شاه دیدش بس نزار و بس ضعیف ** که به یک سیلی بمیرد آن نحیف
The king saw that he was very thin and infirm, so that such an emaciated man would die at a single blow.
کی توان او را فشردن یا زدن ** که چو شیشه گشته است او را بدن 1130
(He thought to himself), “How is it possible to torture or beat him, since his body has become as (fragile as) a glass?
لیک با او گویم از راه خوشی ** که چرا داری تو لاف سر کشی
But I will speak to him kindly and say, ‘Why dost thou boast of (this) high estate?’
که درشتی ناید اینجا هیچ کار ** هم به نرمی سر کند از غار مار
For here harshness is of no use: ’tis by gentleness that the snake puts forth its head (is induced to come forth) from the hole.”
مردمان را دور کرد از گرد وی ** شه لطیفی بود و نرمی ورد وی
He caused the people to withdraw from around him (the claimant): the king was a gracious man, and gentleness was his way.
پس نشاندش باز پرسیدش ز جا ** که کجا داری معاش و ملتجی
Then he bade him be seated, and asked him concerning his dwelling-place, saying, “Where hast thou thy means of livelihood and refuge?”
گفت ای شه هستم از دار السلام ** آمده از ره درین دار الملام 1135
He replied, “O king, I belong to the Abode of Peace: I have come from the road (after having journeyed) to this Abode of Blame.
نه مرا خانه‌ست و نه یک همنشین ** خانه کی کردست ماهی در زمین
I have neither home nor any companion: when has a fish made its home on the earth?”
باز شه از روی لاغش گفت باز ** که چه خوردی و چه داری چاشت‌ساز
Again the king answered him, saying by way of jest, “What (food) hast thou eaten and what provision hast thou (made) for the morning meal?
اشتهی داری چه خوردی بامداد ** که چنین سرمستی و پر لاف و باد
Hast thou appetite? What didst thou eat at daybreak that thou art so intoxicated and boastful and blustering?”
گفت اگر نانم بدی خشک و طری ** کی کنیمی دعوی پیغامبری
He replied, “If I had bread, (whether) dry or moist, how should I lay claim to prophecy?
دعوی پیغامبری با این گروه ** هم‌چنان باشد که دل جستن ز کوه 1140
To claim to be a prophet amongst these people is like seeking a heart from a mountain.
کس ز کوه و سنگ عقل و دل نجست ** فهم و ضبط نکته‌ی مشکل نجست
No one (ever) sought intellect and heart from mountains and rocks: none sought (from them) understanding and apprehension of a difficult point of discourse.
هر چه گویی باز گوید که همان ** می‌کند افسوس چون مستهزیان
Whatever you say, the mountain replies the same: it makes a mock (of you) like the scoffers.
از کجا این قوم و پیغام از کجا ** از جمادی جان کرا باشد رجا
What relation exists between this folk and the (Divine) message? Who can hope for (spiritual) life from a soulless thing?
گر تو پیغام زنی آری و زر ** پیش تو بنهند جمله سیم و سر
If you bring (them) a message concerning a woman or gold, they will all lay before you their money and lives (in entire devotion)—
که فلان جا شاهدی می‌خواندت ** عاشق آمد بر تو او می‌داندت 1145
(The message), ‘A sweetheart in such and such a place invites thee (to come to her): she is in love with thee, she knows thee.’
ور تو پیغام خدا آری چو شهد ** که بیا سوی خدا ای نیک‌عهد
But if you bring (them) the honey-like message of God, ‘Come to God, O thou who hast a good covenant (with Him);
از جهان مرگ سوی برگ رو ** چون بقا ممکن بود فانی مشو
Go from the world of death towards the (eternal) provision: since everlastingness is possible, do not be perishing’—
قصد خون تو کنند و قصد سر ** نه از برای حمیت دین و هنر
They will seek (to shed) thy blood and (take) thy life, not in zeal for religion and (spiritual and moral) excellence.
سبب عداوت عام و بیگانه زیستن ایشان به اولیاء خدا کی بحقشان می‌خوانند و با آب حیات ابدی
The reason why the vulgar are at enmity with, and live in estrangement from, the saints of God who call them unto God and the Water of Life everlasting.
بلک از چفسیدگی در خان و مان ** تلخشان آید شنیدن این بیان
Nay, but on account of their sticking to house and goods ’tis bitter (hateful) to them to hear this exposition (given by the prophets).
خرقه‌ای بر ریش خر چفسید سخت ** چونک خواهی بر کنی زو لخت لخت 1150
(Suppose) a rag is stuck fast upon the donkey's sore: when you wish to tear it off, bit by bit,
جفته اندازد یقین آن خر ز درد ** حبذا آن کس کزو پرهیز کرد
The donkey, because of the pain (inflicted on him), will certainly kick: happy the man who abstained from (touching) him!—
خاصه پنجه ریش و هر جا خرقه‌ای ** بر سرش چفسیده در نم غرقه‌ای
Especially (when there are) fifty sores, and a soaked rag stuck on the top of them in every case.
خان و مان چون خرقه و این حرص‌ریش ** حرص هر که بیش باشد ریش بیش
House and goods are like the rag, and this greed (of thine) is the sore: the greater the greed, the greater the sore.
خان و مان چغد ویرانست و بس ** نشنود اوصاف بغداد و طبس
The wilderness alone is the house and goods of the owl: he (the owl) will not listen to descriptions of Baghdád and Tabas.
