ای رسولان می‌فرستمتان رسول ** رد من بهتر شما را از قبول
“O envoys, I will send you as envoys (to Bilqís): my refusal (of the gift) is better for you than acceptance.
پیش بلقیس آنچ دیدیت از عجب ** باز گویید از بیابان ذهب
Relate to Bilqís what marvellous things ye have seen concerning the desert of gold,
تا بداند که به زر طامع نه‌ایم ** ما زر از زرآفرین آورده‌ایم655
That she may know we do not covet gold: we have gotten gold from the gold-Creator,
آنک گر خواهد همه خاک زمین ** سر به سر زر گردد و در ثمین
At whose will the whole earth’s soil from end to end would become gold and precious pearls.”
حق برای آن کند ای زرگزین ** روز محشر این زمین را نقره گین
On that account, O thou who choosest gold, God will make this earth silvern on the Day of Resurrection.
فارغیم از زر که ما بس پر فنیم ** خاکیان را سر به سر زرین کنیم
“We have no need of gold, for we are very skilful: we make earthly beings entirely golden.
از شما کی کدیه‌ی زر می‌کنیم ** ما شما را کیمیاگر می‌کنیم
How shall we beg gold of you? We (can) make you (spiritual) alchemists.
ترک آن گیرید گر ملک سباست ** که برون آب و گل بس ملکهاست660
Abandon (all) that, (even) if it is the kingdom of Saba, for beyond (this) water and earth there are many kingdoms.”
تخته‌بندست آن که تختش خوانده‌ای ** صدر پنداری و بر در مانده‌ای
That which thou hast called a throne is (really) a splint- bandage: thou deemest (it) the seat of honour, but (in truth) thou hast remained at the door.
پادشاهی نیستت بر ریش خود ** پادشاهی چون کنی بر نیک و بد
(If) thou hast not sovereignty over thine own beard, how wilt thou exercise sovereignty over good and evil?
بی‌مراد تو شود ریشت سپید ** شرم دار از ریش خود ای کژ امید
Without thy wish, thy beard grows white: be ashamed of thy beard, O thou whose hopes are perverse.
مالک الملک است هر کش سر نهد ** بی‌جهان خاک صد ملکش دهد
He (God) is the Possessor of the Kingdom: whosoever lays his head before Him, to him He gives a hundred kingdoms without the terrestrial world;
لیک ذوق سجده‌ای پیش خدا ** خوشتر آید از دو صد دولت ترا665
But the (inward) savour of a single prostration before God will be more sweet to thee than two hundred empires:
پس بنالی که نخواهم ملکها ** ملک آن سجده مسلم کن مرا
Then thou wilt cry (in humble entreaty), “I desire not kingdoms: commit unto me the kingdom of that prostration.”
پادشاهان جهان از بدرگی ** بو نبردند از شراب بندگی
The kings of the world, because of their evil nature, got no scent of the wine of service (to God);
ورنه ادهم‌وار سرگردان و دنگ ** ملک را برهم زدندی بی‌درنگ
Otherwise, dizzy and dumbfounded like (Ibráhim son of) Adham, without delay they would have dashed their sovereignty to pieces.
لیک حق بهر ثبات این جهان ** مهرشان بنهاد بر چشم و دهان
But (this they do not inasmuch as), for the maintenance of this world, God set a seal upon their eyes and mouths,
تا شود شیرین بریشان تخت و تاج ** که ستانیم از جهانداران خراج670
To the end that throne and crown should be sweet to them, "for" (they say) "we will exact tribute from the rulers of the world."
از خراج ار جمع آری زر چو ریگ ** آخر آن از تو بماند مردریگ
If by way of tribute thou amass gold as (though it were) sand, at last it will be left behind thee as an inheritance.
همره جانت نگردد ملک و زر ** زر بده سرمه ستان بهر نظر
Sovereignty and gold will not accompany thy spirit on its journey: give thy gold away, get collyrium for thy sight,
تا ببینی کین جهان چاهیست تنگ ** یوسفانه آن رسن آری به چنگ
In order that thou mayst see that this world is a narrow well, and that, like Joseph, thou mayst grasp that rope,
تا بگوید چون ز چاه آیی به بام ** جان که یا بشرای هذا لی غلام
So that, when thou comest from the well (up) to the roof, the Soul will say, “Oh, good news for met This is a youth for me.”
هست در چاه انعکاسات نظر ** کمترین آنک نماید سنگ زر675
In the well (of this world) there are optical inversions, the least (of which is) that stones appear to be gold.
وقت بازی کودکان را ز اختلال ** می‌نماید آن خزفها زر و مال
To children at play-time, from infirmity (of mind), those potsherds (with which they play) appear to be gold and riches.
عارفانش کیمیاگر گشته‌اند ** تا که شد کانها بر ایشان نژند
His (God’s) knowers have become alchemists, so that mines (of gold) have become worthless in their eyes.
دیدن درویش جماعت مشایخ را در خواب و درخواست کردن روزی حلال بی‌مشغول شدن به کسب و از عبادت ماندن و ارشاد ایشان او را و میوه‌های تلخ و ترش کوهی بر وی شیرین شدن به داد آن مشایخ
How a dervish saw in dream a company of Shaykhs and begged for a daily portion of lawful food (which he should receive) without being occupied with earning (it) and being (thereby) incapacitated from devotional service; and how they directed him, and how the sour and bitter mountain-fruit became sweet to him through the bounty of those Shaykhs.
