لب ببست و پیش سلطان ایستاد ** راز گویان با خدا رب العباد
He closed his lips and stood before the Sultan, communing with God the Lord of (all) His slaves.
ایستاده راز سلطان می‌شنید ** واندرون اندیشه‌اش این می‌تنید 3385
He stood and listened to the Sultan's intimate talk, while inwardly his thought was weaving this (prayer)—
کای خداگر آن جوان کژ رفت راه ** که نشاید ساختن جز تو پناه
“O God, if that young man (the Amír) has gone the wrong way, for ’tis not fitting to make any one except Thee a refuge,
تو از آن خود بکن از وی مگیر ** گرچه او خواهد خلاص از هر اسیر
(Yet) do Thou act in Thine own (generous) fashion and be not offended with him although he beseech any (poor) prisoner (like me) to deliver him,
زانک محتاجند این خلقان همه ** از گدایی گیر تا سلطان همه
Because all these creatures (of Thine) are in need (of Thee): take (it that) all (are alike in this respect) from a beggar to the Sultan (himself).”
با حضور آفتاب با کمال ** رهنمایی جستن از شمع و ذبال
To seek guidance from candle and wick when the perfect Sun is present,
با حضور آفتاب خوش‌مساغ ** روشنایی جستن از شمع و چراغ 3390
To seek light from candle and lamp when the smoothly-rolling Sun is present,
بی‌گمان ترک ادب باشد ز ما ** کفر نعمت باشد و فعل هوا
Doubtless ’tis irreverence on our part, ’tis ingratitude and an act of self-will,
لیک اغلب هوش‌ها در افتکار ** هم‌چو خفاشند ظلمت دوستدار
But most minds in (their) thinking are lovers of darkness, like the bat.
در شب ار خفاش کرمی می‌خورد ** کرم را خورشید جان می‌پرورد
If the bat eats a worm during the night, (yet it is) the Sun (that) fosters the life of the worm.
در شب ار خفاش از کرمیست مست ** کرم از خورشید جنبنده شدست
If the bat is intoxicated with (the pleasure of eating) a worm during the night, (yet it is) by the Sun (that) the worm has been caused to move.
آفتابی که ضیا زو می‌زهد ** دشمن خود را نواله می‌دهد 3395
The Sun whence radiance gushes forth is giving food to his enemy.
لیک شهبازی که او خفاش نیست ** چشم بازش راست‌بین و روشنیست
But (in the case of) the royal falcon which is not a bat and whose falcon-eye is seeing truly and is clear,
گر به شب جوید چو خفاش او نمو ** در ادب خورشید مالد گوش او
If it, like the bat, seek increase (of sustenance) during the night, the Sun will rub its ear (chastise it) in correction,
گویدش گیرم که آن خفاش لد ** علتی دارد ترا باری چه شد
And will say to it, “I grant that the perverse bat has an infirmity, (but) anyhow what is the matter with you?
مالشت بدهم به زجر از اکتیاب ** تا نتابی سر دگر از آفتاب
I will chastise you severely with affliction, in order that you may not again turn your head away from the Sun.”
ماخذه‌ی یوسف صدیق صلوات‌الله علیه به حبس بضع سنین به سبب یاری خواستن از غیر حق و گفتن اذکرنی عند ربک مع تقریره
How Joseph the Siddíq (truthful witness)—the blessings of God be upon him!—was punished with imprisonment “for several years” because of his seeking help from another than God and saying (to him), “Mention me in thy lord's presence,” together with the exposition thereof.
آنچنان که یوسف از زندانیی ** با نیازی خاضعی سعدانیی 3400
That is like Joseph's (asking help) of a (fellow-) prisoner, a needy abject groundling.
خواست یاری گفت چون بیرون روی ** پیش شه گردد امورت مستوی
He besought him for help and said, “When you come out (of prison), your affairs will prosper with the king.
یاد من کن پیش تخت آن عزیز ** تا مرا هم وا خرد زین حبس نیز
Make mention of me before the throne of that mighty prince, that he may redeem (release) me also from this prison.”
کی دهد زندانیی در اقتناص ** مرد زندانی دیگر را خلاص
(But) how should a prisoner in captivity give release to another imprisoned man?
اهل دنیا جملگان زندانیند ** انتظار مرگ دار فانیند
All the people of this world are prisoners (waiting) in expectation of death in the abode that is passing away;
جز مگر نادر یکی فردانیی ** تن بزندان جان او کیوانیی 3405
Except, to be sure, in the rare case of one who is single (fardání), one whose body is in the prison (of this world) and his spirit like Saturn (in the seventh heaven).
پس جزای آنک دید او را معین ** ماند یوسف حبس در بضع سنین
Therefore, in retribution for having regarded him (the fellow-prisoner) as a helper, Joseph was left in prison for several years.
یاد یوسف دیو از عقلش سترد ** وز دلش دیو آن سخن از یاد برد
The Devil erased from his mind the recollection of Joseph and removed from his memory those words (which Joseph had spoken).
زین گنه کامد از آن نیکوخصال ** ماند در زندان ز داور چند سال
In consequence of the sin which proceeded from that man of goodly qualities (Joseph), he was left in prison for several years by the (Divine) Judge,
که چه تقصیر آمد از خورشید داد ** تا تو چون خفاش افتی در سواد
Who said, “What failure was shown by the Sun of justice that thou shouldst fall, like a bat, into the blackness (of night)?
