نامه‌ی دیگر نوشت آن بدگمان ** پر ز تشنیع و نفیر و پر فغان1935
That evil-thinking one wrote another letter, full of vituperation and clamour and loud complaint.
که یکی رقعه نبشتم پیش شه ** ای عجب آنجا رسید و یافت ره
He said, “I wrote a letter to the king; oh, I wonder if it arrived there and found its way (to him).”
آن دگر را خواند هم آن خوب‌خد ** هم نداد او را جواب و تن بزد
The fair-cheeked (king) read that second one also, and as before he gave him no reply and kept silence.
خشک می‌آورد او را شهریار ** او مکرر کرد رقعه پنج بار
The king was withholding all favour from him: he (the slave) repeated the letter five times.
گفت حاجب آخر او بنده‌ی شماست ** گر جوابش بر نویسی هم رواست
“After all,” said the chamberlain, “he is your (Majesty’s) slave: if you write a reply to him, tis fitting.
از شهی تو چه کم گردد اگر ** برغلام و بنده اندازی نظر1940
What diminution of your sovereignty will occur if you cast looks (of favour) on your slave and servant?”
گفت این سهلست اما احمقست ** مرد احمق زشت و مردود حقست
He (the king) said, “This is easy; but he is fool: a foolish man is foul and rejected of God.
گرچه آمرزم گناه و زلتش ** هم کند بر من سرایت علتش
Though I pardon his sin and fault, his disease will infect me also.
صد کس از گرگین همه گرگین شوند ** خاصه این گر خبیث ناپسند
From (contact with) an itchy person a whole hundred become itchy, especially (in the case of) this loathsome reprobate itch.
گر کم عقلی مبادا گبر را ** شوم او بی‌آب دارد ابر را
May the itch, lack of intelligence, not befall (even) the infidel His (the fool’s) ill-starredness keeps the cloud rainless.
نم نبارد ابر از شومی او ** شهر شد ویرانه از بومی او1945
On account of his ill-starredness the cloud sheds no moisture: by his owlishness the city is made a desert.
از گر آن احمقان طوفان نوح ** کرد ویران عالمی را در فضوح
Because of the itch of those foolish ones the Flood of Noah devastated a whole world (of people) in disgrace.
گفت پیغامبر که احمق هر که هست ** او عدو ماست و غول ره‌زنست
The Prophet said, ‘Whosoever is foolish, he is our enemy and a ghoul who waylays (the traveller).
هر که او عاقل بود از جان ماست ** روح او و ریح او ریحان ماست
Whoso is intelligent, he is (dear to us as) our soul :his breeze and wind is our sweet basil.’
عقل دشنامم دهد من راضیم ** زانک فیضی دارد از فیاضیم
(If) intelligence revile me, I am well-pleased, because it possesses something that has emanated from my emanative activity.
نبود آن دشنام او بی‌فایده ** نبود آن مهمانیش بی‌مایده1950
Its revilement is not without use, its hospitality is not without a table;
احمق ار حلوا نهد اندر لبم ** من از آن حلوای او اندر تبم
(But) if the fool put sweetmeat on my lip, I am in a fever from (tasting) his sweetmeat.”
این یقین دان گر لطیف و روشنی ** نیست بوسه‌ی کون خر را چاشنی
If you are goodly and enlightened, know this for sure, (that) kissing the arse of an ass hath no (delicious) savour.
سبلتت گنده کند بی‌فایده ** جامه از دیگش سیه بی‌مایده
He (the unsavoury fool) uselessly makes your moustache fetid; your dress is blackened by his kettle without (there being) a table (of food).
مایده عقلست نی نان و شوی ** نور عقلست ای پسر جان را غذی
Intelligence is the table, not bread and roast-meat: the light of intelligence, O son, is the nutriment for the soul.
نیست غیر نور آدم را خورش ** از جز آن جان نیابد پرورش1955
Man hath no food but the light: the soul does not obtain nourishment from aught but that.
زین خورشها اندک اندک باز بر ** کین غذای خر بود نه آن حر
Little by little cut (yourself) off from the (material) foods –– for these are the nutriment of an ass, not that of a free (noble) man ––
تا غذای اصل را قابل شوی ** لقمه‌های نور را آکل شوی
So that you may become capable of (absorbing) the original nutriment and may eat habitually the dainty morsels of the light.
عکس آن نورست کین نان نان شدست ** فیض آن جانست کین جان جان شدست
‘Tis (from) the reflexion of that light that this bread has become bread; ‘tis (from) the overflowing of that (rational) soul that this (animal) soul has become soul.