آن یکی درویش گفت اندر سمر ** خضریان را من بدیدم خواب در
A certain dervish said in the night-talk, “I saw in dream those (saints who are) connected with Khizr.
گفتم ایشان را که روزی حلال ** از کجا نوشم که نبود آن وبال
I said to them, ‘Whence shall I (get to) eat a daily portion of lawful food that is not pernicious?’
مر مرا سوی کهستان راندند ** میوه‌ها زان بیشه می‌افشاندند680
They took me along towards the mountainous country: they were shaking down the fruit from (the trees in) the forest,
که خدا شیرین بکرد آن میوه را ** در دهان تو به همتهای ما
Saying, ‘God hath made the fruit (to taste) sweet in thy mouth because of our benedictions.
هین بخور پاک و حلال و بی‌حساب ** بی صداع و نقل و بالا و نشیب
Come, eat (food that is) clean and lawful, and free of reckoning, without trouble and change of place and (going) up and down.’
پس مرا زان رزق نطقی رو نمود ** ذوق گفت من خردها می‌ربود
Then from that daily provision there appeared in me a (gift of) speech: (the spiritual) savour of my words was transporting (the people's) minds.
گفتم این فتنه‌ست ای رب جهان ** بخششی ده از همه خلقان نهان
I said, ‘This is a temptation: O Lord of the world, bestow (on me) a gift hidden from all (Thy) creatures!’
شد سخن از من دل خوش یافتم ** چون انار از ذوق می‌بشکافتم685
Speech departed from (forsook) me; I gained a joyous heart: I was bursting with rapture, like the pomegranate;
گفتم ار چیزی نباشد در بهشت ** غیر این شادی که دارم در سرشت
I said, ‘If there be naught in Paradise (for me) but this delight which I have within my nature,
هیچ نعمت آرزو ناید دگر ** زین نپردازم به حور و نیشکر
No other blessing will be desired (by me): I will not be diverted from this (delight) by the houris and sugar-cane (of Paradise).’
مانده بود از کسب یک دو حبه‌ام ** دوخته در آستین جبه‌ام
Of my (former) earnings one or two small pieces (of money) had remained with me, sewn in the sleeve of my jubba.
نیت کردن او کی این زر بدهم بدان هیزم‌کش چون من روزی یافتم به کرامات مشایخ و رنجیدن آن هیزم‌کش از ضمیر و نیت او
How he formed an intention, saying, ‘I will give this money to that carrier of firewood, since I have obtained daily provision through the miraculous gifts of the Shaykhs’; and how the carrier of firewood was offended by his secret thought and intention.
آن یکی درویش هیزم می‌کشید ** خسته و مانده ز بیشه در رسید
A poor man was carrying firewood: he approached (me), weary and exhausted, from the forest.
پس بگفتم من ز روزی فارغم ** زین سپس از بهر رزقم نیست غم690
So I said (to myself), ‘I am independent of (earning) daily bread: henceforth I have no anxiety for the daily portion.
میوه‌ی مکروه بر من خوش شدست ** رزق خاصی جسم را آمد به دست
The loathed fruit has become sweet to me: a special provision for my body has come to hand.
چونک من فارغ شدستم از گلو ** حبه‌ای چندست این بدهم بدو
Since I have been freed from the (cravings of the) gullet, here are some small pieces of money: I will give him these.
بدهم این زر را بدین تکلیف‌کش ** تا دو سه روزک شود از قوت خوش
I will give this money to this toil-worn man, that for two or three brief days he may be made happy by food.’
خود ضمیرم را همی‌دانست او ** زانک سمعش داشت نور از شمع هو
He himself was knowing my mind, because his (inward) hearing had illumination from the candle of Hú (God).
بود پیشش سر هر اندیشه‌ای ** چون چراغی در درون شیشه‌ای695
To him the secret of every thought was as a lamp within a glass.
هیچ پنهان می‌نشد از وی ضمیر ** بود بر مضمون دلها او امیر
No mental conception was hidden from him: he was ruler over the contents of (men's) hearts.
پس همی منگید با خود زیر لب ** در جواب فکرتم آن بوالعجب
Therefore that wondrous man was muttering to himself under his breath in answer to my (unspoken) thought,
که چنین اندیشی از بهر ملوک ** کیف تلقی الرزق ان لم یرزقوک
‘Thou thinkest so concerning the (spiritual) kings: how shouldst thou meet (receive) the daily provision unless they provide thee (with it)?’
من نمی‌کردم سخن را فهم لیک ** بر دلم می‌زد عتابش نیک نیک
I was not understanding his words, but his rebuke smote my heart mightily.
سوی من آمد به هیبت هم‌چو شیر ** تنگ هیزم را ز خود بنهاد زیر700
He approached me with awful mien, like a lion, and laid down his bundle of firewood.
پرتو حالی که او هیزم نهاد ** لرزه بر هر هفت عضو من فتاد
(Through) the influence of the ecstatic state in which he laid down the firewood, a trembling fell upon all my seven limbs.
گفت یا رب گر ترا خاصان هی‌اند ** که مبارک‌دعوت و فرخ‌پی‌اند
He said, ‘O Lord, if Thou hast elect ones whose prayers are blessed and whose feet (comings and goings) are auspicious,