مالک الملکی به حس چیزی دهی ** تا که بر حس‌ها کند آن حس شهی 2815
Thou art the Lord of the kingdom: Thou givest to the (spiritual) sense something (peculiar to itself), so that that sense exercises sovereignty over (all) the senses.
حکایت شب دزدان کی سلطان محمود شب در میان ایشان افتاد کی من یکی‌ام از شما و بر احوال ایشان مطلع شدن الی آخره
Story of the night-thieves with whom Sultan Mahmúd fell in during the night (and joined them), saying, “I am one of you”; and how he became acquainted with their affairs, etc.
شب چو شه محمود برمی‌گشت فرد ** با گروهی قوم دزدان باز خورد
While King Mahmúd was roaming about alone at night he encountered a band of thieves.
پس بگفتندش کیی ای بوالوفا ** گفت شه من هم یکی‌ام از شما
Thereupon they said to him, “Who art thou, O honest man?” “I am one of you,” replied the King.
آن یکی گفت ای گروه مکر کیش ** تا بگوید هر یکی فرهنگ خویش
One (of the thieves) said, “O company practised in cunning, let each of us declare his (special) talent;
تا بگوید با حریفان در سمر ** کو چه دارد در جبلت از هنر
Let him tell his comrades in the night-talk what (eminent) skill he possesses in his nature.”
آن یکی گفت ای گروه فن‌فروش ** هست خاصیت مرا اندر دو گوش 2820
One said, “O ye fellows who are exhibiting (your) cleverness, my specialty lies in my two ears.
که بدانم سگ چه می‌گوید به بانگ ** قوم گفتندش ز دیناری دو دانگ
(It is this), that I know what a dog is saying when it barks.” The (rest of the) party replied, “Two dángs of a dínár.”
آن دگر گفت ای گروه زرپرست ** جمله خاصیت مرا چشم اندرست
Another (thief) said, “O company of gold-worshippers, my specialty lies wholly in my eyes.
هر که را شب بینم اندر قیروان ** روز بشناسم من او را بی‌گمان
If I see any one in the world by night, I know him by day without (having any) doubt (as to his identity).”
گفت یک خاصیتم در بازو است ** که زنم من نقبها با زور دست
Another said, “My specialty lies in my arm: I make tunnels (through walls) by strength of hand.”
گفت یک خاصیتم در بینی است ** کار من در خاکها بوبینی است 2825
Another said, “My specialty lies in my nose: my business is to detect the (characteristic) smell in (different) earths (soils).
سرالناس معادن داد دست ** که رسول آن را پی چه گفته است
The secret of ‘men are mines’ has yielded itself (to me), so that (I know the reason) why the Prophet has said it.
من ز خاک تن بدانم کاندر آن ** چند نقدست و چه دارد او ز کان
From (smelling) the earth of the body I know how much good ore is (hidden) therein and what (sort of) mine it holds.
در یکی کان زر بی‌اندازه درج ** وان دگر دخلش بود کمتر ز خرج
In one mine is contained gold immeasurable, while (in the case of) another the revenue (derived) from it is less than the expenditure (cost of working it).
هم‌چو مجنون بو کنم من خاک را ** خاک لیلی را بیابم بی‌خطا
Like Majnún, I smell the soil and detect the soil (abode) of Laylá without mistake.
بو کنم دانم ز هر پیراهنی ** گر بود یوسف و گر آهرمنی 2830
I smell and know from (the scent of) every shirt whether ’tis (belongs to) a Joseph or an Ahriman (devil).
هم‌چو احمد که برد بو از یمن ** زان نصیبی یافت این بینی من
Like Ahmad (Mohammed), who catches scent from Yemen, this nose of mine has gained (been endowed with) some portion of that (spiritual faculty),
که کدامین خاک همسایه‌ی زرست ** یا کدامین خاک صفر و ابترست
(So that I can smell) which soil is a neighbour of gold, or which soil is empty and poor.”
گفت یک نک خاصیت در پنجه‌ام ** که کمندی افکنم طول علم
Another said, “Look here, my specialty lies in my fist: I can throw a lasso to the height of a mountain,
هم‌چو احمد که کمند انداخت جانش ** تا کمندش برد سوی آسمانش
Like Ahmad (Mohammed), whose spirit threw a lasso so (high) that his lasso bore him to Heaven,
گفت حقش ای کمندانداز بیت ** آن ز من دان ما رمیت اذ رمیت 2835
And God said to him, ‘O thrower of the lasso (of thy aspiration) at the (celestial) House, deem that (act of throwing) to be from Me: thou didst not throw when thou threwest.’”
پس بپرسیدند زان شه کای سند ** مر ترا خاصیت اندر چه بود
Then they (the thieves) asked the King, saying, “O man of authority, in what may thy special talent consist?”
گفت در ریشم بود خاصیتم ** که رهانم مجرمان را از نقم
He replied, “My specialty lies in my beard: I can save criminals from punishment.