چون خوری یکبار از ماکول نور ** خاک ریزی بر سر نان و تنور
When you eat once of the light you will pour earth over the (material) bread and oven.
عقل دو عقلست اول مکسبی ** که در آموزی چو در مکتب صبی1960
Intelligence consists of two intelligences; the former is the acquired one which you learn, like a boy at school,
از کتاب و اوستاد و فکر و ذکر ** از معانی وز علوم خوب و بکر
From book and teacher and reflexion and (committing to) memory, and from concepts, and from excellent and virgin (hitherto unstudied) sciences.
عقل تو افزون شود بر دیگران ** لیک تو باشی ز حفظ آن گران
(By this means) your intelligence becomes superior to (that of) others; but through preserving (retaining in your mind) that (knowledge) you are heavily burdened.
لوح حافظ باشی اندر دور و گشت ** لوح محفوظ اوست کو زین در گذشت
You, (occupied) in wandering and going about (in search of knowledge), are a preserving (recording) tablet; the preserved tablet is he that has passed beyond this.
عقل دیگر بخشش یزدان بود ** چشمه‌ی آن در میان جان بود
The other intelligence is the gift of God: its fountain is in the midst of the soul.
چون ز سینه آب دانش جوش کرد ** نه شود گنده نه دیرینه نه زرد1965
When the water of (God-given) knowledge gushes from the breast, it does not become fetid or old or yellow (impure);
ور ره نبعش بود بسته چه غم ** کو همی‌جوشد ز خانه دم به دم
And if its way of issue (to outside) be stopped, what harm? for it gushes continually from the house (of the heart).
عقل تحصیلی مثال جویها ** کان رود در خانه‌ای از کویها
The acquired intelligence is like the conduits which run into a house from the streets:
راه آبش بسته شد شد بی‌نوا ** از درون خویشتن جو چشمه را
(If) its (the house’s) water-way is blocked, it is without any supply (of water) Seek the fountain from within yourself!
قصه‌ی آنک کسی به کسی مشورت می‌کرد گفتش مشورت با دیگری کن کی من عدوی توم
Story that some one was consulting another, who said, "Consult some one else, for I am your enemy."
مشورت می‌کرد شخصی با کسی ** کز تردد وا ردهد وز محبسی
A certain person was consulting some one, that he might be delivered from perplexity and from a quandary.
گفت ای خوش‌نام غیر من بجو ** ماجرای مشورت با او بگو1970
“O man of good name,” he replied, “seek another, not me, and explain to him the matter for consultation.
من عدوم مر ترا با من مپیچ ** نبود از رای عدو پیروز هیچ
I am an enemy to you: do not attach yourself to me; one is never successful (never wins success) from the counsel of an enemy.
رو کسی جو که ترا او هست دوست ** دوست بهر دوست لاشک خیرجوست
Go, seek one who is a friend to you: undoubtedly a friend seeks (what is) good for his friend.
من عدوم چاره نبود کز منی ** کژ روم با تو نمایم دشمنی
I am an enemy: it is inevitable that from egoism I should go crookedly (play false) and show enmity towards you.
حارسی از گرگ جستن شرط نیست ** جستن از غیر محل ناجستنیست
Tis not a (just) condition to demand of a wolf (that he should perform) the task of a watchman (shepherd): to demand (anything) from the wrong place is a negation of the demand.
من ترا بی‌هیچ شکی دشمنم ** من ترا کی ره نمایم ره زنم1975
Without any doubt I am an enemy to you: how should I show you the way? I am a highwayman.
هر که باشد همنشین دوستان ** هست در گلخن میان بوستان
Whoever is sitting with friends is amidst a flower-garden (though he be) in a bath-furnace.
هر که با دشمن نشیند در زمن ** هست او در بوستان در گولخن
Whoever in the world sits with an enemy, he is in a bath-furnace (though he be) in a flower-garden.
دوست را مازار از ما و منت ** تا نگردد دوست خصم و دشمنت
Vex not your friend by egoism, lest your friend become your adversary and enemy.
خیر کن با خلق بهر ایزدت ** یا برای راحت جان خودت
Do good unto the people for your God's sake or for the peace of your own soul,
تا هماره دوست بینی در نظر ** در دلت ناید ز کین ناخوش صور1980
That you may always see (them) friendly in your sight, and that ugly ideas arising from hatred may not come into your heart.