هین چه تقصیر آمد از بحر و سحاب ** تا تو یاری خواهی از ریگ و سراب 3410
Hark, what failure was shown by the sea and the cloud that thou shouldst seek help from the sand and the mirage?
عام اگر خفاش طبعند و مجاز ** یوسفا داری تو آخر چشم باز
If the vulgar are bats by nature and unreal (unspiritual), thou, at least, O Joseph, hast the eye of the falcon.
گر خفاشی رفت در کور و کبود ** باز سلطان دیده را باری چه بود
If a bat went into the blind and blue (the world of darkness and misery), (’tis no wonder, but) after all what ailed the falcon that had seen the Sultan?”
پس ادب کردش بدین جرم اوستاد ** که مساز از چوب پوسیده عماد
Therefore the (Divine) Master punished him for this sin, saying, “Do not make thy prop of rotten wood”;
لیک یوسف را به خود مشغول کرد ** تا نیاید در دلش زان حبس درد
But He caused Joseph to be engrossed with Him, to the end that his heart should not be pained by that imprisonment.
آن‌چنانش انس و مستی داد حق ** که نه زندان ماند پیشش نه غسق 3415
God gave him such intimate joy and rapture that neither the prison nor the mirk (of his dungeon) remained (visible) to him.
نیست زندانی وحش‌تر از رحم ** ناخوش و تاریک و پرخون و وخم
There is no prison more frightful than the womb—noisome and dark and full of blood and unhealthy;
چون گشادت حق دریچه سوی خویش ** در رحم هر دم فزاید تنت بیش
(Yet), when God has opened for you a window in His direction, your body (hidden) in the womb grows more (and more) every moment,
اندر آن زندان ز ذوق بی‌قیاس ** خوش شکفت از غرس جسم تو حواس
And in that prison, from the immeasurable delight (which you feel therein), the senses blossom happily from the plant, your body.
زان رحم بیرون شدن بر تو درشت ** می‌گریزی از زهارش سوی پشت
’Tis grievous to you to go forth from the womb: you are fleeing from her (your mother's) pubes towards her back.
راه لذت از درون دان نه از برون ** ابلهی دان جستن قصر و حصون 3420
Know that the way of (spiritual) pleasure is from within, not from without: know that it is folly to seek palaces and castles.
آن یکی در کنج مسجد مست و شاد ** وآن دگر در باغ ترش و بی‌مراد
One man is enraptured and delighted in the nook of a mosque, while another is morose and disappointed in a garden.
قصر چیزی نیست ویران کن بدن ** گنج در ویرانیست ای میر من
The palace (body) is nothing: ruin your body! The treasure lies in the ruin, O my prince.
این نمی‌بینی که در بزم شراب ** مست آنگه خوش شود کو شد خراب
Don't you see that at the wine-feast the drunkard becomes happy (only) when he becomes ruined (senseless)?
گرچه پر نقش است خانه بر کنش ** گنج جو و از گنج آبادان کنش
Although the (bodily) house is full of pictures, demolish it: seek the treasure, and with the treasure put it (the house) into good repair.
خانه‌ی پر نقش تصویر و خیال ** وین صور چون پرده بر گنج وصال 3425
’Tis a house filled with pictures of imagination and fancy, and these forms (ideas) are as a veil over the treasure of union (with God).
پرتو گنجست و تابش‌های زر ** که درین سینه همی‌جوشد صور
’Tis the radiance of the Treasure and the splendours of the (spiritual) gold that cause the forms (ideas) to surge up in this breast.
هم ز لطف و عکس آب با شرف ** پرده شد بر روی آب اجزای کف
’Tis from the purity and translucence of the noble Water that the particles of foam have veiled the face of the Water.
هم ز لطف و جوش جان با ثمن ** پرده‌ای بر روی جان شد شخص تن
’Tis from the purity and (ceaseless) agitation of the precious Spirit that the bodily figure has veiled the face of the Spirit.
پس مثل بشنو که در افواه خاست ** که اینچ بر ماست ای برادر هم ز ماست
Hearken, then, to the adage that issued from the mouths (of men)—“this which is (cast) upon us, O brother, is (derived) from us.”
زین حجاب این تشنگان کف‌پرست ** ز آب صافی اوفتاده دوردست 3430
Because of this veil, these thirsty ones who are (so) fond of the foam have got out of reach of the pure Water.
آفتابا با چو تو قبله و امام ** شب‌پرستی و خفاشی می‌کنیم
“O (Divine) Sun, notwithstanding (that we have) a qibla (object of adoration) and Imám like Thee, we worship the night and behave in the manner of bats.
سوی خود کن این خفاشان را مطار ** زین خفاشیشان بخر ای مستجار
Make these bats to fly towards Thee and redeem them from this bat-like disposition, O Thou whose protection is implored!
این جوان زین جرم ضالست و مغیر ** که بمن آمد ولی او را مگیر
This youth (the Amír), by (committing) this sin, has gone astray and trespassed (against Thee), for he came to me (for help); but do not chastise him.”