زندگان یکسان بود ** آن یکی غمگین دگر شادان بود

The fat and flesh of living persons is uniform, (yet) one is sad, another glad.

تو چه دانی تا ننوشی قالشان ** زانک پنهانست بر تو حالشان

Until you hear their words, what should you know (of their feelings), inasmuch as their (inward) state is hidden from you?

بشنوی از قال های و هوی را ** کی ببینی حالت صدتوی را

You may hear words—(cries of) háy, húy; (but) how will you perceive the (inward) state that hath a hundred folds?

نقش ما یکسان بضدها متصف ** خاک هم یکسان روانشان مختلف

Our (human) figure is uniform, (yet) endued with contrary qualities: likewise their dust is uniform, (yet) their spirits are diverse.

همچنین یکسان بود آوازها ** آن یکی پر درد و آن پر نازها 4770

Similarly, voices are uniform (as such), (but) one is sorrowful, and another full of charms.

بانگ اسپان بشنوی اندر مصاف ** بانگ مرغان بشنوی اندر طواف

On the battle-field you may hear the cry of horses; in strolling round (a garden) you may hear the cry of birds.

آن یکی از حقد و دیگر ز ارتباط ** آن یکی از رنج و دیگر از نشاط

One (voice proceeds) from hate, and another from harmony; one from pain, and another from joy.

هر که دور از حالت ایشان بود ** پیشش آن آوازها یکسان بود

Whoever is remote from (ignorant of) their (inward) state, to him the voices are uniform.

آن درختی جنبد از زخم تبر ** و آن درخت دیگر از باد سحر

One tree is moved by blows of the axe, another tree by the breeze of dawn.

بس غلط گشتم ز دیگ مردریگ ** زانک سرپوشیده می‌جوشید دیگ 4775

Much error befell me from (I was greatly deceived by) the worthless pot, because the pot was boiling (while) covered by the lid.

جوش و نوش هرکست گوید بیا ** جوش صدق و جوش تزویر و ریا

The fervour and savour of every one says to you, “Come”— the fervour of sincerity and the fervour of imposture and hypocrisy.

گر نداری بو ز جان روشناس ** رو دماغی دست آور بوشناس

If you have not the scent (discernment derived) from the soul that recognises the face (reality), go, get for yourself a (spiritual) brain (sense) that recognises the scent.

آن دماغی که بر آن گلشن تند ** چشم یعقوبان هم او روشن کند

The brain (sense) that haunts yon Rose-garden—’tis it that makes bright the eyes of (all) Jacobs.

هین بگو احوال آن خسته‌جگر ** کز بخاری دور ماندیم ای پسر

Come now, relate what happened to that heart-sick (youth), for we have left the man of Bukhárá far behind, O son.

یافتن عاشق معشوق را و بیان آنک جوینده یابنده بود کی و من یعمل مثقال ذرة خیرا یره

How the lover found his beloved; and a discourse showing that the seeker is a finder, for he who shall do as much good as the weight of an ant shall see it (in the end).

کان جوان در جست و جو بد هفت سال ** از خیال وصل گشته چون خیال 4780

(It happened) that for seven years that youth was (engaged) in search and seeking: from (cherishing) the phantasy of union he became like a phantom.

سایه‌ی حق بر سر بنده بود ** عاقبت جوینده یابنده بود

(If) the shadow (protection) of God be over the head of the servant (of God), the seeker at last will be a finder.

گفت پیغامبر که چون کوبی دری ** عاقبت زان در برون آید سری

The Prophet said that when you knock at a door, at last a head will come forth from that door.

چون نشینی بر سر کوی کسی ** عاقبت بینی تو هم روی کسی

When you sit (wait) on the road of a certain person, at last you will see also the face of a certain person.

چون ز چاهی می‌کنی هر روز خاک ** عاقبت اندر رسی در آب پاک

When, every day, you keep digging the earth from a pit, at last you will arrive at the pure water.

جمله دانند این اگر تو نگروی ** هر چه می‌کاریش روزی بدروی 4785

(Even) if you may not believe (it), all know this, (that) one day you will reap whatsoever you are sowing.

سنگ بر آهن زدی آتش نجست ** این نباشد ور بباشد نادرست

You struck the stone (flint) against the iron (steel): the fire did not flash out! This may not be; or if it be (so), ’tis rare.