گر بیاید باز سلطانی ز راه ** صد خبر آرد بدین چغدان ز شاه 1155
If a royal falcon come from the road and bring to these owls a hundred reports of the King,
شرح دارالملک و باغستان و جو ** پس برو افسوس دارد صد عدو
(With) a full account of the imperial city and the orchards and the rivers—then a hundred enemies will jeer at him,
که چه باز آورد افسانه‌ی کهن ** کز گزاف و لاف می‌بافد سخن
Saying, ‘What has the falcon brought? An old story. He is weaving words of vanity and idle brag.’
کهنه ایشانند و پوسیده‌ی ابد ** ورنه آن دم کهنه را نو می‌کند
(’Tis) they (that) are old and rotten unto everlasting; otherwise (they would know that) that breath (of prophetic inspiration) makes the old new.
مردگان کهنه را جان می‌دهد ** تاج عقل و نور ایمان می‌دهد
It gives life to the old dead (spirits): it gives the crown of reason and the light of faith.
دل مدزد از دلربای روح‌بخش ** که سوارت می‌کند بر پشت رخش 1160
Do not steal thy heart away from the spirit-bestowing heart-ravisher, for he will mount thee on the back of Rakhsh.
سر مدزد از سر فراز تاج‌ده ** کو ز پای دل گشاید صد گره
Do not steal thy head away from the crown-giving one whose head is exalted, for he will untie a hundred knots from the foot of thy heart.
با کی گویم در همه ده زنده کو ** سوی آب زندگی پوینده کو
Whom shall I tell? Where in the village is any (spiritually) living one? Where is any one that runs towards the Water of Life?
تو به یک خواری گریزانی ز عشق ** تو به جز نامی چه می‌دانی ز عشق
Thou art fleeing from Love because of a single humiliation: what dost thou know of Love except the name?
عشق را صد ناز و استکبار هست ** عشق با صد ناز می‌آید به دست
Love hath a hundred disdains and prides: Love is gained by means of a hundred blandishments.
عشق چون وافیست وافی می‌خرد ** در حریف بی‌وفا می‌ننگرد 1165
Since Love is loyal, it purchases (desires) him that is loyal: it does not look at a disloyal comrade.
چون درختست آدمی و بیخ عهد ** بیخ را تیمار می‌باید به جهد
Man resembles a tree, and the root is the covenant (with God): the root must be cherished with all one's might.
عهد فاسد بیخ پوسیده بود ** وز ثمار و لطف ببریده بود
A corrupt (infirm) covenant is a rotten root and is cut off (deprived) of fruit and grace.
شاخ و برگ نخل گر چه سبز بود ** با فساد بیخ سبزی نیست سود
Although the boughs and leaves of the date-palm are green, greenness is no benefit (when conjoined) with corruption of the root;
ور ندارد برگ سبز و بیخ هست ** عاقبت بیرون کند صد برگ دست
And if it (the bough) have no green leaves, while it hath a (good) root, at the last a hundred leaves will put forth their hands.
تو مشو غره به علمش عهد جو ** علم چون قشرست و عهدش مغز او 1170
Be not duped by his (the learned man's) knowledge; seek (to know whether he keeps) the covenant: knowledge is like a husk, and his covenant is its kernel.
در بیان آنک مرد بدکار چون متمکن شود در بدکاری و اثر دولت نیکوکاران ببیند شیطان شود و مانع خیر گردد از حسد هم‌چون شیطان کی خرمن سوخته همه را خرمن سوخته خواهد ارایت الذی ینهی عبدا اذا صلی
Explaining that when the evil-doer becomes settled in evil-doing and sees the effect of the (spiritual) fortune of the doers of righteousness, he from envy becomes a devil and preventer of good, like Satan; for he whose stack is burnt desires that all (others) should have their stacks burnt: ‘hast thou seen him who forbids a servant (of God) when he performs the (ritual) prayer?’
وافیان را چون ببینی کرده سود ** تو چو شیطانی شوی آنجا حسود
When you see that the loyal have profited, thereat you become envious, like a devil.
هرکرا باشد مزاج و طبع سست ** او نخواهد هیچ کس را تن‌درست
Whenever a man's temperament and constitution is feeble, he does not wish any one to be sound in body.
گر نخواهی رشک ابلیسی بیا ** از در دعوی به درگاه وفا
If you dislike (to have) the jealousy of Iblís, come (away) from the door of pretension (and advance) to the portal of loyalty.
چون وفاات نیست باری دم مزن ** که سخن دعویست اغلب ما و من
When thou hast not loyalty, at least do not talk (presumptuously), for words are for the most part self-assertion—‘we’ and ‘I.’
این سخن در سینه دخل مغزهاست ** در خموشی مغز جان را صد نماست 1175
These words, (whilst they stay) in the breast, are an income consisting of (spiritual) kernels: in silence the spiritual kernel grows a hundredfold.
چون بیامد در زبان شد خرج مغز ** خرج کم کن تا بماند مغز نغز
When it (the word) comes on to the tongue, the kernel is expended: refrain from expending, in order that the goodly kernel may remain (with you).
مرد کم گوینده را فکرست زفت ** قشر گفتن چون فزون شد مغز رفت
The man who speaks little hath strong thoughts: when the husk, namely speech, becomes excessive, the kernel goes.
پوست افزون بود لاغر بود مغز ** پوست لاغر شد چو کامل گشت و نغز
(When) the rind is excessive, the kernel is thin: the rind becomes thin when it (the kernel) becomes perfect and goodly.