مجرمان را چون به جلادان دهند ** چون بجنبد ریش من زیشان رهند
When criminals are handed over to the executioners, as soon as my beard moves they are saved.
چون بجنبانم به رحمت ریش را ** طی کنند آن قتل و آن تشویش را
When I move my beard in mercy, they (the executioners) put an end to the killing and (all) the trouble.”
قوم گفتندش که قطب ما توی ** که خلاص روز محنتمان شوی 2840
The company said to him, “Thou art our qutb (supreme chief), for thou wilt be the (means of our) deliverance on the day of tribulation.”
بعد از آن جمله به هم بیرون شدند ** سوی قصرآن شه میمون شدند
Afterwards they all set out together and went towards the palace of the fortunate king.
چون سگی بانگی بزد از سوی راست ** گفت می‌گوید که سلطان با شماست
When a dog barked on the right, (one of them) said, “It says ‘The Sultan is with you.’”
خاک بو کرد آن دگر از ربوه‌ای ** گفت این هست از وثاق بیوه‌ای
Another smelt the ground from (the top of) a hill and said, “This belongs to the house of a widow.”
پس کمند انداخت استاد کمند ** تا شدند آن سوی دیوار بلند
Then the skilful master of the lasso threw his lasso, so that (by means of it) they got over the lofty wall.
جای دیگر خاک را چون بوی کرد ** گفت خاک مخزن شاهیست فرد 2845
When he (the thief who had previously smelt from the hill) smelt the earth in this other place, he said, “’Tis the earth (site) of the treasury of a peerless king.”
نقب‌زن زد نقب در مخزن رسید ** هر یکی از مخزن اسبابی کشید
The tunneller made a tunnel and reached the treasury: every one carried off some goods from the treasury.
بس زر و زربفت و گوهرهای زفت ** قوم بردند و نهان کردند تفت
The band took away much gold and gold-embroidered cloth and big pearls and quickly concealed them.
شه معین دید منزل‌گاهشان ** حلیه و نام و پناه و راهشان
The King saw distinctly their lodging-place and (noticed) their personal appearance and names and (where they took) refuge and (what) way (they went).
خویش را دزدید ازیشان بازگشت ** روز در دیوان بگفت آن سرگذشت
He stole away from them and returned (to the palace), and (next) day related his adventure (to the ministers) in council.
پس روان گشتند سرهنگان مست ** تا که دزدان را گرفتند و ببست 2850
Thereupon furious officers rushed away to arrest and pinion the thieves.
دست‌بسته سوی دیوان آمدند ** وز نهیب جان خود لرزان شدند
They (the thieves) came handcuffed into the council-chamber, and they were trembling in fear for their lives.
چونک استادند پیش تخت شاه ** یار شبشان بود آن شاه چو ماه
When they stood before the King's throne, that moon-like King was their (last) night's companion.
آنک چشمش شب بهرکه انداختی ** روز دیدی بی شکش بشناختی
He (the thief) who could without hesitation recognise by day any one on whom he had cast his eye by night
شاه را بر تخت دید و گفت این ** بود با ما دوش شب‌گرد و قرین
Saw the King on the throne and said, “This man was going about with us last night and was our comrade.
آنک چندین خاصیت در ریش اوست ** این گرفت ما هم از تفتیش اوست 2855
He who has such a great talent in his beard—our arrest is the result of his enquiry.”
عارف شه بود چشمش لاجرم ** بر گشاد از معرفت لب با حشم
His (the thief's) eye was a knower of the King: consequently he opened his lips (to speak) of (mystic) knowledge to his followers.
گفت و هو معکم این شاه بود ** فعل ما می‌دید و سرمان می‌شنود
He said, “This King was (the subject of) and He is with you: he was seeing our actions and hearing our secret.
چشم من ره برد شب شه را شناخت ** جمله شب با روی ماهش عشق باخت
My eye made its way (to him), recognised the King by night, and all night long played the game of love with his moon-like face.
امت خود را بخواهم من ازو ** کو نگرداند ز عارف هیچ رو
I will beg (forgiveness for) my people from him, for he never averts his face from the knower.
چشم عارف دان امان هر دو کون ** که بدو یابید هر بهرام عون 2860
Deem the eye of the knower to be the salvation of the two worlds, whereby every Bahrám (sovereign) obtained help.
زان محمد شافع هر داغ بود ** که ز جز شه چشم او مازاغ بود
Mohammed was the intercessor for every brand (of disgrace) because his eye did not swerve for aught except God.
در شب دنیا که محجوبست شید ** ناظر حق بود و زو بودش امید
In the night of this world, where the sun (of Reality) is veiled, he was beholding God, and (all) his hope was in Him.
از الم نشرح دو چشمش سرمه یافت ** دید آنچ جبرئیل آن بر نتافت
His eyes received collyrium from Did not We expand (thy breast)? He saw that which Gabriel could not endure.
مر یتیمی را که سرمه حق کشد ** گردد او در یتیم با رشد
The orphan to whom (to whose eyes) God applies collyrium becomes the orphan (unique) pearl endowed with (Divine) guidance.