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.”
در عماد الملک این اندیشه‌ها ** گشته جوشان چون اسد در بیشه‌ها
In the ‘Imádu ’l-Mulk these thoughts were raging like a lion (rushing) through the jungles.
ایستاده پیش سلطان ظاهرش ** در ریاض غیب جان طایرش 3435
His exterior (person) stood before the Sultan, (but) his soaring spirit was in the meadows of the Unseen.
چون ملایک او به اقلیم الست ** هر دمی می‌شد به شرب تازه مست
Like the angels, he was momently being intoxicated with fresh draughts (of spiritual wine) in the realm of Alast;
اندرون سور و برون چون پر غمی ** در تن هم‌چون لحد خوش عالمی
Inwardly (merry as) a wedding-feast, but outwardly like a man filled with sorrow; a delectable world (concealed) in a tomb-like body.
او درین حیرت بد و در انتظار ** تا چه پیدا آید از غیب و سرار
He was in this (state of) bewilderment and waiting to see what would appear from the (world of) things occult and mysterious,
اسپ را اندر کشیدند آن زمان ** پیش خوارمشاه سرهنگان کشان
(When) at that time the officers brought the horse along into the presence of the Khwárizmsháh.
الحق اندر زیر این چرخ کبود ** آن‌چنان کره به قد و تگ نبود 3440
Verily beneath this azure sky there was no (other) colt like that in (tallness and comeliness of) figure and in fleetness.
می‌ربودی رنگ او هر دیده را ** مرحب آن از برق و مه زاییده را
Its colour (splendid appearance) dazzled every eye: (all would exclaim), “Hail to the (steed) born of the lightning and the moon!”
هم‌چو مه هم‌چون عطارد تیزرو ** گوییی صرصر علف بودش نه جو
It moved as swiftly as the moon and Mercury: you might say that its fodder was the sarsar wind, not barley.
ماه عرصه‌ی آسمان را در شبی ** می‌برد اندر مسیر و مذهبی
The moon traverses the expanse of heaven in one night during a single journey and course.
چون به یک شب مه برید ابراج را ** از چه منکر می‌شوی معراج را
Since the moon traversed the signs of the zodiac in one night, wherefore wilt thou disbelieve the Ascension (of the Prophet)?
صد چو ماهست آن عجب در یتیم ** که به یک ایماء او شد مه دو نیم 3445
That wondrous orphan Pearl is as a hundred moons, for at a nod from him the moon became (split in) two halves.
آن عجب کو در شکاف مه نمود ** هم به قدر ضعف حس خلق بود
(Even) the marvel which he displayed in splitting the moon was only according to the measure of the weakness of the perception possessed by the (common) people.
کار و بار انبیا و مرسلون ** هست از افلاک و اخترها برون
The work and business of the prophets and (Divine) messengers is beyond the skies and the stars.
تو برون رو هم ز افلاک و دوار ** وانگهان نظاره کن آن کار و بار
Do thou also go beyond (transcend) the skies and the revolving (orb), and then contemplate that work and business.
در میان بیضه‌ای چون فرخ‌ها ** نشنوی تسبیح مرغان هوا
(Whilst) thou art inside the egg, like chicks, thou canst not hear the glorification of God by the birds of the (supermundane) air.
معجزات این‌جا نخواهد شرح گشت ** ز اسپ و خوارمشاه گو و سرگذشت 3450
The miracles (of the Prophet) will not be set forth here: tell of the horse and the Khwárizmsháh and what happened.